The new Lowe's and other inadvertent LFS

[markw]

I've gone into Boone's Plumbing on two occasions looking for aquarium related plumbing parts. I unfortunately found them very condescending and almost arrogant. I consider myself very practically capable, but not a licensed plumber, and they didn't seem to want to waste their time helping me purchase something that I know they must have had but I didn't have an exact part number or could not relate it to a practical household plumbing application. I found the people at Rona on Innes very helpful and each time I needed something out of the ordinary they at least tried to accomodate what I needed.

[Rob Labonte]

I'll start.  Here's one of the probably more common ones that I'm using...

Fuge light:  Clamp-on work light with 8" aluminum reflector + 23W 6500K spiral CF bulb.

WHERE??

Ive been to every home depot and rona I see looking for them. myself and other turtle keepers that I talk to have been hunting for these. we've been told they exist but myself and 2 other people cant seem to find them.

store and location please. pretty please.


oh. and whats the max wattage they can handle?

[Rob Labonte]

oh,

and markw, you'll get that at any small specialty store of any kind. being a tradesman and big do it yourselfer, Ive seen all these no it alls.

people say bigbox stores are putting small business's out of business. I think its the attitude of the people that run them (small stores) that are putting them out of business.

Id rather roam around a home depot for 1 hour looking for what I need then have a snooty tradesperson serve me.

[JD]

I was down in Ogdensburg the other day. I decided to check out Lowe's.
OMG PVC heaven for a box store. I literally filled one of their baskets. The same quantity at say TSC would have cost me $250. At Lowe's $92. Lots of choices and decent pricing. The only things I did not find was a 1.5" to 4" adapter for an overflow and 2 x 1.5" to 2" wye.

[Rybren]

Where to find clamp-on lights :

The Rona on Innes Rd has them.  Canadian Tire on Innes Rd has them.  HD on 10th Line has them. I think the HD on Innes has them.  At Rona and HD, they're in with the extension cords.  At Crappy Tire, they're in with the lighting.  Max wattage on mine is 150W.

I got the 6500K 23W CF bulb at Cdn Tire, but I've seen them at the other places as well.  Mine was clearly marked as 6500K, often, though, they're only marked as Daylight.

[mikerobart]

PVC stuff:
PVC Industrial products
Colonnade Road
Nepean, ON K2E 7J5
(613) 228-3295

Those guys are awesome. Kinda crappy business hours but super nice guys... the owner especially is very helpful. All kinds of unusual fittings, all kinds of schedule 40, true union ball valves etc. etc. etc.

[holachicka]

PVC stuff:
PVC Industrial products
Colonnade Road
Nepean, ON K2E 7J5
(613) 228-3295

Those guys are awesome. Kinda crappy business hours but super nice guys... the owner especially is very helpful. All kinds of unusual fittings, all kinds of schedule 40, true union ball valves etc. etc. etc.

Agreed...and if you want, bring in a little lady and you get a really good price

[johnrt]

Where does one get dry, straight 2x4 lumber for stands and the like now that Bytown Lumber no-longer sells lumber?

John T

[Canoe]

Where does one get dry, straight 2x4 lumber for stands and the like...

Hard wood for structural members of stands - more strength & rigidity for the same sized piece:
KJP Select Hardwoods
3-145 Bentley Ave., Ottawa. (613) 225-6926
Open Tuesday through Saturday 8am to 5pm
www.kjpselecthardwoods.com
birch, ash, maple, oak, etc.
some offcuts also available

warning: also a warehouse full of very nice finish hardwood - not responsible if you fall in love with an expensive exotic wood for the shell of the stand

[johnrt]

'warning: also a warehouse full of very nice finish hardwood - not responsible if you fall in love with an expensive exotic wood for the shell of the stand'

Oh I hear you. I do not allow myself into Lee Valley Tools - EVER.

John T

[johnrt]

That still leaves us needing a source of straight, dry pine or fur 2x4s and the like of economical yet strong (enough) stands.

John T

[Canoe]

That still leaves us needing a source of straight, dry pine or fur 2x4s and the like of economical yet strong (enough) stands.

I don't know anyone with dry, straight, untwisted, knot-free, void-free pine or fir. For cheap structural wood, go look & price the popular or birch. Stronger, stiffer and dimensionally stable. Much better bang for your buck. And there are off-cuts in many domestics for cross pieces that sell by the pound. Pick and choose to complete your project. I find the hard-wood offcuts cheaper than new soft-wood. I can't recall buying any soft-wood since discovering KJP Select Hardwoods.

Wear blinders so you don't see the furniture grade stuff or the exotics (says the guy who bought wood for: computer stand ~$800; speaker frames ~$200; coffee table $~300 and a very special cocobolo base for a monitor stand for $110 (around $10 for oak offcuts for the four monitor high verticals)). All unnecessary indulgences, but I spend a lot of time where they're in my view. You should have seen the 16' slabs of 25" Chamoiré Figured Khaya (computer stand, coffee table and speaker frames).

[Rob Labonte]

Where to find clamp-on lights :

The Rona on Innes Rd has them.  Canadian Tire on Innes Rd has them.  HD on 10th Line has them. I think the HD on Innes has them.  At Rona and HD, they're in with the extension cords.  At Crappy Tire, they're in with the lighting.  Max wattage on mine is 150W.

I got the 6500K 23W CF bulb at Cdn Tire, but I've seen them at the other places as well.  Mine was clearly marked as 6500K, often, though, they're only marked as Daylight.

thanks, for the info. i checked hd on tenth. didnt find them. ill check the extension cords section next time.

[johnrt]

Vince:

Which Krylon Fusion paint can you use inside the tank?



Canadian Tire. -  so much stuff u can turn fish related. example buy regular magnets & this stuff that you would dip them in (it's the stuff you would re-grip a pair of pliers with) - boom homemade magnets.

krilon fusion - paint for tanks.

spray foam for rock walls ..

it's endless.
[/quote]

[Vincenzo.]

i used krylon fusion - for plastics.

[veron]

the new LOWES on INNES is awsome for PVC fittings.

[johnrt]

Veron said:
"the new LOWES on INNES is awsome for PVC fittings. "

I will have to go back and look.I went there the first week and was under-whelmed.

Canadian Tire in the west end has CPVC pipe and fittings that are somewhat thinner walled than Schedule 40. I do not know what it is used for, and neither, it seems, do their staff. "You use it for piping." They have cheap ball and gate washer-type valves for this stuff.

[Saltcreep]

Veron said:
"the new LOWES on INNES is awsome for PVC fittings. "

I will have to go back and look.I went there the first week and was under-whelmed.

Canadian Tire in the west end has CPVC pipe and fittings that are somewhat thinner walled than Schedule 40. I do not know what it is used for, and neither, it seems, do their staff. "You use it for piping." They have cheap ball and gate washer-type valves for this stuff.

CPVC is /was used for household plumbing. It gave way to poly-butyl and then to PEX. I've used it in many aquarium applications over the years. I can't count the number of UGFs I've made from it. Never used in SW before.

[new2salt]

B&B Hydroponics & Brite Lite Hydroponics

Bulkheads, plumbing PVC, fittings, small lift pumps, MH for the DIY and complete fixtures, ballasts.
Some T5 were available DIY and fixtures.
Haven't been to either location in over 2 years, but they were starting to become involved in some LED lighting for hydroponic use, there may be an LED source to investigate.

[Rybren]

Brite Lite has Sunblaster T5HO units (strip lights) and cheap 6500k full-spectrum T5HO bulbs.  As of last week, they had no LED stuff.