Woodwork, N Ireland and Moving Workshop !

[Anonymous]

Decided after 17 years (35 years old now) to move back to N Ireland - two young boys to bring up and the value of being close to family is apparent (more workshop time!) - and people that can understand my accent !

So, I have two questions:

Should I relocate my workshop (double garage sized - lathe, tablesaw, bandsaw, sliding crosscut, mortiser, router table, drill press, dust extraction, bench and numerous workstations, tool boards and cupboards - along with a sizeable hardwood stash), or should I sell and start again. I've spent a reasonable time (4 years), getting a close to perfect (I think!) workshop together - tools are all reasonable quality - mainly Scheppach. Does anyone have experience of using removal firms - will it be too costly to ship to N Ireland (from Kent). Any recommendations ?

Secondly, for those people that live in N Ireland - where are good sources of wood (nothing too exotic - oak, beech - yew for turning) ? I've been spoilt to date as Morgans are just a couple of miles down the road (and they always looked after me) ?

Thanks for any advice - strange with all the other things going on (career, house, schools), that it's my workshop that's formost in my mind. Any experience of people making similar moves would be gratefully received.

 

[PowerTool]

I think it would be a matter of removal cost versus depreciation (replacement cost compared to sale cost)
Sounds like you have enough stuff to fill a 20' container - I work in road transport,so would guess at about £1,000 as a likely cost to move it all in one (made up of about £500 U.K. haulage,£200 seafreight Liverpool-Belfast,and the rest Irish haulage plus operators profit margin)
Obviously if you decide to do this,you need to get some proper quotes,but this should give you somewhere to start.
Alternatively,if you are moving house,see if the removal firm would move your workshop contents as well as your furniture.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Andrew

 

[Noel]

Good decision. Where you heading?
Bring the tools over. Timber and blank suppliers few and far between but there are one or two good ones.

Rgds

Noel

 

[Scott]

I moved mine (a full single garage at the time) from Scotland to France in a hired Luton van with a tail-lift. Just need someone to help hump the gear aboard and someone at the other end to help get it off.

Van was well loaded but I just drove it onto the ferry, 500 miles into France, dumped the gear and drove the van back to the ferry the next day to take it back. Bit of a PITA to go that distance but it's not nearly as far to N. Ireland and it was the cheap way to do it.

Good luck

Cheers

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the fast response! Parents live in Antrim, likely job is in Derry (software engineer), would hope to live somewhere between the two - Portstewart is probably the childhood dream - the dunes hold some memories !

To be honest, my wife and I have just spent the night working out that we could both work in Tesco's and be happier than we are now - focusing on the value of life, rather than the value of money!

Taking the advice so far, renting a Luton or buying a clapped out Transit (with appropriate AA cover) seems like a reasonable way of covering the workshop angle.

 

[PowerTool]

But be sure to take Scott's advice - get something with a tail-lift!
Since my first reply,did have the thought (after reading Noel's reply) that if timber suppliers are few and far between,I would guess that a lot of replacement machinery would also have to be shipped in;Axminster have a £45 heavy item charge,and I don't know if that covers to NI,so that makes it more cost-effective to keep your own stuff,and ship it yourself.

Andrew

 

[Anonymous]

Two places come to mind in N Ireland - McMasters in Belfast - good for hand tools and MTS in Ballyclare - pretty good for large machines. Any thoughts from N Ireland residents ?

 

[AndyBoyd]

Having done this twice (swapped countries) take everything with you - you can always sell it later if you run out of room or want to upgrade.

(I will be doing it again at the end of this summer)

Would be my advice

 

[Noel]

Seagate then? McMasters total waste of time. McBrides for Jet, Sip, Makita, Hitachi, DeWally, EB. Weldtec in Coileraine if you like paying full whack. All WWers overhere are big time mailorderers. Between the Port and Derry there ain't no real hardwood suppliers. Aikens and H T Bellas in Coleraine. That's it and very little choice. Need to go to the City for anything else hardwood wise. Nearest turning blank merchant is in Ballyclare (that I know of). Hire a van or buy a old one. BTW, house prices are crazy anywhere near the Ports and Derry is just as bad but I guess if you're coming from Kent you should have plenty of equity.

Noel

 

[Adam]

Dwill it be too costly to ship to N Ireland (from Kent). Any recommendations ?

Provided each machine can be lifted by two men it should be fine to go with your normal household contents. This does mean you have to strip down anything like a table saw (assuming its Sheppach) so that you take off the sliding table, the table extrusion, the right hand folding table, etc etc, to make it lighter. Other than that, there should be no problems. I had a few quotes done, and although they'lll pack the house, they all refused to pack the workshop, you'll have to do that yourself. But its only a case of lifting things into boxes, they carry all the boxes / machines for you.

Adam

 

[Buckeye]

I came back from the US to NI. Didn't ship a workshop but did ship a considerable amount of furniture and other stuff for about $3k.

Found a much lower paying job than the US but like you say you know when you are coming back it isn't about the money.

Clarke Cunningham (tree maintenance but also do custom furniture and sell hardwoods) do great native hardwoods for a reasonable price but about as far away in NI from where you hope to be as you can get just about as they are near Downpatrick.

There is a good professional tool shop in Roden Street in Belfast who do Sheppach etc althought their prices are a bit high I think. You can probably do better on the internet even with the shipping charges.

 

[SammyQ]

Recommed you do the Luton body van/Transit trip as previously suggested and consider either Fishguard or Pembroke to Rosslare. Rosslare to Belfast is now 5 hours, the majority on good roads/motorway, much less congested than A1/M1/M6 et al. I've done it 4 times in three years with family and 600 kg load; no problem.

McGregeor Hardwoods, beside what used to be Gate 7 of H. & W. shipyard, good for cherry and much more; Corry's of Springfield Road too. Clarke Cunningham also excellent for home grown timber in shortish lengths, as he is a tree surgeon primarily, he sometimes has unexpected stock.


For tools, heavy duty at that, relax, SIA Agencies in Roden St. begin with Dewalt and Festo and work up rather swiftly to some serious iron indeed. What they ain't got is orderable. I've also found judicious choice of mail suppliers reduces postage on smaller tools.

I'd seriously suggest you consider Belfast area for job, it is within easy commuting distance of Antrim and LOTS of software jobs of all sorts - we are apparently a 'boom town' in this respect and we have lots of kudos. Belfast Telegraph is online, jobs section is good and has links. House prices in Belfast/ Carrick/ Antrim commuter corridors very variable, distinct bargains to be had, but Noel is right, 13% growth/price rises this last year HAS led to crazy 'monopoly money' prices in some places.

Give me a pm if you want further info, Sam

 

[PaulH]

I'd second McGregeor Hardwoods in Belfast - I am new to woodworking and hence have a very limited knowledge (Got most of my knowledge to date from this Forum!). However, my experiences of McGregeor Hardwoods are very positive - helpful and friendly service.

Regarding tools, I agree with Noel - Most of my purchases have been via mail order.

Paul.