[msimon785]

When considering items to purchase during the preseason, it is my suggestion to go as general and generic as is possible. There is nothing worse (and I say this from experience) than making 1-2 McMaster Carr orders a night.

I suggest that you purchase all hardware that you might from McMaster before the start of season. This would include (but is not limited to) complete sets of all bolts, nuts, nylocks, and washers that your team uses during season. When doing so, set standardizations for bolt sizes that you use.

It would also be wise to purchase bumper hardware. If you choose to do so, add a bunch of T-nuts and corresponding hardware in addition to pool noodles and the necessary fabrics.

You may choose to install a shelving unit to store the purchased hardware. We did this and I consider it one of the best decisions we made as a team.

As others are saying, it would probably be a good idea to stock up on extra aluminum with which to build the robot or prototype. In terms of prototyping, you could probably save at least two days during the design process if you acquired a bunch of extra plywood and lumber. This is a good investment that will hardly cost you anything significant.

Good Luck!