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Stainless Hardware for a B

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vping

vping

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As I go through my cars I tend to change rusty screws & bolts to Stainless Steel. Rather than running to the hardware store everytine I need a bolt, what are the most common sizes of screws, nuts, bolts & washers I should purchase in bulk if I want to keep a supply on hand for these.

Has anyone done such a thing?
 
I used a whole box of 1/4 inch stainless lock washers.
 
!/4 & 5/16 NF are the most common. Length varies a lot but I get 1" and will trim them down for shorter application. Nuts, flat and split washers for each, too. Lots of 8-32 machine screws with 'pan head' Phillips heads on 'em as well.
 
I got a box of half inch, three quarter, one inch and one and a quarter. Did not need so many one and a quarter.

Got reg washers and lock washer in 1/4 and 5/16 a box of each, was pleanty.

Yep did use a lot of Pan head as well.

Ahh, these are all 5/16 -18 and 1/4 28 thread I beleive.

Pan heads are 8-32 adn 10-32 as I remember.
 
Man, over the years I've gotten so many boxes of nuts, bolts, washers, screws that I've started only buying them in bulk...somewhere along the way I'll need them...& bulk is cheaper anyway.
 
The sizes are not the issue as 6-32 up to 5/16 NF would be fine. Determining the lengths is the key.
 
My shelf has everything from 1/2" to 1" long in 1/4, 5/16.....20, 24, 28, 32.

Also panhead sheet metal screws in 10x1/2, 12x5/8, 1/4-20x3/4, 8x1/2, 8x1

FWIW
 
Length is not really an issue at all. 1/2 inch and 1 inch will fit 90 percent of the places.
 
Double entrendes abound in this place....love it....hehehehe..."1/2 inch and 1 inch will fit 90 percent of the places"....hehehe
 
Gesh you guys are bad and tough on an old man.

Yep, I am happy with that, Miss Agatha is not a show car, just my toy and my humble attempt to pass another along one day to someone who will care for her.

Meanwhile don't touch the paint, leaves finger prints.
 
Vince-

Stainless is Ok for light duty/cosmetic uses, but most is either 304 or, in rare cases, 316. Neither one is very strong (~ grade 2 me thinks). I used to buy mine in bulk from MSC Fasteners near Pittsburgh, PA. No idea if they are still around.

Now I buy my hardware in bulk from either Aircraft Spruce or the local Caterpillar dealer. Between them, they have absolutely everything you could possibly imagine. It's either yellow cad plated or black oxide and is at least grade 5, most is grade 8.

A few years ago, I went to visit my in-laws in Dayton, OH. We dropped the wives/kidlets off at some mall and spent the entire day at Mendelsons (sp?) - same family that runs Hamfest. Oh man, what a paradise... they sell hardware by the pound - like 50 cents/lb as I recall. The place was just unreal, imagine six or seven floors each the size of a Home Depot filled with surplus harware/electronics/whatever. It was pure heaven. Sadly, I heard they are closing/moving.

Look around eBay/Amazon for a cheap copy of Carrol Smith's book entitled Nuts, Bolts, Fasteners and Plumbing. It's a great reference.
 
oooh I'd love a store like that. Ebay not showing anything for now but I'll keep looking. Thanks for the info on the stainless grades. I'll have to find out what I have been using.
 
vping said:
oooh I'd love a store like that. Ebay not showing anything for now but I'll keep looking. Thanks for the info on the stainless grades. I'll have to find out what I have been using.
Click to expand...

Well, they have a website (disclaimer: I am not responsible if you end up buying a whole bunch of stuff).

https://www.meci.com/ (small sample of their inventory)
https://www.meci.com/video_01.php (video tour; you really need to go to see the sheer size of the place)
 
Scott_Hower said:
...Look around eBay/Amazon for a cheap copy of Carrol Smith's book entitled Nuts, Bolts, Fasteners and Plumbing. It's a great reference.
Click to expand...
And speaking of double entendres, since Smith wrote the book as part of the to Win series (Prepare to win, Tune to Win, Engineer to Win, etc…), his original title was Screw to Win. Unfortunately, his publisher wouldn't go for it.


PC.
 
"If you would twist nuts, you must have nut twisters."

...great line, that.
 
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