A wasted trip
A few years ago I needed a 220-volt, 15-amp on/off switch for a machine. A quick trip to the local electrical supply house was all it took. Now I need…
A few years ago I needed a 220-volt, 15-amp on/off switch for a machine. A quick trip to the local electrical supply house was all it took.
Now I need another. But that local electrical supply house is no more. A search of the Yellow Pages produced another nearby so off I went. Got there, waited in line and finally got to my turn.
I explained to the guy what I needed. He pulled out his catalog and flipped to the page on which was pictured exactly what I was looking for. Bingo. I'll take one. "Oh," he says, "we don't actually stock those here. You have to go online to our website and order one from there. They'll ship it to you."
Now normally I would prefer to go online and order something. It can be done right from my desk with no traveling or looking for a parking space. But in this case, it was frustrating to not be able to buy a simple item that normally would be an off the shelf item. In the spirit of pure optimism, I made a quick stop at a couple of big box stores on the way home. A futile effort to be sure and another instance in which Mark Twain's "curtain of charity" should be drawn.
D.D.

David DeCristoforo possesses an extensive resume as designer/maker of fine furniture, high-end cabinetry and architectural woodwork. His experience in professional woodworking spans a period of 35 years. For the past 20 years David DeCristoforo Design has been located in Woodland, California. During this time David's shop has ranged in scope from a "full on" cabinet production shop with as many as 15 employees to a small fine furniture and custom millwork shop, working with his son, David RBJ, a highly skilled maker in his own right.