Thread: Do you let anyone use your shed/tools?

Beejay is dead right!
The legal implications are horrendous. Living as we do now in a society that is encouraged to sue at the drop of a hat by 'ambulance chasing' lawyers.

Originally Posted by mike44

There are three things I never lend out. My tools ,my truck and my wife.Although not necessarily in that order.
mike

Exactly...I worked too bloody hard to lend my gear...and from past experience well intentioned friends didnt mean to break your favourite tool but did anyway...and have you noticed how generally they dont pay for the replacement?

The only exception to this is number one son as he has shown a genuine interest in woody matters. Even SWMBO isn't allowed to use my tools...she has here own...I've made sure of that

I always use the "No but I'll do it for you" answer. Yesterday I routed 4 - 40mm x 15mm deep holes in a piece of WR cedar for the bloke next door so he could use it as the base for a rod rack in his shed. He turned up with 2400x150x50 clear WR cedar and 2 stubbies. For doing the job, 20 minutes to make the template, rout the holes and dress it up, I got the left over 2metres of WRC and 2 stubbies in the fridge. I'd have done it for nothing but I never look a gift horse in the mouth.

Hey fellas - most of you seem to be adopting a pretty stiff-necked pose on this one, which is somewhat at odds with the generous spirit you all show when it comes to giving your time and advice on this BB. :confused:

How many of you wrecked at least one precious tool of your fathers? My old man must have gritted his teeth and fought back homicidal fury on several occasions over some of the things I butchered (well into my 'teens - no, especially in my teens!). And the poor bugger didn't have anywhere near the purchasing power, or the oportunity to replace things that most of us have. I wouldn't have been half the woodworker if he'd taken the moral high ground and refused to relent, on numerous occasions.

I tried the trick of making sure my own son had a kit of decent tools, hoping to avoid some 'payback', but the little stinker sometimes went for mine anyway. Reason? "My chisel wouldn't cut..." etc. (Read: 'I wrecked it doing something it was never intended for'). Fortunately, as I was going for a weapon to end his miserable existence, I remembered my own misdemeanours, and guilt took some of the edge off!

He's at the age now where he has no interest in doing anything that involves sustained physical effort, but I hope he'll drift back to it in the years to come, and when his kids use his favourite paring chisel to cut the top out of an old drum, or whatever, I hope he has a few flashbacks, too.

Before anyone gets the idea that I'm pretending to be a bloody saint, there are a few very precious hand tools I would never let out of my sight, but I also feel we have a bit of an obligation to pass on skills and a respect for tools, or how will there be anyone left to value the wonderful tools we won't be needing any more in a few years from now? I suppose I've been lucky in that anyone who's been in my w'shop has had a genuine interest in learning, and has at least listened politely when given a bit of a primer on appropriate use of any tools they wanted to use. And I have to admit, as long as you won't tell anyone else, that I've just occasionally used a tool - even a valuable one - in a most inappropriate manner. Once ot twice it had a very unpleasant outcome.

Cheers ,

I'm happy to lend tools to people that I trust with them. I wouldn't lend anything decent to someone I didn't know would look after it. Having said that, my dad lent my spray gun to a guy he works with about 2 months ago and he's still got it. I asked him about it one day and he said "oh, he hasn't done the job yet". I said, "well until he gets around to it, I'd prefer it was in my shed, not his."

The question is, should I trust myself with my tools :eek:

Originally Posted by IanW

Hey fellas - most of you seem to be adopting a pretty stiff-necked pose on this one, which is somewhat at odds with the generous spirit you all show when it comes to giving your time and advice on this BB. :confused:

How many of you wrecked at least one precious tool of your fathers? My old man must have gritted his teeth and fought back homicidal fury on several occasions over some of the things I butchered (well into my 'teens - no, especially in my teens!). And the poor bugger didn't have anywhere near the purchasing power, or the oportunity to replace things that most of us have. I wouldn't have been half the woodworker if he'd taken the moral high ground and refused to relent, on numerous occasions.

I tried the trick of making sure my own son had a kit of decent tools, hoping to avoid some 'payback', but the little stinker sometimes went for mine anyway. Reason? "My chisel wouldn't cut..." etc. (Read: 'I wrecked it doing something it was never intended for'). Fortunately, as I was going for a weapon to end his miserable existence, I remembered my own misdemeanours, and guilt took some of the edge off!

Thats why I am teaching my son..with my tools ....cos that way if he breaks one he knows theres gonna be payback......password on the internet connection for a month soon has the respect for dads tools working again.....you gotta know when to roll em ...

He's at the age now where he has no interest in doing anything that involves sustained physical effort, but I hope he'll drift back to it in the years to come, and when his kids use his favourite paring chisel to cut the top out of an old drum, or whatever, I hope he has a few flashbacks, too.

Same..the intention is there ...but as to staying power..."well there just too many distractions for a young fella these days" quoted from my dad from my own youth.

Before anyone gets the idea that I'm pretending to be a bloody saint, there are a few very precious hand tools I would never let out of my sight, but I also feel we have a bit of an obligation to pass on skills and a respect for tools, or how will there be anyone left to value the wonderful tools we won't be needing any more in a few years from now?

Thats where those in the trade come in...passing on the knowledge to a younger generation, through apprenticeships or some other form of training.
Dont know about you fellas in Aus, but here in NZ there has been precious little re-investment in staff, or apprentices in the last 20 years, and boy are we paying for it now.


I suppose I've been lucky in that anyone who's been in my w'shop has had a genuine interest in learning, and has at least listened politely when given a bit of a primer on appropriate use of any tools they wanted to use. And I have to admit, as long as you won't tell anyone else, that I've just occasionally used a tool - even a valuable one - in a most inappropriate manner. Once ot twice it had a very unpleasant outcome.

MUMS the word...we wont tell a sole....hey fellas guess what Ian's done

Cheers ,

As a footnote, my dad was a metalworker/welder so I think I git the woodworm bug from me maternal grandfather.

Originally Posted by vsquizz

.

Oh..and if you want to borrow my router ***k off!

Cheers

Hey Squizzy, I need to borrow your router, any chance, mate.
Ive only got 500M of second hand naily timber to clean up.

Al

Ryan,

I've seen pics of your bench and I am amazed at your patience.

Dan

Well, after reading the opinions of my valued bretherin i think I'll continue to foster the neighbor kid's intrest (his dad drives a loging truck) but will always be there with him. I refuse to let fear of lawers curb a good kid's intrest in a rewarding pastime. as far as others borrowing my shop/tools, i really like the "no, but I'll do it for you" response. Thanks termite and everyone else!
_ryan

As an aside, most Australians will be aware of Ron Barrassi and his legendary half-time 'rev-ups' during his coaching days.

According to a mate who was in the team, one day, during a pause in proceedings, one player turned to his mate and said, so that Barrassi could hear, 'Can I borrow your mower t'morrer?'

The resultant blast was investigated by the atomic energy commission.

Originally Posted by ozwinner

Hey Squizzy, I need to borrow your router, any chance, mate.
Ive only got 500M of second hand naily timber to clean up.

Al

Al, No, but I'll do it for you, just send the timber .....I thought I made it fairly clear the first time .

I have tools that I will lend and some I wont. Ryan, the bench, it was gunna happen oneday.

Cheers

Originally Posted by mike44

There are three things I never lend out. My tools ,my truck and my wife.Although not necessarily in that order.
mike

Mike, where I come from the saying is "never muck around with another man's woman, kids or dog". Although not necessarily in that order!
On the subject of loaning tools. I do lend mine, but will always be there to guide and instruct/help them or other wise I will go and do the job for them!
I find it's easier that way without offending anybody. (I know it's making a rod for my back!!!!!)

Originally Posted by IanW

Hey fellas - most of you seem to be adopting a pretty stiff-necked pose on this one, which is somewhat at odds with the generous spirit you all show when it comes to giving your time and advice on this BB. :confused: ................Cheers ,

Ian,
I depend on my tools to make a living and have found, unfortunately. that most people don't understand this. Friends are always wanting to borrow my trailer for instance, and I let them provided thay return it on time. It's amazing how many times I've had to ring around to find out where it is. :mad: and then had to go and collect it. They only get one chance, if I have to chase it up or collect it they don't get it again.

I do lend some stuff out, but it depends on what and to whom. If someone shows an interest I'm only too happy to help and pass on what I know. I want to put something back into the trade and was ready to put on an apprentice a few years ago but my wife got sick again which put an end to that. I think that it really comes down to assessing the person's capabilities which you can really only do after working with them for a while.

Mick

Originally Posted by ryanarcher

The neighbor kid came over a couple of days ago and said he wanted to use my shed to build someting seeing as wrestling season was over and he was bored silly. He's 15, is a great kid with a really strong work ethic, has taken a woodshop class at school, and seemed to be knowledgable about safety practises, so I said "no problemo". well, after he left I noticed that he had drilled 3 shallow holes in my workbench with the cordless drill. :mad: and this after I specifically asked him to watch out for that because I hoped to pass the bench on to my son when I'm too old to pick up a hand plane.

The next day he came over to finish up and I said that i was a little dissapointed about them holes and he's still welcome to come over anytime, but I'll be in there with him to make sure everything's goin' ok. A this point he hung his head and mutterd something about bieng done, then picked up his half finished project and walked back home. Well, I just stood there feeling like a jacka$$ that could have handled that much better. :eek: and in retrospect, i probably would have drilled those holes when I was his age as well.

anyway, I guess what I'm asking is: do you ever let anyone use your shed and tools?

This kids response to your very polite and understandable offer of supervision clearly shows what a tosser he is or at the very least how messed up his hormones are making him. He might be a good man in another 10 years but now I would stay well clear.
Thinking about this situation you must have been very trusting to not be watching in the first place!
Just because we love working wood it does not follow that all who feel the same are not tossers!

As for myself I have a simple rule If the person asking in not carrying at least 50% of my genetic material then they can bugger off but then again I am such a prick nobody would ask in the first place!!!!

Ross