I recently made a “Regency style” dining table for my brother’s family based on a plan and article(Zeitoun, March/ April 2005) in FWW. The plan called for casters on the feet of the table.
I purchased 3 casters with “dark antique” finish at US$50+ each from a highly regarded source not known for inexpensive products (because 1. they are recommended by professionals whose opinions I value; 2. I have used their products in the past and they have been of good quality; 3. with the pandemic the wood -sapele /mahogany- for the table was already so costly I didn’t want to “cheap out” with potentially poorer quality hardware and compromise the whole project and 4. I chose “dark antique” instead of just brass so that casters would be unobtrusive considering the wood used for the table).
So when I delivered the table to my brother and set it on it’s castered feet on the white tiled floor and moved it into position, I was aghast to see stark dark streaks left by the casters on the floor. This was the first impression my brother and his family had of my craftsmanship, such as it is.
My question for this forum is : Does a reputable dealer / source have a responsibility to NOT sell products that perform poorly when used as intended?
When I contacted the seller I received a response to the effect that all finishes that are “applied” to brass will wear off when rubbed, a fact I was unaware of. But I was more bothered with the fact that they were selling a product that by it’s very nature will roll and encounter friction and is covered with a thin layer that will transfer to other surfaces upon rubbing
Replies
It's the nature of those wee casters, I'm afraid. I only used them once, and wouldn't again. I'd consider them part of the style of a piece, not a functional part. Especially on a piece as large as your table. There is a lot of weight bearing on a tiny area, so I would expect them to leave deep indents on wood floors, too.
I really don't think the hardware maker is liable in this case.
Hey,
Good looking table. You obviously take great care in your work.
To the point; when/if merchants tests their products it's acceptable to them to test with no load on the product. Everything tests well that way. So, again to them, you must've used the item(s) incorrectly or not as suggested, since their testing showed no problems.
As to their culpability: all you can do is keep pestering them. If you don't get resolution you're left with bad-mouthing them every chance you get. Or you could try the Better Business Bureau. Either/or, I believe you're stuck with a bummer product.
Sorry I couldn't offer better advice,
Mikaol
You could “go public” with your complaint. I know this is “sort-of” a public forum, but based on the number of posts not really very public. I have a Laguna 18bx bandsaw. After reading so many posts about their terrible customer service I almost didn’t buy it. One of those posts was a video series by a guy (Redneck Retired, or something like that) about his experience with a defective brand new 18BX. Laguna sent him a new trunnion and lower wheel based on his videos on his YouTube channel. Long story, but my point is, document the problem with a video, to show the company, and to post publicly everywhere you can if they don’t satisfy your request.
I don't think you'll get anywhere with the merchant unless you wish to pursue a simple refund based on not being 100% satisfied with their product.
That's a very nice looking table and bummer on what happened.
Thank you all very much for your considered responses.
I wish there was a sense of pride and responsibility among the better dealers that would prevent them from selling products such as these casters.
I have indeed had great experiences with people from Lee Valley and Tools for WorkingWood steering me away from expensive purchases that would have been mistakes to better choices once I explained to them what I was trying accomplish. And just because of that I am more likely to shop at those merchants.
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