Scaring yourself with the cost of a new project

[Dojo Dave]

What about the big park that was at the bottom of the Jordanstown rd on the road to carrickfergus   I used to ride my bmx there when I was a kid. There was an old bmx track up by the Valley leisure center when I was a nipper. Probably gone now. I used to run my WW on the building sites when I was about 12 or 13. Boy thats 32 yrs ago now. Holy moley. Its bin a fair while since ive been home. 2004 actually. Miss the craic 

[Mad Ax]

11 hours ago, Buggyjam said:

What you mention about overlooking the basics rings so true with me, on my last build it was all the niff naff. Clips,  we cinnectors, various leads, oils, primers, wet and dry, bits of aluminium section,  silicone tubing of various sizes, screws, nuts, servo arms, calipers, drill bits, files, 2 bottles of oven cleaner, pots to put oven cleaner into (don't ask :-)). Granted some were tools so reusable. The list of bits and bobs you end up buying can be a bit endless I've found 

Wow, nuts and bolts, wet and try, alu section and tube and the all-elusive threaded rod, and the Traxxas ball-ends to go on it - how could I forget about the pennies I spend here and there on stuff like that..?

It seems the problem here is that buying such things in small quantities is ridiculously expensive.  OK, not ridiculous in the grand scheme of things - but easy to add an extra £70 to the cost of a project if I have to buy all that.  I use Westfield Fasteners for all my stainless hardware, their quality is excellent and their prices are good, but I look at how much I could save if I was buying in bulk...  That said, I do buy some common sizes in bulk because I know I'll use them.  But then it's the uncommon sizes that I never use, but suddenly discover I need for a specific fitment, that are only available in a minimum order of 50...

M3 threaded rod seems to be a niche component, only available in odd places here and there, or bought on ebay at vastly inflated prices.  I'd thread my own M3 rods, but can I find any solid bar worthy of threading?  All I can get (if I'm lucky) is low-grade mild steel from a local steel stockist, which turns to orange dust at the merest hint of moisture.

B&Q are (surprisingly) good for alu section, tube and rod, but not cheap.  Even a home-brew trailer is expensive when made with B&Q section and Westfield stainless hardware, and that's before taking out a second mortgage to buy a set of trailer axles.