Yes? Depending how many pallets of lube you have.
Expendables - am I atypical?
- Thread starter Boogerman
- Start date
PelicanPines
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Ooooook... uhm... yea... hmmmm... I'd rather not commit at this time. Perhaps after the apocalypse... Sounds good?
Sounds like you're having supply issues.
jayemm
Well-known member
buncha ***** toads
I have multiple spare new drill bits in all sizes up to 1/4" as I occasionally break one; so I buy a bunch of Norseman bits at one time to keep the indexes full. Above that I only have a few spares as I have multiple full sets, and a Drill Doctor for sharpening. I've got thousands of new spare screws, bolts, washers, plumbing fittings, wire nuts, terminals.... I had a friend that saw my tool and hardware selection and he said something like, "I'm hoping to live long enough to go to the estate sale" 
bwringer
Well-known member
I keep a pretty large stock of metric fasteners on hand, because for some damn fershlugginer reason, in the year 2024, when every last vehicle (aside from Harleys and other farm machinery) has been metric for decades, it's still a giant ridiculous pain in the *** to find metric nuts and bolts.
You'll find rows upon rows of gleaming, untouched, mostly useless inch **** in every hardware store, and only a few desperately pawed-through and nearly empty hidden drawers of metric.
And if you need JIS stuff for Asian brand cars and motorcycles, it's even more of a pain in the ***.
So even though I live in a large industrial city, I keep a large stock of metric fasteners on hand.
Sandpaper, who cares... I can get sandpaper, paint, plumbing fittings, quarter inch bolts and other such mundane commonalities in five minutes.
You'll find rows upon rows of gleaming, untouched, mostly useless inch **** in every hardware store, and only a few desperately pawed-through and nearly empty hidden drawers of metric.
And if you need JIS stuff for Asian brand cars and motorcycles, it's even more of a pain in the ***.
So even though I live in a large industrial city, I keep a large stock of metric fasteners on hand.
Sandpaper, who cares... I can get sandpaper, paint, plumbing fittings, quarter inch bolts and other such mundane commonalities in five minutes.
I've had the same main drill bit set since around 2005. Have replaced a couple, either broke or got too short from sharpening.
Can't remember the last time I needed a sheet of sandpaper. Proberly been 10-15 years. I use 36 or 40 grit on the orbit sander. Maybe 120 for finish work.
Keep some stuff on hand, but have to not get crazy.
Should I stock $500 in sizes of bolts and nuts that I might need every few years. Sure it's probably way overpriced from Napa, plus my time, but still.
Plus these days can have most things shipped in 4-5 days, so not the end if the worldto wait.
Can't remember the last time I needed a sheet of sandpaper. Proberly been 10-15 years. I use 36 or 40 grit on the orbit sander. Maybe 120 for finish work.
Keep some stuff on hand, but have to not get crazy.
Should I stock $500 in sizes of bolts and nuts that I might need every few years. Sure it's probably way overpriced from Napa, plus my time, but still.
Plus these days can have most things shipped in 4-5 days, so not the end if the worldto wait.
Dave455
Well-known member
No - you’re not the only one, I’m pretty much the same. Only way to do it.
Various reasons -
Time and convenience - I live in the country in southern England. I’m only 5 or 6 miles from the nearest town. But… if I had to go there every time I needed something thats 10 - 12 miles minimum. That’s time, and hassle, and inconvenience.
Availability - If I make the trip above, they might have what I want, or might not. If they don’t, I now need to make a 12 mile journey, in the other direction…
Quality - If I drive 20 miles I can visit a drill bit specialist with pretty much anything I want. But, if I buy locally I can only get what’s available. It might be acceptable, it might not.
Price - buy a bottle of milk from a local shop and you pay more than from a supermarket. Same with consumables. It’s a false economy to buy one cut off disc locally when I can get two for the same money if I order in advance.
Keeping stocks of consumables is the only way to go.
Interestingly, the sort of things I stock are very similar to the O.P’s
Drill bits, centre drills, lathe tools and tool blanks for my machines. Stashed in a “store” in my house.
More drill bits, auger bits, forstner bits, SDS bits, saw blades, sanding pads etc for my power tools. All stored in colour coded boxes,
Every variety of cutting disc, grinding disc, flapwheel, cup brush etc for my grinders - buy ‘em on offer and they’re a fraction of the price locally.
Nuts, bolts and screws. Use ‘em all the time.
Woodscrews and wall plugs. Same.
Crimp terminals, connectors, wire and cable. Buy ‘em from an electrical factor and you get top quality for less money than the DIY shop ****.
Various reasons -
Time and convenience - I live in the country in southern England. I’m only 5 or 6 miles from the nearest town. But… if I had to go there every time I needed something thats 10 - 12 miles minimum. That’s time, and hassle, and inconvenience.
Availability - If I make the trip above, they might have what I want, or might not. If they don’t, I now need to make a 12 mile journey, in the other direction…
Quality - If I drive 20 miles I can visit a drill bit specialist with pretty much anything I want. But, if I buy locally I can only get what’s available. It might be acceptable, it might not.
Price - buy a bottle of milk from a local shop and you pay more than from a supermarket. Same with consumables. It’s a false economy to buy one cut off disc locally when I can get two for the same money if I order in advance.
Keeping stocks of consumables is the only way to go.
Interestingly, the sort of things I stock are very similar to the O.P’s
Drill bits, centre drills, lathe tools and tool blanks for my machines. Stashed in a “store” in my house.
More drill bits, auger bits, forstner bits, SDS bits, saw blades, sanding pads etc for my power tools. All stored in colour coded boxes,
Every variety of cutting disc, grinding disc, flapwheel, cup brush etc for my grinders - buy ‘em on offer and they’re a fraction of the price locally.
Nuts, bolts and screws. Use ‘em all the time.
Woodscrews and wall plugs. Same.
Crimp terminals, connectors, wire and cable. Buy ‘em from an electrical factor and you get top quality for less money than the DIY shop ****.
gahrajmahal
Well-known member
Less and less I am “stocking” for something. I was pleased the other day when I looked in my auto supplies and saw I had a set of spark plugs for my Chrysler.
“Time” can be expensive. Last week my Honda Ridgeline wouldn’t start while finished at the gas pump. AAA came out and towed it back home for me to diagnose the problem. Since we had planned to take it on a road trip the following day I had to buy a refurbished starter at Auto Zone for $240. A new starter on Rock Auto would have cost $140 but I had to have it the next day, but that’s not the type of thing you would typically keep on hand
“Time” can be expensive. Last week my Honda Ridgeline wouldn’t start while finished at the gas pump. AAA came out and towed it back home for me to diagnose the problem. Since we had planned to take it on a road trip the following day I had to buy a refurbished starter at Auto Zone for $240. A new starter on Rock Auto would have cost $140 but I had to have it the next day, but that’s not the type of thing you would typically keep on hand
bwringer
Well-known member
This may be a whole 'nuther topic, but I keep a stock of a lot of common and small-ish motorcycle parts and supplies on hand so I don't have to de-rail a planned trip or other work for something minor. For most brands you have to wait a week or so to get OEM parts in hand, and there's little aftermarket, so I keep a stash of...
- Fasteners, as noted above
- Wheel bearings; if I find a bad wheel bearing while changing tires, I can deal with it then and there without waiting. Motorcycle wheel bearings are mostly standard metric sizes, so the dozen or so sizes I have on hand cover a lot of bikes.
- Brake pads - they're small, and so I watch for sales and keep the next set on hand long before they're needed.
- Chain and sprockets - I keep an eye on prices, and often buy replacements long before they're needed.
- Steering stem bearings
- Fork seals and fork oil.
- OEM brake crush washers, drain plug crush washers. Why doesn't ANYONE else ever replace these?
- Set of spark plugs, at least for bikes with oddball plugs.
- OEM Oil filters; I order them in batches when I order other parts. OEM filters usually cost the same or less than aftermarket, and are much better quality.
- Spare sets of one-time use fasteners, like sprocket nuts, clutch nuts, etc.
- Gaskets; for example, valve cover gaskets, clutch and stator cover gaskets, etc.
- OEM clutch and throttle cables
- Water pump "kit" for water cooled bikes. (These are usually not sold as kits; you usually have to chase all the parts for a water pump rebuild through two or three parts diagrams.)
- Radiator hoses get replaced at around 10 or 12 years
- Spare grips and/or grip covers
- Fairing and body fasteners - when I acquire a bike, I often begin my stewardship by replacing ALL the assorted fairing and body fasteners, cushions, grommets, etc. with fresh OEM bits. I'm not sure why, but from the evidence I'm the only rider on the planet who uses the proper tools for these fasteners rather than sharp rocks, chisels, and nail files, and who is capable of keeping track of the parts removed and putting them back. Nothing freshens up a bike and quiets shakes and rattles like replacing tired and missing rubber bits, and installing fasteners that actually work, in the correct sequence. Any old fasteners that seem usable get tossed in a baggie and kept.
- For my older bikes, I have spare stators on hand, as well as spare regulators because these are common failure points.
- Fasteners, as noted above
- Wheel bearings; if I find a bad wheel bearing while changing tires, I can deal with it then and there without waiting. Motorcycle wheel bearings are mostly standard metric sizes, so the dozen or so sizes I have on hand cover a lot of bikes.
- Brake pads - they're small, and so I watch for sales and keep the next set on hand long before they're needed.
- Chain and sprockets - I keep an eye on prices, and often buy replacements long before they're needed.
- Steering stem bearings
- Fork seals and fork oil.
- OEM brake crush washers, drain plug crush washers. Why doesn't ANYONE else ever replace these?
- Set of spark plugs, at least for bikes with oddball plugs.
- OEM Oil filters; I order them in batches when I order other parts. OEM filters usually cost the same or less than aftermarket, and are much better quality.
- Spare sets of one-time use fasteners, like sprocket nuts, clutch nuts, etc.
- Gaskets; for example, valve cover gaskets, clutch and stator cover gaskets, etc.
- OEM clutch and throttle cables
- Water pump "kit" for water cooled bikes. (These are usually not sold as kits; you usually have to chase all the parts for a water pump rebuild through two or three parts diagrams.)
- Radiator hoses get replaced at around 10 or 12 years
- Spare grips and/or grip covers
- Fairing and body fasteners - when I acquire a bike, I often begin my stewardship by replacing ALL the assorted fairing and body fasteners, cushions, grommets, etc. with fresh OEM bits. I'm not sure why, but from the evidence I'm the only rider on the planet who uses the proper tools for these fasteners rather than sharp rocks, chisels, and nail files, and who is capable of keeping track of the parts removed and putting them back. Nothing freshens up a bike and quiets shakes and rattles like replacing tired and missing rubber bits, and installing fasteners that actually work, in the correct sequence. Any old fasteners that seem usable get tossed in a baggie and kept.
- For my older bikes, I have spare stators on hand, as well as spare regulators because these are common failure points.
Byrdnyrd
Well-known member
Boogreman,
Porch Pirates must line up at the end of your driveway!!
Porch Pirates must line up at the end of your driveway!!
Old Man Roger
Well-known member
I stand corrected, we’re lucky to have a pro around here.
Look at you being all shy and demure. Playing hard to get?
Can attest to the gel after my experience with superglue.
PelicanPines
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Yes agree... I keep both gels right next to my bed.
Sometimes things get broken.
Old Man Roger
Well-known member
Reminds me of all the women that kept their nail glue and their eye drops next to each other..lol Sooooooo many eyes glued shut.
alfadan
Well-known member
Higher flash point too
Bruh.
Having a well stocked stash works wonders for efficiency. You just have to have the space for it. I'm running out of space!
I got lucky in that a few years ago I hit an unattended auction and got hundreds of bins of hardware and tooling. I'll never use most of it, but when I need something, amazingly it's there. I'd guess there's close to 700 or 800 drawers. All sizes and thread counts of nuts/bolts/washers. All sorts of bolt heads. Reamers, mills, bits, roller pins, gaskets, vents, all sorts of hardware. My avatar is a photo of a drawer of a drawers of one of my kennedy boxes that holds most of my larger drills. While I have letter and number, I mostly use fractional. I have maybe 3 or 4 sets of fractional. I sharpen my bits myself by hand. It was a few hours over a couple of sitting on a stool in front of a grinder to get that technique down. Smaller drills usually snap or get burned if misuse them, so they get replaced.
So hardware? Check. I love my stash, and it's a damn large stash. I easily have 3500-4000 lbs of hardware.
Drills? Check. And with drills I have to keep myself in check. I almost bought a few hundred more not too long ago.
Abrasives? For woodworking I keep a lot of sheet paper for hand sanding and 5" rounds for the ROS. Usually not more than 50-100 sheets/discs in each grit for wood. Flap disks for metal I only have 60 and 80 grit, and I only buy a replacement cylinder when the one I'm using gets below half. Cutoff or grinding disks I have 25-50 on hand. Abrasives belts and discs for metal I only keep a few 6x48 belts and 12" discks for metal on hand. I don't use the belts or rounds up too quickly so I don't want the belts to go brittle. Nothing like pressing metal against a belt and having the glue joint let go. Depressing.
Adhesives, yup, I buy by the gallon. I usually have 3 gallons on hand.
I sharpen my own saw blades (table/circular/chop saw) so I generally only have a couple of each different tooth count on hand.
Chainsaw, I have quite a few loops. I bought chain in a 100' reel and make my own loops. I have 18", 24", 28" and 36" bars.
I keep excess cans of starter fluid, PB Blaster, Kroil, brake clean, WD40, and 3-in-1 oil on hand.
I have multiple gallons each of acetone, mineral spirits, denatured alcohol, and boiled linseed oil.
I think that's about it. For me, it's an efficiency thing. I live 20-30 minutes from hardware/box stores/lumberyards.
I got lucky in that a few years ago I hit an unattended auction and got hundreds of bins of hardware and tooling. I'll never use most of it, but when I need something, amazingly it's there. I'd guess there's close to 700 or 800 drawers. All sizes and thread counts of nuts/bolts/washers. All sorts of bolt heads. Reamers, mills, bits, roller pins, gaskets, vents, all sorts of hardware. My avatar is a photo of a drawer of a drawers of one of my kennedy boxes that holds most of my larger drills. While I have letter and number, I mostly use fractional. I have maybe 3 or 4 sets of fractional. I sharpen my bits myself by hand. It was a few hours over a couple of sitting on a stool in front of a grinder to get that technique down. Smaller drills usually snap or get burned if misuse them, so they get replaced.
So hardware? Check. I love my stash, and it's a damn large stash. I easily have 3500-4000 lbs of hardware.
Drills? Check. And with drills I have to keep myself in check. I almost bought a few hundred more not too long ago.
Abrasives? For woodworking I keep a lot of sheet paper for hand sanding and 5" rounds for the ROS. Usually not more than 50-100 sheets/discs in each grit for wood. Flap disks for metal I only have 60 and 80 grit, and I only buy a replacement cylinder when the one I'm using gets below half. Cutoff or grinding disks I have 25-50 on hand. Abrasives belts and discs for metal I only keep a few 6x48 belts and 12" discks for metal on hand. I don't use the belts or rounds up too quickly so I don't want the belts to go brittle. Nothing like pressing metal against a belt and having the glue joint let go. Depressing.
Adhesives, yup, I buy by the gallon. I usually have 3 gallons on hand.
I sharpen my own saw blades (table/circular/chop saw) so I generally only have a couple of each different tooth count on hand.
Chainsaw, I have quite a few loops. I bought chain in a 100' reel and make my own loops. I have 18", 24", 28" and 36" bars.
I keep excess cans of starter fluid, PB Blaster, Kroil, brake clean, WD40, and 3-in-1 oil on hand.
I have multiple gallons each of acetone, mineral spirits, denatured alcohol, and boiled linseed oil.
I think that's about it. For me, it's an efficiency thing. I live 20-30 minutes from hardware/box stores/lumberyards.
I'm not that fast anymore.
PelicanPines
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Not going to say it.
I love flea markets and junk stores and consequently stock up on random items.
For example, I was at garage sale, digging through a giant tub of sandpaper looking for some wet/dry.
I pulled out about a few sheets and asked the guy. "How much?"
He says ten bucks for the whole mess, tub included, so I took it.
Spent a night sorting while I watched a movie, probably 500 sheets in every grit imaginable (good brands, too).
I bought a dozen brand new 12" Freud carbide-tooth miter saw blades at the flea market for a buck apiece.
I'll never use them all, but I can't seem to walk away from a bargain.
When I can buy USA-made files for a buck apiece, or drill bits and USA-made hacksaw blades at a buck per fistful, I can't resist.
Only problem is, I have to sort through a bin of China junk to get to that fistful of good-quality bits or blades.
I know, time is money, but I'm semi-retired and I enjoy the hunt.
For example, I was at garage sale, digging through a giant tub of sandpaper looking for some wet/dry.
I pulled out about a few sheets and asked the guy. "How much?"
He says ten bucks for the whole mess, tub included, so I took it.
Spent a night sorting while I watched a movie, probably 500 sheets in every grit imaginable (good brands, too).
I bought a dozen brand new 12" Freud carbide-tooth miter saw blades at the flea market for a buck apiece.
I'll never use them all, but I can't seem to walk away from a bargain.
When I can buy USA-made files for a buck apiece, or drill bits and USA-made hacksaw blades at a buck per fistful, I can't resist.
Only problem is, I have to sort through a bin of China junk to get to that fistful of good-quality bits or blades.
I know, time is money, but I'm semi-retired and I enjoy the hunt.
rancherbill
Well-known member
I 100% agree with all of your post. Tools are a consumable - end of story. Some guys end up working for Snap-On part time to pay for their tool bill. Apprentices probably are giving 20+ % of their salary.
In my garage I have a "tool room", "Parts Room", and "Supplies area". I don't have close to what you have, but I do buy replacement assortments on drill for example. This is one I like, Good underlying steel, good coating, and the most important is they have a great / proper grind from the factory. I used to re-grind with a drill doctor. These ones go on sale twice a year 50% off. I have lots of stuff and when they have the Estate Sale there will be lots.
I doubt you're the only person who manages expendables similarly. I'm a homeowner (not running a business). So your system would probably be overkill for me. If I were a business, I would be more watchful for obvious reasons. You know how often you are running out of these items. And how much time you save by stocking what you consider to be adequate for your needs. The balance between time and money changes over time, so ...............
I stocked my garage over an 8-10 year period with estate and garage/yard sale consumables et al. Last year I ordered online what I considered holes in inventory for drill bits, etc.
Home Depot is a five minute bicycle ride for me, although I can't remember the last time I was there for that category. Just bigger ticket items like a water heater, stove, paint, etc.
As far as screwdrivers and the like (tools) warranties, It's not worth my time now. I bought a lot of Craftsman tools in my day from Sears (great warranty). When Sears was still a thriving business, I would warranty some items when I was in the mall for something else. Although I rarely had to. Now, I just toss them into one of my junk drawers for later abuse or possible repurposing.
dr_clyde
Well-known member
In any situation where time is money, keeping an inventory of commonly used consumables/wear items is wise.
Commonly used fasteners, drills, inserts, milling and turning tools, electrical and plumbing fittings, abrasives tape, chemicals, adhesives connectors and stuff like that are all good things to keep on the shelf because you use them on most every job in some form or fashion.
However, there is a line you cross where eventually your stuff owns you, and where it costs more time and money to manage the stash than the stash is worth. Every square foot of shop space has a cost, and if you eat it all up storing **** for the “you never know” moments, you waste a lot of money in oppertunity cost. A machine tool makes me way more money per square foot than a cabinet full of miscellaneous stuff I use once in a while.
McMaster-Carr, MSC, Amazon and any number of local supply houses can get me what I need in a matter of hours or overnight. It’s just not worth the real estate and organizational headache to inventory stuff that is a phone call or email away. I let them warehouse all the stuff I only need occasionally and try to toss or donate superfluous stuff so it doesn’t get in the way.
Commonly used fasteners, drills, inserts, milling and turning tools, electrical and plumbing fittings, abrasives tape, chemicals, adhesives connectors and stuff like that are all good things to keep on the shelf because you use them on most every job in some form or fashion.
However, there is a line you cross where eventually your stuff owns you, and where it costs more time and money to manage the stash than the stash is worth. Every square foot of shop space has a cost, and if you eat it all up storing **** for the “you never know” moments, you waste a lot of money in oppertunity cost. A machine tool makes me way more money per square foot than a cabinet full of miscellaneous stuff I use once in a while.
McMaster-Carr, MSC, Amazon and any number of local supply houses can get me what I need in a matter of hours or overnight. It’s just not worth the real estate and organizational headache to inventory stuff that is a phone call or email away. I let them warehouse all the stuff I only need occasionally and try to toss or donate superfluous stuff so it doesn’t get in the way.
Heck that would be like living down town for me!
42 miles to the nearest Lowe’s. Got 2 Ace hardwares within 20 miles although separate directions and a farm store that’s like walking into a time capsule. Napa and tractor supply within 20 miles as well
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southalabama
Well-known member
fourjeepin
Well-known member
Same, but at a lower level. This weekend I did buy at an estate sale about 40 sheets of sand paper - $1.