Small Parts

[Bob Reeves]

Needed a few stainless steel screws for a project unrelated to airplanes, looked on MicroFastners web site and the choices were too limited. Small Parts was bought by Amazon which is good (I guess) if you are a member of Amazon Prime (free shipping) which I am not so started looking elsewhere.

Found this web site and was tickled, on a $19.62 order shipping was free and I felt the price was really good. That $19.62 bought 600 4-40 and 6-32 philips head stainless steel screws.
http://www.albanycountyfasteners.com/

If you are needing hardware might want to check these guys out.

<Edit> Seem to remember some time back someone was looking for brass thumb nuts.
http://www.albanycountyfasteners.com/Brass_Knurled_Thumb_Nut_p/122000.htm?1=1&CartID=0

[ptg]

EXCELLENT FIND!  Perfect timing for me.  Thank you.

[Tim Wescott]

When they changed the name from "Small Parts" they changed the name to "Amazon Supply".  It turned into what looks like a great general-purpose hardware store, but it's not a great place to get small parts any more.

[bob whitney]

i talked to small parts , they have gone big time an now use a computer controlled  inventory  any part that dose not sell x amount is pulled from inventory so all our once a year parts are gone

[Tim Wescott]

i talked to small parts , they have gone big time an now use a computer controlled  inventory  any part that dose not sell x amount is pulled from inventory so all our once a year parts are gone

Yes, well -- more power to them, but they've divested themselves of their usefulness to me.  Hopefully someone out there will take up the slack.

[Igor]

Did you check Big McMaster , as alternative ?     http://www.mcmaster.com

[john e. holliday]

Have you tried RTL Fasteners?   Or does it really have to be stainless steel?

[Motorman]

It's all stainless, I didn't see where they have grade 8 alloy steel bolts and the 4-40 only goes to 3/4" length. I'll stick with Micro Fasteners.

MM

[John Tate]

I live near RTL Fasteners. They are good people to work with. https://www.rtlfasteners.com/

I like the selection of fasteners that you have found and the prices look good too.

[Jim Kraft]

Some of this stuff is getting really hard to find. I needed some 3/8 long 5-40 socket head bolts for Anderson Spitfire heads and found them at McMasterCar. Try finding 5-40 or 3-48 screws from your local hobby shop. Lots of old sparkers used those sizes. Thankfully most of the old ones I work on still have good screws.

[Tim Wescott]

Some of this stuff is getting really hard to find. I needed some 3/8 long 5-40 socket head bolts for Anderson Spitfire heads and found them at McMasterCar. Try finding 5-40 or 3-48 screws from your local hobby shop. Lots of old sparkers used those sizes. Thankfully most of the old ones I work on still have good screws.

Micro Fasteners (RTL may have them, too): http://www.microfasteners.com/sca0506-5-40-x-3-8-socket-head-cap-screw-alloy-steel.html.  They're only available 100 at a time, but that's for $5.95, so it's hard to complain.

I bought a load of 1" 5-40 screws for Cox 049 propellers, and they were fine quality.

[John Stiles]

I live near RTL Fasteners. They are good people to work with. https://www.rtlfasteners.com/

[ericrule]

RSM Distribution carries stainless steel socket head in 4-40 to 1-1/4". Flat & Button head up to 1" We also carry metric stainless steel in socket, flat and button head (mostly M3)

Quantities can be as low as 10 pieces.

[Randy Cuberly]

Just one minor caution here for everyone.  If you're using 4-40s as engine bolts you really want Grade 8 screws only.  I would also stay away from Cad Plated hardware unless it's from a Mil Certified source!
Hydrogen embrittlement is always a possibility with Cad Plating unless it's very carefully heat treated afterwards.

Popping the heads off your engine bolts during flight is not in the realm of FUN!

Randy Cuberly

[Dane Martin]

Just one minor caution here for everyone.  If you're using 4-40s as engine bolts you really want Grade 8 screws only.  I would also stay away from Cad Plated hardware unless it's from a Mil Certified source!
Hydrogen embrittlement is always a possibility with Cad Plating unless it's very carefully heat treated afterwards.

Popping the heads off your engine bolts during flight is not in the realm of FUN!

Randy Cuberly

just happened on my banshee last weekend. only two broke, so no damage thankfully.  lesson learned!

[ericrule]

Randy is absolutely correct!

That is why I prefer to use only High Alloy socket head fasteners (they are grade 12 so have 240,000 psi tensile strength)/

[John Rist]

I also have had good luck with  http://www.mcmaster.com  Very fast shipping and the price is OK.

[Randy Cuberly]

Randy is absolutely correct!

That is why I prefer to use only High Alloy socket head fasteners (they are grade 12 so have 240,000 psi tensile strength)/

Hi Eric,
I knew that about your hardware and I apologize for following your previous post with my caution without mentioning it.  I certainly did not mean any caution against your hardware.  I hold your products and your integrity in the highest esteem.
I did think it was necessary to caution about less than Grade 8 hardware but did not mean to imply that yours was any less than that...Again my apologies for my timing!

Randy Cuberly

[ericrule]

Hi Randy;

No apology is necessary.

I did not respond to your post. I was just letting people know that I agreed completely with your comments and wanted them to know that our hardware is more than strong enough for C/L purposes.

Eric

[Bob Reeves]

Well I take back anything I said good about Albany Fasteners. Any company can do well when everything works as it is suppose to but you really find out what the company is all about when something doesn't go quite right.

I ordered a pack of 100 6-32 X 1/2 inch screws, the bag I received was marked properly but contained 4-40 screws instead of 6-32. I also ordered 4-40 X 1/2 and now had 200 screws. Sent them an email explaining the problem and asking to send me the proper screws. This is a $2.15 bag of screws and I didn't feel the need to send them back even though I really didn't need 200 of the durn things. Would have taken more time and postage than they cost. First he questioned my intelligence by asking if the package marked 4-40 were actually 4-40's thinking maybe the labels had been switched. I replied, "I wished, if that had been the case I wouldn't have said anything".

Then, received an email back asking if I was going to pay for the wrong screws, I replied asking if they would pay for the time and postage to send them back. They replied with some BS about the return policy... I replied with something like "So you are willing to loose a customer over a $2.00 bag of screws". That was two days ago and I have not heard back.

I ordered the screws I needed from McMaster-Carr plus some I had forgoten to order when I placed the order with Albany. Believe I will be using Eric, RTL or McMaster in the future.

[john e. holliday]

Nothing like dealing with someone you know and has a good reputation.   

[Brett Buck]

Some of this stuff is getting really hard to find. I needed some 3/8 long 5-40 socket head bolts for Anderson Spitfire heads and found them at McMasterCar. Try finding 5-40 or 3-48 screws from your local hobby shop. Lots of old sparkers used those sizes. Thankfully most of the old ones I work on still have good screws.

  I recently went to a pretty large local hobby shop to get some 2-56 screws. After wandering around for a while, I asked where I might find them. They asked me "what car is it for?". They only had replacement screw packs for RC cars, they had no notion or idea about the concept that you might just need some screws.

     Brett

[Tim Wescott]

Well I take back anything I said good about Albany Fasteners. Any company can do well when everything works as it is suppose to but you really find out what the company is all about when something doesn't go quite right.

I'm a firm believer in being sensitive to a vendor's wants.  Particularly when they're telling you that they don't want you as a customer.  Even if it's in code.

[Paul Smith]

McMaster Carr screwed up an order once.
They made good immediately and included a prepaid label for the return shipment, which was picked up at my door by the same UPS truck.

[ericrule]

McMaster Carr is a great supplier with excellent customer service. You can not go wrong dealing with them.