Clever latch on the cheap.

[Shotgun]

Worse than not having what you want is the tease.

They'll carry maybe a dozen different sized taps. But, you need the NF not the NC, so you spend half an hour looking around for it.
My favorite was the orange one selling a oxy-acetylene torch kit, but not the bottles.

They stock what moves, at cut-throat prices, with a clientele that is women looking for "projects" for their husbands as often as not. That is their only algorithm. But, "what moves" is also what keeps the little hardware guy in business. But, that little guy can't compete with the cut throat prices, and is loosing money stocking the last 10% of what you need to actually do something. So, the little guy goes out of business, and we're stuck buying online, hoping the description matches what we're trying to do. (First world problem?)

Moral of the story: Support your local helpful hardware man.

 

[Larry$]

The former is almost extinct

There is a small hardware less than a mile from my shop. It's been there since the 1800's. The now deceased owner told me he went to auctions in small town hardware stores to buy what is no longer available. Every corner of his store is stocked to the ceiling, basement, sheds out back and a garage. I fear that with his passing so will the store.

 

[brino]

Do you ask those questions in a "hardware store", or in a "home improvement center". Those are NOT the same thing. The former is almost extinct, having been replaced by the latter. I know of a few actual hardware stores in the area, and I try to use them as much as possible. But even they have moved to mostly carrying the same junk as the big box stores, except in smaller quantities and with less variety.

Moral of the story: Support your local helpful hardware man.

Here I feel very lucky....here are some memories.....
Our local Home Hardware used to be downtown on the main street in a 100-year old building.
It has always been a local family-owned business.
It was not very big, but every nook and cranny was used.

One night while disassembling my Jeep transmission I broke the tips on my snap-ring pliers....it was late, but I called them anyway...and they had a set. I said I'd be right over. Not only did they delay closing the store, the new set was waiting at the cash register for me!

I also remember the young son of the then owner playing a hide-and-seek game with me in that old store.

More than a dozen years ago, they moved to the outskirts of town and put up a huge, new building.
They kept that small-town service. Everyone is very helpful.

A few years ago the original owner died.
His son now runs the store.

Sure, I sometimes wish they had a few more different items in stock.
But they will order it in and have it fairly quick if they can.
Plus any time I don't have to go to the big orange box store is a bonus.

-brino

 

[C-Bag]

You are lucky Brino. The old “be careful what you wish for” has happened here and the jury is out. One family owns the string of Miner’s/ Ace Hardware stores and our little one here was not only efficient but was staffed by retired trades guys who knew the store. The orange box was doing that too. But since Covid the old guys are gone in both places

The last of the true old hardware stores close was in Pismo Beach and it was the funny series of semi connected rooms that was more like a rabbit warren than a store. I flashed back to the old store where I grew up. But the owner seemed like he was silently enraged every time we went in there. He was civil but it was a vibe. Last time we were in there he was selling out and everything had to go and you could swear it was a party, he was joking and smile on his face. It’s been gone now for a couple of years. I can only imagine how hard it is to run a brick and mortar where stuff is constantly changing.

 

[brino]

We are building a project for the irrigation system that will have its own thread but we thought we would share an idea for our magnetic cover latch.

@tq60

I would like to apologize for the total "off-topic" of your thread.
It was NOT my intention to get into discussions about or memories of local hardware stores.

Thanks for sharing your solution of the magnetic latch!

-brino

 

[tweinke]

I love the look on their faces at the hardware store when I walk in. I've told most of the help in the usual stores I go to to just go the other way and if I need help I will find them. They learn quickly that just because it is generally sold as one thing doesn't mean that there is a different part hiding inside it LOL. A few of them actually want to help me find the what's it I'm looking for now after showing them the new part or use of some of the purchases from them. And by the way the magnetic latching idea was awesome thanks for sharing your design!

 

[tq60]

Thanks for the feedback.

The meter panel project is for the most Part finished but we got additional idea to add additional things.

Our system has an option to use sensor devices with standard 4-20ma output so we found a couple and are waiting for them to arrive.

We added t connectors to plumbing is ready.

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