S & J Discount tools--Where NOT to buy Bahco files

[Steve Voigt]

I've had a tough time finding these files in the sizes I want, without buying a box of 10 (and I don't really want to buy 10 before trying a couple first).
I did find a place, S & J Discount tools, so I ordered a few files. What a mistake. I should have researched them, but it was fairly small purchase so it slipped my mind. Turns out there hundreds of complaints about them on various forums.
Anyway, they don't appear to have shipped my files, though I can't be sure because they provide no tracking info, have no phone #, and haven't answered multiple emails. They haven't actually charged my cc, thankfully, which is why I assume they haven't shipped the files. I finally sent them an email cancelling the order, but got no acknowledgement of that, either.
I looked into putting a stop payment on the order, but my evil bank would charge as much as the order itself, so all I can do is monitor my account and then dispute the charge if it shows up.
My guess is that they are not outright fraudulent (otherwise they would have charged my cc right away); they are probably just a disorganized mess with no concept of customer service.
Anyway, I would strongly discourage anyone from ordering from them.

How do places like this stay in business? Answer: morons like me who don't do their research before buying!

[David Weaver]

Yeah, they have something that not lots of places do and when the purchase is small and the shopping cart is there, we do it.

If you buy boxes of 10 at auto tool world (which is just a drop ship shopping cart to get the files from williams tool), I guarantee you could sell off half of each box at cost in the classifieds here if you wanted to split them up. You won't need to coordinate any parties that could otherwise back out on you.

I bought in boxes of ten, and I don't want to share, otherwise I would've done that. The actual cost of the files from there is somewhere on the order of $5-$7.50 and they are fabulous files that will last a saw maintainer a VERY long time. It wouldn't be out of line to expect that each file would resharpen a saw ten times.

[Steve Voigt]

Good advice, I will probably just bite the bullet and buy the box of 10. I'm trying to make some floats, and it is pretty hard on the cheapo files.

[Glenn Samuels]

David,

I just looked at the Auto Tool World site and I am seeing prices if you buy one at a time. Have they changed their policy?
I am also new to saw sharpening and can't figure out their codes for files specific to sharpening the saws? Any suggestions?

Can you also explain what second cut designates?

[David Weaver]

Glenn - you can ignore that. I did the same thing. I ordered 10 of some and 5 of another. AFter I made my order, they told me that I needed to buy sets of 10 for all. I don't think these are a large part of their business and their site doesn't accurately reflect what they can get from williams. If you order individuals, a week later, you'll get an email from them saying that they're sorry, but you'll either have to cancel your order or up the quantities to 10.

Make sure you order boxes. When you look at your price ticket at the end after you get a few boxes, I know it'll make your head spin, but they are the best files at the moment and you'll have no problem selling off parts of the boxes. They are expertly packed, too - none is loose in the paper in contact with the other in the box. They come evenly made and pristine.

[David Weaver]

Good advice, I will probably just bite the bullet and buy the box of 10. I'm trying to make some floats, and it is pretty hard on the cheapo files.

Bit of an aside, and I know you didn't ask for the suggestion, but if I were in your shoes, I'd make the cheek and edge float types if I were going to make them, and just spend the money on LN's bed floats and side floats if you want the side floats. There's no great need to have both side floats, and no great need to have more than one bed float, and a bed float is enormously useful for fitting dovetails on large cases, mortise and tenons, etc, and doing it extremely quickly. I say that from having tried - the big flat floats are SUCH a pain to file from bar stock. If I'd have persisted at it, I would only file the first two inches or so of them, that's the heavy use area.

I've convinced a few people to buy the bed float to tune joints, and everyone has glowing comments about it. It's like sanding a joint to fit, except you don't have that dirty filthy immoral philanderer in church feeling you get when you use sandpaper. Plus it doesn't round over things like sanding can.

(maybe you already have it, if you do, my apologies for offering unsolicited information).

[Steve Voigt]

Bit of an aside, and I know you didn't ask for the suggestion, but if I were in your shoes, I'd make the cheek and edge float types if I were going to make them, and just spend the money on LN's bed floats and side floats if you want the side floats. There's no great need to have both side floats, and no great need to have more than one bed float, and a bed float is enormously useful for fitting dovetails on large cases, mortise and tenons, etc, and doing it extremely quickly. I say that from having tried - the big flat floats are SUCH a pain to file from bar stock. If I'd have persisted at it, I would only file the first two inches or so of them, that's the heavy use area.

I've convinced a few people to buy the bed float to tune joints, and everyone has glowing comments about it. It's like sanding a joint to fit, except you don't have that dirty filthy immoral philanderer in church feeling you get when you use sandpaper. Plus it doesn't round over things like sanding can.

(maybe you already have it, if you do, my apologies for offering unsolicited information).

I always appreciate the suggestions. I already made the edge float--that was pretty simple--and am 2/3 of the way through the push side float. I agree that the side float is a real bear, which is why I started yearning for better files!
I'll make the cheek float later, but these are the two I really wanted. I don't feel an urgent need for the bed float, and yeah, you are totally right about trying to make one; I can see it's more trouble than it's worth. I'll probably get the LN eventually, but for now I'm fine with my Nicholson super shear and a scraping chisel.

[David Weaver]

Yeah, the bed float is more useful for general use than it is in planes, especially as the material gets harder (a scraping chisel is better).

[Ray Bohn]

David,


Can you also explain what second cut designates?

http://www.wkfinetools.com/tmaking/S...Vanderv-02.asp

[David Weaver]

David,

I just looked at the Auto Tool World site and I am seeing prices if you buy one at a time. Have they changed their policy?
I am also new to saw sharpening and can't figure out their codes for files specific to sharpening the saws? Any suggestions?

Can you also explain what second cut designates?

Like that link Ray posted says, it designates how coarse the files cut, how coarse they're toothed. Second cut is fine for saws if that's what bahco is calling their saw files.

[Paul Crowe]

Steve did the files arrive?

[Matthew N. Masail]

I had the same thing. ordered a box, they didn't ship. sent several e-mails, eventually I asked to cancel the order, got a answer a while later saying it has been canceled and they apologize. seemed like they didn't care much to fill a small order.

[David Weaver]

Did you guys try auto tool world? Not sure if Williams tool will drop ship overseas.

[Matthew N. Masail]

I ordered them to the US while I was there. shipping them here would make each file 12$... lol

[Steve Voigt]

Steve did the files arrive?

No, I had a similar experience to Matt's. They emailed me about 3 weeks after I placed the order and cancelled it.