Engineering supplies / services

[jato]

For years i've been struggling to find oddball engineering supplies (although E Hayes in invercargill often had something downstairs) but lately even run of the mill stuff of some quality is hard to find... today i'm looking for 3/8 unf grade 8+ non serrated flange nuts for a fairly important application.
regarding quality there are lots of inferior hardware finding its way into industry lately - eg assembling a hydraulic ram for an earthmover and noticed the new 1 1/2 unf nut that holds the piston on the spear had its face well crooked to its thread...a total disaster in waiting.
so 2 questions - does anyone have a dependable source of good hardware? and is there a top-level heat treatment company thats good for one-offs and small batches? heat treatments in auckland used to be but recent staff turnover etc ...

[Grumph]

Ask a local reconditioners/performance supplies if they can get ARP nuts separate from the bolt kits.
Those would be the best quality available.

Not up to speed on current heat treaters, Auckland last used some time ago. Nothing down here now.

[F5 Dave]

I won't say who we use as looked and predictably it is all Metric.

Might be looking at US suppliers for that queer 'mercan stuff.

[Gremlin]

For hardware, try Anzor