Can someone tell me where can I get Ball Bearings in Sydney?

[fishes zd]

Hi Guys,

To cut a long story short - I need some little spherical s/s ball bearings, diameter is 2.5 & 3mm & I need just a couple of each.....

I checked out Bunnings, Dick Smiths - searched the web - thought I would ask the knowledgeable resources of this forum.

It is to fix my lighting thats hanging (sorry, that WAS hanging) over my 4ft tank. It's a AquaMedic Aquastarlight.

Prob is that I had cut the wires (leaving about 4") that where hanging out by heaps because it looked too messy all wound up around the top (slight neat freak, lol).

So 10.30pm last nigh, when I was tilting the light to check out the tubes one end bloody slipped off the wire.. threading out of the little silver locking thingy (like my technical jargon?) I was lucky the tubes didn't smash & my tank lids too for that matter.

When I unscrewed "the thing you thread the wire thru" I lost 2 of the little ball bearings, yep I think in the tank (gravel & heavily planted so I couldn't find em)

So i Need a couple of little ball bearings & also I think I should get some kind of locking nut to screw on the end of the wires to stop this ever happening again!!!!

The moral of the story is ........don't cut your wires unless you put some kind of stopper/lock nut as a safety net!


Thanks
Kerry

[cleg]

Hey fishes zd!

sorry, but that's funny...

You could try someone like SKF bearings... Google gave me this address for Sydney: 443 Townsend Street ALBURY 2640 Phone(02) 6041 1744, or an automotive parts mob (not supercheap or those "supermarket" types - someone like Coventrys)

Does that help? Otherwise try the yellowpages? What about waving a magnetic glass cleaner around the bottom of the tank to see what you can find :wink:

[revkev]

Have you tried a magnet in the gravel to find your ball bearings or around the floor? :wink:

[fishes zd]

Ahhh ! you guys are too clever - of course - a magnet in the gravel to find it
!

Yep - I think its pretty funny now in hindsight - but at 10.30pm last night I wasn't larfing.

Thanks Revkev & Cleg.

Time for a friday night glass of cardinay.

Cheers!

Kerry

[oscar]

Clever...???- Magnet will only work with a few select grades of stainless steel. Most grades don't contain any iron. Iron being "ferrous". The technical term for magnetism is "ferromagnetic", get it.

Otherwise little ball bearings like that will come from a hobby shop for radio control cars/boats/planes etc.

Next bet would be skateboards or roller blade / roller skates but i think that these may be a bit too big.

Good luck.

Oscar.

[DiscusMad]

there is a place in mascot that sells just ball barings of any sort but I can't rember where they were just look in the phone book i think thats where i found them

[fishes zd]

Thanks everyone for your help - I'll post how I go as I haven't tried the magnet just yet.

Also I've had some very resourceful suggestions - ie. my 17yo suggested using the little balls used on the ends of eyebrow piercing jewelry! Loved that one... just might price them when I go shopping today, lol!

Also I'll be going to a lighting shop to find some 'stoppers' to attach to my wires so I don't have this scenario happen again.....

Ok I'm off to check out Xtreme Aquariums (BBQ today) and then to Strathfield Aquarium for a sticky beak.

Kerry
<><|

[fishes zd]

OK - time to wrap this thread up.. (cut it?? lol)

I FOUND the little sucker! Well not me personally but my husband Dave...
It was found sitting on a ledge of my tanks cabinet.... We had been all over the floor/rug, etc. with a fine tooth comb (lit. speaking that is) so I was sure it must have fallen in the tank...

So thanks again everyone who put their 2cents in to help me out.

Kerry
PS. I now have electrical 'connectors' that I found in Dick Smiths on the wires as stoppers so I don't have this prob again...

[DiscusMad]

good to hear you found your balls lol

[Matthew]

if you ever need ball bearings, casings or actual bearin casings...
CBC Bearing's I think they are, it's where i get my rollerblade bearings, they are PROFESSIONAL bearings and aren't cheap, but are an industrial level bearing, not a cheap bearing and unlikely to get flat spots

-Matt