OSH Hardware Closing Up
 

? Anyone else here pissed off by this ? .

They used to be a decent hardware store but just a couple years ago they redid all the stores into crappy boutique shoppes, at the time I said 'Here we go, they'll be down the toilet like SEARS in a few years" and everyone laughed .

Now they're closing up shop as fast as they can .

Dummies .

There used to be a real hardware store on Cheshire Bridge in Atlanta where you could go in and buy a handful of nails. Yep, loose nails. Has been gone twenty years at least. Now I have to buy the pristine little cardboard boxes of nails at Home Depot

Yes, this is the sad truth ~ being old I well remember old hardware stores in the 1960's, they were wonderful if you actually liked fixing things .

Gah .

Now I'm stuck with Lowe's and SWMBO doesn't ken why I hate it so .

Crappy stuff and little selection.....

We have an original Gibson's Discount Center here that's been in operation since the 1950s. They kept with what works and I'm convinced that place has at least one of everything. No shortage of business at that place, you know when they're open because you struggle to find a parking spot! There is no substitute for a REAL hardware store.

SWMBO?

We have actually two Ace hardwares in the greater lafayette area. Great place to buy four nuts and six washers.

Yes. Fortunately I have a couple of Ace's a few miles from me as well as the usual HD and Lowes. Interesting that Lowes is now also in trouble and has just changed leadership and will be cutting back and closing a bunch of stores.

- Peter.

TYL - She Who Must Be Obeyed

Diseasel - I've seen that store. Had no idea Gibsons still existed.

Our local Tru Valu hardware store is on the ropes ~ they stopped ordering inventory so they're circling the drain, I can't get a straight answer from anyone there, it's prolly the same old same old : new owner doesn't like having his ready cash tied up in inventory .

Not really, they got bought out by Lowe's after their last bankruptcy in 2013. It's a Regional hardware stores that lacks the buying power of the majors. They've been losing money on it for 5 years now. It's time to move on. I'm sure many of the stores will be converted into Lowe's.

Most the **** they sell is available on eBay or Amazon for Less, if I'm willing to wait a couple of days. Unless I need it today there's no reason for me to walk into an oldschol hardware store.

The house I just purchased is right across the street from and Ace hardware. Being a 150 year old house that is helpful. They still carry the old crystal door knobs.

Glass Door Knobs
 

That's nice ! .

Almost every glass door knob in my 2923 house was broken when I bought it in 1988, I used to watch out on trash days and whenever I saw an old house being remodeled and picked up quite a few for free .

its the people who have driven it down, there used to be an ace hardware near my place and its shut down now. Most newer gen now have no idea of DIY or hardware repair, any and everything is "a call" - no matter if its literally just one screw. - call a (insert tradesman here).

I now have to go to home depot where the stuff is literally scrap and usually either non existant or upgraded for new trash.

e.g. try finding a 3/8 compression fitting for metal in homedepot. the guy piece mealed me a bundle totalling 19 dollars - as home depot doesnt sell just a compression fitting for copper pipe now.

I bought it at autozone for 3 dollars. Ace used to sell it for the same 3 dollars too.

Lowes killed out local ACE years ago.

They suck I buy everything I practically can from either supply houses or Amazon.

Haven't been to an OSH in 3 or 4 years, don't even know if I have one by me...

ACE is still pretty popular in my area - I've got 2 within 10 minutes of my house, and 4 within 20 minutes. For most things I'll just go to Lowe's (it's a mile from my house) as their prices are about on par with HD, but their parking lot is way less crowded. The local HD is in a pretty busy strip mall, so I'll happily spend the extra buck or two to not have to deal with the headache.

Ace is the place!


Oh yeah, during the week I'm always at the local parts depos. Seriously guys, they're like half price for most stuff.

Howdy All,
Tru Value is the closest at 15 miles. Then 10+ miles further we have HD,Lowes,OSH,Ace and Tractor Supply.

Good Riddance
 

So I went to an OSH store to day to look at work clothes, what they did was to RAISE THE PRICE if Dickey;s work pants to $30 then "discount" them back to the original price .

BULLCRAP ! I bought two shirts at a slight discount price but I'm done and glad they're going away if they're going to be a dishonest vendor, they don't deserve out hard earned Dollars .

Stripped and refinished the front door with Ace supplies. Seven coats of paint heat gunned and chemical stripped off.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...c24a228a21.jpg

After primer and three coats of black.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...d16e153241.jpg


Caulked it today. All from Ace. Good prices.

Looks great! How long did it take you to strip it all off?

OSH Hardware Closing Up
 

About six hours total. Three to strip. High humidity didnt help the drying times at all.

Test fit a storm door I had.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...4afbc2732b.jpg

Have to finish stripping the side panels. Going back white.

Great pics. Where did you store them and paste in the URL for the forum? I used to do this with Photobucket but recently they changed and want to charge you for it. So I am still searching for someplace to upload my pics and then URL them into my posts.

I use tapatalk on my iPhone/iPad

Door Refinishing
 

That looks great ! .

My 1923 California Bungalow (termite farm) has a nice w i d e front door that had nearly an 1/8" of paint on it, we spent some time stripping it to bare wood then varnished it, looks pretty good IMO .

Keep up the nice work ! .

imgur works great

Not bad to strip that much paint, any idea what type of paint it was?...I am in the same boat, have an old house with who knows how many layers to strip on everything, front door, windows, railings, everything. Lots of crusted enamel and lead. Couple of my friends have done serious rehab on houses like mine and have nothing but horror stories.

Thanks. I would like to see that door. I was going to varnish mine but it had 150 years of damage to fill. The side panels on mine were purple at one time and that stuff was like grease when heated.

OSH Hardware Closing Up
 

The heat gun got most of it. Blistered up and peeled off. A huge fan blew away and fumes. I used stripper around the windows and dental picks for detail work. It was oil and latex layers on a base of varnish.


You can see the pile of paint from that one panel.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...4323e9b4a7.png

Door Refinishing
 

I wish I could post a pic., it's been like 30 years and still looks fairly good.

Before I bought this place it was an illegal child care facility and the grooves the kiddies carved into it are still visible after some time sanding .

If I know how to do it, maybe I coulda steamed it, that's how they repaired dented wooden gun stocks in the 1950's & 1960's .

-Nate