Woodturners Wonders

[Tyler Lyght]

Those look good, I might recommend them to some people. Thanks for the tip.

One thing to keep in mind is the Amazon page indicates the width is only 1". I've been spoiled with the WTW MegaSquare wheels, 1.5" wide and with 1" of grid down the sides. I like the wider wheel especially when sharpening large skews, and use the side grit when making some custom tools. However, the WTW wheels (if you can get them!) are more, listed at $180. (I use 60 and 600 grits)

Mega Square 8" Diameter, 5/8" Arbor

This wheel is for customers who are not concerned about having a radius edge, it offers more flat area on both the surface and sides than any of our other wheels. The wheel edge is covered with CBN material and is a full 1.5 inches wide and 8-inches in diameter. The side faces are a full 1-inch...

woodturnerswonders.com

JKJ

To be fair, the Amazon link looks like the spartan wheel from WTW rather than the mega square. Not a lot of difference, but they charge $160 and take $10 off each wheel when you buy more than one. Still more expensive, but they're 1.5"... if only they'd actually ship I'd be happy.

 

[Tyler Lyght]

Is it just my computer or does the 'Customer Reviews' button on the bottom of their page go nowhere? Odd considering every other button on the bottom of their page works. It's not like any website publishes negative reviews in their customer review section.

 

[Kent Reisdorph]

Those look good, I might recommend them to some people. Thanks for the tip.

One thing to keep in mind is the Amazon page indicates the width is only 1". I've been spoiled with the WTW MegaSquare wheels, 1.5" wide and with 1" of grid down the sides. I like the wider wheel especially when sharpening large skews, and use the side grit when making some custom tools. However, the WTW wheels (if you can get them!) are more, listed at $180. (I use 60 and 600 grits)

Mega Square 8" Diameter, 5/8" Arbor

This wheel is for customers who are not concerned about having a radius edge, it offers more flat area on both the surface and sides than any of our other wheels. The wheel edge is covered with CBN material and is a full 1.5 inches wide and 8-inches in diameter. The side faces are a full 1-inch...

woodturnerswonders.com

JKJ

Here are some wider ones on Amazon. One of those is 6", but I'll bet it comes in 8" too.

 

[Tyler Lyght]

I just emailed WTW. Asked for a refund if they can't guarantee the order will be shipped by the end of the week. I appreciate the help with finding an alternative. Will probably go with a couple of those if WTW doesn't come through.

 

[John K Jordan]

Here are some wider ones on Amazon. One of those is 6", but I'll bet it comes in 8" too.

Thanks. I think I get you do do all of my Amazon searching. How much do you charge?

 

[Kent Reisdorph]

Thanks. I think I get you do do all of my Amazon searching. How much do you charge?

It's immaterial. You have credit.

 

[Kenneth Rizza]

As many may or may not know, Ken Rizza sold the Woodturners Wonders company, and I believe he is no longer involved with the business. I had Ken's personal contact, and he was always quick to respond and made sure his customers were happy with his products. Now I can't get them to contact me over a broken part that broke less than a week from setting it up.

To me, customer service is everything!!

If you go to the website right now, you can no longer see contact information.

HELLO- This is Ken Rizza himself. I am alive and well, and I am aware of the communication issue with the new owner. They have changed some things around, and quite frankly, it hasn't worked out too well. I am on retainer with the company, so I am still involved. I also work on new products (did you see our new hollowing system?) I also still do Symposiums for the company. I just came back from SWAT. I promise we/they will get the problem resolved. If you get frustrated, call me and I'll take care of you. Here is my cell number: 770-856-6057. My email is ken.rizza@woodturnerswonders.com. You should be able to reach me. Oh- one other thing. I started another company called Power Carving Depot. (powercarvingdepot.com) If you are a carver, demonstrator, or have someone like that in your club, you owe it to yourself to reach out to me to learn about our affiliate program.

 

[Kenneth Rizza]

As many may or may not know, Ken Rizza sold the Woodturners Wonders company, and I believe he is no longer involved with the business. I had Ken's personal contact, and he was always quick to respond and made sure his customers were happy with his products. Now I can't get them to contact me over a broken part that broke less than a week from setting it up.

To me, customer service is everything!!

If you go to the website right now, you can no longer see contact information.

(678) 400-8181 it works but only goes to voicemail that is never returned.

Hi- this is Ken- my cell number is 770-856-6057 if you can't reach anyone.

 

[Dave Potts]

Hi- this is Ken- my cell number is 770-856-6057 if you can't reach anyone

Shazaam!

 

[Steve Tiedman]

Hello @Kenneth Rizza, and thank you for offering your cantact info. But from a business ownership-management perspective, it is a shame that you see yourself as needing to do so. A company with a new owner is always going to do things as they see fit, even if that means turning it up-side-down. But from the customer perspective, the people that this new owner depends upon for the business's survival, if that new owner can't perform, that customer has been lost, and the public reputation destroyed.

This new owner has one, and only one decision to make TODAY- flourish, or perish. Pick one, there is no in-between.

They are already losing customers, and the woodturning community is relatively small, in the grand scale of things. They need to right this ship, now, today, this moment. No excuses, no trying to rationalize their problems to their customer base and ask for their forgiveness, that time has come and gone. The business world doesn't operate that way. It is unfortunate that you, the former owner, have stepped in to be the ear to the buying public on behalf of your former company. As one former business owner to another, tell these folks to get their s&*t together, today. Otherwise, turn off the website, kill the lights, and lock the door, then we'll go find somewhere else to spend our cash.

 

[Lance Mirrer]

Hello @Kenneth Rizza, and thank you for offering your cantact info. But from a business ownership-management perspective, it is a shame that you see yourself as needing to do so. A company with a new owner is always going to do things as they see fit, even if that means turning it up-side-down. But from the customer perspective, the people that this new owner depends upon for the business's survival, if that new owner can't perform, that customer has been lost, and the public reputation destroyed.

This new owner has one, and only one decision to make TODAY- flourish, or perish. Pick one, there is no in-between.

They are already losing customers, and the woodturning community is relatively small, in the grand scale of things. They need to right this ship, now, today, this moment. No excuses, no trying to rationalize their problems to their customer base and ask for their forgiveness, that time has come and gone. The business world doesn't operate that way. It is unfortunate that you, the former owner, have stepped in to be the ear to the buying public on behalf of your former company. As one former business owner to another, tell these folks to get their s&*t together, today. Otherwise, turn off the website, kill the lights, and lock the door, then we'll go find somewhere else to spend our cash.

Wow! That was unnecessarily harsh! As a CPA & consultant to many small businesses, tripping as you open the gate is much more common than flawless takeovers. One of the amazing parts of dealing with WTW is Ken, who many of us have been friends with before WTW took off as a premier supplier of affordably priced products. The new owner stepping into those shoes is a bigger task than the actual operations and shipping. But Ken has been there and available to help. And as he reaffirms in the above messages, he's still available to help.

We'd all like to see the new guy step up and keep this company going at the level we're used to. They're trying, and it's too early to just write off an excellent company who recognizes they have to improve.

 

[Steve Tiedman]

Wow! That was unnecessarily harsh! As a CPA & consultant to many small businesses, tripping as you open the gate is much more common than flawless takeovers. One of the amazing parts of dealing with WTW is Ken, who many of us have been friends with before WTW took off as a premier supplier of affordably priced products. The new owner stepping into those shoes is a bigger task than the actual operations and shipping. But Ken has been there and available to help. And as he reaffirms in the above messages, he's still available to help.

We'd all like to see the new guy step up and keep this company going at the level we're used to. They're trying, and it's too early to just write off an excellent company who recognizes they have to improve.

Tripping out of the gate with a new business is an expectation, one I can attest to first hand, three times. But this message thread was started 10 months ago, with no improvement since then, with festering problems being solved for loyal customers by the former owner. That ain't right. No, enough time has gone by for the new small business owner to get up to speed, esp. when they took over an established, thriving business that, from the public perspective, was running full speed with lots of happy customers. A necessarily harsh reality check is what this new owner needs to hear, not coddling reaffirmations. This performance wouldn't go well at Craft Supplies, Highland Woodworking, Rockler, etc.

 

[John K Jordan]

HELLO- This is Ken Rizza himself. I am alive and well

Thanks for chiming in, Ken! I haven't even tried to get anything from them since I saw you at the TAW. (That 600 wheel is working great, BTW, I gave the old one to someone who is getting good use from it.)

I wish the new people well, but if it doesn't work out perhaps consider re-acquiring it and pick someone you trust to run it. This may be a pipe dream, but a good ol' reliable WTW would be great!

JKJ

 

[Tyler Lyght]

Emailed Ken on the 29th midday and had a tracking number by close of business. Good news after two weeks, but it stinks that you have to know people to get your order. I also didn't get any response from customer service, just a boilerplate shipping email. It wouldn't have materially changed anything, so I'm not going to harp on it.

What does this mean for me and WTW? I can't trust them to ship promptly. Or even slowly, for that matter. I received a GPU from China in less time than these wheels. I'll have to take that into consideration when considering ordering in the future.

 

[Jon Rista]

Emailed Ken on the 29th midday and had a tracking number by close of business. Good news after two weeks, but it stinks that you have to know people to get your order. I also didn't get any response from customer service, just a boilerplate shipping email. It wouldn't have materially changed anything, so I'm not going to harp on it.

What does this mean for me and WTW? I can't trust them to ship promptly. Or even slowly, for that matter. I received a GPU from China in less time than these wheels. I'll have to take that into consideration when considering ordering in the future.

It is really sad when great businesses are bought by people who have no clue how to run a great business (or, for that matter, any business any way but...poorly.) :'(