Do you let anyone use your shed/tools?

**IanW** · 1st March 2005, 08:47 AM

Originally Posted by journeyman Mick

Ian,
I depend on my tools to make a living and have found, unfortunately. that most people don't understand this.
Mick

Mick - OK, you have a legitimate point. I think it would be downright cheeky to ask to borrow tools from a bloke who has to live by them, anyway.
It wasn't so much the lending of tools, which I'm sure we all do very carefully, that I was getting at. I was taking a bit of a shot at the high tone which seemed at odds with the usual generosity shown here, about the giving of a bit of time and tolerance to the younger set. It's obvious you would need to keep a close eye on anyone you didn't know, and all of us have at least a couple of tools we probably wouldn't let most others near. I wouldn't give my Norris to the kid next door to knock the paint off the old table top he's just found in a skip, but I would try to show him an appropriate way to do the job he was trying to do - the combination of putting in a bit of effort and getting results is powerful encouragement to anyone, especially a beginner.

The other message I was pushing was that I did some pretty terrible things to tools during my first 20 years or so of trying to make things - partly through ignorance and lack of training, but mostly because of impatience and impulsiveness. Most hand tools are hard to wreck completely, thank goodness, so I still have and use a block plane acquired at least 45 years ago - but it had a bumpy ride for the first 10 years or more!
It was a sort of "let he who is without sin..." invitation.

Avagooday,

**IanW** · 1st March 2005, 10:11 AM

Originally Posted by journeyman Mick

Ian,
I depend on my tools to make a living and have found, unfortunately. that most people don't understand this.
Mick

Mick - you are automatically excused! I reckon anyone who asks to borrow tools from someone who earns their living by them is being pretty cheeky - unless it's a fellow pro and you have a working arrangement.

I was taking a small shot at what seemed like a bit of a selfish attitude toward beginners; a 'don't go in the water til you can swim' response. I wuz trying to point out that even old fusspots like myself started out somewhere, and if I had had more old blokes keep a kindly eye on me, I might have buggared up fewer tool edges and not so many bits of perfectly good wood on the way. To those who did share their time and knowledge, I'm indebted - even those I may not agree with, now. At least they were trying to be helpful, and it got me thinking much more about what I was doing.

As for fear of litigation ruling our lives - what did Roosevelt say? 'We have nothing to fear except fear itself'.
I have nothing but contempt for those who won't take responsibility for their own stupidity - or worse, try to profit from it. Maybe I can afford to be that way because I don't have enough assets any more to make it worthwhile sueing me!
It's quite a relief, actually

Avagooday,

**HappyHammer** · 1st March 2005, 10:43 AM

I'm in the bring it 'round and I'll do it for you camp although this can be dangerous. A mate of mine had 3 melamine shelves he wanted cut down by about 300mm, he was going to use some breeze blocks and install some temporary shelving in an alcove in his home hence the need to cut it down.

He came around and I proudly showed him around my Triton WC2000 and Triton saw. I suggested we should cut off 100mm to make sure the blade wasn't going to chip the melamine. Can you see it coming?

I cut the 100mm off and the standard Triton blade made a pretty good job of it sooooo I reset the fence to 300mm and cut all three shelves forgetting to allow for the 100mm I'd cut off the first one so my mate ended up with 2 shelves the same length and one 100mm shorter.

We discussed it and decided to tell the SWMBO's that we'd done it intentionally as a feature.

HH.

**ryanarcher** · 1st March 2005, 03:55 PM

You guys are Hilarious

. I'm glad you think letting him use my shop solo was generous, but in retrospect I think it was nieve. good learning experience, and I'm glad I brought it up here instead of just venting to swmbo.

have a great day!

**Finger Dicer** · 1st March 2005, 06:15 PM

Originally Posted by ryanarcher

You guys are Hilarious

. I'm glad you think letting him use my shop solo was generous, but in retrospect I think it was nieve. good learning experience, and I'm glad I brought it up here instead of just venting to swmbo.

have a great day!

I dunno about that...I think most of us woody types tend towards the generous, but unfortunately like many others we get bitten and that tends to harden our generousity somewhat.

I have to add tho that all you chaps that have benches that look like pieces of art are by far braver than I .

If I had a bench that looked like that I couldnt bring myself to use it. My son & I have been following this thread and he agrees, without my nudging him that he would also be scared spitless to use one of those benchs.

I mean really...you actually use them? Get them dirty and such like?
Strewth !!! :eek:

**MajorPanic** · 1st March 2005, 08:20 PM

Hey ryan

I sympathize with your plight.

I hope you can come to some understanding with the young fella & he can continue learn some of the excellent skills you display

**MathewA** · 1st March 2005, 08:58 PM

Being that you are in the USA, the land of opportunity, opportunity to sue the a$$ off someone that is. I wouldn't let anyone near my shop unless I had millions in insurance coverage. That kid gets one or more of his fingers mangled by one of your tools, that could ruin you whether it was his fault or not.No one is allowed to use my shop. The owner of the land where my shop is is alway complaining because I won't give him a key to his barn (I changed the lock when I moved my tools in).

**ryanarcher** · 2nd March 2005, 03:07 AM

Originally Posted by MathewA

Being that you are in the USA, the land of opportunity, opportunity to sue the a$$ off someone that is.

True, so disenhearteningly true..

**goodwoody** · 2nd March 2005, 02:43 PM

Anyone is quite welcome to come and use my crowbar and shovel to help me dig some post holes at anytime. Blisters are free of charge!

**MathewA** · 2nd March 2005, 05:04 PM

Are you providing the beer? One post hole to one beer...

Originally Posted by goodwoody

Anyone is quite welcome to come and use my crowbar and shovel to help me dig some post holes at anytime. Blisters are free of charge!

**Woodlice** · 2nd March 2005, 06:20 PM

Mate, thats a long way to go for a beer.

J!

**Christopha** · 2nd March 2005, 07:05 PM

My Dad uses my shed, he has his own "bit" and he uses my machinery . I have to replace blunt blades about 4 times more often than I used to because, although he a 'trady' he has always done stuff by hand and doesn't understand machinery too well. He LOVES the bandsaw and won't come within about 5 feet of a lathe. Although Dad knocks my machinery around a very little bit I would far rather that than NOT have him there. I also have a mate called Whiskas who lurks around the board here. Now Whiskas is a cocky and everyone knows how rough cockies are on their machinery..... URK! Whiskas is no exception, if it can't survive life on the back of the farm ute then it aint worth spit! Well, when it comes towoodworking machinery/tools/equipment, Whikas has plenty and if I have it and he doesn't he more than welcome to it because: A he knows how to use it. B: he knows how to look after it. C: He is welcome to either my chainsaw OR my wife ( he had better look after the saw though!

**journeyman Mick** · 3rd March 2005, 12:06 AM

Originally Posted by MathewA

Are you providing the beer? One post hole to one beer...

Matthew,
let me know when you'll be in the area and I'll have a couple of cold cartons, a shovel and a crowbar waiting for you.

No beers until you've finished digging though.

Mick

**soundman** · 5th March 2005, 09:30 PM

1 beer per post hole? Round here that would be a cheap post hole

**soundman** · 5th March 2005, 09:35 PM

Crikey just did the math at that rate a slab equals 70 metres of fence. Whats the rate for seting the post & packing down?

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