This site has some lab glassware, but it also has lots of brass in
various shapes and fasteners and tools and...
http://www.smallparts.com/
Here is a place that sells the hard to find rivets in copper (with
burs), brass, aluminum, stainless steel. And they sell brass and
copper sheet AND they are in San Francisco!
http://www.rjleahy.com/store/rivets/brvr.htm
And as long as we are planning a trip to the Bay Area (you were,
weren't you?) I should mention Douglass and Sturgess - the best source
for all plastic casting materials and supplies.
http://www.douglasandsturgess.com/mm5/merchant.mvc
Also in SF (but apparently without a website) is:
S. H. Frank & Co.
3075 17th Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
Telephone:
415-863-6244
They supply the leatherworking industry with leather, supplies and
tools