Galvanized bolts? Need 36 carriage bolts, washers and nuts

[Mendonsy]

If you can't find anything locally, Amazon has 1/2-13 x 4 stainless carriage bolts with nuts and washers for $1.70 each in a ten pack. That's not as cheap as TSC, but better than the big box stores.

 

[BigBlue1]

Home Depot in my area carries galvanized hardware bulk.

Rob

 

[Smokeydog]

Use to buy hot dipped galvanized hardware at the local lumber supply. Last better than electro galvanized. Could also get quality pressure treated by salesmen that knew the different kinds. Lowes and home depot put them out of business by people not knowing the difference.

 

[JethroB]

I rediscovered a nearby small town’s old school hardware store recently. It comes with a cat sleeping on the counter and a well used checkerboard in the corner. It has become my go to place for odds and ends. Service makes up for the higher prices much of the time.

 

[Captain Dirty]

Cazeault's Hardware in North Weymouth was a good, old-fashioned hardware store. One of the sons, sensing the decline of hardware stores with growing competition from box stores, department stores, and the internet, found a niche and formed Bolt Depot. To my mind Bolt Depot fills that niche well. Further (or closer), it is local; a couple of mile detour to its present location while running an errand is cheaper and faster than postage.

 

[rScotty]

I'm rebuilding a picnic table. Does it make sense to source bolts, washers and nuts online? If so, does anyone have a good go-to source for low cost galvanized bolts and such? Maybe it's just as pricey to hit a local big box store? So far, boltdepot.com seems like the deal

I pay the premium to get hot-dipped galvanized. Years later the table still looking good will ease the stress of the extra cost.

 

[Midniteoyl]

I always hit up my local Smith's Farm Store/Ace hardware and pick them up by the pound. Cheapest around by far.

 

[Drewintoledo]

Done.

 

[rScotty]

Done.

Great! If you don't mind me asking, what kind of premium did you pay for the hot dipped bolts? You'll be glad you went that way after the table gets wet a few times. Electroplated galvanizing just doesn't last compared to hot dipped.

I used to use stainless fasteners for outdoor furniture, but too much of the imported stuff was made using 303/304 series SS .... which does rust and pit, although not as bad as basic carbon steel bolts.

If you ever do use stainless bolts, it's worth getting 316 alloy. They don't rust. Absolutely required for marine/saltwater use.

You can tell the two SS alloys apart by color after some practice but the easy way is with a magnet:
303/304 is strongly ferromagnetic, i.e. attracted to a magnet.
The preferred 316 is only weakly magnetic or not at all.
Big difference.
rScotty

 

[Drewintoledo]

Great! If you don't mind me asking, what kind of premium did you pay for the hot dipped bolts? You'll be glad you went that way after the table gets wet a few times. Electroplated galvanizing just doesn't last compared to hot dipped.

I used to use stainless fasteners for outdoor furniture, but too much of the imported stuff was made using 303/304 series SS .... which does rust and pit, although not as bad as basic carbon steel bolts.

If you ever do use stainless bolts, it's worth getting 316 alloy. They don't rust. Absolutely required for marine/saltwater use.

You can tell the two SS alloys apart by color after some practice but the easy way is with a magnet:
303/304 is strongly ferromagnetic, i.e. attracted to a magnet.
The preferred 316 is only weakly magnetic or not at all.
Big difference.
rScotty

Im not really sure what the premium is over the other types of hardware but I did attach the price I paid yesterday. Like you, I also appreciate hot-dipped. I went into this knowing that I wanted hot dipped so I never considered any other types of bolts. Great minds think alike.