Lee Valley and canadian tooling sources

[Marc Gélinas]

This message is intended for the people at Lee Valley as well as Canadian home shop guys, namely wood and metal maniacs. As many know, and the people at Lee Valley certainly know, many woodworkers are also avid metalworkers.

A metal lathe and wood lathe are obviously much alike. And working with metal shaping tools (mills, lathes, etc.) is as much a conduit for exploring one's creativity as woodwork. As several Creekers have demonstrated, many woodmaniacs extend their skills to metalworking in order to create their own tools, jigs, guages etc.

I myself own most of the common woodworking tools as well as a metal lathe and mill. So what am I getting at? I can't seem to find a decent mail-order supplier for the more common metalwork tooling in Canada.

Would Lee Valley ever consider carrying some of the common consumables (end mills, drill bits, etc.)?

I have been a Lee Valley customer for several years and have always found quality tools and service there. A single tool source WOW! I'm all excited just thinking about it!

[Chris Fournier]

I have a pretty humble machine shop as well as my woodworking shop.

For the most part I am fortunate enough to deal with local suppliers. I prefer this method of sourcing supplies. They will bring in specialty items for me and my pricing is pretty decent. I buy most of my equipment and consumables from this tier of supplier.

Next I have a range of suppliers within my province which I deal with over the internet and use Canada Post or common carriers for shipping. These suppliers are also integral to me as they tend to provide specialty items or allow me to avoid paying retail $$$.

I am now ashamed to admit that for some tooling I have to go the Asian import route and for this I use a company in Illinois called Shars Tools. I have been very happy with the price/quality/service of their products even after the shipping/duty $$$ are added to the equation.

Lee Valley is ok for cutting tools but you have to really watch out for items which can be purchased from other suppliers for far less $$$. In particular I'm talking about HSS and carbide cutters for your router. I use a local Ontario company to supply HSS and carbide end mills and the pricing is very reasonable. This company is Sowa Machine Tool. They ship. You can expect about 15% - 30% off of the catalogue $$$ if you buy enough and ask nicely! Check out this supplier for measuring tools as well. They can run the quality gamut from high to average as well as the $$$ spectrum. Much less expensive than LV.

KBC Tools is another company to look into.
Tungsten Tool and Saw in Toronto for your bandsaw blades be they for wood, metal, plastic etc.

I hope that these suggestions will get you started. Feel free to contact me for particulars but check out the web for my above suggestions.

[David Laaneorg]

Another quick option, although I cannot speak of the quality or such, but Busy Bee Tools does carry a lot of woodworking and metal working machines and tools.

[Marc Gélinas]

Note: I realize this board may not be quite the right place for such a post, but it seems a lot of the people who neander also do machining and post here so...

Thanks for the links. My metalworking equipment is, to say the least, also modest, as is my shop. But I am considering the long run and am trying to acquire the appropriate tooling for the day I'll actually have time to make all the things I plan to make. The simple fact is that I live in a somewhat rural area not too far from Montreal, but far enough that when I need an end mill or some such tool, I just don't feel like making the trip. In the States there are several suppliers who have easily accessible and understandable websites (McMaster Carr, MSC, Little Machine Shop etc.) and I just don't understand why someone in Canada doesn't get it together (Acklands Grainger is soso but you need a company account). Isn't there a market for this up here?

[Phillip Ngan]

Grizzly Tools now ship to Canada and are offering free brokerage rates for shipping crossing the border. www.grizzly.com
They have a large range of metal working tools.

[Johnny Kleso]

Marc,
Have you check eBay?

I now own 10x more tools than when I was still working in the trade..
You can buy used tools for pennies on the dollar, something I never did while working..

Business & Industrial > Manufacturing & Metalworking > Metalworking Tooling > Cutting Tools & Consumables >

[Marc Gélinas]

Thank you for the comments. In response to Grizzly, shipping across the border (i.e. international rates) for very small orders, say a few drill bits and end mills is very expensive compared to local shipping charges. As for eBay, again shipping rates are sometimes quite high and tooling quality and origin can sometimes be a concern. However I have taken a look at the KBC tool site and they do seem to offer a good selection of tooling. I'll probably try them, and keep looking. And yes I did buy the metal lathe and mill to make an infill plane; eventually. I know it seems a little ridiculous to buy so many tools just to make one more, other tool. The fact is I seem to have a NEED to create things, anything!

[wayne Jepson]

Hi Marc, sounds like you got bit by the same bug as me. Bought a small mill and lathe and started building infills. Done just a couple so far but plan to make many more. They work so well when finished. I have bought all the machines and tools used on KIJIJI. Plenty of good used stuff there. Anything i cant find there i buy from Busy Bee tools. There are some pics of lathe and mill and the infills.

[Johnny Kleso]

Marc,
If your buying tooling 10 times below retail for new old stock and USPS has Flat Rate Intl' Envelopes, I'm not sure you have checked eBay to say its too expensive..

You do have to put some time in looking for what you want but prices for Brand Name drills, taps and end mills is insane, some times a box of 12 for the cost of two or three..

I guess most business think its not worth there time either...
Starrett and Brown & Sharpe parallel clamps are like a few bucks a piece in lots in like new condition not the $20 or $40 each retail...

[george wilson]

CDCO is,from all reports,much better than Shars. I use them myself. Their products are also from China,but better quality.

There was a long discussion on another (machinist's) forum about the two. Shars is not well liked.

Chris,try CDCO. You know I won't steer you wrong.

[Johnny Kleso]

I was checking the Machinist Tools last night on ebay and it seems many used tool sellers have made eBay there home and I did not find as many great buys as I remembered...

I am hoping its a slow time of the year but maybe prices are rising..

[Marc Gélinas]

Actually, I have bought quite a few tools off of EBay, but as Mr. Kleso points out it takes time and sometimes the time spent looking is rather annoying as for most hobbyists, time looking for stuff is time not spent in your shop. In the end I know I have a whole lot to learn and many of you actually have taught and inspired me to at the very least try and make things. I'm just like most people, got the tools (some anyway), got the materials, just don't have the bloody time!

PS, if things go according to plans, I should start on a plane not long after the holidays.

PPS: I did score on a machinist tools chest (with tools!) lately, so things are looking up! And I did have time to actually start on a tool cabinet for my woodworking tools. Not a beauty but cheap and functional.

[Marc Gélinas]

NICE!!! Mr Jepson. If you should undertake an adjuster sometime, I'd like to hear about it as I'm still looking at several options and haven't quite made-up my mind yet.