Mike,
Croeseo y Grumble!!
(Welcome to The Grumble)
You're from my (original)part of the world, just North of
Llanwrtyd Wells (ever seen so many consonants next to each other in one word?) which is, for the benefit of 99.999% of Grumblers pronounced thus - first the double 'L' - press your tongue up against the roof of your mouth and breath in and out with the air flowing OVER your tongue, the noise you make on the breath out is 'LL' a Donald Duck sort of noise, so Llan-ooorr-teed. ('Wells' is pronounced normally)
Re blades, D&J Simons do them for free with orders over £100 - I think, you pay carriage out, they pay it back with your carriage-paid order - I hope you are dealing with Simons, they are great.
Glass & Mirror are the cheapest I have found otherwise and good, but I don't know if they do your part of the world - doubt it, they come to me in their own van and pick up/drop off with glass orders - who delivers glass in your area and do THEY offer the service?
The
UK Framers' forum may have more advice for you,
Pob Lwc - (Pawb luke) Good luck
Oh, and advice I was once given was to cut a piece of tissue paper (Shiny stuff - not bathroom stuff) and if the blades do not cut it cleanly, but push it down, change them - I just change mine every 3-4 weeks regardless, 2-3 weeks at Christmas! Also if re-sharpening becomes a pain and you don't cut mouldings over 2 - 2 1/2 inches wide all that often, a couple of sets of double-sided blades may be a good investment.
I go to Llandrindod Wells every April religiously, stay a Grumbler and you will be added to my 'Grumblers you have met' list next April.
Hope this does not put you off The Grumble!!
[ 09-08-2006, 06:24 PM: Message edited by: RoboFramer ]