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the hardest part about moving to America

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I've been thinking about this, and I've decided that it's relearning where to buy all the small stuff you don't think about until you need.

My latest 'find' is DigiKey. Until now I've had to deal with the local Radio Shack to try to find small components. Try explaining what a microfarad is to a 17 year old mobile phone salesman who flunked high school and who can't understand your accent and you'll know the true meaning of frustration.

Now if I can only find a source for small sizes of sheet aluminium. I'm seriously thinking about cutting up the baking sheets...
 
Try vent piping from your local hardware store. Some of that is aluminum, and can be flattened out if you need little bits. I've got a section left from a bathroom fan install, hanging around for whatever comes up.
 
or stop by a local machine shop & ask about their scrap bin - I do it all the time!
 
What are you building?
 
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A local machine shop

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Tony you are joking right?

I can get 300 different flavours of coffee within a 2 block radius, but finding a place with a lathe within 20 miles - not a chance. I live in the wrong area!
 
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what are you building?

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A bracket to fasten an IAC to a throttle body. I need a piece of aluminium about 4" square so I can put a flange on it and drill the mounting points.

I stole an old baking tray and fired up the new jigsaw - I'm about 1/2way there now, and I'll be fine as long as swmbo doesn't miss it!
 
Strong enough so that a 4"x3" piece with a 90deg bend to a 3/4" flange will support a weight of slightly less than 1lb without deforming.

The baking sheet will do the trick nicely - we buy the heavy ones /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Alan, I'm glad the kitchen equipment suits your needs! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
If you need anything else along those lines, feel free to let me know. I've got a lot of odd bits left around, as
I do a lot of the fabrication on the race cars from aluminum. A friend just down the street has a dedicated race car fab shop, so the possibilities are endless for material. As to the dweeb at the local Radio Shack, he has counterparts that work at the auto parts chain stores, too.
"UH......What's a carburetor?"
Jeff
 
I know that guy. He works in a parts store in Croton.

Actually there is a Carquest by me that is pretty good. I counted that as another recent score in the endless 'where do I go to buy this' struggle...
 
I've learned to love the internet for most of my needs. I live pretty much out in the boonies, and there's not much around here, especially for specialty bits. In most cases, the shipping is less than the cost of the drive into the city. I've got one good local auto parts store, an older place with folks who actually know how cars work. Amazing...
 
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My latest 'find' is DigiKey. Until now I've had to deal with the local Radio Shack to try to find small components.

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I love it when I go in, make a bee-line to the parts corner (which is getting smaller and smaller) to get a few connectors, or whatever - and someone runs over and starts asking if they can "help". I tell them what I'm looking for and they look at me with a blank stare, then try to sell me a cell-phone. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

I try to keep a list of odds and ends I think I need, then when I really need some odd part I order from www.mouser.com; they have just about anything anyone would ever need, and quality stuff too.

The closest real parts store is 1-1.5 hours (each way) from here, I figure the time, frustration, and fuel money balances with the shipping costs /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
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Tony you are joking right?

I can get 300 different flavours of coffee within a 2 block radius, but finding a place with a lathe within 20 miles - not a chance. I live in the wrong area!

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Well, that's it then! Time to move to the REAL America! hehehe
 
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Well, that's it then! Time to move to the REAL America! hehehe

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I would, but then I'd be expected to *work* for a living, rather than sitting on my butt pushing buttons. I'd be unable to survive...
 
I used to know this old timer down in Ossening. He is the one who taught me how to use a lathe. He migh still be around. You could also run to Bedford and hit Home Depot. They have all sorts of good stuff. There is also a motorcycle shop in Milford that used to do some lathe work.
 
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Tony you are joking right?

I can get 300 different flavors of coffee within a 2 block radius, but finding a place with a lathe within 20 miles - not a chance. I live in the wrong area!

[/ QUOTE ]

Alan, If you're near Croton, I think the problem is you moved to the self-appointed center of sophistication, I'm with Tony, you need to move to the 'real' America, or at least to a less urban part of New York. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jester.gif

I can get a few hundred different bits of metal where I live. The roads and traffic are better too! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]


Tony you are joking right?

I can get 300 different flavors of coffee within a 2 block radius, but finding a place with a lathe within 20 miles - not a chance. I live in the wrong area!

[/ QUOTE ]

Alan, If you're near Croton, I think the problem is you moved to the self-appointed center of sophistication, I'm with Tony, you need to move to the 'real' America, or at least to a less urban part of New York. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jester.gif

I can get a few hundred different bits of metal where I live. The roads and traffic are better too! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Not to mention property prices!
 
Try Home Depot for small sheets of steel, aluminum, or diamond plate. The hardware section where they have the threaded rod and angle iron bin usually has 36" or smaller squares of steel, aluminum, and diamond plate for patching. If you don't see it go to the customer service desk and they can order it. I actually hate the place but sometimes you go where you need to go.
 
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