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31 August 2001
When Dumpster Diving Isn't Enough
by Sheldon Greaves
The romance, the (dare I say it?) popular mythology of the amateur scientist is an image of someone who could take components found in an average junk pile and, using ordinary household tools, cunningly adapt and assemble them into a jet engine or a nuclear reactor.
The reality is, of course, different. While I never cease to be amazed at what the ingenious, motivated amateur can concoct out of ordinary stuff, there always comes a time when only a certain component will do the job, and it isn't something you're likely to find in the basement, garage, junkyard, or even the local hardware store.
Let's say you need some very specific part or material. You know exactly what you need. No substitutes or stand-ins will do. Local sources can't provide it. Now what?
The first question is, "who makes it?" One of the first places to look is the Thomas Register of American Manufacturers (http://www.thomasregister.com/). This is a massive index of manufacturers and resellers who cater to industrial and engineering companies. The Thomas Register lists a dizzying array of items and materials with a list of suppliers for each entry. When you visit the website, you need to set up a login account, which is free. Some public and academic libraries have a print edition of the Thomas Register available, consisting of multiple volumes.
The Thomas Register is simply amazing. Anything, and I mean anything, can be found there. Once you have identified a supplier, you can contact them and place your order.
One supplier that every amateur scientist should know about is McMaster-Carr (http://www.mcmaster.com/). They publish an annual catalogue several inches thick. It specializes in electrical, mechanical, construction, process control, and engineering parts and materials. Just leafing through this tome constitutes a rudimentary course in basic engineering. They accept online orders. Prices are usually reasonable and they usually deliver next day or second day.
For electronics, computers, tools and testing equipment, it's hard to beat the Electronic Engineers Master catalogue (http://eem.com). The web site requires a login, which you may want to use, considering the print catalogue comes in four hefty volumes. Each volume covers, respectively:
- Electronic components
- Electromechanical and electro-optical components
- Internconnections, packaging, and hardware
- Power sources, instrumentation, computer products, and equipment.
Next, we have the Omega catalogue (http://www.omega.com), by Omega Engineering, inc., which publishes catalogues so serious they sport hardcover bindings. Each volume covers a different aspect of engineering and science and features an incredible number of products. Omega uses the word "handbook" in their catalogue titles. While they are definitely catalogues and not handbooks in the conventional sense, product entries contain a very generous amount of information that make purchasing decisions much easier. Also, Omega catalogues have a "Z" section that consists of several hundred pages of informational treatises on specific types of components, materials, processes, and general principles and techniques. These little gems are usually well supplemented with diagrams, charts, and even bibliography in some cases. One could learn a lot from reading these articles. The Z sections come with a table of contents and a fold-out index tab for easy access.
The Omega catalogue has catalogue/handbook volumes for Temperature, Pressure Strain and Force, Electric Heaters, Data Acquisition Systems, and Flow and Level. In addition, there are update volumes, as well as a series of "Transactions" volumes corresponding to each catalogue with more technical updates and explanations.
More and more companies that used to cater primarily to professional engineers and scientists are willing to sell to individuals who do their homework to find out what's available. While the sources listed here can serve many of your needs, they hardly constitute a complete or even representative list. I invite SAS members to contact me with other worthwhile sources of products, especially if they are not widely known in the amateur science community.
