New O ring

Please help me preserve my clothing!

I tote around a 20 oz. stainless steel thermal mug all day at work. I bring my nice Assam or Celyon tea with milk to work with me, and then use a convenient hot-water tap to sip herbal tisanes the rest of the day.

How nice for her, you're thinking. Here's the point: my nice mugs keep my nice tea off my [occasionally] nice shirt via a lid with an O ring. These rings wear out in time, and stuff starts dribbling on my shirt. I cannot find a convenient place to purchase a new O ring of the correct size [and safe for food use besides]. My internet searches have yielded nothing from the food equipment vendors, and the industrial sites are more than willing to sell me 200 or more. I want maybe 2 or 3 at a crack. And I'm damned if I'm going to spend $10-15 dollars for a new stainless steel mug just because the stupid ring is worn. Ace Hardward & American Science and Surplus haven't been helpful.

But I know that someone who'll read this will know the answer.

And then I can wear a white shirt again....

Giovanna

Try Clark and Barlow Hardware, they have a pretty extensive selection. Another place to look is an appliance repair place, they might have what you are looking for. I go to Automatic Appliance parts in Evanston.

Clark and Barlow
353 Grand ave.
Chicago

Automatic Appliance Parts
2421 main Street
Evanston

What I would recommend is that you write a nice handwritten letter to the manufacturer of the stainless steel mug praising the product but letting them know of your issues. I have this feeling that you **might** receive a couple of those gaskets at no charge.

I have always found that a personable letter gets infinitely better response than an e-mail. I recently sent a letter to Bic looking for a razor they produce and received 2-dozen in the mail a month later ... unfortunately, their leads as to where to buy it were fruitless ... until I found them in Mexico.

Depending on the size of the O ring neded, you may also try Scuba shops. Lot's of underwater gear depends on O rings to keep it water tight. I'm thinking that underwater strobe lights for photography might come close to the size of a travel mug. Also, the Clark & Barlow suggestion is a very good one.

Would something like the O ring in a (larger) Bialetti espresso maker work? If so, Chiarugi Hardware carries those O rings, in various sizes. You can buy a couple or just one.


Chiarugi Hardware
1449 W Taylor St
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 666-2235