Need to buy hard to find screws

[Black88GTA]

So, I need some oddball hardware that nobody around here sells. I've tried all the local B&M places, but the only one worth anything for bolts and screws is Home Depot - and HD's selection of metric fasteners is shit.

I have no problem ordering this stuff online, but every online store I find has a minimum purchase limit, or ridiculous shipping costs ($9 to ship 4 tiny screws? Um, no). So, does anyone know a good online source for something like this that doesn't mind small orders?

What I need:
(4) M4 machine screws, minimum 35mm in length (40mm is better). Philips head preferred, but socket cap screws are OK too, as long as they are threaded at least half way. High strength / corrosion resistance is not necessary.

Thanks in advance for any help...

 

[CrazyLazy]

0/10, not alternator sized.

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

http://www.amazon.com/Plated-S...&qid=1225756952&sr=1-5

 

[marvdmartian]

I have no idea what their shipping charges are (I only recommend the source at work, I don't actually make the purchase), but I've had good luck with McMaster-Carr.

They offer all sorts of tiny fasteners, and I recently had to order some 4-40 machine screws from them, so I'd bet they have what you'll need. The only thing is you might have to get a higher quantity than you want, if their package size is greater than your need.

 

[Leros]

Are there not any fastener stores in your town? You'd be amazed at the selection these little places have.

 

[Newbian]

So many ways this thread can get off topic with a title like that.

 

[jupiter57]

Fastenal.
Fastenal.com
There are stores all over.
If they don't have it, (or can't get it), they don't make it!

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: Leros
Are there not any fastener stores in your town? You'd be amazed at the selection these little places have.

Check the yellow pages. Also Ace Hardwares have a pretty awesome selection of metric and SAE...they have all sorts of connectors/links/etc for fabrication.

They can also order things they don't carry. Almost their entire selection can be ordered in chrome for hot rod/Harley guys.

Plus they are cheap.

Almost all online places are expensive or require a large minimum order of each fastener.

 

[Black88GTA]

Thanks all, for the input and suggestions.

I didn't even think to look at Amazon, although the closest I could find there was this, which is $8.95 to ship. Flat head screws won't work for this, unfortunately (forgot to mention that). McMaster-Carr looked good, but I could only find the things I wanted in qty of 100+, and they don't tell you the shipping cost until you place the order. I wasn't able to find any dedicated fastener stores around here (unless I just didn't look hard enough?) and the nearest Ace is kind of a ways from me. Not to mention, coming from work, it is the opposite direction from my house. Since this isn't real urgent, I'd rather not fight the rush-hour traffic to get out there and back after work. I do miss living by an Ace though, they always seemed to have everything.

I ended up getting it from Fastenal.

 

[alkemyst]

I was going to say, post up the exact size / picture and I am sure some ATOT'er could find the 4 screws for you.

42 cents in postage and probably $.50-.75.

What did fastenal set you back? I haven't tried them yet.

I want to swing by this one place in our warehouse district called MetricFastener or something like that...they only stock metric and supposedly have ANYTHING including taps, dies, helicoils, drill bits in both left and right handed thread (if you every have to drill out a fastener always use a reverse cutting drill, many times you will actually be able to thread it right out).

The only problem is they are only open M-F during business hours. They don't need the 'retail' customer really.

*EDIT*: also John Deere shops are great sources for lots of hardware and even car headlights cheap.

 

[DrPizza]

too bad you don't have a good local hardware store. We have one in the area that has every nut screw & bolt you could ever need or imagine. From very tiny smaller than eyeglasses screws up to 2 or 3 inch diameter, 2 foot long bolts.

 

[alkemyst]

thought you lived in the boonies

 

[duragezic]

Originally posted by: Leros
Are there not any fastener stores in your town? You'd be amazed at the selection these little places have.

Yeah I worked at an industrial supply place while in high school and we carried tons of fasteners. We sold to individuals no problem and would sell as little as was needed (no box of 100 crap). They were very good prices too, like until you got into larger sizes, stainless or other special stuff, it was almost nothing.

I always thought that was cool and that not a lot of people realized they sold all that stuff.

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: alkemyst
thought you lived in the boonies

I do. "In the area" - It's 20 minutes to the hardware store. If it weren't that far away, I'd just go get the OP's screws for him.

 

[Black88GTA]

Originally posted by: alkemyst
I was going to say, post up the exact size / picture and I am sure some ATOT'er could find the 4 screws for you.

42 cents in postage and probably $.50-.75.

What did fastenal set you back? I haven't tried them yet.

I want to swing by this one place in our warehouse district called MetricFastener or something like that...they only stock metric and supposedly have ANYTHING including taps, dies, helicoils, drill bits in both left and right handed thread (if you every have to drill out a fastener always use a reverse cutting drill, many times you will actually be able to thread it right out).

The only problem is they are only open M-F during business hours. They don't need the 'retail' customer really.

*EDIT*: also John Deere shops are great sources for lots of hardware and even car headlights cheap.

Well, that's the thing. I don't have a sample screw - just the object it threads into. I figured out the screw size I needed using the machine screw template thing they have at HD, and determined the approximate length I needed using a coat hanger and a marker. I actually thought about asking ATOT if anyone had them, but I figured it was such an odd size that the odds were slim anyone would have it.

The total for everything including shipping from Fastenal was $7.29. About 2 bucks worth of actual stuff (I also ordered 32 more common / cheaper fasteners I needed), and 5.27 for shipping. The shipping was a bit high, given the size / weight of the stuff I bought, but it didn't seem like I was going to do any better anywhere else.

Originally posted by: DrPizza
too bad you don't have a good local hardware store. We have one in the area that has every nut screw & bolt you could ever need or imagine. From very tiny smaller than eyeglasses screws up to 2 or 3 inch diameter, 2 foot long bolts.

It would be nice to have a place that specializes in metric fasteners (or fasteners in general) nearby...HD is the only game in town, unless I want to drive 30+ miles round trip to Ace. And HD blows. Honestly, there probably is some sort of place around here that has this stuff, and I just don't know about it

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: DrPizza

Originally posted by: alkemyst
thought you lived in the boonies

I do. "In the area" - It's 20 minutes to the hardware store. If it weren't that far away, I'd just go get the OP's screws for him.

bringing up good local and 'in the area' one was assuming you were speaking the same.

I doubt most here could not find M4 screws in a 20 minute radius though. They may not know where to look, but I guarantee they are out there.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: Black88GTA
Well, that's the thing. I don't have a sample screw - just the object it threads into. I figured out the screw size I needed using the machine screw template thing they have at HD, and determined the approximate length I needed using a coat hanger and a marker. I actually thought about asking ATOT if anyone had them, but I figured it was such an odd size that the odds were slim anyone would have it.

The total for everything including shipping from Fastenal was $7.29. About 2 bucks worth of actual stuff (I also ordered 32 more common / cheaper fasteners I needed), and 5.27 for shipping. The shipping was a bit high, given the size / weight of the stuff I bought, but it didn't seem like I was going to do any better anywhere else.

Just a pic of the 'look' I meant and the specs. A picture plus the sizes makes a big difference in someone sending you a fender style fastener vs pan head.

For $7.29 that's not bad for a project part done.

 

[Triumph]

i could've helped but i came into the thread too late. i missed my chance to show off my knowledge of fasteners.

 

[duragezic]

Fastenal didn't have that size in stock? If you came to the place I used to work at, we'd have those in, and I hooked ya up for pennies, none of that Fastenal crap. Then again you'd know I'm down right away, walking in and seeing me with ATOT up at work anyway.

Yeah the shipping of fasteners always sucked considering the number of boxes and the weight of them, even in quantities that the small place I worked at did. I think part of the markup on them over cost was to spread out and cover that shipping cost.

Anyway not sure where you live but the supply place I worked at was in a small town... less than 15k population. There was also a Fastenal there, after that there was still a couple of lesser places that would maybe have them. So you might have similar businesses around and as you say just don't know of them.

 

[JC]

You might try Au-ve-co. They have lots of oddball fasteners, especially Automotive and Vehicle fasteners.

 

[herm0016]

we have them at the True value i work at. We also have a fastenal, they rock for almost everything. I remember going in there and spending loads of money when we were setting up our production plant in wisconson, special drill bits, fasteners, tools, rigging hardware, etc...

 

[Black88GTA]

Well, turns out there is a Fastenal B&M around here...the nearest one is a little over 12 miles from my house, although it's not too far from work. But, it's only open 7-5, M-F so I wouldn't be able to go anyways unless I tried to cram it in during lunch - which usually doesn't work out very well. I may have to get over there one day when I have some spare time during the week to check it out for future needs...

Kind of strange how there's a store only a few miles away, yet the "servicing store" for my online order listed on my emailed invoice is over 1100 miles away in MN Oh well, as long as everything arrives with no unpleasant surprises, I'm happy.