Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
Blademaking woes
jim reed @ Tallahassee
>I have worked diligently for the past two years building up a small plane blade making business. Quality is my main focus and I have developed many process to ensure the best quality in my products. My return rate is almost nil. My last batch to the heat treater (84 blades) is lost. That is alot of unhappy customers and alot of lost steel and lost effort. It is a blow that may take my small enterprise under.
Re: Blademaking woes
Don Thompson - Cutler Ridge, Florida
>Sorry to hear that, Jim. The two blades I bought from you worked fine, and I don't know where else I would have gotten them.
(Extra-Thick #40, and a special wide iron for the #48)
I feel your pain Jim
Dave Anderson Chester,NH
>I have a similar problem, but with some of the exotic woods I use. I just sent a shipment to a customer in CA- a plane hammer and a Snakewood Awl. Both were fine when they left me, and both arrived with cracks or checks in the wood-- the lignum vitae on the hammer and the Snakewood on the awl. Changes in humidity and temperature during shipping are my biggest problems. It is so bad with the Snakewood for the awls that I'm seriously considering discontinuing the awls in that particular wood. At times, my yield from a very expensive piece of stock yielding 6 blanks ends up being only 50%. The really insidious thing is that I can complete the tools and the wood will check 3 weeks later.
Re: Blademaking woes
Jack Guzman from Maine
>I'm sorry to hear that Jim.I wonder if there is anything anyone here can do to help you.You made me a custom blade that I'm happy with(a 3/4" dado plane nicker).I also have no idea where else such a thing could have been gotten.I had planned on calling on you more in the future.It would be a shame to lose an asset like your small machine shop.---Jack
Re: Blademaking woes
Steve knight
>how did they get lost?
this is always the hard part fixing up screwups no matter who does it. but if you explain to people they usualy don't want to kill you.
if you offer the ones that want a refund a extra blade that will help.
heat treating has been pretty good to me. after almost 3000 irons I had one returned for too soft and maybe 10 warped blade that were fixed when they ran through again. maybe a few lost but it's hard to keep track. wood though can really let you down. so replaced planes have happened. myself it's better to give another plane then do a refund that I cna't afford.
Re: Blademaking woes
Neal (San Jose)
>Very sorry to hear that, Jim. The blades you made for my Stanley 46 are great, and I've recommended you several times. I too, would hate to lose you as a resource. Neal
Re: scrub plane irons?
Moses Yoder in White Pigeon, MI
>Does this lost shipment include the scrub plane irons? Was it not insured? Even if it wasn't insured, I would think the shipper could be held responsible for a lost shipment if you have any way to prove it was actually shipped.
We all have to go through some pretty tough stuff sometimes; being put onto the burner will reveal the true character of a person, and if we allow it, the hard times will refine and improve our character. I would say that you simply cannot give up a business you like because of one bad mishap. You have to find a way to keep it going; giving up is not an option. You've got a good thing going there.
Re: Blademaking woes
Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)
>Jim, as depressing and frustrating as it seems now, it will work itself out. There must be a record of receipt, and the heat treater will accept his responsibility. You will not lose your customers - they chose to come to you in the first place because you have credibility. They will understand the delay, and be prepared to wait for the next batch.
Kind regards
Derek
Thanks guys!
jim reed @ Tallahassee
>Thanks for the kind words and encouragement. I will do battle with the heat treater tomorrow and will also try to find a more reliable business partner.
What actually happened?
Don Thompson - Cutler Ridge, Florida
>Did the heat treater lose them, or did they get destroyed?
Re: I feel your pain Jim
Todd Hughes
>You may want to think about going with stabilised wood.The fellow I apprenticed under uses it for knife handles and never has any problims anymore like this.Price isn't to bad .He sends them out to get done but first rough shapes the handles to save on the costs even more.....Todd
Re: What actually happened?
Frank D. in Montreal
>Sorry to hear about your troubles Jim,
If they warped, couldn't he anneal them so you would have a chance to straighten them out by hand? Then he could try to make up for his mistake by treating them again free of charge.
Just a thought, hope your business gets through this.
What I know so far
jim reed @ Tallahassee
>In spite of my many notices of change, they were shipped to my old address three weeks ago and signed for(computer data base on UPS shipping computer is not integrated with other computers). I do not know the people who bought the house and have not heard from them. The heat treater is trying to find the blades. I hope they find them, but I do not have the luxury of waiting. I have been out of blades for two weeks and must make plans to order some steel and remake the order. Also need to find a new processor and send some test batches. The delay of the lost order and the testing required to switch could keep me out of the market for a few months. Lots of expenses with no revenues--good thing I have a day job to fund this hobby.
Tell me more Todd
Dave Anderson Chester, NH
>I'd be interested in hearing about stabilizing Snakewood. I don't have any problem, or few anyway, with the smaller 3/4" x 3/4" x 6" blanks I make and use for the marking knife handles. The 1.5" x 1.5" lengths I use for the awl handles are another story. I've tried using "Wood Juice" made by Preservation Solutions to soak for 2 weeks after rough turning the blanks, but it only marginally helps. I've thought about trying the alcohol soak the turners use, but Snakewood is so dense I don't know if it would work. Suggestions anyone????
Stabilized snakewood, et al
David Barnett
>Although I use unstabilized snakewood, I've also seen the stabilized version available for two uses outside of knifemaking: fretboards for guitars and pool cues. I personally don't like most stabilizing resins (aesthetically), but if you're having trouble, I'd give them a go. The biggest problem I've found in the brittle exotics, and snakewood's definitely that, is poor drying and seasoning. Although I have very adept suppliers, I still put my wood through slow aclimation before I ever mill, turn or carve it. As for wood species that are low-density, extremely porous or weak in other ways; certain burls, some palms (which allows me to use it crosscut in the weak direction), and so on, then stabilizing may be the only way to get much use.