Visit to Axminster Power Tools Show last weekend

[Tony Bryer]

I would have thought that assembly was pretty significant. IIRC Skodas are built in almost brand new plants. And there may be issues of industrial relations - think of the BL plant managers who had to let any old rubbish go lest they provoke another strike.

I had two Skodas. I bought my 1995 Felicia for £6800 new (list, no discounts to be had) and sold it back to another Skoda dealer for £4000 cash three years later. Less than £1000p.a. in depreciation. Entire warranty work one wiper blade (snapped rivet). But then it became socially acceptable to own a Skoda so I bought a Suzuki Wagon instead

[Doctor Drivel]

** snip senility **

[Doctor Drivel]

Boy, this one is senile

** snip more senility **

[Doctor Drivel]

What an idiot.

** snip senility **

[Doctor Drivel]

** snip senile Roger ramblings **

Roger the wheels kicked to one side when turned. It was obvious just by looking at the them.

** snip more senile Roger ramblings **

He does try though.

[Doctor Drivel]

Roger, you are a disgusting, polluting, unsociable, disgusting, person for doing that. Shame on you.

[Andy Hall]

Even you have to admit that that was a pretty good response to your delusion of grandeur......

[Doctor Drivel]

Matt, it was not. I am a class act.

[David]

In article , Doctor Drivel writes

That almost a spoonerism of cats arse which is what was said earlier...

[Doctor Drivel]

Andy good innovative hand tools around?

[Andy Hall]

Certainly some good ones.

I like to use hand planes for certain work and have a number made by Lie-Nielsen.

were some interesting specialised ones such as scraping planes I might put one of these on my Christmas list.

There was also on Lie-Nielsen's stand a set of DVDs by David Charlesworth covering sharpening and use of planes for standard and shooting operations. Recommended for anybody interested in hand plane care and use.

I can't say that I saw anything that I would describe as innovative, although I suppose that chisel planes

unusual.

[Doctor Drivel]

Matt, you have a thing about planes.

[John Cartmell]

$185 !!!!!!!!!

For a cleaning up plane?

[Doctor Drivel]

Wickes are now selling the Draper ratchet pipe cutter for £15. This is very useful indeed and well worth having.

Item 12 here:

as mentioned on another thread, the Monument 15 and 22mm olive puller at around £20. This is very new on the market.

[Doctor Drivel]

Matt goes on price only...and if you can get parts. Cheaper products can do the same, and if they fail replace them, and still save a ton of money. Take a £90 Makita drill. After two years if it requires a £50 repair, and no drill for a week or so, is it worth it? You have to balance it all up.

[Andy Hall]

You had better ask Matt about that.

I quite like them and appreciate the feel and use of a good one.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I never said that. Or even implied it. I once owned a Jowett Javelin and even when it broke its crankshaft I still loved it.;-) I was just, as usual, correcting Dribble's misinformation. It's an expensive way to make an engine of a given power output and has packaging disadvantages. IIRC, the only major maker to make a water cooled unit is Subaru. If it were so wonderful as dribble implies many more would. Even Porsche who make wonderful flat 6 engines used an inline 4 for their attempt at a cheaper model.

Nothing new there since he has little or no *practical* knowledge of anything. If a website gets it wrong or more likely he misreads it then it becomes a 'fact' for him.

Yup. Most 4 and 6 cylinder 'V' designs. Many better 4 cylinder ones too - including BMW.

[Andy Hall]

I was describing interesting and innovative things, not suggesting that I would buy one of these. THe price of this one is probably related to the (likely) small volume.

However, their No. 4 Smooth Plane and No. 5 Jack Plane ($300) are a pleasure to use. I think they are worth every penny.

There are certainly more expensive planes around. There were a couple of vendors making individual ones to order. Those are in the £1k to £3k range.

[Andy Hall]

You had better ask Matt about that.

..and if you can get parts. Cheaper products can do

You certainly do. If you take a llok at what I wrote on the subject, money, other than total cost of ownership, was not mentioned, and then at the end.

OTOH, it seems that you always lead with this issue, as though purchase price is the most important factor. Perhaps it is for you. However, to then attempt to justify that something that you buy at the cheapest price does the same as something chosen based on what it does and how well it does so is clearly ridiculous.

[Andy Hall]

see some value in that.

I like to use a little Rothenburger miniature cutter that I've had for a while to do these kind of jobs

Solid and simple and I like being able to get spare cutters easily.

Their product code 2645T on the same page is quite good as well...