[modeleng] Re: Prices

Perhaps we should arrange a special group visit to the USA and return with 
suitcases bulging with cut-price goodies?!

I am delighted to hear of the two new members - but what has happened to the 
rest of the members of our List - there has been a deathly hush since my 
return from Cape Town.

I returned to the planning of my little lathe today, and with great 
reluctance did some mechanical drawings.   I am very bad at this, but I 
could not avoid drawing this gizmo, as it has to fit into a tight existing 
corner, and I can't follow my usual method of cutting metal, and then doing 
it again!    This mini-project is to provide a belt tensioner for the tiny 
5-vee poly-vee belt.    At the moment, I have to move the motor or the lathe 
to change the belt tension - not the most elegant method!   My design 
includes two little ball-races (side-by-side to match the width of the belt) 
to run on the outside of the belt.    This will also increase the 
wrap-around of the belt on the mandrel pulley, which is cut into the 20mm 
mandrel - the minimum size allowed for this size of belt.   The proof of the 
drawing will be in the end result!

I eagerly await a flood of your messages.

Cheers!   Hubert

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Alan Stepney" <alan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <modeleng@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, March 28, 2008 9:10 PM
Subject: [modeleng] Prices


>A pal has just returned from a holiday in the US, and bought back a load of
> catalogues.
> I am astounded at how low prices are in America compares to what we have 
> to
> pay.
>
> If you compare Harbor Freight with Machine Mart, for products that appear
> identical, and probably are as so much is made in China, the US price is
> between 35% and 50% of the UK price.
>
> Looking at Grizzly, most things are half what we pay, some much less.
>
> Sadly, he only bought back catalogues and not cases full of goodies!
>
> http://www.alanstepney.info
> Alan Stepney's Model Engineering, steam, and workshop pages.
>
> MODEL ENGINEERING DISCUSSION LIST.
>
> To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, send a blank email to,
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