Author Topic: Where to find woodworking supplies in London  (Read 2314 times)

Offline jeporter02

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Where to find woodworking supplies in London
« on: June 15, 2019, 02:22:34 AM »
I'm an avid turner here in the United States, but will be moving to London this year with work.  I will have space for a shop in our home in London, but I have debated what to do about setting up shop.  My tools are all wired for 110, and I'm not keen on trying to run things off transformers, so I will likely put them in storage here and start from scratch.  I have done some searching for woodworking supply shops in London, but seem to find mostly a mish mash of hardware stores.  I'm not familiar with the brands of machines being sold online, so I hesitate to try buying online tools without first being able to see them, handle them, and talk to somebody.

Can anyone offer a good shop in or near London where I can procure good quality tools and machinery and possibly meet some knowledgeable help to point me in the right direction for my other needs? 

Thank you!

Jay

Offline Tim Pettigrew

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Re: Where to find woodworking supplies in London
« Reply #1 on: June 15, 2019, 09:48:21 AM »
I would recommend The Toolpost at Didcot which is about 50 miles from the centre of London.  I have always had good advice and excellent service from them.  Have a look at their website and you will get a good idea of what they have to offer.

Offline willstewart

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Re: Where to find woodworking supplies in London
« Reply #2 on: June 15, 2019, 10:55:05 AM »
Central London is not really the ideal place - an expedition may be warranted! There is plenty of UK outside London.  You might also look at Axminster either at Axminster or Coventry.  I wonder why you are concerned about transformers - these are pretty safe I think and if you have machinery you trust I would look into them carefully before changing all your stuff!

Offline seventhdevil

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Re: Where to find woodworking supplies in London
« Reply #3 on: June 15, 2019, 11:13:54 AM »
I'm an avid turner here in the United States, but will be moving to London this year with work.  I will have space for a shop in our home in London, but I have debated what to do about setting up shop.  My tools are all wired for 110, and I'm not keen on trying to run things off transformers, so I will likely put them in storage here and start from scratch.  I have done some searching for woodworking supply shops in London, but seem to find mostly a mish mash of hardware stores.  I'm not familiar with the brands of machines being sold online, so I hesitate to try buying online tools without first being able to see them, handle them, and talk to somebody.

Can anyone offer a good shop in or near London where I can procure good quality tools and machinery and possibly meet some knowledgeable help to point me in the right direction for my other needs? 

Thank you!

Jay

what sort of machinery are you looking to purchase for your shop?

i've a few machines to get rid of that are 240v but they may not be what you are after.

Online Twisted Trees

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Re: Where to find woodworking supplies in London
« Reply #4 on: June 15, 2019, 11:52:50 AM »
Which part of London? this is a small island (USA has national parks bigger than the UK!) but traffic in London makes it sensible travel in certain directions to avoid having to go through London itself.

TT, AKA Pete, but that name is taken :-)

Offline jeporter02

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Re: Where to find woodworking supplies in London
« Reply #5 on: June 15, 2019, 03:15:27 PM »
The concern is not just transformers, but needing repairs, finding replacement parts, etc.  I know from previous experience living abroad that "standard sizes" vary from one country to the next, and particularly between Europe and the U.S.  That being said, I have run my lathe and grinder off transformers in the past (we lived in Eastern Europe previously and I assumed I wouldn't be able to find quality machines at a decent price so I brought mine with me and invested in some transformers) and it worked out. 

As a turner, I only have a couple of machines: lathe, bench grinder, band saw, but I have done larger builds as well and was hoping to take advantage of my time in the UK to pick up some new quality handtools: planes, chisels, saws, etc. (I always appreciate a good excuse to pick up a new tool)

We will be living near Regent's Park, so I recognize an excursion outside London is likely necessary, and indeed - welcome!  We will have a car, so driving somewhere outside the city, or even a few hours away, is definitely a possibility.

Offline happy amateur

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Re: Where to find woodworking supplies in London
« Reply #6 on: June 15, 2019, 04:49:17 PM »
Tool suppliers within 2 hours drive from London

Edoliver.co.uk Great Chart Nr Ashford Kent

Stilesandbates.co.uk nr Dover Kent

Both above specialist woodturning stores

Axminster.co.uk General workshop tool company with a store at Bobbin nr Sittingbourne Kent.

Hope this helps
Fred Taylor
orchard-woodturners.org.uk

Offline willstewart

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Re: Where to find woodworking supplies in London
« Reply #7 on: June 15, 2019, 05:11:44 PM »
Yes - the US inexplicably uses 'imperial' units long after the empire has gone - but I think you could get most standard consumables, like bandsaw blades for instance, cut to the desired imperial (inch) lengths quite easily.  And quite a few bits, whilst quoted in mm, are actually imperial sizes! Screw threads etc. tend to be actually metric.  Do not neglect online (a lathe is tricky to carry in a car anyway).

Offline Bryan Milham

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Re: Where to find woodworking supplies in London
« Reply #8 on: June 15, 2019, 08:39:07 PM »
I'll add a couple of thought.

The UK is not America, by that I mean places are not as far away as they can be your side of the water.

South London Hardwoods do some woodturning equipment https://www.slhardwoods.co.uk/products/carving-turning/turning.
Not too far away in Kent will be Ed Olivers (of this forum's, shop https://www.oliverswoodturning.co.uk/
As noted above the toolpost is just down the M4 https://www.toolpost.co.uk/
Axminster have now set up a shop in Sittingbourn, just down the M2 https://www.axminster.co.uk/stores/sittingbourne/
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Offline Derwent Woodturning club

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Re: Where to find woodworking supplies in London
« Reply #9 on: June 16, 2019, 09:39:07 AM »
Axminster also have a store at High Wycombe, just off Junction 4 of the M40. That could  be closer than their Sittingbourne branch, depending on which part of London you will be based.
Regards,
Derwent Woodturning Club