Re: [Harp-L] Re: Brass bolts and nuts

[Michelle LeFree <mlefree@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Robert Hale kindly responded to Gnarly's request:

> On Thu, Mar 21, 2013 at 12:30 PM,<gnarlyheman@xxxxxxxxx>  wrote:  brass
> bolts and nuts. ...Where can I get them?
>
> in 10-packs
> 70201 nuts
> 70153 bolts
>
> http://www.micromark.com/round-head-machine-screws-00-90-x-1and8-inch-pkg-of-10,7292.html
>
> Robert Hale

Kind to share your experience, Robert, but IMO there are better 
resources for this kind of stuff than MicroMark. :-)

MicroMark is a convenient source for some things that are difficult to 
find. They specialize in selling small items that they buy in bulk 
cheapo and break them into packages of 10 for big profit. Basically the 
Tandy Leather approach for a supplier of stuff for model train 
hobbyists. If you like them, keep buying from them, but you might like 
to check these other two options.

Several years ago Amazon acquired the "Small Parts" company. In my 
scientific days they were the go-to source for anything small and weird. 
I used to buy tiny ball bearings made of a number of different materials 
to use when I made medical x-ray machine image quality test objects. 
Nowhere else could such odd-ball items be found. Unfortunately when 
Amazon absorbed the company they got rid of the Small Parts web site 
which was very convenient to use. Now you have to spend some time with 
Amazon's clunky search engine.

With a little patience searching Amazon for such items, including the 
words "small parts" will yield a bounty of items, such as:

http://www.amazon.com/B18-6-3-Plain-Machine-Thread-Across/dp/B00AN95LHK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363974411&sr=8-1&keywords=brass+nuts+and+bolts+1%2F8%22+small+parts

and

http://www.amazon.com/Brass-Machine-Screw-Slotted-Length/dp/B003R7JCTI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1363974491&sr=8-3&keywords=brass+round+head+bolts+1%2F8%22+small+parts

Note the pricing, about $15 for 100 #0-80 bolts and $8 for 100 #0-80 nuts.

However if you are looking strictly for small nuts and bolts there is 
another, perhaps even better source , McMaster-Carr. For example,

http://www.mcmaster.com/#machine-screw-fasteners/=lzpbec

and

http://www.mcmaster.com/#hex-nuts/=lzpbzj

There #0-80 nuts cost $3.27 per 100.

You could spend weeks exploring their web site for useful stuff.

Now, I ask, why brass? I use stainless steel hardware. Never had a problem.

Thanks,

Michelle