Needed one of those sandpaper pencil sharpeners. Easy enough to make
but they're under a buck, or were last time I needed one, so why bother.
None of the office supply places had them, or the arts and crafts
places (Michaels actually has a pretty good stock of drafting
equipment). Blick did but that's a 70 mile drive and the bike is out of
commission. Could find them online but the shipping is ludicrous. Was
in Rockville with a few minutes to spare so checked Crystal Blueprint.
Had them for 80 cents a pop.

Needed a couple of window screen hooks--all the usual suspects had them
for aluminum frame screens but not for wood frame. Was on the way to
Parkerville for some boards and passed by Star Hardware in
Ellington--figured I'd give them a try. They had them.

While I was there though I noticed that they had a very nice stock of
small hinges and latches and the like, reasonably priced, including some
that I'd had to order from Lee Valley a few years back.

Anyway, if you're in the Hartford area those are a couple of places
worth looking for "old school" oddments.

Anyway, if you're in the Hartford area those are a couple of places
worth looking for "old school" oddments.

I'm nowhere near there, but I remember the same "old school" feeling
at Roscoe Hardware in Sun Vally, California, where I grew up.

My Dad shopped there, I did too. I still have a receipt from them for
2 corks I bought to plug the drain-holes in the sponsons of the
Class-C Racing Hydroplane Dad and I built.

=Zz

On Mon, 19 Apr 2010 21:36:58 -0400, "J. Clarke"
wrote:

[snip]

Anyway, if you're in the Hartford area those are a couple of places
worth looking for "old school" oddments.

I have a local hardware store that has most everything, including
narrow aisles with wooden bins of nuts and bolts and some dusty
cardboard boxes of items originally produced 30+ years ago. But I can
buy just as many as I need of 10-32 bolts and nuts - no borg plastic
bags here ;-) And I can talk with someone who knows a great deal
about alternate ways of doing things.

I still need to explore the back 4 aisles (probably with a good
flashlight) to see what treasures may be hidden there...

John

On 04/20/2010 10:08 AM, wrote:
On Mon, 19 Apr 2010 21:36:58 -0400, "J. Clarke"
wrote:

[snip]

Anyway, if you're in the Hartford area those are a couple of places
worth looking for "old school" oddments.

I have a local hardware store that has most everything, including
narrow aisles with wooden bins of nuts and bolts and some dusty
cardboard boxes of items originally produced 30+ years ago. But I can
buy just as many as I need of 10-32 bolts and nuts - no borg plastic
bags here ;-) And I can talk with someone who knows a great deal
about alternate ways of doing things.

I still need to explore the back 4 aisles (probably with a good
flashlight) to see what treasures may be hidden there...

John

You suck! :-)

--
What percentage of the driving populace do you suppose actually
understands the rules of engagement at a four-way stop?
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

On Apr 20, 9:26*am, Steve Turner wrote:

I still need to explore the back 4 aisles (probably with a good
flashlight) to see what treasures may be hidden there...

John

You suck! *:-)

No kidding.

Robert

wrote in message
...
On Apr 20, 9:26 am, Steve Turner wrote:

I still need to explore the back 4 aisles (probably with a good
flashlight) to see what treasures may be hidden there...

John


Here in Northeast Mass we have an industrial supply place which is 4 floors
of everything you could use. If you go in and ask for a bolt that is 4
inches long with the bottom half 1/2 inch coarse and the top half 7/16 fine,
they would reply: "You need that in stainless, galvanized, or brass."

I shop at the big places less and less these days

Larry