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.

[Peter Green]

One of the main problems we have in the UK is compatability with American products. I have a Trend T11 Router & Router Table, a Kity 419 Table saw and several other bits and pieces. I would love to add some Kreg and Incra accessories but they have different t-Track sizes to ours. Stand alone pieces like the K4MS (mine arrives tomorrow) are all we have to look forward too.

Prices here are also UK Pound for Dollar and for the French even worse. It is not that we feel like the poor relation it is the way the market works. In the US the market is huge so dealers can afford to make less profit, here the market is small so dealers and their suppliers rule. Try to get a discount here and they look at you as if you just stabbed their children.

Due to our wise government there are sadly few top quality engineering firms make the items we want, they allowed the Chinese to sell us cheap goods that killed our own factories. We are now reduced to a service nation where the young men and women, who should be the next generation of scientists and engineers, are now serving flat whites in overprices coffee houses.

 

And for the guy on another thread who claims he cannot spell, my keyboard is bewitched and the bloody letters move around when I am not looking.

[John Hoskison]

Hope you read the write up on the Times CEO conference today - it actually mirrored what you just said. The day we start acting like Germany where an engineer is respected more than a bank manager is the day we turn the supertanker round ..... mind you the day we start setting realistic expectations in our kids heads - instead of the school filling them full og high ideals most will never aspire to will also be a start. I have a mate who is a chippy [joiner] he has started 4 kids as apprentices this year not one has lasted more than 2 weeks because they dont like hard work - they mostly belived they should get paid more per month than the boss was actually making. OH well bitch over - I am going to move to USA at least I can get the tools and the timber to enjoy when I reitre

[Hugh Clare]

Come on over, John. We'll find you some good tool stores. :)

[John Hoskison]

Just trying to decide between OR, NY or HI :-)

[Alastair knight]

Hello my friend !

I to am trying desperately to get a bosch 4100. it looks so much better than the run of the mill Bosch gts 10 that we get over here. It is very very very frustrating looking at what you cant have.

If you do find one be sure to let be know !!!

Also trying to get a bosch worm saw that the usa have and we dont, whats all that about ?

Good luck on your quest my friend.

 

 

[Paul Negus]

I'm a brit but i live in CA  :>)  probably not the point of your email

[John Hoskison]

Hey I am a brit and I wish I lived in CA - so could be point of my email after all :-) Woodworkers are brothers no matter what country, colour, class or creed they belong to. Nice to know you.