Thread: When do you stop?

I think we see pictures of those wonderful "shops" with all those beautiful old handtools (Or new machinery if your that way inclined) all neatly laid out with perfect storage combined with a wonderful bench and aspire to that level of tool ownership

Also I think the tool buying things is more of a journey than a destination. You'll never stop, because you dont want to.

I think the younger mob picture themselves in a retired nirvana where they have all the time in the world and a bit of extra cash. THEN they'll have all the tools they need.

Wood Borer,

I'm very much one who buys when I've convinced myself "I need 'that' to do this task" and I won't even start till I have one

Surprisingly I can't sit here and think of something that hasn't had regular use since so I guess the process has also built my skill levels as well and taken me into other areas that I'd not been before. Nothing like a grand plan - just a process of evolution.

I'm in the process - yes still - of cleaning out my old mans garage and you wouldn't believe all the things I've suddenly had to have :eek: Spray guns - never used one a second table saw & second grinder, wetstone grinder and chisels you wouldn't believe the range of chisels I got :eek: Was even a bit jealous when brother loaded up the metal lathe and a bandsaw.
Still I don't like metal work so much - surely I could have though :confused: :confused:

Guess I'm a well hooked junkie with the mentality of "that'll be handy when I find a use for it" For c@#$%^s sake I've filled a four car garage with stuff that no sane person would possibly use. It's amazing how many ways I've got to achieve the same result now and I enjoy experimenting and experiencing them - adds to the fun

So perhaps thats the new adage the boy with the most toys has more fun

Doesn't matter if I don't win but it's how you get there thats the fun part And winning feels better if you have fun doing it

My small collection of tools has been built up over a long time, same as my workshop has been built, enlarged and extended over that same period. The only inherited tools from my father were a lino knife ( now lost ) a screwdriver and hammer.

I have always adopted the principle that for whatever renovating work or repair I would buy the right tool and never make do with inapproppriate tools. This has not precluded me buying el-cheapo if it was for a one off use and some of these el-cheapo's bought many years ago is of better quality than what is now considered to be good quality.

Now that I have more time I am getting to the stage where some of these el-cheapo tools are being replaced ( bandsaw at last WWW show ) and I am making jigs and tools for ones I always wanted but couldn't justify the expense.

So buying is driven by need and broadening skill and all are used.


Peter.

My 'want' list is way bigger than my 'have' one , particularly of heritage tools- bench planes 4,41/2,5,7, #65, Robert Sorby chisels, some lovely Disstons that were in a $5 box of stuff (still need cleaning up), plus a handful of mujingfangs, squares, guages etc, and the obligatory power stuff:eek: .

I try and limit myself to one'decent' purchase a month, either locally or off e-bay, and try to match my needs as I go. Eg - now I have a thicknesser, I 'need' a scrub plane, as I have a 150mm jointer. I have three beds to make, one a king, so a shoulder plane next for all those tenons - though I'm trying to mentally justify the #608C on e-bay (and failing, but...wow!). I'll keep a low profile for a bit, as the 735 took ALL the brownie points away!

I guess those with more than enough stuff could sell some of it to us tool deficients, so that they can buy more LN!

IMHO you must buy the absolute best you can afford, even at the expense of not having something else for a time. I've only bought one 'cheap' tool and hated it - gave it away in fact

Den

My want list is certainly longer than my need list. I inherited many old hand tools from my father, grandfather and great grandfather, many of which rarely see the light of day, and for many years, the only machinery I had besides a drill and a circular hand saw was an old Durden Junior Joiner (8" saw & 4" planer combo). Lately, the Trading Post has found me a table saw and drill press and I've bought a Nova lathe and a 12" thicknesser.
One of the other things my father left me was the conviction that there was more than one way to kill a cat, so, if I don't have that special power tool to do a job, I realise that the oldtime craftsmen must have been able to do the job some other way, with the limited tools at their disposal, and I try and work out how it was done. My shelves are piled up with homemade tools and jigs, most of which worked. It's easy to go out and buy a tool but a lot more fun to make one, specially if you can brag about it.
Graeme

I'm a bit of a tool junkie
I have bought tools before on the premise that one day "I might need it" and to date have never used it... but there are others I have bought with no need at the time and then thanked myself later that I did buy them because a dire need came up for them that could not wait the time it takes to save $$ and go buy them

I had grand plans to make a router table out of 2 layers of stainless sheeting, run a few trenches for mitre guides and make some good quality fences etc.... then I noticed that no matter how good I could make a router table (and lets face it I could make one pretty well if I wanted) theres no way I could duplicate the ones that some of the retailers are selling, especially with the cast tables, precision machining, tilting tables etc... Point in question, Carbatech are selling a router table with a sliding table and all the bells and whistles including a dust port.... really nice - I'm going to save up and buy it. why not ? I can afford it and it goes with my personal policy of only buying one of everything and only ever having to buy it once.

Do I have enough toolware ? can anyone have enough ????? Pah!

Originally Posted by Zed

I'm going to save up and buy it. why not ?

Zed, Check that your router fits before parting with the hard earned. If its the same table, a bloke in Carbatec told me that they wont fit Aussie routers. :eek:

Dan

If it's the MS-R table, then the Triton router does fit. In fact, any router will "fit" but the Triton seems to be the only one that has enough plunge depth to work well with this table. I bought an MS-R second hand, but use it more as a heavy duty tool stand. Ocassionally use it for routing but with custom fence that was supplied with it when purchased.

You know, you think you're an individual, that your own experiences are unique - and then you come to a place like this and find out every other mug is in the same boat.

Just after the Sydney WWW show, when I'd convinced the minister for finance to loosen the purse strings so I could buy a bandsaw and a dust collector, I told her that once I had these two my shed would be complete and I wouldn't need to buy another machine. I have to say this was met with a certain amount of scepticism.

Not surprising then that 3 months later, when I announce I want to buy a surface grinder to sharpen my jointer knives, I got that look. Has anyone seen the Macdonalds ad where the wife has bought some McNuggets and the husband is hooking into them saying "mmm, they're not bad" (unlikely, I know). The wife looks down and sees they're all gone. Then she turns to him and gives him that look. Sort of one eyebrow cocked, head tilted slightly, stoney face, no smile. You know the one. It would be quite appealing under different circumstances. He stands up and says "I'll go buy some more then" but you know it's too late for him. Well that's the look I got. She didn't have to say "but you said ...". The look said it all.

As it turns out, Timbecon didn't have any of those grinders left, so I'm going to make my own. Now the way I see it, hand tools don't qualify as machines. So when I said I didn't need any more machinery... well it still gives me plenty of scope.

Ok. Ok.
My name is Himzo and I am a Tool-aholic,

there I've said it, are you happy.

You'll never stop, because you dont want to.

Amen brother,

Himzo.

Zed,

I sold my MS-R table to Dean for a song. It is a terrible router table. The fence is quite useless - that is why I had to make a another, which I gave to Dean. And the sliding table does not work properly. The cast iron table is so thick that only a Triton router will work satisfactorily in it. I strongly recommend that you make your own router table.

Rocker

I've kinda slowed down on the tools, but I'm spending more money on good timber these days. I guess I have a reasonably well equipped workshop, minus one or two things I'd like, and it's time to make some nice stuff for a while.

I'll be back in tool buying mode once the Xmas gifts are all made though I guess

I doubt I'll ever stop buying tools though - there's always a nicer plane or a nicer set of chisels out there just begging for a home with me

I could not agree more about the MSR router table. I bought one once and it was a pain to set up and a pain to use.