Weirdo's that Restore old Radios and TVs ???
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Location: Albury, NSW
Member since 1 May 2016
Member #: 1919
Postcount: 2048
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Hi all,
At the moment I'm just at home with my Daughter who is only 2 and when I get the chance I continue working on my Radiogram and old tellies while she sleeps or is playing.
The Radiogram I was working on needed some Lacquer thinners so I could continue the restoration , So I popped my daughter in the car and off too Bunnings we went.
We wondered around bunnings and I found the Lacquer thinners ,but I was not so happy with the Brand and then I spotted an older bloke in a Red shirt working behind the bunnings paint counter.
I said,, hi there, Do you have lacquer Thinners in another Brand besides this one?
Whats it for ? He replied,,,,I said its for a old radiogram I'm restoring, I restore old TVs and Radiograms .
WHY ? He replied ! ,,because I like old things and I have a passion for old Radios and TVs from the 50s and 60s I replied.
What for ? He replied ! you can go to JB HIFI and buy a Samsung TV now thats only about 2 inches thick and those old TV tubes wont work anymore and no one plays records anymore he replied !
So I said, Because I love old things and its my passion ! Dont you have a passion I asked??
Nup ! He replied.
So I said, well its good to have a passion in life and it does not really matter what it is,, It can be music or painting or restoring things ,Its good for the mind and the soul. I said !
On this note he looked at me blankly and there was silence for a few seconds and I could see by the look in his eyes nothing was going on behind them,
He then put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a handful of bunnings balloons and said ,here give these to your Daughter and walk off.
So I put my daughter back in the car and headed for home and all the way home she screamed cried because I could'nt blow the Balloons up while driving the bloody car !
So I finally arrived home and my mind had turned too mush !, between the moron at Bunnings and the Balloons , I was completely drained of all enthusiasm .
Pete.
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Location: Sydney, NSW
Member since 28 January 2011
Member #: 823
Postcount: 6678
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I dislike going to a Bunnings store unless I know exactly what I want, and even then they are probably out of stock of it.
I never expect any of their staff to know anything so I'm quite surprised when the occasional one actually does know something about their stock, or even hardware in general.
And in case you're wondering why they all say "Hi" and walk away quickly, it's because their management can ping them on a performance indicator if they are noticed not saying "Hi" to everyone. I wonder if it will ever occur to management that "Hi, how can I help you?" would be a better idea.
As for passion, I would never expect to find such a person on Bunnings staff. I usually get the feeling that most of them are there because they cannot get a job anywhere else.
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Administrator
Location: Naremburn, NSW
Member since 15 November 2005
Member #: 1
Postcount: 7290
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and even then they are probably out of stock of it.
Yeah - a business that claims Mickey Mouse stock control in its ads and never seems to have the things that people need, when they need them. It makes people think about what a pills Woolworths made of their effort with Masters. Each Masters store should have crushed Bunnings but Woolies really missed the bus with that one.
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A valve a day keeps the transistor away...
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Location: Sydney, NSW
Member since 28 January 2011
Member #: 823
Postcount: 6678
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Bunnings runs a decentralised stock system. Its head office does not have a view of stock on hand. If you ring their head office asking about stock they tell you to ring a store, as only the stores can see each others' stock holdings.
Further, many of the stock categories are managed in store directly by the suppliers. That is, the suppliers' reps come in and restock the shelves when it suits them. That is why Bunnings staff are often clueless as to when they will get a refresh.
Some Bunnings stores are hit hard and often by tradies who clean out the entire stock of a range (of say bolts) early in the morning. I try to avoid those particular stores.
Masters was a case of Woolworths hubris. It was doomed on paper.
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Location: Albury, NSW
Member since 1 May 2016
Member #: 1919
Postcount: 2048
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G
Hi G, I agree 100 % and I also dont normally go there. It is also my own fault for listening to his negatively as it rubs off on me and lets face it there is nothing odd about restoring things no matter what it is.
Brad , it was better when Harwares were independent businesses, before bunnings and they were every where.
Pete
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Administrator
Location: Naremburn, NSW
Member since 15 November 2005
Member #: 1
Postcount: 7290
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What I don't get is how Bunnings managed to convince the ACCC that a takeover of BBC Hardware, the original bigbox hardware stores was a grand idea. Perhaps the morons on the board of the ACCC aren't DIY types and don't shop at hardware stores. Bunnings' parent company later swallowed most of the former Coles-Myer empire - work that one out.
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A valve a day keeps the transistor away...
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Location: Sydney, NSW
Member since 28 January 2011
Member #: 823
Postcount: 6678
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BBC Hardware was ripe for takeover. It had gone way downhill.
Westfamers has bought Homebase in the UK, which was considered a cot case, too. Will be interesting to see how that works out.
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Location: Cameron Park, NSW
Member since 5 November 2010
Member #: 770
Postcount: 385
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In general, I agree with most of the above comments, but I have to relate my experience in the paint section some time ago.
I was looking tor a hammertone aerosol can and had tried a couple of types/brands with terrible results. I approached a staff member for help and was lucky enough to find one that restored motor bikes and sprayed fuel tanks etc. with hammertone aerosol cans!
He guided me through the differences between types, then gave me a tutorial on how to do it. The final finish was very good and his help was greatly appreciated.
Harold
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Location: Albury, NSW
Member since 1 May 2016
Member #: 1919
Postcount: 2048
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gandhn
Hello Harold.
Thats right many Honda's used Hammertone. I spent many years restoring motorcycles and sports cars. All the guys would buy those vertical clothes dryer secondhand to dry the paint jobs in, do you remember the vertical clothes dryer? They were perfect for Tanks or small jobs. Then the industry moved to 2 pak paints . I Still spray and have all my own guns etc etc. 2 pak was a God send in many ways once you got around the toxicity of the paint and harders.. I often finish furniture in 2 pak clears when a hard finish is needed, it really is the perfect finish in many ways . But you dont want to get it your body its just so toxic when wet.
All the best pete
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Location: Latham, ACT
Member since 21 February 2015
Member #: 1705
Postcount: 2149
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I would have just walked off calling him a moron. He lost a sale with his bad attitude Generally I don't have too much problem with Bunnings as long as you can crash tackle a team member.
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Location: Sydney, NSW
Member since 28 January 2011
Member #: 823
Postcount: 6678
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Bunnings' paint matching system can be very good, but depends on the operator. Some of the paint guys are quite helpful, others are to be avoided. Luck of the draw unless you are familiar with the store.
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Location: Clare, SA
Member since 27 March 2016
Member #: 1894
Postcount: 510
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Bunnings is over-rated, too many bunnies!
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Location: Wangaratta, VIC
Member since 21 February 2009
Member #: 438
Postcount: 5239
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The one we have is not as big as a couple around us, which does lead to problems. Three of them locally claimed that their was no such thing as a as a 6" orbital sander. Yet we have the sanding discs for one.
My General term for that lot is "The Bunny Rabbit Warehouse".
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Location: Melbourne, VIC
Member since 5 October 2009
Member #: 555
Postcount: 465
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Oh dear .... I must go to different Bunnings stores ....... No, I don't work at Bunnings or have any affiliations.
From a Shareholder point-of-view ..... one of the best performing companies in Australia .... growth in sales and profit over an extended period of time ... smart enough to be in a massive growth industry DIY .... Masters were incapable of providing any competition ..... etc etc
From handyman point-of-view .... all DIY products in one place .... competitively priced .... I can usually find some-one who knows what a hammer is .... employment policy biased to the more mature person ...... etc etc
For general purpose stuff ==> straight to Bunnings
For special purpose or high quality ==> a specialist in the field, Middies, Auto paint shop, lighting shop etc
Haven't found any old radios or test gear there as yet ....
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Cheers,
Ian
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Location: Auckland, NZ
Member since 14 May 2017
Member #: 2108
Postcount: 8
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There are a lot of people in this world who are devoid of emotion and love. They lead solitary, sad existences.
Part of restoring something is having an emotional connection with it.
You are saving it from death, from being cast on the scrap heap - giving it another shot at life and bringing happiness and fulfilment to its owner or restorer.
Those in this world, who for whatever reason cannot connect emotionally with something or have a passion for it will never appreciate why we restore old stuff!
I have met plenty of these souls in my time.
As much as it is sad that they don't posess the same passion we do, it's important they exist because it helps us to realise what we have is something very special indeed.
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