Stainless steel hardware

[jziegler]

This weekend, I will be starting on building a garden bridge using some white cedar that I have been given. Because of the type of wood, stainless steel hardware is reccommended. So, I was looking at HD at lunch today, and their stainless bolts cost a fortune. Somewhere around $1 each for the 3-4" lag and carriage bolts that I want. Needing 16 lags and 6 carriage bolts, that would be a good chunk of change for the hardware. Add in nuts and washers, it gets higher. So, I checked out McFeely's, and the price was about 1/3 that of HD. Even with shipping, the price was much lower. So, the moral of the story is to not bother with stainless at HD, go right to mail order and you'll do much better. Hopefully this will help someone else out there for their outdoor projects.

Now, if only I had known that last year.. I bought some stainless there for last year's garden project....

-Jim

[scorrpio]

For HD, single-piece hardware is whatchamacallit 'high margin item'. Reason: convenience. When, in the middle of a project, you figure out you are two bolts short, you are not going to go order online where you'll need to wait for several days - you'll likely skip to nearest HD and buy there. And hardware always seems to be something you end up short on.

The other day, I needed some 14-20 threaded brass inserts. Local HD has them for about $1.50 per pack of 2. Rockler sells same exact inserts for $2.79 per pack of 8. Interestingly enough, Rockler does not stock packs of 2, and HD does not stock packs of 8.

[LCHIEN]

I think I need a dozen of M12-1.75 hex nuts to assemble some threaded stem casters. (M12 is around 1/2"). McFeeleys only goes to M7 or so,
Where would be a good place to buy some locally or on-line where the
shipping won't kill me.

I'm thinking i should try Ace hardware. I have little faith that HD and Lowe's specialty bins, if they carry them will be stocked.

Grizzly sells the caster and a myriad of hardware items but oddly doesn't seem to stock any metric OR SAE fasteners of any kind (except an assortment box).

[jziegler]

Loring,

Ace or TruValue would probably be your best local bets. Possibly try an auto supply store too?

If all else fails, there's always McMaster Carr or Grainger.

-Jim

[gonesailing]

Jamestown Fastners

When living on our sailboat I bought a lot of hardware from Jamestown Fastners, mostly silicon bronze but also some larger SS bolts, nuts, etc. Not sure how their prices compare with other mailorder places, but they had a good selection. Of course shipping is high - a 1" bolt weighs a lot, no mater how long it is.

Mike L