DRAGONFLY PARTS AVAILABILITY

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The source links on the Parts List page go out of date from time to time, and one links to JC Whitney co.

Many of the parts can be fudged from whatever's on hand, (like (C-13) can be made from a piece of 1/4 inch brass water pipe drilled out to 3/8, or by wrapping brass welding rod around the axle like a coil spring). But decent ball bearings for the blade shaft are critical even if they don't match my specs exactly. If you live someplace really rural (like Rosario, Bolivia), ask around car & truck repair shops, or farm equipment suppliers. Bearing have retained their Fafnir numbers in use since the '60s, and are also used by Timkin Bearing, Torrington, & BCA to name a few. To find a supplier near you, just google the number, (for example: GRA014 RRB, not B-4). Prices go from $4 to $30 (2010). Same for electrical parts.

Caution, rant-->: I normally wouldn't advise buying anything from JC Whitney except they're the only source I've found for stainless foil since it's no longer carried by Napa Auto. Instead, I advise that you give JC Whitney just enough information so that you can receive their package but not their catalog. A not unreasonable precaution might be to give your return address in care of general delivery. If by some grim twist of fate, you ever do get on their mailing list, be sure to discard the catalogs in such a way that a homeless vagabond wont inadvertently find one. Because in their stoned innocence, with trusting compassion for the inherent goodness of capitalism, they might be inclined to give JC Whitney the benefit of doubt and order some of that stuff. That would be so Totally unwholesome, and the karma would be on your head. To whit: quality name items at low prices are perpetually out of stock and a box checked on their order form that allows permission to replace an out of stock item with one of equal value, will surely increase the replacement's value several hundred percent to fit that definition. Chinese product quality controls mark these items Export to prevent domestic sales that could damage their economy w/ a flood of cheesy crap.

Ok, I feel better for warning you about the road to hell. An acceptable hack is tar paper backed copper foil used by builders to seal around windows. The foil is thinner than paper, comes 6 or 8 inches wide, and can be bought by the foot so you don't have to buy a roll. Peel off the tarpaper, cut it in 2 inch wide strips w/ scissors, and use formica adhesive and tacks or staples like the plans say. Before stainless was invented, copper was used, and it still works fine if you can find it.

If you find another source for 2 inch wide x 10 feet long roll of heavy stainless adhesive foil tape, please give me a heads-up and I'll include the info here.



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