Which screw assortment is useful for 3D printing?
For functional 3D printing, a metric assortment with several useful lengths is often more valuable than a huge box of unusual sizes. M3 and M4 cover many enclosure, mount and assembly tasks, while M2/M2.5 and M5 can be useful depending on the project. Choose by thread size, length and head style rather than total piece count.
M3
Commonly useful for:
- small enclosures
- electronics
- heat-set inserts
- light mounts
M4
Useful for:
- larger mounts
- handles
- mechanical fastening
Head styles
Socket-head screws are convenient for many technical prints. Countersunk screws only make sense when the printed part includes a matching countersink.
Lengths
A range of useful lengths matters more than dozens of duplicate fasteners.
Selection criteria
- clearly labelled metric sizes
- material specified
- head standard clear
- useful length range