Fastener suppliers

[Vincent DePilli]

I am getting ready to install a new carbon traveler horse. I will be bolting on a low profile harken big boat track. The track takes a 8mm or 5/16 flat head machine screws. (BTW-- Harken makes this tack with a compromise countersink angle— so it doesn’t fit either metric or SAE screws correctly. SUCH a dumb idea.)

Anyway, being a bit of a fastener geek, I have explored the idea of using grade 5 titanium sourced through Allied Titanium. Nice to have a really reliable way to avoid the corrosion issue. Be about $15-16 per fastener (nut and bolt included), and I need 24 of them. Not impossible, but definitely spendy.

So was looking for Stainless substitutes—ideally with socket cap, fine thread, and a flanged nyloc nut. It is surprisingly hard to find such fasteners on the net. First pass through McMaster Carr was unavailing. And there are plenty of places that will sell you 1000 of whatever you want.
Anybody have THE magic fastener supplier?

[jehardiman]

Have you called Tacoma Screw?

[Vincent DePilli]

yeah, it's the fine thread that causes a problem.

[gonzo]

Fastenal may have them

[jim lee]

the olander company in sunnyvale calif.

http://www.olander.com/

About 95% of the high tech gadgets & machines from the SF bay area are held together with their fasteners.

-jim lee