I had the opportunity today to make a pilgrimage to my local small town hardware store – a busy, friendly Coast Do it Best. I really enjoy wandering through its short, zigzag aisles, and no Home Depot or Ebay search is ever going to take its place!

It’s a relatively little store, maybe 3,000 square feet. Its aisles are narrow and crowded, stacked high with everything you can imagine – and a few things you can’t. It looks an awful lot like Carol Johnson’s painting, at right. I’m almost always able to find what I’m looking for there – I think the only thing I have struck out on was an old eggbeater-style hand drill, and no one carries those anymore but specialty woodworking shops.

I shop there pretty frequently for odds and ends related to jewelry making. Today I was hoping for sheet brass and copper so I wouldn’t have to make the trek to a Bremerton jewelry supply shop to replenish my stock. Yep, the hardware store had it, in multiple gauges, along with nickel silver and some really cool tubing in lots of different sizes and shapes (square, oval, round, hexagonal) that will be fun to play with.

Last time, not only did they have the acetone and wire gauge drill bits I needed, but they had metal etching acid and great soldering picks and tweezers as well. Plus, I picked up a new space heater for my frigid garage workbench!

They have a little bit of everything from generators to mole traps, and are well staffed with knowledgeable men and women that are always willing to help. They’re even respectful to we women who are hardware shopping, I’ve never gotten a “little lady” attitude from any of the hardcore tool guys there. I actually hate to ask for help, though, because wandering and poking around to find stuff – and a few things you didn’t know you were looking for along the way – is a lot of fun.