Bulk Hardware

[bearrickster]

I am new to the site so this my have already been talked about. But I saved a ton of money so I feel the need to shere need some chassis pan screws so off to my local hobby shop and my walet was vololated!! like ten dollars for 6 screws. their the same phillips on the RC10 to hold the bulkheads on you know the ones so I new their had to be something better. well owning a autobody shop someone brought me a Fastenal Cataloge. they have EVERYTHING. I bought 100 of the same screws for 5 bucks in stainless. and then ordered 50 dollars more worth of 440 Stainless cap screws and so on they are also on line and have all of your hardwere needs hope this helps someone.

[Bugle]

Ouch! They should be around $2 for a pack of 16.
Stainless would be sweet, bit heavier though.

[scr8p]

doug mentions this place a lot: http://www.mcmaster.com/

[Eau Rouge]

Yep, I highly recommend:

http://www.fastener-express.com
http://www.mcmaster.com
http://www.jlindustrial.com



Think of it like going to Vegas though... bring only the amount of money you're willing to lose. Evil, EVIL companies.

[bearrickster]

well my LHS beleves in full retail and you have to order everything they dont keep much in stock. their srock is so low I am starting to think their on their way out.

[aconsola]

I've used http://www.mscdirect.com
they have a huge selection of hardware.

[MONSTER]

I have Fastenal STORE real close to me. They use to act a little frustrated when I came in looking for a "few" screws here and there. They say they're supposed to sell "packages", not individual screws, but lately they've warmed up a bit (after I brought a few Vehicles in to show them). They actually just ordered me a single Foot of 4-40 Threaded Rod yesterday. I went ahead and bought a Box (100 I think) of fairly long 4-40 Socket Head Screws awhile back, I just cut them to the sizes I need, so i dont have to "bother" them so much for a few screws at a time.

[RichieRich]

These guys usually show up at hobbyshows: http://www.microfasteners.com/

I've purchased a starter set (p/n ASTART4) which contained several popular 4-40 hex hardware sizes used on the RC10 plus locknuts, washers, 4-40 bolts and a cute little container.

[Erich Reichert]

Ya unfortunately the hobbyshops are the first to feel the hit of online sales and they're, many times, left to the bidding of the distributors and manufacturers as far as what things cost. The toll this takes is that many hobby shops hang on by a thread because there isn't much mark up they can put on things in the first place and then they lose the majority of their real sales to online shops that are owned by distributors. A good friend of mine owns a Hobbytown USA and he can BARELY hang on with his r/c inventory because he just can't compete against places like Tower (owned by Great Plains... who he has to order from), or Horizon who has their own shop. The bottom line is that the distributors are actually doing severe damage to their own clients by having online stores and selling just about their cost. Dealer cost for a B44 is roughly 299 (the price a hobbyshop pays to order one from a dist), Tower sells them for 20 bucks over cost. How could a local shop compete with that?

[bearrickster]

Your right to a point but I use to manage a hobby shop. our local one is so pitaful I have been waiting a month for a can of silver spray paint for my wing. people quit coming in when your awnser is always I can orter it for you. most people dont mind paying a little more if its their and you can see it and dont have to wait. I wanted a set of shocks the said they would order them, If I have to wait er them from tower and get them 5 dollars cheaper the wait is the same. so why go to them they cant even seem to fill up the spray paint.

[Erich Reichert]

Ya i hear ya. My point was more that he has to order it because he either doesn't have the money to keep stuff in stock or worse yet has fallen behind with his distributors so they have him on COD now. Either way my point was that hobby shops are down on operating money bc of the whole internet sales thing which is created by their very own distributors a lot of the time.

[bearrickster]

your very right but I have run a hobby shop and one ran properly can survive because of people like us on this forum. who have been doing this 20 plus years. I dont know about the rest of you but when I dont have money for trips and real race cars and such thats when I am into my hobby even more. I would rather pay a little more and support my LHS and get it now. if I have to wait Why not get it cheeper. I dont need to drive ten miles at 3+ a gallon to order it. I can save time and money from home. like I said they cant even keep the paint filled. they have been open for 30 years if they cant run it by now theirs now hope for them. and they have turned into Traxass headquarters. they dont support the cas that made this hobby great like the RC 10 and my Losi cars. enough ranting I am just jellous I want to open my own hobby store but the Lottery Gods havent been good to me!!