No skills
Established Member
Errr not in all cases, having cut some myself on my stores saw I found errors - having checked the rollers for square against the bed they were certainly not very accurate.
B & Q
- Thread starter Jezmaster
- Start date
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artfu1d0dger
Established Member
jimi43":w17t5yns said:
I bet she could model gloves or shoes beautifully! :lol:
No skills":3o9afh01 said:
Most errors with machinery the quality B&Q are using is operator rather than machine. That isn't to say the machines are without fault. However they are consistent and accurate enough for most joinery purposes.
If i wanted 10 pieces of MDF cutting to 1mm accurate dimensions i wouldn't trust my 2nd year apprentice to do it, why would you expect a minimum wage b&q operative to be able to do it after a 1 day training course? That said, i often use them for ripping a few sheets down for jobs when i am away from the work shop and know what i can expect and i think they are great value for it.
No skills
Established Member
They are very handy indeed I certainly wont deny that. The rollers on our machine (or at least what held them) were out of square from abuse more than anything - dropping on sheets of 18mm mdf wasnt doing them much good. The middle rollers were the ones that were out, far ends were fairly good (as you would expect from such a machine).
Needed to buy some chain oil for the saw, and happened to be near B&Poo, so went to look. Fortunately, remembered how much the last lot, FROM OUR LOCAL GARAGE, had cost. B. etc were nearly twice the price :roll: . So much for the advantages of being big!
ossieosborne
Established Member
I was in B & Q a while ago, and a bloke in orange overalls asked me if I wanted decking! I managed to get the first punch in though. :wink:
Oz
Oz
Mark A
Established Member
I've been using veg oil on my (electric) chainsaw chain without any problems. Costs about 80p for a litre, which is over 11 times cheaper than what B&Q wanted for the proper stuff.dickm":37ra0atl said:
Phil Pascoe
Established Member
Where do you get veg oil for 80p a litre - it sure as hell isn't Cornwall.
Ollie78
Established Member
Just say no !
I know its tempting and easy to just go and pick some up. However it is simply the worst timber available. I think it should be called 7th or 8th quality
Jewsons are a bit better, they will also mill what you need from larger stock if that is better quality.
Really you need to buy unsorted, but its hard to get in small amounts.
If you only need a small amount, try a local joinery firm who buy large amounts of unsorted timber, they may be happy to sell you a bit. I do this quite often as I have nowhere to store a truck load of wood.
Ollie
I know its tempting and easy to just go and pick some up. However it is simply the worst timber available. I think it should be called 7th or 8th quality
Jewsons are a bit better, they will also mill what you need from larger stock if that is better quality.
Really you need to buy unsorted, but its hard to get in small amounts.
If you only need a small amount, try a local joinery firm who buy large amounts of unsorted timber, they may be happy to sell you a bit. I do this quite often as I have nowhere to store a truck load of wood.
Ollie
Allylearm
Established Member
I cannot see the fuss here, if it is B&Q, Wickes, Homebase, Jewson, Travis perkins or anyone else for that matter. They are not timber suppliers so the quality they supply is cheap and cheerful or with a heavy mark up. I have supplied timber in the past to many of these retailers, they have at least 100% markup and purchase from the large saw mills who cut/mould and shrinkrap the packs.
I know for a fact that in Central Scotland the same facing/architraves are of the same line machine that supplies both B&Q, etc and the Joinery/Housebuilders in Scotland and are run at the same time just packed different. So to state all materials from B&Q are low quality is missing the point. B&Q buy cheap from national suppliers at bulk discount. All suppliers do and, they like you, need to purchase materials and must go to a timber supplier, so why do you not do the same, I used to supply a national chain with Roof Trusses for example. You should travel to a supplier that will meet your needs or get delivered if you purchase enough or drop off it of if delivering in your area. 5ths/Unsorted/Sorted or Joinery Grade you must go to a timber supplier who has equipment on his premises and will cut/mould to order, and more importantly a kiln. It would be hard to find a tradesman now who can tell the difference himself between the grades or what knots or amount/by length, as they seem to go to Jewson, go see where they store there timber in the yards so no matter what grade is put in the storage can play a part, I do not single out Jewson, Travis/Wickes/Homebase, etc ,etc they are just middle men.
The fact is timber purchased must be picked to do the role it is planned for and selected by you accordingly. As most on here seem to be DIY or hobbyist it is more important you purchase correctly and local timber suppliers should give advice easily it is in their interest for repeat custom. It must meet your moisture needs (or meet the environment it is to go into) and it must be checked on delivery or prior if uplifting. I return whole packs for moisture (which I monitor)/Packaging missing (part of my purchase contract it must be kept dry/stored dry) or not meeting the standard I purchased (can happen even to me some oink slipping in a pack here from the key side not knowing one pack from another or there thinking I will not monitor, happens once by a supplier there is never a second).
Of late it seems harder to buy bulk in the length/width or quality I need, not to mention imports seem to have declined as timber was often ballast on boats coming from Scandinavia. Also with world wide demands on White Pine/Red Pine was needing a lot more planning in my case to order even direct from the forest which was a way I got round buying specific widths/lengths to suit my offcut waste. UK seems not to the best market for Timber exporters to come they seem to get more profits from far eastern market, this may change with economic downturn but has been the case for last 5 years or more. Not to mention felling is done by the calendar and certain times of the year timber can get scarce from Scandinavia we are not alone suffering from holidays.
Last bit of advice if a timber yard do not let you pick your own timber for conformity or twist, pass on a get a supplier that will. I am lucky I have access to timber and can run/mould to my needs. As small Joinery firms have went to the wall or replaced by one man business with no workshop facility. We do not seem to have locally the same supply base as in the 70's for example as all the small Joinery firms had machining facility and supplied over the counter. I spent many an hour as a apprentice making up such orders. But this declined when companies got bigger or thought employing Joiners 714 was better. It is this reason more than any other meant the total decline in Apprenticeship in my area and reduction in employment base for Joiners.
I know for a fact that in Central Scotland the same facing/architraves are of the same line machine that supplies both B&Q, etc and the Joinery/Housebuilders in Scotland and are run at the same time just packed different. So to state all materials from B&Q are low quality is missing the point. B&Q buy cheap from national suppliers at bulk discount. All suppliers do and, they like you, need to purchase materials and must go to a timber supplier, so why do you not do the same, I used to supply a national chain with Roof Trusses for example. You should travel to a supplier that will meet your needs or get delivered if you purchase enough or drop off it of if delivering in your area. 5ths/Unsorted/Sorted or Joinery Grade you must go to a timber supplier who has equipment on his premises and will cut/mould to order, and more importantly a kiln. It would be hard to find a tradesman now who can tell the difference himself between the grades or what knots or amount/by length, as they seem to go to Jewson, go see where they store there timber in the yards so no matter what grade is put in the storage can play a part, I do not single out Jewson, Travis/Wickes/Homebase, etc ,etc they are just middle men.
The fact is timber purchased must be picked to do the role it is planned for and selected by you accordingly. As most on here seem to be DIY or hobbyist it is more important you purchase correctly and local timber suppliers should give advice easily it is in their interest for repeat custom. It must meet your moisture needs (or meet the environment it is to go into) and it must be checked on delivery or prior if uplifting. I return whole packs for moisture (which I monitor)/Packaging missing (part of my purchase contract it must be kept dry/stored dry) or not meeting the standard I purchased (can happen even to me some oink slipping in a pack here from the key side not knowing one pack from another or there thinking I will not monitor, happens once by a supplier there is never a second).
Of late it seems harder to buy bulk in the length/width or quality I need, not to mention imports seem to have declined as timber was often ballast on boats coming from Scandinavia. Also with world wide demands on White Pine/Red Pine was needing a lot more planning in my case to order even direct from the forest which was a way I got round buying specific widths/lengths to suit my offcut waste. UK seems not to the best market for Timber exporters to come they seem to get more profits from far eastern market, this may change with economic downturn but has been the case for last 5 years or more. Not to mention felling is done by the calendar and certain times of the year timber can get scarce from Scandinavia we are not alone suffering from holidays.
Last bit of advice if a timber yard do not let you pick your own timber for conformity or twist, pass on a get a supplier that will. I am lucky I have access to timber and can run/mould to my needs. As small Joinery firms have went to the wall or replaced by one man business with no workshop facility. We do not seem to have locally the same supply base as in the 70's for example as all the small Joinery firms had machining facility and supplied over the counter. I spent many an hour as a apprentice making up such orders. But this declined when companies got bigger or thought employing Joiners 714 was better. It is this reason more than any other meant the total decline in Apprenticeship in my area and reduction in employment base for Joiners.
No skills
Established Member
Good post.
"or thought employing Joiners 714 was better" - sorry but what does that mean?
"or thought employing Joiners 714 was better" - sorry but what does that mean?
Hardwood66
Established Member
oh how that made my dayjimi43":yrh9qvvm said:
If life gives you melons you may be dyslexic
A good post from Allylearm. 714 is the reference to the tax certificate required to be self-employed. One of the worst things to come, I think, from the Maggie goverment. Many a good man ruined when economics went wrong. No job, no van, no holidays, no money, no unemployment payments, no house, no family, no wife.....roughly in that order. Made a shambles of some areas of the construction industry. Work quality went down, couldn't get guys back, etc. It is the same in the short term contracts for employees in other areas be they professional or otherwise. No history, no continuity, no loyality, etc. Here today, gone tomorrow.
On the aspect of wood .....get to a merchant that willl let you pick your redwood from undercover storage. The whitewood from the retail people isn't good enough for external use. More chance of self selection at a builders merchant. The joiner self selects remember...or he should. Like so much, everything is coming down to the lowest common denonator.
On the aspect of wood .....get to a merchant that willl let you pick your redwood from undercover storage. The whitewood from the retail people isn't good enough for external use. More chance of self selection at a builders merchant. The joiner self selects remember...or he should. Like so much, everything is coming down to the lowest common denonator.
