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I am just about to start building a Marlin Sportster and am just sorting my garage out. I need to stock up on fasteners, nuts and bolts!
Any advice about how many of what to buy, and where from would be really welcome. I knoiw it sounds a bit basic but when you are starting with no real initial stock its a bit daunting.
Thanks
Thank you for the comprehensive reply GOO, it is agreat help. Another couple of questions occur to me. During your build, what fastener types did you use most, I am assuming that most would be stainless for general fixing but button, hex, cap etc...? Would it be better to buy longer and shorten them as needed or keep various sizes
I know its all really basic but I am about to invest and it would be good to get it somewhere near right!
Thanks
For most of the visible fixings, especially in the cockpit, I used button cap head stainless of several different sizes (M4 - M8) - mainly as they polish up nice and look good.
The bodywork at the back is held on using stainless M8 bolts IIRC, and for general construction, I used normal 8.8 grade bolts of differing sizes.
I would have used stainless everywhere, but the cost would have been prohibitive. I may swap any rusty bolts out later on for SS.
I'd get a mixture of lengths - whilst it's easy to cut an over long bolt down, it's a waste if you get nothing but long bolts as you'd be chucking a lot away.
I bought my rivnut tool, the one like a riveter, back in 1987 and it has been fantasticly good value. Only thing is I broke the M5 setter and need to fine a matching one to replace it.
I tend to stock up fasteners in boxes of 100 of each size, M6, M8, M10, M12 in a number of lengths between 20-60mm.
I then buy boxes of any less used ones as required, so if I need ten SS countersunk M6 I will buy a box of 50.
I tend to look to local places like RS Components and also Toolstation (Toolstation still do 8.8 bolts whereas Screwfix now only do B&Q cheese).
If it is only four M16x1.5 cap screws then I will buy the four from Ebay on their own. Ebay can be an easy source for a few odd fasteners, fine threads and funny shaped heads.
I often visit a scrap metal yard to buy and sell metal off cuts and sometimes I find in the pile of metal bags of nuts and bolts. I last picked up twelve M20x150 bolts with nuts and washers and about fifty M24x100 bolts with nuts and washers. Not sure what I will use them for yet but there will be a job. Occasionally there are also SS fasteners available.