Gauges

Recently I needed to acquire an accessory for my Vicmarc VL300 lathe. After contacting all of the Vicmarc dealers in the U.S. together with all of the woodturning specialty houses with whom I was familiar, I had no success, the typical response being that the accessory I needed might be available in three to six months.

Then I discovered Ken Rude at Branches to Bowls. com in Canada. Ken is the Canadian Vicmarc dealer. I called and spoke directly with him - the accessory I needed was in stock - and in a matter of a few days I had the Vicmarc accessory I needed. To me, customer service is extremely important, and the service I received from Ken was outstanding and exceptional in every way. From my initial conversation - to timely updates regarding pricing and shipping - to follow up e-mails to assure on time receipt of my order, Ken’s service was fast, professional, personable, and customer oriented.

I could not have been more pleased. It is so good to have a supplier that is dedicated to providing quality Vicmarc equipment together with truly outstanding customer service.

Sincerely,

I purchased a Vicmarc VL240 from “Branches to Bowls Ltd” in October, 2017. Negotiations, details, and agreements were all done long distance (phone and email). I was very pleased with Ken’s friendly, informative, customer friendly approach throughout the process (and since). Now I am enjoying an excellent lathe that is versatile, stable, powerful and precise! This workhorse runs for hours without any sign of heating...all sizes and types of wood keep changing shape...and I...enjoy!

...and I hum my theme song (from the Byrds)...”There is a season, turn, turn, turn...”

All my experiences with Ken Rude have been truly excellent.  Ken is always helpful and this goes way beyond when you buy from him.  He is always ready to answer questions, offer advice, and share his knowledge.  I cannot recommend Ken Rude and Branches to Bowls highly enough.  I just wish other companies gave the same level of service and support.  Thank you, Ken.   

Hey Ken,

Quick email to say how pleased I am with the Carter and Son tools. I’m re-learning how to turn all over again it seems but what a joy to get covered in a pile of curly shavings, lol. These tools are like being handed the keys too a Porsche after driving a Russian Lada. I’ve just started working with the bowl gauge, the spindle gauge is amazing, especially on higher speed, the shavings fly off.

The bowl gauge works so well at my lowest speed, it’s just so much safer. The only problem I have now is that all other tools fail in comparison... Starting too think about a couple more down the road once I get more time flying curly shavings.

Cheers,

I have chucks from all the major manufacturers, but my VM-100 is by far the best! I love that it is easy to use but more importantly its holding power!