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the hardest part about moving to America

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I WORK ON YACHTS AS WELL AS MY 74 TCS & HAVE FOUND THAT (BELIEVE IT OR NOT) ACE HARDWARE STORES CARRY A LOT OF OTHERWISE HARD TO FIND NUTS, BOLTS ETC.
 
I had the same problem when I first arrived in America but then I found it was usally not a question of there not being what I was looking for it was there but in a different name. Once I learned to speak American the problem was solved. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/england.gif
 
Alan,

small pieces of sheet aluminum are all over
the place. Even here in Puerto Rico.

Sounds to me a piece of 050 aluminum would do the trick.

Drive around until you see a roofing company bigger
than a pick up truck. All commercial roofers use much
sheet aluminum- usually 032, 040, 060 and once in a while
080.

I get all my aluminum for free! Scrap heap.
It cost me a $10/lb bag of premium expresso
coffee beans for their office. Nice folks.

d
 
Your question about how to find things now that you're in America makes me wonder what it would be like if the situation was reversed. Take a 32-year old American male and plop him down in the British Isles. I'm curious as to what would happen, but not yet curious enough to try it. Bill Bryson did it, but that was 30+ years ago.
 
I'm very sympathetic to the problem of "figuring out the system" in a new place. I've spent long stretches outside the US, and I know what it's like.

A bunch of links to on-line metal suppliers:
https://www.sherline.com/online.htm


I've used these guys:
https://www.onlinemetals.com/

By the way, for electronic components, try Electronix Express: https://www.elexp.com/. Thirty years ago, Radio Shack was very cool, but now it's totally useless. Digikey and Mouser are pretty good, though.
 
alana, you can find out if theres a local shop that does h.v.a.c duct work or a muffler shop and get permission to do some light dumpster diving, but the hardest part about moving to america for my family was all that swimming. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jester.gif
 
I live in the busiest place on earth. Long Island NY. I can get anything I want in a minutes drive. This comes with lots of problems though. TOO MANY PEOPLE!! I would absolutley love to live in the woods somewhere but then how would I get stuff done without being able to get what I need. This is a delima for sure. You have to weigh sitting in your yard enjoying a beer with total silence and not being able to get what you need, vs. sitting in your yard drinking a beer and having traffic piling up with horns blaring and getting agida (sp) over these rude & idiotic people with no consideration for the guy hwo is just trying to relax in ............ARGH!!!... but I can get anything I want.
OK I feel better now.
 
I opted for the country life, and now just rely on that lovely brown truck to deliver what I need, right to my door. Sure, you have to wait a bit, but pretty much everything is available. Funny how the cutting edge internet makes country living more enjoyable.
 
I suppose I have the best of both - I'm enjoying the country life but have the city about 20 minutes away! Last night went out & enjoyed a great meal at Ruth's Chris Steak, this morning was out in the back forty & nature called - no bigee!! Everything I need is just down the road; international airport is 30 minutes away but I can sit on my porch & not hear anything all day Saturday. Every big box store is within half hour drive as are all the little 'boutique' shops...but I watch horses & cows grazing from porch.

You can have everything you need within finger tips & still enjoy the serenity of walking out onto the back deck in your underwear (or the hot tub au natural!) - you don't have to choose one or the other!

This weekend we'll take in "The Producers" - yep, the huge traveling show that hits all the cities....so, bumpkinville isn't like it was on "Green Acres". But, don't tell anybody - north Alabama is the best kept secret in the country!
 
I think I've got a fairly good compromise with life in a small village near a medium sized city. Everything I need is pretty close and the village life affords some quietness while the city and suburbs next door provide convenience.

I drive about 40,000 miles around NYC, Long Island and New England throughout the year, so could live just about anywhere in the NE. Like I said, for us, it's a pretty good compromise between too many people and being close to conveniences.
 
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