Woodcraft

I need a few cast iron saw extensions for a project. The SawStop ones claim to be ground to within .0001. (I will be surprised if they really are, but very pleased.)

Rockler has them for less, but after the heavy freight charge they are much more expensive to my door.

Woodcraft shows basic shipping as free saving substantially on the net cost. Other than the 7-10 day lead time per Woodcraft are there any issues with Woodcraft?

FYI: This is for a metalworking project, but since the basic frame work pieces are associated with woodworking tools...

Reply to
Bob La Londe
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On 11/21/2014 11:44 AM, Bob La Londe wrote: ...

They're a reliable, trustworthy vendor if that's the question. I find them generally expensive so rarely purchase anything from them but no reason to avoid them as far as fraud, non-delivery or the like that I've ever heard/experienced.

Reply to
dpb

Thanks. In this case since they calculate free shipping its substantially cheaper for what I believe is an identical item. (same manufacturer / same specs) For 4 table leaves Rockler was $22 cheaper, but with the freight were about $100 more and I am not in a huge hurry. I probably won't have any time to work on the project for several weeks anyway.

Reply to
Bob La Londe

dpb wrote in news:m4nvu6$tqa$ snipped-for-privacy@dont-email.me:

Second that: reliable and trustworthy, but often not a bargain.

Reply to
Doug Miller

"Bob La Londe" wrote in news:m4o1ht$5gc$ snipped-for-privacy@dont-email.me:

The only one way to know for sure is to try it. They should show any additional fees on the checkout page.

Puckdropper

Reply to
Puckdropper

True dat! Their black Friday event is a joke. :-)

Reply to
-MIKE-

If you're talking about "SawStop Contractor Table Saw Cast Iron Extension Wing" Rockler and Woodcraft are the same price as I would expect for SawStop stuff. Both have an $11 discount on a pair, although I can't see how to ring that up on Woodcraft.

If Woodcraft is really free shipping, I'd call and see how to get the discount. If not, they're both reputable companies.

Reply to
Larry Blanchard

I agree about their black friday event.

I purchased from them for years never had a problem. They were less on many back then, then Rockler, but now I find them way higher.

I will be going there today to pick up the Rikon Slow speed grinder as I need one for my lathes.

Years ago I got a great deal on Jorgensen Cabinet Master clamps from them. I think they were $14 a piece practically. I bought the max allowable. Wish I had ordered more and sent them to a friend.

Reply to
woodchucker

Woodcraft, Rockler, etc. are (to me anyway) only viable when you get a 'coupon' for free shipping, 20% off, etc. At that point I'll factor them in when doing a price search. If a company can put out significant cost saving discounts monthly and only then get competitive, their standard pricing is too high.

-Bruce

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Reply to
Brewster

The one great deal they have this year is a bunch of Jet parallel clamps for 50% off.

Reply to
-MIKE-

They embody the old retail store value. Remember them from decades ago?

Our local Woodcraft is higher priced than many other store, but they offer one thing the discounters do not - - - service. For the first time buyer of a tool, you can get plenty of free advice on how to properly use it. Advice on how a finish will work. etc. You don't get that at Amazon or the big box stores.

Many do not need that service and are unwilling to pay for it. That is why WalMart thrives and most old time department stores closed up 30 years ago.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

Boy, do I! And how I miss those stores. 40 years ago San Antonio was stil l a good sized town, but still a sleepy little blue collar/ranching town in a lot of ways. We had those little "Mom and Pop" stores everywhere. And until about 20 years ago, they were still in the out lying areas around us.

I could go into the store I liked and there were about 3 or 4 guys I saw re gularly, each with a specific set of skills. One guy knew the most about p ower tools, one guy about all manner of hardware, and one knew most about g eneral repair items and "new stuff". They wouldn't talk to you on the phon e except to tell you if that had something in stock. If you had a question you had to drive over and see them. Sitting here on a cold, rainy Saturda y morning now, I am reminded of their old Waring 30 cup coffee maker that s at out on the end of the counter that had a old coffee can with a slit cut in it marked "coffee fund". I loved those stores... they smelled like rubb er tool cords and 3in1 oil.

The advent of Builder's Square, Home Depot and all the other big boxes gave so much more selection and better pricing on the same exact stuff (remembe r, they weren't always just Chinese importers with store front outlets) tha t the old hardware stores couldn't hang on.

Sadly, our local Woodcraft is chock full of self important gas bags that gi ve more wrong information than right. Some are down right f'in idiots, yet that doesn't give them a second's hesitation of spewing out bullshit. If they don't know something, they will simply make it up. And these guys are shameless, if they watch the store video that demos a product, the will ho ist up their pants and talk about it like the have been using that product for years.

There are a couple of guys that have some particular skills, but they know ONLY of their chosen hobby. None have ever been in business doing the thin gs they talk about. None have ever supported themselves as craftsmen doing the things they speak of with such great authority. None have ever made a living as tradesmen. They are book and video educated, word of mouth (inc luding accepting the opinions of their fellow gas bags)educated guys that h ave little or no practical experience.

Top that off with the fact that I have seen the EXACT hand tools in Harbor Freight that I saw last time I was there along with the fact they are gener ally overpriced on everything to begin with, and there is no reason for me to go in a Woodcraft store. In the last 20 plus years, I have been in the Woodcraft 3 or 4 times to pick up an item (like a 3/8" pattern cutting rout er bit) that I couldn't wait for. From my friends that still go over there to meander around on a slow weekend, they tell me nothing has changed.

That being said, I have talked other guys that have exactly the opposite ex perience at their local Woodcraft. I think the flavor of the store has a lo t to do with the fact the are franchises, and the owner has to set the tone for the attitude of the personnel and the skill level at which they hire.

Robert

Reply to
nailshooter41

That is a great deal, fantastic deal actually. But I have a pair and have been less than impressed. Between those and the Cabinet Masters and the Besseys I reach for those last.

My biggest complaint is that they dent the wood, the Cabinet Masters and Besseys do not. So each time I do use them on something that matters I have to place a buffer between the work and the clamp surface. If only they would make the faces softer....

Reply to
Leon

But the tools all come out of the same warehouse.

I'd be interested in knowing which tools you saw in both HF and Woodcraft. The same brand?

Reply to
Larry Blanchard

With the Texas franchise, I interviewed for a part time job but was offered to manage the store with the opening of one of the stores about

5~6 years ago, the store manager is free to buy outside as he saw fit.

But aside from that Woodcraft has a "Columbian" brand bar clamp that is identical to the clamps found in HF, with the China stamp in the same place.

Reply to
Leon

I can confirm this with Rockler. They had a hand hole reamer tool, orange plastic handle with three black, hex shafted bits on closeout. Unmistakeably the same tool sold by HF. Only difference was there closeout price was 5x higher than the HF price. I left some clues in the reviews but they blocked it....

I have bought some things from these retailers that were obvious HF fodder at a time when their price was good. Years later I'd buy the same thing from HF on a whim and noticed that the HF contraption was of poorer finish quality. Examples like a carpenters triangle come to mind. It may be that some things get inspections and those that qualify as 'perfect' go to the retailers and the cosmetic rejects go to HF.

-Bruce

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Reply to
Brewster

This happens more than you'd think in every aspect of what we buy. I bought a pair of Dockers chinos at Casual Male for $45 and a pair of WalMart whatever brand for $18. Stitch for stitch, they are the same material from the same factory.

Tools, food, appliances, all have the same things at times. A guy I know was restoring a 70's vintage Jaguar. He bought some of the parts at a GM dealer.

Have you visited the Alibaba web site? What do you want to buy? You can stock a store with whatever you need. Line of screws and fasteners? Air filters for every model car on the road? Plumbing fittings?

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

And don't be too sure about the quality control either. When I was looking for a new slide rule I checked Woodcraft because I was having difficulty finding one that was good quality and actually

*square.*

Probably 1/3 of the Woodcraft squares weren't. (Yes, I checked and double-checked the engineering squares I used as a reference.)

Reply to
-MIKE-

I do a lot of comparison shopping and buy those things that are the best value for the intended job. If I am buying some thing that will be used once a year or less I may go quite cheap, but if I am buying Something that will be used daily I may go to the other end of the spectrum.

HOWEVER. Screws and Fasteners are a different thing. I have bought to many cheap screws where that are made out such poor quality metal that they will ream out on the first attempt to put them in a hole. Others the heads break off.

Since I am not a big user and one day the screw may be to hang a small picture and the next to put a table together, I go with the the more expensive, so what ever I need it for it will be up to the job

Reply to
Keith Nuttle

You just described Hillman (IMO). I found one of the other big names is made by Hillman now also. I seem to think it might have been Crown.

Reply to
Bob La Londe

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