A Few Good Fasteners

[Herb Helbig]

Where do you folks find small numbers of fasteners too exotic for local hardware or auto parts stores? I'm looking for a socket head cap screw, 5/16-24 x 2", to complete Rudy Kouhoupt's milling vise. I've already bought boxes of 100 in other sizes for this project, and my good sense is beginning to take over. It's nice to have extras on hand, but this is getting ridiculous!

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[MMOBLEY]

Herb, Mcmaster sells them for 25.57 per hundred, but they will sell you them in quantities less than that at a cost of 10-25% more. Should not be more than .32 a piece. Good Luck.

[Herb Helbig]

Thanks MMOBLEY - I'll check that out.

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[Martin]

Try Fastenal.com
www.fastenal.com
They ship and the prices are hard to beat.
I used them to replace all the bolts in my motorcycle engine to stainless steel.
Martin

[[email protected]]

Try "Reid Tool Supply Company". They have an incredible stock of fasteners and they sell in small lots. No need to buy boxes of 100. Usual disclaimers. Their web site is www.reidtool.com.

[spope14]

I will secod Fastenall. I have a distributor right in my town. When I need something like this, I hit them, and they have it on hand, or within one days delivery, and in the numbers I WANT!!!!! Not by the hundreds.

They have 1-800 numbers that are easier than the web, and it really is nicer to talk with a person.

I love fastenall, and if you have a distributir in your area, it is a great place to drop by.

Just had to get three pieces of 1/4 w-1 drill rod. Thru MSC would have been cheap price, heavy mailing, and some back time (school PO and such). Bopped to fastenall, got this right on hand.

I also need some 3/8-24 cap screws (replacing face mill screws for an R-8 adaptor), called them today, getting them tomorrow - just four of them at .25 each, not 100 for $16.00 and having to trip over them for the next ten years........ May cost more per unit, but the "what the hell did I buy 100 of these for" (asking this in the year 2013) factor will not kick in.....

[Rich Carlstedt]

If you only want two, try Ace Hardware or Truvalue.
They have small assortments in cardboard drawers in the screw dept. NOT BINS
May cost you a buck and a half a piece, but they do stock stuff like this

[abn]

I use ARP for some specialty stuff: www.arp-bolts.com they sell direct by mail.

Aircraft Spruce has an assortment of spec fasteners: www.aircraftspruce.com

For socket head capscrews and hardened nuts I usually use the local machinery supply place they sell em...about a buck a piece.

[Thrud]

Herb
You are not being sneaky enough my brother! Check Acklands/Grainger, agricultural, marine supply, Ford, GM, Chrysler, VW, Catepillar, - these can be sources of bolts when you are stuck and need it NOW. I have had to do it myself more than once - the scary thing is they are sometimes cheaper than normal sources. I have even found stuff at electronics wholesalers...

[chip's]

Thrud makes a good point. The only problem I have had when doing this is, they always want to know what model of whatever you need the part for is. I have to make something up, because if I tell them what I really want it for, they couldn't possibly have it. I found if I can get away without telling anything, I can get the stuff I need no problem.
I also think Fastenal is a good place to work with. They have most things and can get most anything.

[Herb Helbig]

Thanks, all! I'll report my luck ASAP. Meantime, some local folks have suggested an industrial supply place nearby that I didn't know about.

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[sch]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Herb Helbig:
[ Meantime, some local folks have suggested an industrial supply place nearby that I didn't know about.

Most decent size cities have fastener dealers though a lot of them are oriented toward builders and construction. Check the yellow pages for screws and fasteners and call around. Your experience may be the same as other posters. Home Depot and Lowes
have some sizes available at exorbitant prices. Steve

[Herb Helbig]

After checking local sources, Fastenal sold me (a minimum order of) 25 of the cap screws I needed. They have several dealers in Maine; next time I'll try another one as this one left my order on the shelf for several days after promising shipment as soon as they got them in. I guess we all have forgetful days ... what was I saying?

Thanks again to all for your good suggestions!

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[snorman]

Okay, now how about dowel pins? I occasionally find a need for a few dowels in a particular size but have never seen them sold in small quantities.(less than a box of 50 or 100) Who can afford to buy even one box of each diameter? An assortment(not huge) would be okay.

[L Webb]

A month or so ago I picked up off the clearance table at a KBC Tools store a Precision Brand dowel pin assortment box. I got it for something like $30 or so which was about half-price. It is a nice assortment in a compartmented plastic box.
I hate buying boxes of 50 or 100 even though I will go through them.
Les