Mr Tig

Thanks Cajal, Looks like an interesting shop but it's a 7 hour round trip for me. If I'm ever down that way I'll certainly pop in though.

Hi John, Thanks, I have the bits on the Axminster website so can always buy online. I'd just like to be able to support a French retail outlet. I've got a Myford ML8 that's at least 40 years old. It was heavily modified by its previous owner. Its tubular bed has been replaced by 2 machined rectangular rails and it's on a custom frame. The whole thing is very solid - about 700kg. It has a Compton 1.5hp 3 phase motor with inverter and I've yet to find anything it won't handle. I get scared long before it gives up! Brian

Hi John, At the moment I'm after some forstner bits (Fisch for the sizes I want) and a better tool rest for my lathe but as much as anything it's the joy of wandering around a well-stocked shop that I miss. When I visit Axminster etc in the UK I aways seem to find something I didn't previously know existed which suddenly seems essential.

Whilst the brico sheds are a useful source of commonplace tools, I'd like to find a chain of shops in which one can buy the more esoteric items: lathe chucks, forstner bits, carving chisels, for example. Googling returns several online suppliers here in France.what I would like is a physical store in 86/87 (as I'm based about halfway between Poitiers and Limoges); basically a French version of Axminster Tools or Turners Retreat. Does anyone have any suggestions or am I searching for rocking horse manure?

[quote user="cajal"]Its chinese but the few text boxes have sub-titles.[/quote] A wonderful piece of work but it's Japanese rather than Chinese. I think the Chinese would use steel by preference as they have so much of it! Thanks for posting it ;)

I recently bought a Scheppach planer/thicknesser from Leroy Merlin. Within a month, one of the bearings failed. I exchanged some emails with Scheppach who advised me to return it to Leroy Merlin for repair. I took it back to the store I purchased it from and rather than sending it it repair, they issued an immediate refund. They made the whole process very simple and painless. and I'll certainly buy from them again.

Whoops! I did something wrong with my html there and now I can't delete it. I was just saying that the idea of keeping the cloth in a sealed bag is genius. Now where did I put our freezer bags?

[quote user="Théière"]Use a cloth but keep it in a sealed bag [I][/quote] Genius!

Thanks Cajal, That gives me a definite product to ask for in the local hardware shop. By searching online I also found a number of French mail order sources in case my request still produces looks of complete bafflement! And John's tip is a good one. For other aerosols I tend to spray onto kitchen/workshop paper towels add I find I don't waste add much as when I use a cloth. Brian Brian

Thank you very much, John and Pierre. I wonder what the French word for this stuff is? The dry bike lube sounds like the sort of thing the average supermarket should stock so I'll have a search and see what I find. Thanks again., Brian

Ah! By machine wax I meant the stuff that you apply to beds of things like table saws. It prevents rust and also reduces friction for the wood sliding over the table but without staining it. And thanks for the link. I'm not sure if it's the same stuff. I used to use an Axminster product (http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-machine-wax) but they're a bit cagey as to what's in it.

Can anyone help please? I'm getting to the end of my tub of machine wax and would like to buy some more here in France. I have tried the usual brico places and our local wonderfully old-fashioned hardware shops (brown coats, separate cash desks, hose, fork handles etc.) with no results. My requests for cire de machine have resulted in blank looks, and attempts to explain what it does have been unsuccessful. Do the questions are: What's it called? Where can I buy it? Thanks in advance, Brian

Hi John, Thanks for the rapid reply and the tips! I've been to all the local sawmills I've been able to find and I've found that asking for anything other than chêne or pin has them looking at me as if I'm mad. I bought some bark cut oak for use as firewood (€25/stere) but a lot of it was so good it's now in the workshop awaiting inspiration! Good tip about the ebeniste - I'll go on a local search. And I know what you mean about the flying - very easy to do badly, great skill required to do it well. Much like woodturning! Brian

Hello all. I'm new here so please be gentle! As a fairly new arrival in France, I'm delighted to find this woodworking forum. I'm less pleased that the standard of work displayed is so high but at least it gives me something to aim for! I'm based near Montmorillon in 86, about half way between Poitiers and Limoges. My question is where can I buy wood? Oak is no problem - and I have enough of the stuff to see me out - but I wondered if anyone had recommendations for suppliers of other woods (fruit woods, beech, maple etc) as either boards or turning blanks. Thanks in advance for any replies! Mr Tig

Hi, We live about 15 km away from L'Isle Jourdain (the closest town to Le Vigeant). As circuits go it's far from the noisiest. Actual race meetings are comparatively few - their website ( http://www.circuitvaldevienne.com/ ) lists the race and trackdays. Which village/hamlet are you looking at? It may be one I know so could offer some first hand information. How audible the track is from the property will depend on many factors and the only way to ascertain the audibility is to pay a visit during a race meeting I'm afraid. Good luck! Mr Tig