Quality Grinding not doing Extension Wings [Archive] - Sawmill Creek Woodworking Community

Anthony Anderson

02-28-2010, 7:27 PM

I looked them up about 1.5 weeks ago, when I was going to order a cast iron router table. Found out the same thing. I didn't contact them, but found the info either here, or on elsewhere on the internet.

Chris manufactured a custom router table with cast iron top and all, and then awarded it to a member here at SMC. It was a contest actually, and a person won this router table, and a VERY nice one at that. The person was obligated to do a thorough review, and voluntarily (supposedly) set up a website to host his thorough review of the router table. This was a generous contest offered by Chris, which benefited the winner, and hopefully some referrals/orders for Chris for some of the new router tables.

The person who won the router table, NEVER, fulfilled their end of the bargain. NEVER set up the website, NEVER reviewed the machine, NEVER wrote an article of review. Nothing! I found out all of this when I was trying to contact Chris at Quality. I couldn't believe that someone would be of this low of character, when Chris and SMC was so generous to him.

I did a search of the winner's name, and he has had enough nerve to post here, since winning the custom router table. I will not mention names though.

But I feel that we, members at SMC, missed out on the opportunity to own a nice router table. Moreover, I am sure that Chris was thoroughly disgusted that someone took advantage of him, and his generosity.

I ended up purchasing a Bench Dog ProMax Cast Iron router table top to fit onto my New Yankee Workshop router base/cart. So far I am very happy with it. Good Luck in your search.

Bill

William Hutchinson

02-28-2010, 7:49 PM

Chris manufactured a custom router table with cast iron top and all, and then awarded it to a member here at SMC. It was a contest actually, and a person won this router table, and a VERY nice one at that. The person was obligated to do a thorough review, and voluntarily (supposedly) set up a website to host his thorough review of the router table. This was a generous contest offered by Chris, which benefited the winner, and hopefully some referrals/orders for Chris for some of the new router tables.

The person who won the router table, NEVER, fulfilled their end of the bargain. NEVER set up the website, NEVER reviewed the machine, NEVER wrote an article of review. Nothing! I found out all of this when I was trying to contact Chris at Quality. I couldn't believe that someone would be of this low of character, when Chris and SMC was so generous to him.

But I feel that we, members at SMC, missed out on the opportunity to own a nice router table. Moreover, I am sure that Chris was thoroughly disgusted that someone took advantage of him, and his generosity.

Bill

Are you saying that this company's marketing plan for product promotion and sales was entirely dependent on the voluntary efforts of a contest winner? And from the winner's review of a free prize, he was suppose to convince people of his unbiased opinion?:eek:

Jason White

02-28-2010, 8:01 PM

Yeah, I don't think a contest winner should be responsible for creating a web site to promote some company's product, especially on his own nickel.

Jason

Are you saying that this company's marketing plan for product promotion and sales was entirely dependent on the voluntary efforts of a contest winner? And from the winner's review of a free prize, he was suppose to convince people of his unbiased opinion?:eek:

Alex Shanku

02-28-2010, 8:04 PM

Yeah, I don't think a contest winner should be responsible for creating a web site to promote some company's product, especially on his own nickel.

Jason

Jason, that was the winners idea to have a website set up, NOT the promoter or Sawmillcreek.

Read the old thread if you care to find out some more details.

Myk Rian

02-28-2010, 8:05 PM

I've been wondering when we were going to get that review. Well, that question has certainly been answered.

Anthony Anderson

02-28-2010, 8:19 PM

Jason, that was the winners idea to have a website set up, NOT the promoter or Sawmillcreek.

Read the old thread if you care to find out some more details.

Thank you for explaining that Alex. My mistake if I made it sound like that was a requirement. It was not, it was the winner's idea, and was used to convince the business/person donating that custom router table, to award the router table to the winner.

Bill

Keith Outten

03-01-2010, 8:00 AM

In our original agreement the review was supposed to be here at SawMill Creek. The winner decided he preferred to create a web site, the review was never provided to us here at The Creek.

I doubt that the success of Quality Grinding and Machine hinged on the success of this particular promotion. The company was on the front end of the economic downturn based on the fact that they are a machine shop related business. Chris Brown is probably still trying to hold on but I haven't heard from him in over a year.

I had one of the router tables ordered but never received it :(
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Mark Carlson

03-01-2010, 12:50 PM

Thats too bad. I bought a 24in model for a General 650. Quality grinding had a great product that I'm really happy with. ~mark

Mike Heidrick

03-01-2010, 1:23 PM

Before I would post negative info about a member I would get his side of the story.

Daniel Berlin

03-01-2010, 2:59 PM

Before I would post negative info about a member I would get his side of the story.

What?
Don't be silly.
It's more fun this way.

Doug Shepard

03-01-2010, 4:58 PM

I'm certainly glad I got mine when I did. Bummer for folks wanting a great extension option. I hope they can get back into that part of the business in the future.

Gary Herrmann

03-01-2010, 9:47 PM

I hope they do start making router tables again. Wasn't the right time for me then, but they appeared to do fantastic work from the pics.

Jerome Hanby

03-02-2010, 9:52 AM

I'm sure by what folks have posted at SMC that their tables were fantastic, but I'm not sure how you compete with a $230-$250 cast iron extension wing from Peachtree (and I'm sure others). Especially when Peachtree bases their shipping on the item price (according to their sales rep on the phone). It would cost me about $25 to have one of their wings shipped to me.

Matt Day

03-02-2010, 10:02 AM

I vaguely recall this drama. It seems to me that if the contest winner was obligated to do a review of the product (whether here on SMC or on his own website) and he never did, why would he still be allowed to post here at SMC? Seems like a violation of the rules - not to mention just plain "in your face" to Quality. I'd like to hear this guy's side of the story too.

edit: forgot to mention - I'm sure this one instance is not the reason why Quality stopped production. But giving away router tables and getting nothing in return I'm sure didn't help.

Brian Kincaid

03-02-2010, 10:16 AM

Well I didn't win the contest but I did have Chris fabricate an Incra-style offset router table for me.

They did a great job on my table. The machining was absolutely perfect. It actually frustrates me that they didn't appear to get their return on investment because they make a really really good product. Or, maybe they have seen growth in other areas and can't spend time on the one-offs? Either way I wish them the best of luck.

-Brian

Keith Outten

03-02-2010, 10:32 AM

For me it wasn't about the price at all, it was the quality.

Welded steel is in my opinion the absolute best material for extension wings and table tops. Machining the surfaces perfectly flat after the welding is done provides the best and most durable surface you can get. The price reflects the quality of what you buy in this case, welding and machining are not inexpensive services to provide nor is the steel a low cost material these days.

I have two of the extension wings on my table saw with router lifts installed, they are amazing. The fit is perfect and the sound deadening capability of the steel is a nice bonus. Honestly I don't believe that there is any product on the market that is even remotely close to the quality of the Quality Grinding wings and tables.
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Richard Gibson

03-02-2010, 11:01 AM

Mike Heidrick

03-02-2010, 12:57 PM

I can honestly think that there is NO ONE that would base buying that router table on a one member's review on SMC. Its not like you casually consider a router table like that and then see a review and buy it. It is not like the experienced tool buyer will think "All I need is one generic review and I will buy one". Sure it was good press but better than that review was that they had a conetst that you had to post in a thread to enter (meaning you knew the product existed). Something was far greater an issue than SMC and a review. Maybe QG will post here and let us know someday. Heck, build the one Keith wanted and have him do a BIASED review for SMC and its members and any other casual members that stop by.

Best of luck to QG.

Anthony Anderson

03-02-2010, 3:41 PM

I am of the same mind as Keith on this. It was more about quality than the price, and supporting a business that supported SMC.

Mike H., I intend what I am about to say with all respect. I wasn't going to base my purchase solely on any one person's review, but it certainly would have been considered as part of my decision to purchase a router table from QG&M.

I do believe that the person who was supposed to review the router table did not live up to his end of the bargain. After members posted, inquiring about review, the winner did surface and explained that he was busy, or something to that effect. So yes, the winner did give his side of the story. Do a search, you can find it. If he was too busy to do the review then the router table should have been re-crated, and the contest started again, and awarded to a person who would have given, and had a good history of writing good/excellent review, such as yourself, as I, and many others, enjoy your projects that you post.

A person is as good as their word. Unfortunately, often, many people find excuses easier than living up to their word. For me, it was a matter of principle.

Regards, Bill

Roger Myers

03-02-2010, 5:06 PM

Creekers,
I was not the winner of the router table promotion however I did win one of the free stuff drawings and was the very very lucky recipient of an extension wing and router lift. I posted about that win and the product in this post:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=102506

To follow up on that original posting, let me say that the extension wing and lift have become a very useful tool in my workshop. I love being able to dial the cut in with the router lift, and the extension wing fit and finish is great. I have a Bies fence on the saw, but what I generally do is clamp my Lee Valley router table fence to the Bies and use that as my fence set-up for routing.

I'm very sad to see that things didn't work out for Chris and Quality Grinding with respect to the router tables and extension wings as he made a great product and his service in delivering it to me was fantastic.

Roger

Mike Heidrick

03-03-2010, 1:30 AM

Bill, I too am sad the review did not come out. Maybe it will someday but I guess what is the point now other than saving face.

So are there any other choices for router tables with all steel parts out there. Have folks fashioned some benchdog or Lee valley or other steel tables to some machine bases.

I personally have a woodpecker table (deal on a A grade refurb) with a incra fence and PRL V1 on a Kreg stand. It is all the router table I need but it is no steel setup. My friend wants a "shaper quality router table" if that exists.

I am sure I have a lot of reviews I could do so I need to start stepping up more. My girls/wife and my job are my priority though. Hope to do one on a Woodtek Matchmaker though and I have some bandsaw blades I can review.

Keith Outten

03-03-2010, 9:34 AM

I called Chris Brown yesterday and left a message on his voice mail asking him to call me. No answer yet.

The FreeStuff Drawings and other promotions that we have done here in the past are a very powerful advertising tool. They provide the sponsor access to approximately 100,000 woodworkers and more since we archive the threads. If you have never paid for advertising you probably can't appreciate how effective and inexpensive the drawings are, particularly if you are launching a new business of product. You could spend $100,000.00 and not receive anywhere near the exposure to the number of people that either belong to this Community or visit SawMill Creek. Donating an $800.00 item is dirt cheap advertising, particularly when the winner creates a new thread after using the prize and raves about the product.

There is a secondary benefit for companies who decide to sponsor drawings here. They become part of our Community in a sense because they are supporting The Creek and at the same time everyone loves an opportunity to win a nice prize.
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JohnT Fitzgerald

03-03-2010, 9:42 AM

Keith, I could not agree with you more about the cost and benefits of advertising.

FWIW, I'm disappointed QG isn't around. I had inquired about an extension wing, but since I was going to be replacing my TS (old one was 22" deep and new one is 27") I decided to wait. Looks like I missed my opportunity :(

Ben Martin

03-03-2010, 9:54 AM

I have been thinking about making a 3D model and corresponding drawings of a router table similar to theirs (if you search the archives, all of the details on construction are there) and putting them on mfgquote.com. I think that this might be a viable option since you can customize the table to whatever you want...

Another route would be to find a company that can grind table saw tops; if they can do that, I expect they have the tools to make a nice router table.

Vijay Kumar

03-03-2010, 11:51 AM

Keith,
For what it is worth when you do talk to him please tell him of the potential customers out here. I would certainly like to buy one.
Vijay

Keith Outten

03-03-2010, 12:17 PM

Chris called me this morning. He has suspended Quality Grinding at this point and isn't sure at this point what he might do in the future. Currently he is working with his FIL in his machine shop and renting space in his building that was Quality Grinding.

I asked him to talk to his FIL to see if he would be interested in providing extension wings and router tables, Chris said he would discuss it with him.
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John Coloccia

03-03-2010, 12:20 PM

I'm looking right now, in fact, for someone that will sell me a TS extension router table for my SawStop. I don't want a weekend project. I want something with all the proper holes drilled for my SS fence, legs (or include their own legs). Also I want it to have a nice fence system. I want to use a nice lift, like a Jessem. I want to take it out of the box, and bolt it together, not take it out, scratch my head, drill a dozen holes in cast iron, etc. Not that I couldn't do all this, but I'd rather spend my time working than fiddling. If anyone knows of anything like this, I'd love to know about it.