Years ago there was a firm that used to supply 12ins lengths of brass rods, tube, tufnol (carp), acrylic, nylon etc in various diameters ; also tufnol, duralimin & acrylic sheet and bar. I don't have their address , Its so long ago they probably don't even exist any more. There seems to be so many "new" plastic materials available which I don't recognise and I am not aware of their properties, some guidance would be appreciated Can anyone suggest a reasonably priced source for small quantities of the above. Regards Don
Don, I suspect you may be recalling KR Whiston of New Mills Stockport He of the "seen my cat? fame. He retired having advertised the business for sale in one of the catalogues in the late 70's IIRC. His staff bought the business but it soon went downhill and closed a few years later. RSWWW.com is a possible source but quite expensive
Ken Whiston: One of the (late) Proops brothers bought the odd ends of heavy section special steels - and when he had to clear his warehouse I bought what I could fit in the back of a Volvo estate - gawd knows how the rear suspension survived that journey - I still have quite a bit of it stacked in ammo boxes from my move last year. It's STILL b****y heavy !
I bought some PVC from Davis Industrial Plastics in Crawley - they sell small quantities on eBay or if you are local there is no minimum order. They've got all the non-metal stuff you mentioned
Hear Hear! When I visited the original owner several years ago, he told me that someone else had set up the website and that he had to go back (and pay i assume) each time for changes. The business is now under new ownership and I don't know how computer savvy the guy is or if the business makes enough money to justify subcontracting a re-write the e-commerce side of the business.
Or just get the I.E. View Firefox extension - right click on the page and open it up in I.E. I use it for the odd site that won't play ball with Firefox.
err - they aren't actually using the browser, and neither are you - :)
Had some emails with the webmaster on this point a year or two ago, but they're on another computer, so I'll just give my vague rememberings rather than the full gory ..
The owner doesn't do the website himself - and the webmaster is clueless, cranky and puffed-up with his own self-importance. He most certainly would not let anyone help (I offered).
Basically the owner needs to get a new webmaster, but aiui his stock and payments systems are linked to the website, they are nonstandard and undocumented, and the only person who understands them is the webmaster.
The owner is in a bind .. doesn't want the webmaster, but can't get rid of him.
(I also have the vague impression that the webmaster was related or something, but that might be to the old owner)
I know someone who'd do him a complete new system, with data entry (the expensive bit, but probably necessary) and standard software with full documentation for about 3-5 grand, assuming the code is not deliberately obfuscated, if anyone's interested.
bah, the whole thing inc pukka ecommerce website, own mirrored home server on broadband and a barcode scanner for stock control would barely use up a grand.***
but the fact is everyone is making excuses for the guy, if his web guy is an asshole sack him, he won't lose anything in sales compared to what he is losing (assuming his product and customer service is worth anything) by having a broken, and shite, website.
*** cobalt raq for fifty quid for home mirrored server servage hosting account for a fiver a month barcode scanner and wedge for forty quid barcode printer for hundred and fifty quid nochex account to take plastic in eshop fifty quid dpd account for delivery is free
so far we're up to 300 quid up front and a fiver a month for hosting.
all the rest is free open source eg oscommerce for the webshop
this is the *right* way to do it because it means that anyone who knows his asshole from his elbow can walk in, look around, see familiar standard tools and protocols, and sit right down and do any work.
out of a grand budget this leaves about 700 for customisation, training if required for the guy, and documentation.
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as it is all I can know is what I see, which is someone who doesn't want my money, unless he can first order me around and tell me what software I must run in order to do him a favour and give him some money, and that shit doesn't fly.
times of recession are times of opportunity, from what I can see this guy is merely declaring his intention to cease trading, clearly keeping his current web guy happy means more than keeping customers and making sales.
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