"aribert" wrote in message
...
I have Version 109 of McMaster-Carr available for the first person willing
to pay for UPS ground (sent from 48036). Remove "nospam" to reply.

THe maintenance guys where my wife works give their previous year's copy
to her to give to me. My newest one is in the study, next is in the
workshop and then the oldest one that I keep is at work. Every year I
shuffle the versions.


I don't know why anyone would use McMaster's almost 3000 page catalog if he
has a computer and can browse their website. I was just there looking for
stainless screws and I was bowled over by the efficiency and pure logic of
their product finder. Just put "bolt" in the search window and see pictured
9 grouped categories of bolts. If you used the slider on the right side, you
can scroll down to finer detail on each page, but lets just say you click on
"Socket cap screws" - - then you see 8 head styles, 6 materials, 7 finishes,
4 classes, and 5 drive styles, shown in pictures where possible. So you
click on "Button head" and see 3 materials, 4 finishes, 2 classes, and 5
drive styles. Let's say you click "Stainless steel" and see 2 types, 2
finishes, and 4 drive styles (with comparison charts available on material,
finish and class), and choose Hex head, 18-8 stainless, plain, metric and
fully threaded. Finally you have a choice of thread and length with Stock
numbers and packaging with prices. This is certainly a bewildering array of
alternatives, but this computer guided catalog makes it easy - - no
squinting at fine type; no trying to separate pages with dry fingers. At
each stage you can go back up to the top and revise a previous choice by
clicking on the category of concern. What a fantastic achievement! ! !
Combine that with their "no minimum order requirement" policy, rapid stock
pull and quick shipment, and you have an unbeatable combination. Well,
enough of the sales talk - - I was just blown away by their on-line catalog,
and had to say something about it where it might do some good.

Chuck