Modern Buddy

First, I have to say I am just loving this site/forum. The tutorials are well written. The people are nice and friendly. Reading this site over the past few weeks has really encouraged me to go crazy and start evolving my Buddy into my fantasy scooter.

Now to the point of this post:
I have noticed in several posts that people are often in need of some kind of special hardware such as security screws or special bolts to install or repair something. My go-to source for the past few decades has been McMaster Carr (http://www.mcmaster.com) I learned about them when I was (OK take a deep breath) the Assistant Supervisor in the Technical Services Division of the Exhibits Department at the California Museum of Science and Industry in Los Angeles. We got all of our hardware from McMaster Carr. Of course, this was back in 1988-89 so we had to look stuff up in the four-inch thick, fine-print catalog and then actually call them on the phone. I still like the catalog better than the web site. Oh,well.

So, if you need some weird part and you think it probably doesn't exist, then look for it on McMaster Carr. And no, I am not affiliated with them in any way. I just know a good resource when I see it.

P.S. I hadn't really thought about it till reading this site, but I have actually done at least one mod on my scooter, so I will clean it up, take some pictures, and post it for people to see.

Great resource; welcome to the forum!

I actually found an odd metric screw there long ago. Wound up not buying it—got one off another scoot. But I was impressed by what they had. I'd forgotten about it, so thanks!

so sorta scooter related. I have a friend that was a long time employee of Scooterworks until this past summer. I also have a friend who's a purchaser at McMaster Carr. These friends were from separate circles.

When I went back to Chicago over the summer for the first time in 5 years my old Scooterworks friend hosted a party at his house for me where all my friends could come. As we sat around drinking margaritas everyone introduced themselves and as you do everywhere else but Cali- part of the intro is what you do for a living (it seems in So Cal when people say 'what do you do' it means for fun not work). My McMaster Carr friend has learned over the years it is rare that anyone knows his company so he limits the description to a purchaser for a supply company. Well everyone in the room was a tinkerer of one sort or another and wanted to know WHAT kind of supplies. When he said McMaster Carr there was a collective gasp of awe.... Then the stories followed about love affairs with the catalog and finding the hard-to-find screw or bolt for everything from scooters to vibes/keyboards. My McMaster friend had never been in a room where people were stoked about his job. He felt like a celebrity! It was pretty funny.

Apparently the paper catalog is why more inclusive than the website so he sent everyone there a current copy.

McMaster Carr is an excellent resource. Another one is Grainger
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/wwg/start.shtml

My first stop is always my local Mom and Pop hardware store, Belzer's in Boca Raton. No they don't have everything...no they are not open on Sunday...but they have A LOT of stuff not available at the big home centers.

Stainless metric fastners, chrome metric fasteners, chrome metric nylocks etc etc.. Super friendly and helpful people. When I'm wandering around in there they now ask what scooter I'm working on.

We have a little standing joke...I always tell them that I can't find this stuff anywhere else....they always say don't tell us that...we'll raise the price!

BuddyRaton wrote:McMaster Carr is an excellent resource. Another one is Grainger

Yup. Those were the two catalogs required on everyone's desk. McMaster for hardware and Graingers for "equipment" (electric motors, compressors, tools, work benches, etc.).

So, Graingers for outfitting your shop and McMaster for putting stuff together on your scooter. They are the perfect combination.

...

Oh, plus JameCo (www.jameco.com) and a few others for electronics parts.

While I like McMaster-Carr, may I also suggest www.boltdepot.com for screws/nuts/washers. Though their selection isn't quite as vast as McMaster, they don't have a minimum per piece order, their prices are lower and their shipping is reasonable. McMaster-Carr requires a minimum order of 100 pieces for many (most?) of their hardware.

Still, the McMaster-Carr catalog is one of my ultimate reading materials while in my "library".