Greetings from France

[phillamb168]

Hi everybody,

I'm an American expat living near Paris. I joined the forum here, as opposed to an American one, mainly because I don't want to be told "just go by some 2x4s" - that is to say, the regional differences between Europe and the US and A are too great, but I still want to be able to post in English, so here I am.

I've been doing small projects, mostly framing and outdoor work, for the last five years or so. I recently decided to take the dive into full-on carpentry and furniture, or 'cabinet making' as we call it in the states.

I don't have a table saw just yet (going to post about that next, actually) but I have a Triton MOF001 1/2" router as well as her stand, and a dewalt 12" double-bevel sliding compound miter saw. Plus some nail guns, makita drivers and a somewhat-underpowered Metabo circular saw. Upcoming projects include a Thomas the Train railway set for my oldest son and a massage table for my wife.

I build websites for a living, and am president of the Paris homebrewing club (and a CAMRA member).

 

[Racers]

Hi, Phil

Welcome, sounds like you will fit in here quite well.

Any pictures of your work?

Pete

 

[phillamb168]

Here's the deck I built, without stairs, this was taken a while back. Nothing super fancy, but it's got enormous roof timber for joists, because I couldn't find anything the 'right' size (2x8 or 2x10). So the structure is solid enough you could put a reasonable amount of load on it.

 

[Jonzjob]

Hi Phil up there. You will be looking for 50 X 100 here mate :mrgreen:

I hadn't realised that there was such a thing as a homebrew society this side of La Manche. An American and a member of CAMRA too. You are a rare and valuable beast. I was never a CAMRA member but I have always loved good English beer. Now, after 8 years, I have got used to the French bier, but not all. Have you ever tried Jenain, in the big 75cl wire corked bottles. Good stuff and I'm enjoying one now :mrgreen:

I was retired when we moved over so I have no idea what it is like earning a living here. How good is your French and if you are going to work full time have you thought about getting Sireted? A lot of people work 'on the black' but if you are caught the Gendarms are not good friends and the people you are working for are also in the proverbial poo. Sorry if I am trying to teach you to suck eggs mate?

What ever, welcome to the forum and whatever you do, the very best of luck to you. :ho2

 

[o0dunk0o]

Hi Phil up there. You will be looking for 50 X 100 here mate :mrgreen:

more like 40x90 ;-)

 

[Jonzjob]

That's what you will get but you still ask for 50 X 100 Dunk :mrgreen: Ask for 40 X 90 and gawd knows what you will get?????? Apart from a strange look that is :?

 

[o0dunk0o]

That's what you will get but you still ask for 50 X 100 Dunk :mrgreen: Ask for 40 X 90 and gawd knows what you will get?????? Apart from a strange look that is :?

I've never asked for 50 x 100, I ask for 4 by 2 ;-)

 

[Jonzjob]

I have no idea if you know it, but in the British forces a piece of 4 X 2 was the piece of cloth that was tied to the pull through cord of a .303 Lee Enfield rifle to clean it. It was 2" wide and marked every 4" with a red line where it had to be torn to do that wepons cleaning 8) 8) The pull through was a length of cord with a small lead weight on the end that was dropped though one end of the barrel to pull the 4 X 2 through. There, not-a-lot-a-people-know-that :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[o0dunk0o]

I have no idea if you know it, but in the British forces a piece of 4 X 2 was the piece of cloth that was tied to the pull through cord of a .303 Lee Enfield rifle to clean it. It was 2" wide and marked every 4" with a red line where it had to be torn to do that wepons cleaning 8) 8) The pull through was a length of cord with a small lead weight on the end that was dropped though one end of the barrel to pull the 4 X 2 through. There, not-a-lot-a-people-know-that :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

I shall add that to the collection of random knowledge floating around in my head, like the origins of the phrase freezing the balls off of a brass monkey, the best knot for tying shoes and what anatidaephobia is

 

[Jonzjob]

Well Dunk, as in your signature, it all Adze up to our cutting edge knowledge mate :mrgreen:

 

[phillamb168]

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone.

Hey John, as you're in France, perhaps you could help me out with a problem I've had.

The first time I went to Leroy Merlin, Castorama, etc, I expected them to be similar to our Home Depots/Lowes in the states. I.e., a broad selection of products ranging from super basic to the stuff real pros use. This was NOT the case. Hilariously, I brought in my mammoth Dewalt F21PL framing nailer to Castorama because I needed a new male air intake. That was the famous day I succeeded in getting the casto people to admit that they "don't carry professional-level equipment." I did get a new air intake though, which was good.

Anyway. My problem: Where the %#&%*&%# can I get kilned hardwood? You should see the looks I get when I ask for Birch stock. I get pointed to the contrecollé stuff, or worse to particle board with a 1/32" veneer. I would think that being close to Paris, I'd be able to find a place that would stock it, but no. It probably doesn't help that the French are notoriously (IMO) averse to using the internet, so my normal way to look things up is pretty much useless.

OK, end of rant. John thanks for any info you can give, I appreciate it!

 

[phillamb168]

Also John yes, I've tried Jenlain before. It's a really great example of a biere de garde. Do you know about this website? saveur-biere.com - they have a ton of british, scottish, US and other beers available to be shipped, and prices are pretty reasonable. Better than wine anyway

 

[Jonzjob]

If you have a look in your annuaire pages jaune for 'scierie' (sawmill) they may well be able to put you in the right direction. At least they 'should' know where their wood goes? If it's a big place they may even kiln it themselves?

Most of my wood comes either off the log pile or donations from neighbours. I haven't found a good supplier anywhere around me here.

I can only agree with you about the DIY sheds. We don't have a Conforama around here, but they are, from what I've heard as bad as the others. Almost all of the supermarkets, garden centers and brickos (DIY sheds) are franchises. I believe that there is an award here for the worst web sites in the world. The majority are the biggest load of pony poo I've found and about as user friendly as a cornered rat! It's no wonder they don't like using them.

I haven't seen that sire before. It looks a goodie, but a 75cl bottle of Jenlain in our Intermarche is just over 2€ and not the 3.60€ they say :shock: :shock: :shock:

 

[phillamb168]

Re the 50x100 comments - thankfully I moved here just in time to see the move towards "MOB" houses (maisons en ossature bois, stick frame houses). So there are more of those, close enough to 2x4 to get the job done. However re cutting size, I cannot find 50x100, I can only find 45x95 :roll: :shock:

 

[Russ]

Anyway. My problem: Where the %#&%*&%# can I get kilned hardwood? You should see the looks I get when I ask for Birch stock. I get pointed to the contrecollé stuff, or worse to particle board with a 1/32" veneer. I would think that being close to Paris, I'd be able to find a place that would stock it, but no. It probably doesn't help that the French are notoriously (IMO) averse to using the internet, so my normal way to look things up is pretty much useless.

Don't get me started!

Trying to find anything online is France is a waste of time. It's quicker to fly to the uk and bring the goods back on a skateboard...

Check these guys out - http://www.miele-bois.com/ Not sure if any of their stock is kilned though?

Good luck and welcome!

Russ

 

[phillamb168]

Anyway. My problem: Where the %#&%*&%# can I get kilned hardwood? You should see the looks I get when I ask for Birch stock. I get pointed to the contrecollé stuff, or worse to particle board with a 1/32" veneer. I would think that being close to Paris, I'd be able to find a place that would stock it, but no. It probably doesn't help that the French are notoriously (IMO) averse to using the internet, so my normal way to look things up is pretty much useless.

Don't get me started!

Trying to find anything online is France is a waste of time. It's quicker to fly to the uk and bring the goods back on a skateboard...

Check these guys out - http://www.miele-bois.com/ Not sure if any of their stock is kilned though?

Good luck and welcome!

Russ

:shock:
They're NEAR PARIS, holy cow. Well I will email them. We will see how 'quickly' they respond, i.e., do they respond at all. Thanks for the link!!!

 

[Russ]

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo don't try emailing. It'll confuse them!

 

[Jonzjob]

I think you'll find it's 50 X 100 sawn Phil? It works that way inthe U.K. too.

Good luck with yer e-mail. Don't hold your breath waiting for the answer. They will probably reply tomorrow working on the principle that tomorrow never comes :mrgreen:

 

[phillamb168]

Well Russ I got a phone call just now from the guy at miele. They said, "no, we can't do that, we only sell whole trees." I asked if they could cut anything at all, to which he said, "No, we don't, we don't, we don't."

Yet another WTF moment (Welcome To France).

Sorry to gripe, but the thing that peeves me the most about a lot of French people is their inability to recognize that things may possibly exist outside of their realm of knowledge, and that there are even people who wish to buy such things.

Where do I even start to find decent wood in this country?

 

[Jonzjob]

Have you tried 'scierie' in your yellow pages?

There has to be some fairly close to you?