I buy my metal from a place called Metal Supermarket. They are a bit pricey, but I've been going there for years so I'm starting to get discounts... especially on "drop" items. ("Drop" is just cut pieces laying around... they sell it by the pound. Cheaper!) Hardware I usually get a a small Ace or True Value, but they are often closed on Sundays. Some Lowes and Home Depot locations have a pretty good selection of hard-to-find hardware.