Any Brits in here?

[John Hoskison]

No I am not being racist - it's simply the USA get some pretty cool tools such as the Bosch 4100 or the Rigid 4510 table saw. Over here in UK for some reason we simply don’t get them. Half our woodworking magazines are simply USA mags with a UK price sticker - again full of mouth-watering tools - followed by the fruitless web search and the heart-breaking realisation woodworkers are second class citizens over this side of the pond - sigh !!!!!! So I wondered if there is such a thing as a UK – even European sub group where we could share woodworking questions without getting our noses rubbed in it  J also our friends in the EU enforced on us the dreaded metric – which again causes problems with plans and settings – so if you are a Brit say hello.

Please say hello if you’re not a Brit as I say I am not racist – I just simply hate the EU and Health and Safety in UK who treat us like kids.

[Gustav Swanepoel]

Hi there, not a Brit, but a South African.

And like you, here in SA, we don't get half the cool tools as in the US.

Point of fact, I had to import my Kreg Jig Jr!  How ridiculous is that?

Regards,

 

 

[Endy]

Hi there,

I'm not a brit but french and I don't understand your import problem for the Kreg Jig Jr. I ordered my K3 standard pack and K3 Master System from UK. You have many online woodworking sites for buying such tools (axminster, rutlands, etc...). Here in France, a K3MS cost 200€ which very very over-priced, and in UK, I've bought it 99£ (~120€).

I've bought a lot of woodwkorking stuff in UK because of the cheaper costs than in France.

[Endy]

The only problem I have with buying on UK websites is with powertools : the electrical plug is not french compatible and you have to buy an adaptator or replace the plug but in this case you lost the warranty.

So I often buy manuals tools and jigs like the Kreg K3, the Joint-Genie, Veritas Tools, etc...

 

[John Hoskison]

I agree we have many good on line sites - but I miss the idea of going into a real tool shop and seeing and playing with the goods before hand -  finding the strengths as well as the weaknesses. I am after a table saw - I love the Bosch 4100 - Bosch after all is a German company you would think we could get one here in Europe. I have a nephew who lives in Munich and he cannot get me one even - how stupid is that? Why is this ? because of the voltage difference between UK and USA that  is all I can guess - they are 110v and we are 240v - yet we have to have 110v tols for worksites over here - so no sense what so ever. But that "la vie de merde" here in UK. Nice knowing you Au revoir -un Rosbif :-)

 

Damien said:

The only problem I have with buying on UK websites is with powertools : the electrical plug is not french compatible and you have to buy an adaptator or replace the plug but in this case you lost the warranty.

So I often buy manuals tools and jigs like the Kreg K3, the Joint-Genie, Veritas Tools, etc...

 

[Endy]

Hi John,

I'm sorry to learn about your difficulties to find the Bosch 4100. I'm also concerned with the problem of finding some tools, here, in France. You're not alone. I don't understand the gap of price between items in France, and UK or Germany.
Many times, woodworking magazines and online reviews are the only way for me to choose some tools, and overseas the only way to go to buy them at a right price.

Hope you'll find your bosch dream in a near future.

[Steve West]

Hi John

 

I couldn't agree more. I'm very much a novice Brit woodworker and have decided that I want to keep machinery to a minimum in my workshop. Before I made that decision I did quite extensive research into machinery. The range and quality of tools available in the USA, compared with the UK. is amazing as is the price in many cases. And it's not just machinery. We are badly served for hand tools as well. There are some shining examples - Rutlands and Workshop Heaven spring to mind - but trying to find a wide range of things is pretty soul destroying.

It is worth trying though. I wanted some old fashioned holdfasts (bits of metal bent in the shape of a shepherds crook that fit in dog holes in your bench). A quick web search found me pair at a very reasonable 20 quid, supplied by Gramercy. An American company... I could have ordered them and had them delivered but by the time they arrived here, because they're heavy, they would have cost me near 80 pounds. A detailed search in the UK found precisely nobody selling them. I didnt wan't the Veritas or Record screw type holdfasts - too expensive and not the same as the shepherd's crook. However I found a group on UK Workshop who were organising themselves to get some made It took some time but it was well worth it and I now have two pairs and lovely things they are.

My advice to you is to keep trying. Join as many UK web forums as you can. The Wood Haven -  http://thewoodhaven.co.uk/phpBB3/blog.php/ and UK Workshop - http://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/ are very good and the UK woodwork magazines have forums you can join. Try to find woodworking clubs, societies and groups and ask in any smaller specialist shop you can find. Go to any show you can get to, you'll find people who know and will help.

Finally I wonder if our problems are to do with an 'attitude' in the UK. I think I'm the only Brit that's replied to your post. That doesn't surprise me. We don't seem to be very co-operative on this side of the pond. Asking for advice will get you a great deal of indifference or even patronising contempt from many before you find someone who'll be pleased to help. We don't get together to create a demand and so we are given what suppliers decide we should have. I worked in the States for a couple of months a while back and I was amazed by the positivity to be found there,  a positivity that's apparently missing here. There are some good people out there. I hope you find some.

 

Regards

 

Steve

[John Hoskison]

Whoa am man after my own heart - I think we Brits are somehow programmed to accept medicority - be thankful for what we are given, nanny knows best - not to demand more of our suppliers. Without getting political I was watching the protests in Egypt this week and found myself musing on the fact that if that was in Britain we would be forming an orderly queue round Whitehall so we could wag a finger and say tut tut thats not cricket. Oh well perhaps we can start the   Woodworkers  Action Movement  of Brits Against Mediocrity   or WAM BAM. We have at least two members ? Humour is our only hope
Steve West said:

Hi John

 

I couldn't agree more. I'm very much a novice Brit woodworker and have decided that I want to keep machinery to a minimum in my workshop. Before I made that decision I did quite extensive research into machinery. The range and quality of tools available in the USA, compared with the UK. is amazing as is the price in many cases. And it's not just machinery. We are badly served for hand tools as well. There are some shining examples - Rutlands and Workshop Heaven spring to mind - but trying to find a wide range of things is pretty soul destroying.

It is worth trying though. I wanted some old fashioned holdfasts (bits of metal bent in the shape of a shepherds crook that fit in dog holes in your bench). A quick web search found me pair at a very reasonable 20 quid, supplied by Gramercy. An American company... I could have ordered them and had them delivered but by the time they arrived here, because they're heavy, they would have cost me near 80 pounds. A detailed search in the UK found precisely nobody selling them. I didnt wan't the Veritas or Record screw type holdfasts - too expensive and not the same as the shepherd's crook. However I found a group on UK Workshop who were organising themselves to get some made It took some time but it was well worth it and I now have two pairs and lovely things they are.

My advice to you is to keep trying. Join as many UK web forums as you can. The Wood Haven -  http://thewoodhaven.co.uk/phpBB3/blog.php/ and UK Workshop - http://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/ are very good and the UK woodwork magazines have forums you can join. Try to find woodworking clubs, societies and groups and ask in any smaller specialist shop you can find. Go to any show you can get to, you'll find people who know and will help.

Finally I wonder if our problems are to do with an 'attitude' in the UK. I think I'm the only Brit that's replied to your post. That doesn't surprise me. We don't seem to be very co-operative on this side of the pond. Asking for advice will get you a great deal of indifference or even patronising contempt from many before you find someone who'll be pleased to help. We don't get together to create a demand and so we are given what suppliers decide we should have. I worked in the States for a couple of months a while back and I was amazed by the positivity to be found there,  a positivity that's apparently missing here. There are some good people out there. I hope you find some.

 

Regards

 

Steve

[Simon Cherry]

Hi John, well i'm very much a Brit living just outside North London and I couldn't agree with you more. The times I have seen a great publication only to find out it is US orientated does frustrate me or that you see a great review for a piece of kit then find out that it ends up being double the cost over here or worst still not avaliable at all! The US market does seem to have a great expanse of woodworking tools, books, suppliers (although the internet helps out with this now) and publications which are of course aimed at the US market. The only reason I can give is that there is not the possible huge customer base in the UK or EU to warrant the same sort of expanse as across the pond. I must admit the US does come out with some great tools or has the chance to get hold of them, how many times have you watched the discovery channel over here to find Norm on 'The New Yankee Workshop' drooling over some new tool which helps him out only to find you can't get it over here. Even in my job as an installer of wood flooring, I have to rely on the Americans to provide a tool to secretly nail flooring to joists or subfloor, naimely the tried and trusted Portanailer. As yet there probably isn't a UK OR EU branch of the Kreg community but i'm sure if more people buy into it the following will grow. Finally as for H&S issues in the UK, as a frequent worker on building sites etc I can agree it is getting worse as common sense has been thrown out the window, yes I do feel safer on sites but I have to wear so much protective garments its now making it impossible to do my job safely, it really only serves to protect the main contractor from prosecution, and the worst thing is that in my view most of it stems from the UK and not the EU bureaucrats! Think thats the end of my Sunday morning rant.

[John Hoskison]

Does you good to get it off your chest though :-)   I have a friend who is a plasterer and he says he simply cannot work safely with a hard hat and wearing thick gloves and goggles. They interfere with his vision and balance when he is on the stilts , he had more accidents with them than he did before. He has pulled out of contract work and runs as a singleton self employed  and takes his chances the way builders have for hundreds of years. Your right about number for Kreg in UK perhaps I wil write to Axminster and suggest they put a secial on so we get some more members. Keep watching and I will keep hoping

Simon Cherry said:

Hi John, well i'm very much a Brit living just outside North London and I couldn't agree with you more. The times I have seen a great publication only to find out it is US orientated does frustrate me or that you see a great review for a piece of kit then find out that it ends up being double the cost over here or worst still not avaliable at all! The US market does seem to have a great expanse of woodworking tools, books, suppliers (although the internet helps out with this now) and publications which are of course aimed at the US market. The only reason I can give is that there is not the possible huge customer base in the UK or EU to warrant the same sort of expanse as across the pond. I must admit the US does come out with some great tools or has the chance to get hold of them, how many times have you watched the discovery channel over here to find Norm on 'The New Yankee Workshop' drooling over some new tool which helps him out only to find you can't get it over here. Even in my job as an installer of wood flooring, I have to rely on the Americans to provide a tool to secretly nail flooring to joists or subfloor, naimely the tried and trusted Portanailer. As yet there probably isn't a UK OR EU branch of the Kreg community but i'm sure if more people buy into it the following will grow. Finally as for H&S issues in the UK, as a frequent worker on building sites etc I can agree it is getting worse as common sense has been thrown out the window, yes I do feel safer on sites but I have to wear so much protective garments its now making it impossible to do my job safely, it really only serves to protect the main contractor from prosecution, and the worst thing is that in my view most of it stems from the UK and not the EU bureaucrats! Think thats the end of my Sunday morning rant.

[Richard]

I'm a Brit and proud of it! I agree with everything said about great tools being available in the US rather than in the UK. I've been woodworking as a hobby for 10 years and apart from the small selection available from Rutlands, of American tools and accessories, I haven't found many outlets that stock similar without having to import them. Axminster is at least making their own British made tools and accessories and hopefully will expand the range. Why can't we make things here, we've got the skills, we've got the workforce, we've got the need so what's the problem I say ?

[John Hoskison]

Axminster are good, I spent several hours and many pounds in their Nuneaton shop a few weeks back looking forward to Warrington shop opening in April as it is closer. But still its getting to see things like Incra jigs and fences and the other US based gems. At least I have now found a table saw that has a stacked dado head option - Health and Safety would die if they knew] so thinking of getting taht so I can pretend to be Norm Abrahams in the New Yankee Workshop :-) I reckon Axminster need a user forum and wish list option to make it better for the user

[Richard]

I agree, a Forum as a part of the Axminster website would be a good idea. I notice they are quite active over at UKWorkshop forums but having their own would be very handy and I could have a small moan about their product search engine that can have its off days and bring up everything other than what I'm looking for! :o) Fortunately there are many great websites out there offering free tool jig plans, type it into your favourite search engine and follow the links. Many of those wonderful accessories that the US offers for the router user might not be so easy to make at home but homemade jigs for repeatable cuts/routs etc make all the difference in the workshop. As for H&S, I suppose we invented it here in the UK, rather like other unpleasant ideas such as double yellow lines and traffic wardens, oh well can't always get it right, hopefully we'll come up with lots of good ideas and keep them in this country, make them here and export them abroad, end result others will long to buy what we have on offer and not the other way around as it is now! :o)