I don't think I have any readers of my blog in Boise and since it's been a couple months, I'm sure I've lost whatever readers I did have. That being said, I was out today buying some 7/8" bore 2 piece lock collars and was thinking about how it took me several years to find all the sources around Boise for all my fabrication needs. That's the point of this post. I'm going to share all my sources, as obvious as they may be so that hopefully when the day comes that I get a follower from Boise, I can save them a bunch of heart ache and time finding the places in town to buy the stuff they need to finish their project.
Let's start with steel.
There are several places to buy steel in the Treasure Valley however, all suppliers are not created equal. I remember a day when I was at Ace Hardware and paid 3 times what it would cost me for equivalent tubing at Pacific Steel. So you have all your normal places, Home Depot, Ace Hardware, Lowes, Pacific Steel... What do all these places have in common you ask? They are over priced and limited in what they sell. Here's the secret. The only place for your steel, aluminum and brass needs that you should go to in Boise is Gem State Metals. Really helpful staff, good prices, will cut, shear, bend and even plasma cut for you.
Gem State Metals
5220 N Sawyer Ave, Garden City, ID 83714
(208) 855-9200
From steel, let's move on to hardware.
Oh, we already know where to go for hardware! No you don't! As your needs and specialties change, so should the stores you go to. We all know that we can go to the box stores for basic hardware. But I would argue the majority of their supply is geared toward construction and home. The best place to go for basic, chrome and stainless hardware both metric and standard is Thriftway/Ace Hardware. They have a huge selection and you'll be hard pressed to not find what you're looking for. There will come a time though that you need something that doesn't fit the mold of what Ace supply's. When that time comes, go to Tacoma Screw Company. You can walk in there and tell them you need some random specialty fastener and the majority of the time, they will walk to the back and return with the piece you need.
Thriftway Home Center / Ace Hardware
4705 W State St, Boise, ID 83703
(208) 342-1668
Tacoma Screw Products
Boise, 2230 S Cole Rd, Boise, ID 83709
(208) 378-0560
Now at this point, maybe you've completed a lot of fabrication on your Jesse James West Coast Chopper mini clone but it's time to hook up that front brake lever to your custom length girder front end with a mini caliper. There are lots of places online to order a number of lengths of brake hose but you don't want 6" of extra hose flopping around. What do you do. Naturally, you head to Alternative Hose Inc. / Andy's Supply. These guys will make any hose you want, in any length with any fittings while you wait. They are a huge supplier and I have yet to walk in and not walk out with my random length custom hose with a standard fitting on one side and a metric on the other.
Alternative Hose Inc.
1051 Boeing St, Boise, ID 83705
(208) 344-3568
Look at you! Your just built your first bike! You did a little welding, a little cutting, a lot of bolt on parts and some custom oddball stuff. Now you're moving on. You bought a nicer welder, you picked up an old lathe and an air compressor. It's time to build something that will really tell the ladies, "look at me, I'm compensating!" The only problem is that you have the tools to start but you need argon, cutting tools, flap discs, filler rod, drills, taps, buffing wheels, polishing compound and on and on and on... Boise may be the most isolated urban area in the United States, but that doesn't stop it from having the suppliers you need. The below list may have some or all of what you need or you may need to go to each store. Either way, there's some great stuff to be found. One of the best fabrication hidden gems in Boise is Idaho Machinery Company. They refurbish a lot of old and new large fabrication equipment including lathes and mills. You may not find a lathe that will fit in your garage there, but they sell taps, end mills, drill bits and lathe tools by the pound...cheap! They have a ton of other stuff as well but the above mentioned tools are what I normally shop for there. Norco is your best bet for all your welding needs. Cylinder exchanges, welding masks, gloves, tips, filler rod, hoses. It's all there. While there are many places to buy tools, like Harbor Freight, quality tools including grinders, flap discs, polishing stuff, and other specialty tools will be found at Tacoma Screw. I have flap discs from Tacoma Screw that I've been using for years.
Idaho Machinery Company
507 E 46th St # 1, Garden City, ID 83714
(208) 375-7098
Norco
1125 W Amity Rd, Boise, ID 83705
(208) 336-1643
The last category I want to mention represents a group of parts that can be awfully hard to find and when you do find them online, you are often left guessing if they'll fit because you can't compare to what you already have. Bearings. Bearings can be a real hassle to find. Especially if you are like me and often combine metric and standard parts. McGuire Bearing Company is awesome! I have gone in there so many times with random bearings I need to find a replacement for. They look in their catalog, head to the back and return with what I need. There have been times when I have stumped them with an odd request, but they were always helpful in finding alternatives that would suit my needs. In addition to bearings, I go there for other random stuff like lock collars, so if it has to do with a machine, they're a great resource.
McGuire Bearing Company
1053 W Amity Rd, Boise, ID 83705
(208) 342-2281
I've listed some broad categories of supply above, but realize there will also be a lot of crossover. I've received the best welding advice from Gem State Metals, I bought cutting oil for my lathe at McGuire Bearing, I buy o-rings and snap rings from Tacoma Screw. I think you get the point. Go in to these places and have a good look around. You never know what you might find.
Hope this helps. This represents 6 years of building stuff in Boise for me.
