The thing is, he can get what he wants for a dollar and five dollars shipping. End of story. All of this to avoid a five dollar shipping charge. That’s about the price of an order of pancakes at Mac’s. I don’t mean to assume he since we don’t know the pronouns. Just using the universal one.
Have you tried using this pretty impressive washer finder on Amazon?
Amazon.com : 8 mm washer
I’d make my own ‘washer’ by wrapping copper wire around it until I got the right amount of spacing.
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Not really anymore-Neuro thing , but I can prop my arm on something, think outside of the box, and slowly work it flat…I also have a lot of files and grinding stone, sanders etc etc, not much I can’t do…
making metal smaller is mostly easy, it’s the hole making it bigger that requires much more skill… lol
Not to be an A$$, but I can cuck the bolt and washers up in a drill press and grind the washers down to size… So it can be done… When you are cheap, you make what you can… I make a lot of stuff… lol
I agree, sometimes you just got to pay to play…
OP
Why not just buy the stuff and donate to, sell to, or do some horse trading with your local bike shop for the remanding special bolts, at least recover some of your money… I get being on a fixed tight budget, so think outside of the box…
I asked whether I could expect to find this part at an auto shop. It gratifies me aesthetically to purchase such a part at a local store. Everyone telling me that I could buy it on-line (I already knew that), or how to machine one (which I had already thought of but got some good tips here), weren’t answering my question, but indulging themselves.
Some people thread their own spokes, too. You’re a better man than I am.
The handlebar cinch bolt is the highest torque fastener on a bicycle once freewheels went away. I think copper would squash.
When you are cheap you don’t own a drill press and grinder just to make one screw.
I don’t care about this much money. You missed the point of my question. It’s an idiosyncratic part - so the mechanics at the bicycle shops tell me - the others would go to waste.
Ok, now that I know what you need, you must spend the $5 extra to get the exact right bolt. Doing it cheap should not be an option.
No, when you are cheap, you own tools to make stuff with whenever needed…
I’ve had mine for years and used it a lot over the years, could not have turned my fully automatic in to a full manual shift automatic fun car, also had to make from scratch the locating pins for the rear-end to the leaf springs…
You can use a small drill, put a zip tie (hose clamp) around the trigger and use a bastard (flat) file and slowly make your bolt…
That’s fine when you do the job often enough to justify buying tools.
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A corded drill and flat file are not expensive and pretty common…
Have you dropped by local bike shops and asked if they have one in their shop?
Maybe you missed the point although I doubt it. It wasn’t about who has what tools or capabilities. It was about how even if you DO have the more capable tool, the job can be done with one that is very affordable, portable and perhaps even something you might find useful again in the future. Spend $5 on a grinding bit or $5 on shipping. One you can use again and again. If you don’t even have a handheld drill, then you’re options are severely limited- a hardened bolt will eat up most files BTW. Good luck now and in the future…
Yes, as I mentioned in my original message.
I think I’m at the end of doing that kind of work. I have tools I’ve used only once, paid for themselves, enjoyed buying them. I don’t think that’s the case here.
Will that really grind down an SAE 8 8mm diameter screw?
That’s been my experience.
Looks like you’ve come full circle then. Don’t have the right tools and unwilling to buy anything. Use a file you have and risk damaging it- you only have to remove 3mm, hardly anything or pay for shipping and get a few extra bolts or continue to bemoan the lack of a local source 
I’ve bought lots of tools that aren’t used much but I look at it as adding capacity. It may not save money but helps me be more self reliant. I wish I had a lathe though but have neither the need, space, or knowledge so draw the line.
Probably not one from Harbor Freight, but a good one yes…
Now a hardened spool valve? NO… lol
I didn’t bemoan. I asked a question. I already had all the answers you-all have given me to a question I didn’t ask. I already knew how to get one, what choice I would make, if none of you could give me a reason to expect to find one at an auto parts place.
Was your question rhetorical?
Reminded me, in the 70s I had a 1970 Cutlass Supreme convertible. I was missing a fender bolt, my older brother said I should get the bolt from the Olds dealer. Of course they suggested to go to a hardware store, which was my original plan.
Naw, I think he was just living up to his name, and being a Troll…
Back in the 90s I was doing a full restification of an older vette. Frame off level of work. I had a friend that worked in the parts dept of a local dealership along with other friends that were mechanics there. My buddy set me up with the full set of manuals for the vette- I paid for them of course but I had everything needed to build that car from scratch- still do. At any rate, he said I can still get most of this hardware, just highlight what you want and I’ll order it for you. Maybe didn’t realize what he was getting into but I bought most everything I could get OEM. Boxes of bags with hardware in them. It was a gold mine of hardware. Lots of really hard to find stuff too like cage nuts.
The next time I mentioned restoring a Chevelle, he said he would be sick that day… 