Screws and Nuts

[W9ZSL]

I'm still cleaning and salvaging the parts from the Heathkit AT-1.  I had to buy a higher-wattage solder gun though.  Solder used back in the early 50's must have had a higher melting point.  A 150 watter does the trick.

So I went through my hardware and decided to get new screws and nuts.  I must have spent 5 or 6 hours looking to find something to match what Heath used.  No luck.  Then, by chance, I logged onto one of the paid ads on eBay.  Hello Fastenal!  Gee, that name sounded familiar.  So the address of the nearest store pops up, and it's 6 BLOCKS NORTH OF MY QTH!  Duhhh.  Turns out they are in the same building as a rehab center in the back.  Though the 6-32 screws and 1/4" small nuts aren't in stock, I can order them and get them by the end of the week.

I'm still pondering a cabinet, but I have almost all the other parts I'll need.  Pix will be coming pretty soon.  I must actually be stimulating the few brain cells I have left because now I dream of building this thing at night.  Of course, I still have nightmares of every bad thing that could happen to a DJ at a radio station.  I did that for over 30 years.  Broken turntables and nothing to play on them are the worst!

Mike
W9ZSL

[N2DTS]

Most Sears hardware stores have a huge selection of hardware and other handy stuff.

[WBear2GCR]

Fastenal is usually expensive.

The 1/4" small 6-32 nuts in stainless (for example) can be had from an outfit on epay called (iirc) Albany Fastener, or something "Albany" like that. They will come up in any search for hardware like this. I buy a lot of my hardware from them online, they ship fast. Best bet.

                   _-_-

[WB5IRI]

McMaster-Carr

[k7mdo]

I have found reasonably priced small hardware in the accessories at Van's Aircraft out in Aurora Oregon...  they don't have everything but what they have is high quality... Tom

[n2bc]

http://www.barnhillbolt.com/

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

Smallparts.com was a great resource but apparently they were bought out by Amazon a few years back:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/node/index.html/177-0484901-3738829?ie=UTF8&merchant=&node=12914141

Another good site is:

www.danssmallpartsandkits.net/

Though I'm not sure how much he carries these days in the line of hardware.

Fastenal is probably the best bet for finding decent hardware these days. The junk you find at the hardware store seems to all be made in China and of poor fit and overall quality. A lot of the older gear (probably not Heathkit but maybe) used nickel-plated brass hardware which is a chore to find these days. Heath probably used chrome or zinc.

[W9ZSL]

I put in an order with Fastenal...screws and nuts about 5 cents a pop.

[AB3L]

Late on this...but I will second the McMaster-Carr recommendation.....quick on the delivery.

[W9ZSL]

Phoned in my order to the local Fastenal (located 6 blocks north of my QTH) on Monday.  They didn't carry small pattern nuts so those were ordered.  They arrived today.  I got 70 x 6-32 x 3/8" slot-drive pan head screws, 70 x small-pattern (stainless) hex nuts and 20 x regular steel/zinc plated nuts.  Total cost $10.60 including S&H for the small-patterns and tax.  That's $9.05 for the hardware.  The guy I worked with learned something new: the difference between standard and small-pattern nuts.  I can live with that!

I also found they are carrying electrical supplies, paint and all sorts of tools. Menard's and ACE, eat your collective hearts out.  I'm a happy camper.