When is a Hardware Store not a Hardware Store?

Answer: when that Store is Bunnings, (apparently) and that was from one of the staff.

Here is a true story that happened recently and it astounded me so much I wanted to share it as an amusing anecdote if it wasn't so tragic.

I was in the Big Green Shed the other day looking for a new Cabinet Scraper, thought I was in the right section, The Tool Shop :doh: Tracked down a red tee shirt wearer and innocently asked if they had any scrapers,

I was dis-interestingly told they were in the paint department.

"No," I patently replied, "I'm not after a paint scraper but a 'Cabinet Scraper.'

"No, we wouldn't have things like that here, you'll have to go to a hardware store and get one."

Heavy sigh (from me) "I thought I was in a hardware store."

"Oh No, this isn't a hardware store this is Bunnings!"

I just walked away shaking my head.....they might be cheap labour, but how much do they really cost the company?:C



Cheers


Steve

To be fair to Bunnings, I doubt than any hardware store these days would stock a cabinet scraper. Most now seem to cater for either tradies and/or DIY enthusiasts.
I haven't seen a cabinet scraper in a traditional hardware store for decades.
Having said that, it is surprising that the Bunnings employee does not consider his store to be a hardware store.
What is equally surprising is that he actually knew what a cabinet scraper was.

Hi Steve,
I recently made my own.
Find an Unwanted Hand Saw, Scribe the size you want, gently cut with the 2mm. wheel in the angle grinder.
Run over the wire wheel, I also polish mine a bit, then comes the hard bit, to file the 4 sides edges square.
Put in soft jaws on your vice & with a rather thick approx. 3/8th in. Screwdriver @ about 3 / 5deg. ( guess ) burnish the 8 Edges.
Then try it on a piece of scrap Wood, to see if you have done it right, with both pushing & pulling, with the Scraper at an angle, but you would know about that.
So while you're at it, you may as well cut up the rest of the Saw Blade, & make a few more.
Anyway, that is what I did, & mine work fine, & that is my 2 cents worth.

If it's not high volume, quick out the door and cheap then forget about bunnings. About the only thing I go there for is screws, consumables and the sausage sizzle.

To be fair Bunnings Warehouse doesnt promote itself as a hardware store and hasnt for years. It is a lifestyle business, the name warehouse implies low price which is carried forward in its slogan. Similar to going to McDonalds for food.....

If you are after real tools the forum sponsors are excellent providers.

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Originally Posted by sjt

about the only thing i go there for is screws, consumables

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+1

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Originally Posted by sjt

and the sausage sizzle.

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+2 :d

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Originally Posted by fineboxes

"Oh No, this isn't a hardware store this is Bunnings!"




Cheers


Steve

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:rofl:

BTW cabinet scrapers would prolly cost the same as a normal letter to post! :cool: If you get it from carbatech they will send it with a catalogue to read too! :U

Paul's Mid-City Hardware used to stock straight & curved cabinet scrapers before they closed a few years ago. These days, let your fingers do the walking - Carbatec, McJing, Lee Valley, Lie Neilson.................

Oh, and a cheery 'Up yours Gerry Harvey' too :D

G'day Y'all
A little of topic but close.
I buy a set of replacement blades for the large box cutters. Then take a 100mm (4") piece of 30mm hardwood dowel and rip a slot 26mm deep long ways through it. I drill a couple of holes through the middle of the dowel and put bolts through the holes. I then insert the blade into the slot so that it rests on the through bolts. Tighten the nuts and you have a dead flat scraper.
You can probably get everything at Bunnings.
Redgards
Joe

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Originally Posted by sjt

If it's not high volume, quick out the door and cheap then forget about bunnings.

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And not always cheap!

I like this story. Gave me a laugh.

Sometimes the "assistants" don't even know what's there. I have asked for stuff and been told they don't have it. Walk around the corner and there it is. :doh:

They have neat little pull saws for $20.:U AND replacement blades with finer TPIs. :cool:

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Originally Posted by tea lady

Sometimes the "assistants" don't even know what's there. I have asked for stuff and been told they don't have it. Walk around the corner and there it is. :doh:

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Asked staff member for springs and cabin hooks. They did not know the store sold springs. I found the springs but not the cabin hooks. To be fair cabin hooks were on the self in more than one aisle under different product descriptions.

Perhaps the stores have too many products.

I went this morning to get a small piece of ply. My local has 3 sizes 1200x810 1200x600 and 1200x450. I wanted the smallest one but they only had the largest in stock. I went to another that was reasonably local and only saw 1200x810. I asked a snot-nosed kid who worked there and he said " its down there somewhere". 'No its not thats why I'm asking'. A Woman then pushed him aside and came down with me, I explained that my store had 3 sizes but was out of the one I wanted. She seemed amazed that they only had 1 size (no space on the shelf for the other 2 sizes). Thats my rant.. What really annoyed me was th snot-nose saying "they are down there" He had no idea at all.

I've been to a few Bunnings stores after a cabinet scraper, the reply is either "what is that?" or "try the paint supplies" :no:
The only way to shop in there is when you don't need something specific i.e. when a timber supply can be replaced by something from the plumbing department :doh:

The level of expertise at Bunnies is a little bit of pot luck. You may be lucky and strike a very knowledgeable burnt out tradie.

I have found our Toowoonba store, which is huge, generally to be helpful and when they don't know they go out of their way to find somebody who does know. However they are not a store for niche tools.

Talking of size, not all Bunnies are created equal. (A bit like Big W where some stores are only Little W). That may too have some bearing. Toowoomba also has a Tradies Bunnies at a completely different location, which I went to for the first time a short while ago, but they seem to deal primarily in bulk building materials.

Regards
Paul

Yep, the Toowoomba one is actually quite good. They are obviously not all equal.

The one I usually go to has a few ex-tradies around that people point you to if you have a tricky question! :cool:

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Originally Posted by tea lady

They have neat little pull saws for $20.:U AND replacement blades with finer TPIs. :cool:

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Not any more, only one I know around me still has these left. I grabbed a few blades as spare before they got rid of them too.

I've also had the cabinet scraper conversation with them...frustrating to say the least