"Lou" wrote in message
news:jHIHc.50672$a24.21366@attbi_s03...
I'm with Roy on this one.

They like to charge 25 cents for a bolt, 75 cents for a washer, $1.50 for
a
half dozen nuts, etc. I've got BOXES of exotic hardware for free from
disassembling things - and I use it constantly to build new stuff.


I have a five gallon bucket full of nuts, bolts, screws, widgets that I need
to sort one of these days, and put them into the umpteen thousand little
clear plastic drawers I have for them. Many is the time those things have
saved me a trip to the hardware store, and a couple of bucks. Where I work,
I can always pick up hardware that is left for the garbage crew. And I do.

We did an indoor self-storage business convention. They made several
mockups of storage units, then walked away from them rather than disassemble
and ship back. I got two full bags of 1,000 5/16" head, self tappers with
neoprene sealers used to fasten sheet roofing, and 1,000 "stitcher" self
tappers designed to join two pieces of sheeting together. I used to have to
buy these when I had a welding business that serviced carports. That was
1994, and back then, they were seven cents apiece. $140 laying on the
floor........... Plus lots and lots of lags, bolts, nuts, corner brackets,
gate handles, hasps ............. I get a lot of great stuff from the
conventions.

Steve