Mike--

In my 35+ career years of doing experimental physics, mechanical 
prototypes, general facilities kinds of stuff, etc., I have found the 
3608-page McMaster-Carr catalog (and their associated web-site) to be a 
godsend.  As some of my mechanical engineer friends put it, in the 
fields I mentioned and many others, there is a low (but not zero, of 
course) probability that you will need something they don't have in the 
way of hardware, raw materials, and other things which are probably of 
interest to (many) Galoots.

As local industrial supply houses close their doors, due to (here in 
Maryland {very early British crown colony, Jeff}, at least) onerous 
inventory and property taxes, and a general anti-business attitude, the 
Big Boys like McM-C and Grainger and a few others become your last 
resort.  The great thing about McM-C is their willingness to deal with 
small orders.  Some of the others, not so much.  The same is true in the 
electronics distribution chain--there are some stand-outs there, as 
well, but I won't name them, as that would definitely be off-topic.  I 
personally think our Galoot predecessors would have loved a McM-C 
equivalent: in fact, I'm sure they did--it was called the local hardware 
store, forty, or fifty, or a hundred, or however many years ago....

Of course, it would be much better if you went out and prospected for 
and mined your own iron ore, made coke, smelted the iron, and designed, 
cast, machined,and finished your own clamp pads (at least according to 
some folks).  Or maybe you could make one from a broken-off chunk of 
discarded engine block cast iron, which you spent hours filing into 
shape, and some discarded screen-door springs, according to others.  
Some of us aren't possessed of such talent, so we take advantage of that 
to which we have ready access.

And, just to be sure, for the umpty-third time, NO business connection, 
just a long-term satisfied customer, YMMV, etc., etc.  Also, I was sorry 
to hear that McM-C is difficult to deal with for our friends outside the 
United States.  Our export laws are less flexible than you might think, 
and the paperwork burden is terrible.  DAMHIKT.

Peace be with you--

Matthew Cottrell
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