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Supply chain issues affecting the hobby continues

Having worked in maintenance, I had a similar situation where the screws of the stall doors were being removed, probably thinking they would cause more work for someone, or be able to complain about the situation. My remedy was to remove the doors from the stalls. Many complaints followed, and citing inability to get the correct parts ordered, it went on for about 2 weeks. When I finally got the screws and replaced them there was never another problem.

It's a shame, as you say, grown men acting like children. Treating them as such generally solves the issue.
I wonder if you replaced them with flat head tamper resistant screws. I remember those were common replacements on stall doors.
 
I wonder if you replaced them with flat head tamper resistant screws. I remember those were common replacements on stall doors.
Yes sir, You know your stalls, thing is though that they did have them but somehow must have worked loose enough for the clowns to pull them. A little blue locktite on the new ones if I remember correctly.
 
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So, speaking about the supply chain... Many years ago, a friend who works in the import/export business heard me bitching about something I had broken while using it. I then started going off on the cheap Chinese crap I bought and will NEVER buy another item that's been made in China. He starts laughing. I mean Laughing Hard!!
I said what's so funny. He said you'll understand if you start looking at the manufacturer tag/stamp on most things. He said look at your clothes, dishes, pots and pans, tools, .. EVERYTHING you own. Look at the made in tag. Then come back to me and tell me that you will never buy anything else made in China.
After a few weeks of noticing where all of the things are made, I realized we are totally dependent on China!! And a few other countries, but WOW.. "Made in China" is stamped on almost everything!
Ugh.... This is bad.... so bad.. and it's also very sad. This was 24 years ago and if it was that bad then, it's down right depressing now!
And as I understand it, China is now having massive issues due to Covid 19.
Don't get me started on Chinese nails and screws! Usually have 3 or 4 cussing fits before I get a project finished. Nothing like driving a philips head screw 3/4 of the way in and the head strips out, rounding the head of the screw out. And your using pine lumber!!!
 
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There are still some US made hardware makers. I usually spend more time than I probably should to track down US made products. If i can't find those I'll look for UK, Canadian etc. It is painfully frustrating not to be able to buy US made stuff. I even went to the extreme of buying a UK made toaster as opposed to the chinesium stuff. Was expensive, but a great long lasting, and repairable product. I've even bought Italian stuff, and lately a Brazilian frying pan set, replacing the chinese junk that don't seem to last. When you tally the cost of replacing the cheap crap over and over, sometimes it's worth biting the bullet and spending a little more. I have been looking at a lot of the ratings on amazon reviews, and it seems the already crappy chinese stuff is getting worse. Now that they've cornered the market and run off US manufacturing, I guess they don't have to worry about it as there's no where else to go.
 
Don't get me started on Chinese nails and screws! Usually have 3 or 4 cussing fits before I get a project finished. Nothing like driving a philips head screw 3/4 of the way in and the head strips out, rounding the head of the screw out. And your using pine lumber!!!
Here in the Keys, the environment pretty much requires that you use stainless hardware, screws, bolts, washers, etc. if you want anything to last more than a few weeks. I've been burned using Chinese stuff that supposedly was 304 or 316 grade stainless steel. The salt air environment down here is not forgiving and quickly exposes poor quality products.
 
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Might as well get used to it not going to get any better for a long while…
I'm sure China and everyone else get quality parts from the USA. I do know on our Top Drives years back we started taking anything made with China Steel off of them after a gooseneck made in China snapped in half and fell to the rig floor. Luckily no one was injured. Had to stop using Chinese casing too, it kept coming apart under pressure.
 
Here in the Keys, the environment pretty much requires that you use stainless hardware, screws, bolts, washers, etc. if you want anything to last more than a few weeks. I've been burned using Chinese stuff that supposedly was 304 or 316 grade stainless steel. The salt air environment down here is not forgiving and quickly exposes poor quality products.

Even the crappy zinc coating stuff rusts way too fast. Apparently, they are using the thinnest coating possible.

Fortunately, I can still get hot dipped galvanized hardware from the local hardware store that lasts for years and years. On the Imax I just installed recently, I used hot dipped galvanized split washers instead of buying stainless.
 
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I'm learning first hand about supply chain issues even for medical supplies,I/e I had a sleep study done on Feb 21 and was diagnosed with severe sleep obstructive apnea, still waiting as of today for a CPAP machine and just found out it'll be another 3 weeks before one can be delivered,so the supply chain is affecting radios,food, clothing, medical supplies and etc and price's are going up everywhere,it's neverending and I fear it's going to get worse,I really hope I'm wrong on the that last sentence!!!!
 
I'm learning first hand about supply chain issues even for medical supplies,I/e I had a sleep study done on Feb 21 and was diagnosed with severe sleep obstructive apnea, still waiting as of today for a CPAP machine and just found out it'll be another 3 weeks before one can be delivered,so the supply chain is affecting radios,food, clothing, medical supplies and etc and price's are going up everywhere,it's neverending and I fear it's going to get worse,I really hope I'm wrong on the that last sentence!!!!
I fear you're correct there, about the price increase. What we're seeing in the increases are probably the norm for a while. There's definitely a lot going on right now....
I hope you're CPAP arrives soon, brother!
73
 
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