it pays to shop around...

[PJ Wise <verenaragazza@xxxxxxxxx>]

Joe Elliott astutely points out the utility of Parafilm, and may I add it is very
versatile, able to cover or seal about anything and come off cleanly after weeks! Joe
goes on to one-up me by posting a link to a supplier with a lower price and possibly no
shipping cost. Way to go Joe!

I had the SPI site in mind as I 'like to look' (apologies to Shirley Mclaine and Peter
Sellers) via light and electron microscopy. They also have nice tools for fine work,
and a really nice daimond scribe, if you need to write your sweeties name on the glass
door at Pep Boys.

I thought I'd add another parafilm supplier, one I wouldn't recommend for purchasing
parafilm.   http://www.creschem.com/zx_107.mv   Can you say mark up?

I add this because the comments about the chassis stiffener (CS) indicate that there
aren't a lot of suppliers, as if I'd expect there to be. Also, it's generally
understood that market forces set the price. If Cresent can sell parafilm for roughly
eight times what Pollard Water asks, more power to 'em. My guess is they don't move a
lot of this product.

If there are only a couple of CS manufacturers selling to a handful of buyers, things
aren't going to change much. How many CSs are sold annually? Can it possibly be greater
than 50? As many as 100? I have no data, but I doubt it, guessing again.

I don't know a lot about engineering (outside of biological structure, His handiwork)
other than fabricating or fitting things over the years a la Don Daegrigg's Alfisti in
his contra rant. I've owned and driven a car with great cowl shake - TR GT6 - and I
could certainly appreciate the effect of said CS. But I don't think I'll see one for
$500.00 The only CS I've seen is the photo in the IAP catalog. The only other CS that
I've known to be offered for sale by a manufacturer was on AD soon after I started
looking, late '99 or early 2000. 

I'm getting ready to get flammed here.... How hard could it be to make one or get it
made? If the IAP photo represents the generic form, it seems to me that the salient
points are where to mount it and how to miss stuff with the cross pieces. I'm sure
someone could even get some Mech.Eng. or App.Phys. students to run some sims on square
v. oval v. triangular cross section torsion and deflection and how common material
choices would affect fabrication procedures and cost. i.e. This looks like something
one of us could, after a bit of trial and error, make in the shed in the back yard. Am
I way off base? I'll stay tuned to find out...

Perry Wise
Bianchi, Rossin, Alfa - Italian conveyences
Nemah, Washington
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