Big Orange Warehouse

[Lonsdale73]

Yes, I know they're not the best place to buy timber from but in the absence of a van at least my local store has the facility to cut down 8x4 sheets into manageable pieces. Just not necessarily the sizes that I asked for!

 

[shed9]

:?

 

[lurker]

I hate the orange place with a passion and have been know to throw a mega tantrum if they suggest I use the self checkout.
However like you, thats where I go for sheet for the same reason as you.
I find their cutting is spot on even though I have asked for strange combinations

Also I managed to blag a Jaw horse (price elsewhere around £100) there just after christmas for £20 when they had a special. It has proved to be very useful bit of kit

 

[Lonsdale73]

I hate the orange place with a passion and have been know to throw a mega tantrum if they suggest I use the self checkout.
However like you, thats where I go for sheet for the same reason as you.
I find their cutting is spot on even though I have asked for strange combinations

Also I managed to blag a Jaw horse (price elsewhere around £100) there just after christmas for £20 when they had a special. It has proved to be very useful bit of kit

In fairness, I don't usually ask for a simple cut in half that their more regular requests would be but I do tend to plan it all out first and go in with a fully dimensioned diagram for them to work from, going through it step by step if need be, The guy yesterday tried to tell me I couldn't get two pieces 594mm in length out of a piece measuring 1220mm, kept trying to tell me I must have measured it wrong. We got there in the end but it required a second sheet and even then he struggled with the maths, generating much more waste than h needed to.

 

[Graham Orm]

The value of B&Q to me as a tradesman is that there is one in every town and they stock just about everything. I use merchants as a rule, but without B&Q I'd have been knackered more times than I'd like to remember.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Ours has the facility to cut 8' x 4's accurately ... unfortunately someone's decided the largest they need to actually stock is 4' x 4'. :? You'd have thought plummeting sales of sheet stuff would have shown them it was a bad move, but obviously a year or two later not.

 

[DiscoStu]

couldn't get two pieces 594mm in length out of a piece measuring 1220mm

in fairness that is pretty tight when allowing for the kerf of the blade. I'm sure there plades aren't 12mm wide but if the board isn't perfectly square and is a mm or two out I can see why it could cause issues.

 

[Lonsdale73]

couldn't get two pieces 594mm in length out of a piece measuring 1220mm

in fairness that is pretty tight when allowing for the kerf of the blade. I'm sure there plades aren't 12mm wide but if the board isn't perfectly square and is a mm or two out I can see why it could cause issues.

They came up 200mm short with a kerf of 2mm

 

[MusicMan]

I also use my local B&Q Warehouse (Coventry) for cutting sheet goods, as my workshop is not big enough to handle them. And they're getting heavier every year . I have found them really good. Close on tolerance, and able to handle complicated layouts, with no mistakes so far. Except in my planning, once!

The other thing they are good on is stocks of screws, nuts and bolts in lots of sizes and types.

Keith

 

[Jelly]

The value of B&Q to me as a tradesman is that there is one in every town and they stock just about everything. I use merchants as a rule, but without B&Q I'd have been knackered more times than I'd like to remember.

I get the impression that that is where most of their trade business comes from.

A friend works as an on-call repairs and maintainance sort of person for a Facilities Management company and to quote "I hate going in, but where else can I buy a replacement sink, a door handle and a sheet of OSB at 3pm on Sunday"... I have no idea what someone had done to require those three items on a sunday afternoon.

 

[Wuffles]

You all (or at least some) have a Tradepoint card right? Or some means to use one?

 

[Homerjh]

worth a mention, if it is in B&Q then compare with screwfix before you buy if possible

same owner company and sometimes the screwfix price is a LOT less than B&Q, and they are usually spread out as well.

Obviously not for wood but for screws and suchlike, hardware and that sort of item.

I needed a lot of ground cover weed matting as doing a lot of patio work in the back garden (1 smallish shed base, 1 large shed base and a small base for a chicken coop) and had 100 meters for £30, B&Q had 30 meters for £31, so pretty much 1/3rd of the price per meter. I still have loads left, but previously we spent £90 on 3 rolls and a few months later checked screwfix and found the price difference...

Also for tradepoint you need to prove you are a trader, however they don't ask for a VAT number and dont seem to check too deeply. I still have the card and doing the kitchen and other work in the garden have saved substantial amounts of cash, discount varies on the items but doing 3 raised beds with 2 rows of flags we saw around a 20-25% discount, and noticed that when there are multi-pack offers (ie 5 planks for £25 or £7 each) you get the single items at the rate of the multipack.

so if you use them a lot it is worth asking about tradepoint.....

 

[Phil Pascoe]

couldn't get two pieces 594mm in length out of a piece measuring 1220mm

in fairness that is pretty tight when allowing for the kerf of the blade. I'm sure there plades aren't 12mm wide but if the board isn't perfectly square and is a mm or two out I can see why it could cause issues.

32mm - some kerf. :shock:

 

[Wuffles]

Also for tradepoint you need to prove you are a trader, however they don't ask for a VAT number and dont seem to check too deeply. I still have the card and doing the kitchen and other work in the garden have saved substantial amounts of cash, discount varies on the items but doing 3 raised beds with 2 rows of flags we saw around a 20-25% discount, and noticed that when there are multi-pack offers (ie 5 planks for £25 or £7 each) you get the single items at the rate of the multipack.

so if you use them a lot it is worth asking about tradepoint.....

Only needed a "website" and headed paper when I got mine, but that was a while ago. Discounts are random, you're right, but they do often have the equivalent of a screwfix catalogue on the trade counter at the same prices more or less, just branded differently.

 

[DiscoStu]

couldn't get two pieces 594mm in length out of a piece measuring 1220mm

in fairness that is pretty tight when allowing for the kerf of the blade. I'm sure there plades aren't 12mm wide but if the board isn't perfectly square and is a mm or two out I can see why it could cause issues.

32mm - some kerf. :shock:

Note to self - don't add up in your head and then post to the world!

That would be more of a stacked dado than a kerf!




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[fatbadcat]

As already said a trade account is quite simple to set up, just two peices of 'evedence', I used a business card and a letter from the revenue but have heard a sighn written van or uniform will work too. Don't get too excited about a trade card, it's good for timber (you will always pay the discounted bulk price however little you buy) but don't expect a discount on all your purchases.

I agree that it's the place to go when you need something desperately or your a very general member of the public who just needs some simple DIY done. There sheet stock can be 'interesting' depending how it's been stacked and sat.

As for cutting, it depends who you get. Some are just young lads who mean well. What do you expect for minimum wage and limited training? A friendly nudge in the right direction is all that is needed sometimes.

I like the place but recognise its limitations.

 

[monkeybiter]

I bought my kitchen from B&Q [stop laughing at the back!] and we got his & hers Tradepoint cards at that point. I think it was the salesman's way of reducing the price to win the purchase. The acount's been active for >5 years now, and used occasionally. Neither of us is in the trade, nor were we asked for any proof.

p.s. The kitchen [as fitted and adapted by me] is still fine and solid.

 

[Homerjh]

I bought my kitchen from B&Q [stop laughing at the back!] and we got his & hers Tradepoint cards at that point. I think it was the salesman's way of reducing the price to win the purchase. The acount's been active for >5 years now, and used occasionally. Neither of us is in the trade, nor were we asked for any proof.

p.s. The kitchen [as fitted and adapted by me] is still fine and solid.

same here.

we used their designer, nice bloke, friendly, looked good in the plans/etc.

then realised that there was no consideration for the stop tap and some other measurement issue so the sink would be in the middle of the window, essentially losing a good chunk of workspace.

so a quick measure, alterations to cabinets (in the corner used a corner cabinet and cut the rear to accommodate the stop tap), and the same for the kitchen area (at this stage we had 2 rooms, 1 had 2 pipes for the water and outlet and the other was blank), got the trade card and saved a fortune over what he recommended.

 

[bussy]

Hi
I was in with a mate who had a trade card, the young lady behind the counter aaked if I wanted one, told her I wasn't trade, not a problem, she even suggested a company name.

 

[Graham Orm]

B&Q isn't a trade supplier, their trade prices often don't come close to 'proper' trade outlets. Some things don't get discounted at all!