Axminster tools to discontinue their engineering courses.

[jon hill 3Participant @jonhill3]

Appologies if this subject has already been covered, I have only just heard form the horses mouth.

I recently made enquires about Axminsters metal machining courses as covid restrictions are begining to lift, regretably they informed me that they will no longer be offering these coarses.

As I outlined to their customer service department, I am of the opinion that this is a valuable resource for newbies with scarce competition. Furthermore I am sure the coarses offered would add to their total sales.

It seems their mind is made up unless the members of this forum can persuade Axminster to carry on… So that got me thinking what other training organisations are there both nationally in the UK and Southwest?

[jon hill 3Participant @jonhill3]

[Frances IoMParticipant @francesiom58905]

can a mod change the title please – I thought it referred to Axminster’s dropping of standard Metric coarse fixings

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

Perhaps their machinery prices may become a little more competitive? No idea of any other training establishments anywhere. I went on a CFE ‘evening class’ once. It was mainly used by those machining cast iron who didn’t want to do it on their own machines!

[Mick B1Participant @mickb1]

Posted by not done it yet on 15/03/2021 13:10:29:

Perhaps their machinery prices may become a little more competitive? No idea of any other training establishments anywhere. I went on a CFE ‘evening class’ once. It was mainly used by those machining cast iron who didn’t want to do it on their own machines!

When I went on one of those, everybody knew it was cover for what amounted to an informal club. That would've been fine, but it also became apparent that the better milling machines were being hogged for more-or-less whole sessions by blokes producing locos for commercial pay.

[Henry BrownParticipant @henrybrown95529]

I'm not surprised, I had a feeling they were running their engineering side down when I bought my ex-display mill in 2019, most of the stock in their Leicester branch was biased towards woodworking and their mailshots reflected this.

[jon hill 3Participant @jonhill3]

Sorry Francis

spelling is not my strong point, perhaps one of the mods can change it.

As regarding course fees, I thought for what you get it is competative, I have seen higher prices. One course, up north which I wont mention said they work to 0.25mm accuarcy which I believe is 10 thou!

I was shocked, I expect even most novices could work to 3 thou with a bit of practice.

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

Course, or some form of instruction is needed for newcomers to the hobby.

Witness some of the threads on this Forum.

Without some understanding of the basics, there are going to be a lot of disappointed and/or disillusioned would be machinists out there.

Howard.

[Mick B1Participant @mickb1]

Posted by Howard Lewis on 15/03/2021 14:33:17:

Course, or some form of instruction is needed for newcomers to the hobby.

…

Howard.

Agreed, and it behoves the machinery distributors to consider the possibilities of supplying it if they want the hobby side of their business to prosper.

Britain will never retain any sort of technical lead, in any field, if the ability to make parts isn't well distributed in the population.

Edited By Mick B1 on 15/03/2021 14:41:54

[Frances IoMParticipant @francesiom58905]

SMEE pre-covid had some courses designed at this level but I understand that hands-on tuition rapidly falls foul of H&S and thus insurance.

Possibly some videos blessed by authority as to their safety etc may be one approach as we have seen just recently the destruction of an not cheap specialised ER nut due to non-understanding of its operation.

Maybe I was lucky in the one local authority course I went on many years ago but it was woodworking for newbies using manual tools so guess avoided the attention of those who signed up purely for access to better machines and was very useful – I near daily sit on the workshop stool constructed so many years ago.

Edited By Frances IoM on 15/03/2021 14:48:43

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

Various threads on here, recently show that there is a need for newcomers to learn the absolute basics of their machine, its safe use, and limitations. (I have seen one mini lathe ruined by trying to take cuts of 8 – 10 mm deep with a heavy feed. The repairs are likely to cost half the price of a new machine! )

Newcomers would learn to drive a car, but seem to think that having bought a lathe they can immediately outperform Cherry Hill.

Basic tuition is needed, either by suppliers, or M E Clubs.

Under normal circumstances, some Clubs do a splendid job providing instruction for junior members, But there is obviously a need for training for more mature newcomers.

We all had to learn to walk before we were able to run, let alone sprint.

Howard

[Peter Low 4Participant @peterlow4]

Living not far from Axminster this is sad news for me. I had been reckoning on doing one of their courses, post covid, to avoid just the beginners muck ups envisioned above.

With help on the forum I've got my ML7 just about sorted and much more usable than when I first got it running. Remembering what my older brother told me 50 years ago, mostly "what not to do" , has enabled me to make a bit of a start with no disasters so far.

I wouldn't count myself as into model engineering, but would be glad to hear of a club, local to South Somerset where a bod wanting to make bits for his motorbike would be welcomed.

Pwete.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Posted by Mick B1 on 15/03/2021 14:40:35:

Agreed, and it behoves the machinery distributors to consider the possibilities of supplying it if they want the hobby side of their business to prosper.

One of the reasons why ARC spent a considerable amount of money supporting the Milling and lathework for beginners series in MEW and published the subsequent book. For example it does tell you how to fit ER collets into the nut unlike any of the old books where they were not even heard of.

In the 25 odd years I've been using Axminster for woodworking I have only felt their engineering side to be a very small amount of their business so may well not be running that side of things down as it was never very high up.

[Andy CarruthersParticipant @andycarruthers33275]

Shame. I enjoyed two workshop courses there a few years ago and learnt a huge amount

Have the instructors decided to retire?

[jon hill 3Participant @jonhill3]

Posted by Andy Carruthers on 15/03/2021 18:46:39:

Shame. I enjoyed two workshop courses there a few years ago and learnt a huge amount

Have the instructors decided to retire?

No from what the customer service rep told me Bob Rolph one of the instructors is considering setting up his own training school.

[Bill PhinnParticipant @billphinn90025]

I've had it from the lips of more than one Axminster Tools employee that demand [for merchandise and training] from woodworkers has traditionally been much higher than demand from metal workers.

Maybe it's that firstly there are higher entry barriers to taking up metalworking than woodworking, and secondly most routine home DIY work involves little metalworking but quite a bit of woodworking. Even professional house bashers don't show much need for metalworking equipment.

[Andy CarruthersParticipant @andycarruthers33275]

Bob is an excellent instructor, if he sets up his own course I would be very tempted to attend

Lots of skills I lack, TIG welding for example

[jon hill 3Participant @jonhill3]

Hi Andy

I have done some tig welding, personally its my favorite arc welding process, consistant reliable results once you get the feel of using the torch and feeding the filler rod.

[Andy CarruthersParticipant @andycarruthers33275]

Thanks Jon, I have a TIG welder but not used it yet, house and workshop move in-flight, probably 6 months before I am set up again

But I digress and risk derailing your thread

Without the Axminster courses, I may have given up before I got started

[Dr. MC BlackParticipant @dr-mcblack73214]

There’s an FE College in North London that ran a Model Engineering evening class until Covid struck.

One of the people enrolled has sadly died during the lockdown and I hope it will restart – but I can’t see this happening until the Autumn, even though we have paid for a full year.

.

[LainchyParticipant @lainchy]

I do hope Bob does set up his own course… He was excellent on the Axminster one. A really good tutor. If nothing else, I got a huge amount of safety info from doing it which I thought was invaluable. Hitting dimensions comes with practice, but there were some great tips.

[ChrisHParticipant @chrish]

I first went into Axminster Tools in Axminster in about 2008 after I moved down to Somerset.

Since that time they have been steadily running down the engineering side with less and less available every time I went in (and seemingly to me putting the prices up on what they did sell) and concentrating on tools and stuff to use on that brown stuff, so not surprised that the engineering courses are to end/have ended.

I stopped going into Axminster Tools about 18months ago because of that. No point.

Chris

[Nigel Smith 4Participant @nigelsmith4]

Posted by Bill Phinn on 15/03/2021 20:14:23:Even professional house bashers don't show much need for metalworking equipment.

 

This is probably why my house is falling apart and my workshop is pretty much immaculate, luckily my other half doesn't visit the workshop

Edited By Nigel Smith 4 on 16/03/2021 14:28:16

[Ketan SwaliParticipant @ketanswali79440]

Posted by JasonB on 15/03/2021 17:24:31:

Posted by Mick B1 on 15/03/2021 14:40:35:

Agreed, and it behoves the machinery distributors to consider the possibilities of supplying it if they want the hobby side of their business to prosper.

One of the reasons why ARC spent a considerable amount of money supporting the Milling and lathework for beginners series in MEW and published the subsequent book. For example it does tell you how to fit ER collets into the nut unlike any of the old books where they were not even heard of.

In the 25 odd years I've been using Axminster for woodworking I have only felt their engineering side to be a very small amount of their business so may well not be running that side of things down as it was never very high up.

The books are designed for people who are unable to do a coarse for various reasons, such as cost, unable to travel, wanting to do their own thing in their own time. This represents a far bigger market then those limited to being able to attend a coarse…. even though hands-on touch and feel of machine and tools is a great thing.

Being able to offer the books has made life a lot more easier for ARC when dealing with new customers, as we are able to direct them to the books which cover answers to most of the questions they seek relating to use of machines and related tooling. In turn, this has helped sales of machines and tools across the range too.

Sales of the books have been steady in the U.K. and across Europe, and to a certain extent in Australia. Sales in the U.S. have been a lot more than expected, probably due to the geographical size of the market.

Before commissioning and sponsoring the series in the MEW, (followed by publication of the books), ARC had considered running coarse on site, but abandoned the idea due to various reasons.

To the best of my knowledge, a long time ago (don't know when), Axminster Tools did woodworking and metalworking tools. Then they dropped out of the metalworking hobby market, and re-introduced the metalworking machines in around 2006/7. Since then, they have been expanding their range in this area.

Ketan at ARC.

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

The issue of training for the new to the field is fraught with problems. If being done properly in a commercial setting then the biggest of them is insurance. On offering to oversee the setting up of a club foundry.The idea was seen as a great asset. Plans had been made and a weekend pencilled in. Suddenly, the plug was pulled due to to control over who would be able to use it and Insuranse. Noel.

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