# Princess Auto - Free Delivery



## CalgaryPT (Apr 23, 2020)

For those of you who don’t know PA has free delivery these days. I got one package within 24 hrs. And the second within 36 hrs.
Let’s keep this great Canadian business running during these tough times.

It’s only a matter of time before the Americans try to buy it.


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## DPittman (Apr 23, 2020)

CalgaryPT said:


> It’s only a matter of time before the Americans try to buy it.


Yes that would likely be bad.  Even worse fear is if Busy Bee buys them.  They already carry much of the same line up already.  
I love Princess Auto for their excellent warranty and their array of unique items that a huge chain line store would never carry.


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## Tom Kitta (Apr 24, 2020)

Busy Bee is about to go under - I would expect Princess Auto to buy out Busy Bee. Or Grizzly tools. Or they simply just disappear.


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## YYCHM (Apr 24, 2020)

Tom Kitta said:


> Busy Bee is about to go under - I would expect Princess Auto to buy out Busy Bee.



That's how I see it as well.  There is never anyone at BB when I have gone there, just me.


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## David_R8 (Apr 24, 2020)

YYCHobbyMachinist said:


> That's how I see it as well.  There is never anyone at BB when I have gone there, just me.


They have never responded to any email or even answered the phone at the Vancouver store.


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## CalgaryPT (Apr 24, 2020)

I hope they don't, but won't be surprized if they do. I too am always shocked when I go to Busy Bee at how few people are in there.


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## Brent H (Apr 24, 2020)

I think its a Canada wide thing - lots of people are just not doing the hands on stuff and then couple that with shops like Lee Valley for the small wood tools and some of the other on line stores.
Thing that sucks is then were do you go for larger machines that are in the realm of affordability for the small shop guy...... 

I have been to the BB and also been the only one there and 4 store employees.....sadly sold out of what I had stopped by for......


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## Tom Kitta (Apr 24, 2020)

I have not been at BB in few years. For me their main purpose is to act as competition to keep prices down locally... on the other hand I have not purchased much at any local store in years, with exception of PA where I go regularly. Thus effect of BB keeping prices down for me would be next to nothing. 

They simply offer poor quality stuff at high prices with zero customer service and in many cases substandard warranty. I assume most people figured it out and no longer buy anything from them. There are simply too many cheaper alternatives for both small tools and larger machines - these have far better price to what you get balance.


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## DPittman (Apr 24, 2020)

Tom Kitta said:


> Busy Bee is about to go under - I would expect Princess Auto to buy out Busy Bee. Or Grizzly tools. Or they simply just disappear.


Yes if PA bought BB than that would be a win for everyone I think.


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## YYCHM (Apr 24, 2020)

Would be a shame to see BB go under actually.  The only other game in town for smaller hobby size machines is KMS and their selection sucks.  The last time I was at KMS I couldn't find anyone to help me.  I have some machinist ink on order to be sourced from another branch that hasn't surfaced in two weeks now.   I'm not holding my breath on that order.


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## Everett (Apr 24, 2020)

While I wish I could have said that I've had good experience with BB, I very rarely buy from there anymore due to some disappointments during the purchase and subsequent needing help with my mill.  In contrast the local KMS has been absolutely awesome to me.  As for Princess Auto I love going through their catalog but since they expanded the West Edmonton store it's even more fun to wander aisles there.  Well, normally more fun, with all the virus craziness it does put a damper on it lately.


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## YYCHM (Apr 24, 2020)

Today, I went to three well known bolt suppliers, looking for one only, 3/8" - 16 X 1-1/2" hollow point set screw.

All three were locked down with a sign on the door stating to call in the order for pickup or delivery.

Yikes..... I only need one screw?


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## Chicken lights (Apr 25, 2020)

YYCHobbyMachinist said:


> Today, I went to three well known bolt suppliers, looking for one only, 3/8" - 16 X 1-1/2" hollow point set screw.
> 
> All three were locked down with a sign on the door stating to call in the order for pickup or delivery.
> 
> Yikes..... I only need one screw?


It’s annoying isn’t it? I needed to replenish the bolt bin and had to call in an order, pay with Visa and pick it up outside off a table. Just a new reality but it means no more “shopping”. Gotta call Napa this morning and place an order, we’ll see how much fun that is


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## Tom Kitta (Apr 27, 2020)

I have lots of 3/8-16 set screws, through not sure in length of 1.5" That is a bit long for a set screw.


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## PeterT (Apr 28, 2020)

That was my question YYC, why does it need to be that long? Some maybe workarounds
- (common) 1/2" length & you just engage the head with a hex key down the hole? 
- (common) 1.5" length cap screw or does the head interfere with something?
- (crude) part off 1.5" length of ready rod & mill a slot if its not high torque application


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## YYCHM (Apr 28, 2020)

PeterT said:


> That was my question YYC, why does it need to be that long? Some maybe workarounds
> - (common) 1/2" length & you just engage the head with a hex key down the hole?
> - (common) 1.5" length cap screw or does the head interfere with something?
> - (crude) part off 1.5" length of ready rod & mill a slot if its not high torque application



It's a centering screw for my tailstock, and Ya I want a 1.5" long screw because, well, that's what it's supposed to be.  A 1/2" or 1" long screw set screw won't do it.

I'm currently getting by with a 1.5" long cap screw but the head is seriously close to bottoming out on the exterior surface of the tailstock casting.  I'd turn the head back a smidge if I could figure how to mount the screw in a chuck.

The ready rod solution would probably work, and I considered that route already.

See post #243 https://canadianhobbymetalworkers.com/threads/9-sm-utilathe-restoration.1671/page-13


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## Tom Kitta (Apr 28, 2020)

I turned the heads in a lathe like 2 days ago for my bandsaw fence. I did not record it since it does not feel proper way - anyways, the cap screws were placed thread end into the chuck. Then there was just enough space left to get in there with right hand tool and I cut away about 80 thou from 4 screws. I set the speed high, but till under 2000 rpm. 

Make sure cap screws are grabbed well by 3 jaw but do not over tighten to kill the thread - snug. Take small cuts.


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## YYCHM (Apr 28, 2020)

Tom Kitta said:


> I turned the heads in a lathe like 2 days ago for my bandsaw fence. I did not record it since it does not feel proper way - anyways, the cap screws were placed thread end into the chuck. Then there was just enough space left to get in there with right hand tool and I cut away about 80 thou from 4 screws. I set the speed high, but till under 2000 rpm.
> 
> Make sure cap screws are grabbed well by 3 jaw but do not over tighten to kill the thread - snug. Take small cuts.








This worked for me, but that screw didn't spin very true by any stretch of the imagination.  Mind you it Isn't exactly a high grade cap screw either.






In any event I managed to turn some wiggle room on the cap screw head such that I know it's not hanging up on the tailstock casting now.  Good to go until I can source a set screw.


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## Tom Kitta (Apr 29, 2020)

Well I placed mine directly into the chuck - maybe I should have filmed it - it did feel wrong to do so given the threads. Now as for spinning not true just adjusted it visually till it was no longer exhibiting any visible wobble. 

Glad it worked out for you.


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## YYCHM (Apr 29, 2020)

Yes, wobble is a better description.  It was centered but wobbled.


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## CalgaryPT (Apr 29, 2020)

DPittman said:


> Yes if PA bought BB than that would be a win for everyone I think.


While I would love to see more machines at PA, I think I'm too risk adverse to hope PA buys them. PA is privately held (three generations) and has done a good job of keeping up with much bigger firms in terms of marketing, customer service, and off-shoring. They seem to understand their customers and there seems to be reasonable satisfaction amongst employees.

I'd worry if they bought out BB they'd make the same mistake as other stores like Sobeys did with their acquisition of Safeway. They got too greedy, over-extended themselves, and now can't afford to complete. So they cut back on things like demographic product selection, and focus on selling retail shelf space to companies instead of developing e-commerce pickup and delivery that customers have asked for for years. Along comes a disrupter like a pandemic, and bang...you're in fecal matter and fan territory.

PA has its own electronic fulfillment centre, and in Calgary we're lucky enough to have a distribution centre too. I'd love to see more selection at PA, but would sacrifice this in a moment if it meant they stayed competitive and economically healthy. Plus, _I don't really need more selection...I just want it,_ and that's different. The Canadian business landscape is littered with the corpses of companies that tried to grow too fast. It's a pattern: they go public to raise capital, overextend themselves with acquisitions, make a few bad choices, the stock tanks, and the Americans buy it for pennies on the dollar. It then dies a Viking funeral on a flaming raft while everyone on shore says, "Gee...how did this happen?"

In addition to the lack of customers at BB I think they were suffering for a while. When I first started to go the Calgary location, I noticed how many parking stalls they had. They seem to have far fewer stalls now, and I suspect they subleased some of these stalls to the company with all the white trucks in the lots. I could be wrong, but if not, it's a sign something is amiss. I'd be curious to see their sales figures for the Calgary location. I suspect the relocation of PA hurt their business as many guys "did the rounds" between places like PA, BB and even Active Components before they too moved. In the 1970s there used to be a restaurant called "Shakeys Pizza Parlor,"
that purposely located their franchises near Kinney Shoe locations becuase the demographics worked so well. BB lost that advantage when PA moved in Calgary.

I hope BB survives. I really hope PA survives. Governments around the world will have to raise taxes to fund all the handouts. If I were a business owner these days, my strategy meetings would be all about online sales and reducing my tax footprint in the future.


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## JohnnyTK (Apr 29, 2020)

I found BB to be a hit and miss operation over the last few years. But the problem you face with buying chineseium from the US are the tariffs applied to products being imported into the US. PM products really have jumped since the introduction of the tariff.  And I agree most people are not interested in the trades or crafting as we have become a disposable society. I try to interest my stepson in working on the shop or other aspects but is not interested even though he took some tech classes in HS. Video games and streaming! I have people asking me all the time if I can weld or make a part for some vehicle etc, but they all are over the age of 40 asking.


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## Chicken lights (Apr 29, 2020)

JohnnyTK said:


> I found BB to be a hit and miss operation over the last few years. But the problem you face with buying chineseium from the US are the tariffs applied to products being imported into the US. PM products really have jumped since the introduction of the tariff.  And I agree most people are not interested in the trades or crafting as we have become a disposable society. I try to interest my stepson in working on the shop or other aspects but is not interested even though he took some tech classes in HS. Video games and streaming! I have people asking me all the time if I can weld or make a part for some vehicle etc, but they all are over the age of 40 asking.


We’re already seeing it, but the ability to “fix” a vehicle or “make” a part to fix a problem is going by the wayside. I’ll point my finger at the number of farm kids decreasing. Chatted with an ag tech on the weekend, he said probably 90% of ag techs are former farm boys. Makes sense, that’s what you wrenched on growing up. 

I had to change a coolant reservoir, the new part fit so poorly nothing lined up. I slotted the 5 mounting holes on the bottom bracket by 3/8” of an inch and made it fit. Not many “mechanics” out there today would’ve done that, I don’t think. I shouldn’t have to do that to make parts fit but that’s a whole ‘nother rant


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## CalgaryPT (Apr 29, 2020)

JohnnyTK said:


> ...And I agree most people are not interested in the trades or crafting as we have become a disposable society. I try to interest my stepson in working on the shop or other aspects but is not interested even though he took some tech classes in HS. Video games and streaming! I have people asking me all the time if I can weld or make a part for some vehicle etc, but they all are over the age of 40 asking.


You're spot on with your comments. I try not to get mad at my son for the same behaviour, but it's hard. Maybe they are all right and we're the ones who are wrong. I do know it usually costs me more to make things myself than buy them, and often the same WRT repair.

That being said, it's my hobby and I get pleasure from it. Other than guys my own age, I'm not sure there will be a market for all my tools when I go to downsize. It certainly is a throw away world now.


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