Bit of a moan really.

I have just bought a second hand record DML305 lathe, just three months old. When i get it all set up the working height is different from my old lathe, nothing really wrong there. I though easy peasy i'll knock my self up a timber stand for it, no trouble.
Then came to pricing up the timber (using the cheapest from BNQ) along with four self levelling adjustable feet. Nice and simple............WRONG. The price of the parts is getting near the price of a stand from record.
Now the moan, what is wrong with this world where parts are more expensive than manufactured item !!!!

In the mid 90's i used to make PC's for people, i fitted all good quality internals where as the like of PC World used rubbish really. In them days setting up a PC was a little tricky as regards to what booted up and when.
They soon cottoned on and started to make PC's that were user friendly.

I still can't see why parts, like my timber etc. are so expensive. Yes i know prices have gone up but they don't seem to have risen much for the manufacturers.

mumble, groan, winge, i'm going for a cuppa tea, wonder if thats more expensive now grrrr

You would probably get your timber cheaper at a builders merchant or look on your local Gumtree usually wood available on there

B & Q are always my last port of call if I want anything. They are far too expensive on most of their stuff. Mind you some of their clearance stuff can be a bargain.

I remember a cup of coffee at Piccadilly station cost 8p. everywhere else it was 5p. the robbing b's.

Far cheaper to weld a bench, scrap metal cleans up easily. If you were to buy the spare parts to build a car it would cost several times a new one of the sales floor. In the mean time try warehousing, selling spare parts its a nightmare for Woodies they all want them for less than can be provided. These thoughts have been expressed to me by retailers since thirty years. WE approached dealers continually as a Wood Guild the dealers said woodies from clubs mostly bought from elsewhere.

I have no axe to grind recently pics and a video on a new process for casting drew comments that from the pics etc anyone could make that themselves. Why bother buying from them. The classic is the making of chisels following the release and development of them using small cutters etc.

Why would any firm destroy themselves for woodies.

In my employment over a long time from the 1950,s to around 2000 it became apparent to me as I worked up to three jobs at a time we can,t have our cake and eat it too.

Observing how other countries make and provide for our kits, tools etc firms in our own countries are going to the wall. Dealers then buy from them and the doubling of costs then goes on with freight in and Govt costs such as Customs etc and GST jump in.

Being an optomist I hope for better things, make everything I can, try to respect others but with time it has not changed a lot.

When we started making pens a Slimline Kit cost four times it does now. With the proliferation of kits etc the everlasting need for correct spacers etc, a long list of spares, fickle demands by the buyers of pens it gets exciting.

Kind regards to all.

Peter.

In the past I've bought CLS timber from Wickes to build benches etc and found the cost wasn't too bad.

For something like a bench I would use recycled wood as it is not going to be a fine piece of furniture. This does not mean it has to be a pile of junk. Look at your local freecycle or if they allow you to take thing a recycling centre. Old furniture can also be a good source of wood.

I made one using scaffolding planks from a local firm I offered to buy them but they gave me some that had splits or had broken, I cut them to the size I wanted bolted and screwed them together and got a very sturdy bench for about £5.

Robin

My "Bench" was made from old kitchen work surface I got from freecycle and some fenceposts I had in the garage. Does the job. Not pretty, but it does the job.

As for the PC analogy, try building one to a customer's spec from decent parts and beat (or match) the price of the PC Worlds or even Novatech (local to me and where I bought my parts). Trying to justify the cost of the parts to the customer was always a losing battle. I gave up trying in the end.

Like William I used Wickes bought CLS 4x2 and with a chop saw set to 10 deg and made an A frame stand. I posted recently a picture of the stand with a Record RPML 300 mountad on it which I think is a simular size to your Lathe.

http://www.penturners.co.uk/tools-equipment-and-accessories/18577-jet-mini-stand.html

A 4.5m x 200mm X 40mm length of sawn unsorted redwood (not the shite whitewood B&Q sell) is £17 I know as I'm just pricing a job, there would be plenty in that plank to make a stand for a small lathe so no where near the £119 Yandles are asking for the record stand.
Add to that the fact that the stand looks very much like the Axminster stand we have on the club lathe & it's hopeless, some members have made a tray that sits across the feet so concrete blocks can be used to stop it moving around. You should be able to make a far more solid stand in pine & the materials shouldn't cost a fifth of the price of the Record stand.
Shop around.

Try Screwfix rather than B&Q they're usually much cheaper. You should be able to pick up an old drop leaf table at local auction for £20 and butcher it.

I don't know why people don't look around and think a bit more, they burn brand new pallets every day on building sites, it is bloody criminal the way stuff is thrown away and burned, I have been using pallet wood for all sorts of thinks for a few years now, use your loaf guys please..

I had forgot Wickes, they certainly do have cheaper timber. As for metal i would love the make one out of metal but i don't have a welder .
I will knock up a sketch and see how it goes, give me something to do this evening lol.

If you have a SELCO near to you, they are far cheaper than B&Q, well worth signing up with them.

Peter

Hardwood Pallets are a real go over here.

Peter.

All good advice above garden fence posts four by four inch and the kitchen worktop, from the tip? would do the job fine. Is there not one of those places that recycle timber and the like. Think "the Salvager" Rico Daniels, great stuff.

You want to try buying wood here.