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Safety Dance posted:Thanks for all this! I forgot about induced voltages. I've never seen a false positive like this before, but it was my first time using a Fluke vs a Klein pen, and the first time with romex instead of thhn in metal conduits that would have shielded the circuit better. I once found a bundle of 8 awg wire inside a poorly patched sheetrock hole. No tape or wire nuts on the end, just a set of big honking conductors flapping in the breeze in the wall. Of course I pickup the beep stick before touching it and it goes nuts. I start sweating thinking Ive got these giant fire starters just patched behind my drywall, only to find it was an induced voltage from the other wiring nearby. I found the other end coiled up in the sheetrock above the breaker box, guess my house used to have baseboard heat!
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May 11, 2022 17:09
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I don't use my Fluke voltalert because it has so many false positives. I think it's just too sensitive to be useful as anything other than a tv ghost hunting prop. I think even a small static charge is enough to set it off because ust moving it around next to something is enough to turn the led on. Maybe that's why the vendor I bought my Fluke 87 from added the voltalert for free. The 15 year old non contact voltage probe that came in a $20 homeowner electrical kit (cheap meter, outlet tester, voltage probe, phone line something or other) has been far more useful. I think it's just less sensitive so it only goes off when the circuit is actually powered. Regardless I don't touch anything without first poking it with my multimeter Galler fucked around with this message at 17:36 on May 11, 2022 |
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May 11, 2022 17:33
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NCV is intended to be used as a quick indicator of status, for troubleshooting purposes. NOT as a safety test. If there is any possibility you may come in contact with the conductor or short it to ground, you use an actual voltmeter, preferably one with a low impedance mode to filter out induced voltages. This sage advice from the person who spent all day making live connections in a (24vac) panel.
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May 12, 2022 00:42
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Better a false positive than a false negative.
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May 12, 2022 16:06
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PBCrunch posted:Better a false positive than a false negative. Not really. Too many false positives in any system trains humans to disregard positives that may not be false.
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May 12, 2022 16:42
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A holy tome arrived I'm sure this is going to end up costing me a lot of money
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May 13, 2022 07:50
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mcmaster carr is incredibly over priced. Every time I've ever found out what brand they carried its been like 20% cheaper elsewhere. I understand they treat their employees incredibly well and I don't mean to discount that comes at a cost, but I just want that one weird rear end bolt I can't find elsewhere, man.
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May 13, 2022 11:56
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Its an industrial supplier. Most people who order stuff dont care about the markup, because they lose more money in downtime not having that item now
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May 13, 2022 12:08
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MRC48B posted:Its an industrial supplier. Most people who order stuff dont care about the markup, because they lose more money in downtime not having that item now And their website and app are so well designed that finding what you're looking for takes seconds instead of minutes. Shipping is overnight for me, they almost always have everything I need in stock, their customer service is amazing, and I don't care about the extra 20%. I spend 5-10k with them yearly.
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May 13, 2022 12:23
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MRC48B posted:Its an industrial supplier. Most people who order stuff dont care about the markup, because they lose more money in downtime not having that item now Yes. Though I've done design work with some of their stuff (and CAD models!), ordered it, figured out who made it from the packaging, and then used the manufacturer for further purchases. Need to take into account lead times, but it's cheaper and you may get more variety and specific aid from the company. If you ask nicely, they will email you specific information about their products, like manuals, and you can, obviously, figure out who made it that way.
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May 13, 2022 13:06
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Though I'm thinking I should have a catalog from them. I'm fine with the website for work, just a momento. My mom has one from like 25 years ago. I'm sure it's still fine for things like hardware! (she also kept an employee discount after retirement, so has a good place to buy her cleaning supplies from)
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May 13, 2022 13:11
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Safety Dance posted:Thanks for all this! I forgot about induced voltages. I've never seen a false positive like this before, but it was my first time using a Fluke vs a Klein pen, and the first time with romex instead of thhn in metal conduits that would have shielded the circuit better. Dont even bother with the non contact voltage testers, worthless for troubleshooting and they don't count for anything safety related*. *The only use for them is on the end of a hotstick before hanging grounds.
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May 13, 2022 15:03
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MRC48B posted:Its an industrial supplier. Most people who order stuff dont care about the markup, because they lose more money in downtime not having that item now Someone who spends $500K a year with an industrial distribution company is not going to get the same price as some one time cash sale guy who needs a weird spring for his ~1962 garage door opener. Our self published literature don't even have prices in them and haven't for years because they are pretty much meaningless and the "cash sale" trade is not something we service. McMaster fills an interesting niche and actively market to the high profit margin, cash sale client. We have a company kind of like that in Canada called Spaenaur. They even have a big tome. https://spaenaur.com/spaenaur-catalog/ That said, a big physical catalog like that is the real rarity now as they are quite expensive to make. Hardly anyone publishes paper anymore other than specific niche products or segment spotlights which I kind of miss. I still use paper literature from the 80s/90s with regularity at work. Hell, I had to look at a ~1937 Dodge (the bearing/PT company, not vehicles) catalog last year to get specs on something that wasn't made since WW2 time frame... although to be fair the stuff I generally use are more like tech books with specs and dimensions. slidebite fucked around with this message at 15:12 on May 13, 2022 |
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May 13, 2022 15:09
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Lowclock posted:Good question. With a press brake you can make basically a little v-shaped riser/mandrel that you press against so it gets the work off the table in front and back. One like yours without even fingers seems like it's just very limited in what it can do without hacking chunks out of it. I'd probably just do it in aluminum by hand on a counter top or something unless these power bricks (???) are insanely heavy or you have daily earthquakes. I ended up getting this V-shape bender mandrel thing on Amazon. I haven't tried to make one of my power brick brackets yet, but I did a test bend in some 1/8" aluminum bar stock. The bend looks great and didn't put any real stress on the wimpy light duty vise I used it with. Setting up the mandrel for a bend is a lot quicker (no need to clamp the workpiece). Thanks for the recommendation. I also ordered a little wire bender tool with a base and some little pegs. I'm going to try to make some of these holders out of stiff wire and see how that works out. Is there a reason that rolling box manufacturers almost always put on two omnidirectional casters and then two wheels that can't change direction? I feel like it makes it hard to position things precisely. Is it just a measure to save a dollar on every unit or is there some benefit to the fixed-direction wheels I have not considered? One of the reasons to pay more for McMaster-Carr is the accountability. If you buy a part from MCM, chances are good that it really is what you expected.
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May 13, 2022 16:39
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PBCrunch posted:Is there a reason that rolling box manufacturers almost always put on two omnidirectional casters and then two wheels that can't change direction? I feel like it makes it hard to position things precisely. Is it just a measure to save a dollar on every unit or is there some benefit to the fixed-direction wheels I have not considered? I unload a lot of heavy road cases that come in different wheel configurations. 4 swivel casters makes a box easy to position, but much harder to maneuver and steer. The heaviest boxes really need a person on each end to steer with swivels.
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May 13, 2022 16:47
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I generally use McMaster for brainstorming/design and that workflow is mostly why I bought a catalog. I don't think I actually buy that much from them. Maybe a couple hundred bucks last year? I seem to be ordering more frequently each year though. I'm often good with paying a small premium in order to get something that's to spec and not a knock off/counterfeit. Other times I need something that is slightly obscure and there aren't many options other than McMaster. Even when I can get a legit item somewhere else for a bit less it will take more than a day or two to arrive. My last order was placed Sunday night and arrived Monday afternoon. I'm not quite as passionate about the catalog as Adam but I generally agree with him https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kbu34dk92s
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May 13, 2022 17:30
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SpeedFreek posted:Not a stupid check at all, its how you find that someone never grounded the neutral on a step down transformer in a cabinet that had been in service for a decade. I think that's a bit too far. It shouldn't be the only indication that a line is cold, but it's better than "the light turned off when I flipped the breaker" which is what most people use. I'd even go so far as to say I trust it more than a voltmeter if I could only choose one, because it's more likely that I left the meter in DC from the last time I used it than a non-contact beeping when I rub it on my shirt to check the battery but not when I put it against a live wire. For me it's breaker off then non-contact then, as a last line of defence, touching the ground to the wires I'm about to grab just to be sure.
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May 13, 2022 20:20
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I'm a huge fan of McMaster for industry stuff. You can (depending on the part) get prints and CAD models of stuff, RoHS and other certifications, they'll let you know if something you regularly buy is going OOS, and usually suggest a replacement. I know it might not be cost effective but getting poo poo from McMaster saves me time in finding what I want (great website, compared to say, Grainger) and it's likely not going to cause me headaches in the future ...unlike when my boss decides he wants a specific screw he can't find on McMaster and so he goes to Amazon (lucky if you can find certs or if RoHS documentation exists, and it'll just disappear without warning leaving you scrambling for a replacement). Also, I don't know how much it costs but their shipping is quite fast, usually only one or two days. But yeah for your average person, there are cheaper alternatives since you likely don't care about the upsides.
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May 13, 2022 21:55
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The important thing about McMaster for businesses that use them is that they are your off-site warehouse and are financing all the inventory for you. That has value, and you're paying for it with the markups. But yeah, it's painful to use them personally. But sometimes worth it. The CAD drawings are so so nice to have and as already said the search is fantastic.
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May 13, 2022 22:30
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I order a lot of nuts and bolts from McMaster, but that's only because I hate finding a specific type/finish/etc locally, and buying a bag of 50 M6 bolts from McMaster might cost me the same as buying 5-10 from LowesDepot, and I'll end up needing them in the future. I've got half a dozen plastic parts organizers from HF sorted by M6/M8/M10, plus washers, sealing washers, nuts, cotter pins, whatever. They're not cheap, but they're not exactly breaking the bank either. Plus I bought my favorite two pairs of safety glasses from them. Oh, and drill bits. Lots of individual HSS drill bits in specific sizes, mostly to put in helicoil kits or tapping kits for fixing random things.
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May 14, 2022 01:24
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PitViper posted:I order a lot of nuts and bolts from McMaster, but that's only because I hate finding a specific type/finish/etc locally, and buying a bag of 50 M6 bolts from McMaster might cost me the same as buying 5-10 from LowesDepot, and I'll end up needing them in the future. I've got half a dozen plastic parts organizers from HF sorted by M6/M8/M10, plus washers, sealing washers, nuts, cotter pins, whatever. They're not cheap, but they're not exactly breaking the bank either. https://www.boltdepot.com is also very good, and maybe more accessible for regular folks. eddiewalker fucked around with this message at 02:45 on May 14, 2022 |
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May 14, 2022 02:41
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When I needed a whole bunch of stainless screws and washers McMaster was the easiest place to find the size and quantity I needed, and I knew it was going to be decent stainless and not something more questionable.
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May 14, 2022 04:07
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I may order some fill-in stuff from Bolt Depot, just in a few sizes and lengths that I haven't ordered previously. I do like that they let you order by the piece, though. It'll give me an excuse to round out my M8 box especially.
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May 14, 2022 05:07
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PitViper posted:I've got half a dozen plastic parts organizers from HF sorted by M6/M8/M10, plus washers, sealing washers, nuts, cotter pins, whatever. I organized my dad's garage from dozens of random plastic bowls from the kitchen filled with mixes of hardware and rusty nails and chains and thumb tacks and whatever else he happened to find into two parts organizers: one bolts, one screws, each organized by tiny, small, medium, large, huge. Still need to search through them to find the size you need, but they are all in one place and you won't stab yourself with something rusty.
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May 14, 2022 13:23
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n0tqu1tesane posted:When I needed a whole bunch of stainless screws and washers McMaster was the easiest place to find the size and quantity I needed, and I knew it was going to be decent stainless and not something more questionable. Yeah you can't even trust the stainless fasteners you get at Worst Marine (and haven't been able to for years).
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May 14, 2022 13:31
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Crunchy Black posted:Yeah you can't even trust the stainless fasteners you get at Worst Marine (and haven't been able to for years). And you think that McMasters prices are high.
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May 14, 2022 14:45
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Boltdepot stocks an awful lot of stainless (I think...) Because they are located very near Cape Cod and do a lot of business with the local marine shops.
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May 14, 2022 15:27
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kastein posted:Boltdepot stocks an awful lot of stainless (I think...) Because they are located very near Cape Cod and do a lot of business with the local marine shops. They do indeed. Every dock builder I know uses them.
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May 14, 2022 16:10
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I used bolt depot to buy replacement grade 8 bolts for my Pontiac project since I needed a bunch of different stuff in weird sizes and amounts to replace the 60 year old so rusted into place I had to torch them out stuff. No one sold a set of all replacement hardware for it. Came to like $40 so well worth it.
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May 14, 2022 18:01
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BigPaddy posted:I used bolt depot to buy replacement grade 8 bolts for my Pontiac project since I needed a bunch of different stuff in weird sizes and amounts to replace the 60 year old so rusted into place I had to torch them out stuff. No one sold a set of all replacement hardware for it. Came to like $40 so well worth it. I did the same for the front brake swap on the Nova. Had to get a bunch of random poo poo and I wanted all G8 stuff. 20 bucks or so for hardware? Easy choice. I've gotten lots of random crap from bolt depot since.
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May 14, 2022 18:17
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Bolt Depot’s got JIS bolts too for those who are resurrecting rusty Hondas and the like. One of the internet’s highlights for sure.
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May 14, 2022 18:42
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Yeah, matching JIS and standard metric is another point. I should probably pick up another couple trays to split JIS and regular metric M8 and M10 hardware too....
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May 14, 2022 19:15
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We use bolt depot at work. They by far have the best combo of price/shipping speed/catalog quality/selection out there. I actually never noticed they have JIS, but generally when I need one of those it ends up coming from McMaster because I need it right now and they do same-day delivery (because Ohio).
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May 14, 2022 21:07
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Oh man, JIS hardware! Thank you so much everyone on the boltdepot drop.
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May 14, 2022 21:34
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Also, bolt depot has a forgiving and seamless return policy. No penalties or restock fees. Send back, get refund.
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May 15, 2022 01:22
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While we're talking hardware: BelMetric is worth mentioning.
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May 15, 2022 03:25
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Oh my god 100 m6x1.0 flange nuts for $5. I'm going to need more organizer drawer things.
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May 15, 2022 03:55
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honda whisperer posted:Oh my god 100 m6x1.0 flange nuts for $5. You're welcome
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May 15, 2022 04:02
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Tools! - Buying $300+ in supplies to justify spending $150 in tools Anyways it would have been cheaper to buy an elevated flower box off Amazon, but..... Oh well  I mean that's not 300 in supplies, though I did buy a kreig pocket jig $40 and a 2" clamp $19 and a right angle clamp $45 and of course, extra screws $5 and the wood + scrap wood $50+free and the circular saw $40 and the stapler & staples $25~ and the hardware cloth $20  I guess if I ever want to make a hundred bucks for making someone a flower box on Facebook marketplace, I now have all the tools... Oh, right, I made two of these. 
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May 15, 2022 20:51
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My neighbor built about 6 flowerboxes from leftover pallets which were going to get scrapped. I think that's a great project with scrap wood.
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May 15, 2022 20:57
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