Do you miss 'real' hardware stores?

[Jeff_Birt]

Maybe it's just me; maybe I'm the only one. I went to our local Lowe's yesterday to purchase a 'J'-roller. Being a logical sort of fellow I figured that a tool would be found in the tool department. We'll after searching all the aisles twice and finding the only employee around (who was covering tools and hardware) was already tied up; I went back to where the edge laminate is sold; no dice in either place.

So I head back up to tools, and look some more until the one lone employee is free. I ask him about a 'J'-roller. He has no clue what I'm talking about, so I explain what it looks like and what it is used for. He suggest trying flooring. So....off trod to flooring, I see nothing there either. I walk back towards paint and run into to female employees and ask them about the elusive 'J'-roller. I get the same blank look and have to go through the whole explanation again. One of them says, "Oh, a plastic roller!" and directs me to the back corner of one aisle where I find a carpet seam roller, which of course is not a 'J'-roller.

I walk back towards hardware and find actual flooring department personnel, of course I have to go through the same song and dance as he has no clue either. But, at least he knows who to ask, "Let's go talk to Bob in the mill-work department!", he says. So we walk over and talk to Bob who actually knows what a 'J'-roller is! But, he has no idea where they might be. He sends me over to the cabinet department.

Off to cabinets I go, when I arrived I find one employee and three people waiting to talk to them. So, I think to myself, "It can't be that hard to find it if it's over here." I walk around each aisle and am just about to give up, after all I have spent 20 minutes walking all over the bloody store, when I see that there is a hidden aisle back behind a cabinet display. I give it a try and lo-and-behold, in the very back corner of the store (no kidding), I find a 'J'-roller, which says 'J'-roller right on the %^&#$ package.

So, I have to question if we have really advanced by moving towards the big box store. I miss going into a 'real' hardware store that employed folks that actually knew all about what they were selling. When I lived down around Springfield, MO, there were a few good hardware stores left there. In our little town of Rolla we have the choice of two nearly equally poor establishments.

So, the question remains; Is it just me? Am I the only person who has had it with the big-box stores employing folks who are mostly ignorant of their job? Note: not every large chain is seems to suffer from the same fate, I have found O'Rielly auto parts stores to always be quite helpful. To be clear, I'm not wanting to start a tirade of complaints against the big-box stores with crappy service, rather I would like to offer an observation.

It seems to me that I as an individual can have the most effect by voting with my wallet. So, given comparable prices I will choose to shop at the supplier who offers the best customer service.

Now in case you are wondering what the heck this all has to do with the CW; I was buying a 'J'-roller to apply a carving mask (clear Contac shelf paper) to a board. The good news is that the 'J'-roller does a good job sealing it down.

After applying the shelf paper to both side of the board and applying painters tape to the tracker roller contact area, I tried measuring the board to see how the machine did at feeding the board through. It looked like it did a good job but the measurements didn't match my tape measure. After 4 tries on the machine produced the same readings, I grabbed a metal yard stick and measured the board. The machine had measured it right, time for a new tape measure; but it won't be from Lowe's...

[liquidguitars]

I grabbed a metal yard stick and measured the board. The machine had measured it right, time for a new tape measure; but it won't be from Lowe's...

We are in a smaller town and have some good mom and pop hardware stores.. ones a "Ace hardware store" but the owner stocks just about anything!

LG

[rjusty]

You're not alone, Jeff. Although I'm still a little south of 50, I remember going to a lot of them with my Dad - wooden floors, hardware in bins, and parts to fix almost anything. Although sometimes the part was in a box on the top shelf, and a little dusty. Whether you knew what you needed or not, the guy behind the counter did.

I guess I should count myself as lucky. There are enough retired trades workers down here that the local HD and Lowes have a few knowledgeable old guys. We had an Ace about .75 mi from my house with staff from the old school. I was there all the time. They lasted almost a year. The bigger the "big-boxes" get, the harder it is for anyone else to compete.

[Deolman]

Yup, got the same problem here. It seems like some of the younger generation doesn't seem to care. That's probably what the older generation said about my generation.

[Eagle Hollow]

Jeff,

Same problem here and most other places I've been. The big boxes are never headquartered in your town...they don't care about your town EXCEPT for the profits they can send back home. They maximize profits paying minimum wages to unknowlegeable employees who are on the job ONLY for a paycheck. I find so often that service is preformed begrudgeonly.

But, all that said, we have three ACE Hardware stores here and all have a bunch of old geezers (that's a compliment) that are experienced and, knowlegeable and possess enough wisdom to use it.

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it...end of rave.

[ChrisAlb]

I go to places like Lowe's and Home Depot for only one thing, WOOD! I like the fact that it's kept indoors. I like Lowe's because they have a nice selection of glued up panels (saves me from doing it to get up to 24" wide), from paint to stain grades.

But most of all I like going to these places because the only employees I need there are the CHECK OUT PEOPLE. Judgment on their performance is still in the works but not too good so far!

[Kenm810]

I do use the big box stores on occasion but not often: I have two Lowe’s plus two Home Depot’s, Within 4 to 6 Miles from me.
Also a Rockler Store 7 miles and a WoodCraft Store 5 miles me.
And a Great Dutch Family owned Lumber Yard and Mill just 2 miles from the end of my drive way.
Best of all I have a 3rd Generation Family owned Hardware less than 1 mile from me.
Every one is on a first name basics, and I been dealing with them for over 38 years.
They have deliveries to their store every Tuesdays and Thursdays, and they will order anything you need,
supplies, tools, parts, what ever and have it with a couple of days.
A few months I made a couple simple little Centerline pine signs for them reading,

If You Need It We Have It
If We Don’t Have It
We’ll Get It for You

The owner offered to pay me for them, and I said no,
He said ok than, and instructed his 2 Clerks, that when ever I come,
I get a free a Coffee or Soda on the house for the rest of the year.

Yep I’m Spoiled

Oh Ps. Almost forgot yes they do have "J" Rollers

[cnsranch]

Jeff

The results you're gonna get from using that J Roller will make the hassle worth it.

Happy Rolling

[castingman]

cnsranch,

How do you get the sticky crap off ? I had a hella of time getting the tape off !

Michael

[cnsranch]

Michael -

Most are talking about using some kind of plastic sheeting (contact paper?).

My first try was with self-stick shelf paper - not good - doesn't self-stick well enough.

Couldn't find the stuff all were talking about, but I did have some packing tape lying around, so I thought I'd give it a try - worked great. 10 times better, though, when I used the J Roller to get it good and "tight" (Thanks, again, DigitalWoodShop)

I've been using 2" packing tape, the cheap 3m stuff from Wal-Mart or Home Depot, etc. Overlap by a tad - 1/16"

Pulled right off after carving and then spray-painting, no sticky left.

The last project, however, I taped the entire board, too lazy to leave the board un-taped where there were carvings (most concerned with where c'line text was going). The carving bit does generate a bit of heat at the tip, so the tape would tend to gum up the tip somewhat - not bad, but still there. Stopping the carve a couple of times, and tugging on the tip pulled the sticky off.

I started a thread last week with some pics of my last project showing the taping, etc., but I don't know how to add a link here to it.

Let me know if this answers your question, I'm happy to help in any way.

Regards