Suppliers of small amounts of machinable materials.

J A Crew

Woburn Sands ?

Bought off him when we were in Luton

Peter

-- Peter & Rita Forbes Email: snipped-for-privacy@easynet.co.uk

Donwill used his keyboard to write :

I bought a bag full of brass and alloy of cuts from a local scrap yard, at a good price, but obviously they don't keep any none metals.

-- Peter & Rita Forbes Email: snipped-for-privacy@easynet.co.uk

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

Also try

quantities of the

Stockport

business

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 !

AWEM

Try these few, I've used them all in the last 12months, all do 12"/300mm lengths or less as the price goes up.

Ive bought plastics from:

Dave

Many thanks for your replies and forbearance, Yes I think it was Whiston/

Cheers Don

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

You could try Mallard Metals for some of that stuff, they are at

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Email them and tell them that they are using a non-compliant browser and so cannot order from them and you are letting your friends know.

Microsoft's

browsers

wallet.

Cut the chap some slack. He's a one man band - why not offer to give him some help if you're so computer saavy.

AWEM

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.

Bob

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.

Regards,

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.

-- Peter Fairbrother

Stephen Howard wrote: [...]

Windows only, I'm afraid ...

On 17 May, 07:23, Peter Fairbrother wrote: .

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 s**te, website.

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.

==============

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 s*it 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.

I expect that Crew will survive without your custom. I'm sure you must be a real joy to do business with.

Bob