Tool Fast

[dkerfoot]

My name is Doug and I am a tool addict.

After analyzing the number of tools & accessories I have bought in the last year, but especially the last three months and comparing them to the actual woodworking I have done, it is clear that my woodworking life has lost balance.

I am not a professional cabinet maker, I do not need all the tools of one. I am not comfortably retired, I do not have the time to devote to that many tools, even if I could afford them. I certainly don't have the time to be endlessly perfecting hand tools without ever using them to build something.

As such, I have resolved to not buy any tools or accessories until such time that I can point to some actual accomplished projects to show for my current investment. I will not buy so much as a router bit or a saw blade.

This applies no matter how good a deal I may run into. I will not stop at any garage sales. I will not read the bargain alerts. From this point on, the only category of CL I will look at is Materials. I will most certainly stop looking at tool porn.

So far, I feel really good about it, but probably just because I still have a couple of pre-resolution deliveries coming.

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[Hoakie]

OMG that is funny. I was thinking the exact same thing over the last few days. Can I join your peer-support group?

(knowing my B-day is in August, i probably can make it that long for sure)

In addition to several tools I had (mostly general purpose), here are some of the woodworking collection I have gotten
in the last 1 1/4 yrs since I joined this money pit...errrr forum.

Craftsman 10" Drill Press
Craftsman 21289 Table Saw
Ryobi plunge router
Bosch 1617 dual base router w/acc
Jet JBOS-5 OSS
Jet 1014i Lathe
Jet 12" Bandsaw
HF 2hp dust Collector
Delta 8" VS Grinder
Lathe tools
Delta 13" Planer**
Delta 6" Jointer**
several hand planes
card scraper

** On indefinite loan from my BIL

God I need Help!!

[MikeMcCoy]

I don't expect that you seriously plan on sticking with that resolution.

[crokett]

I am a tool addict too but my peer support group won't let me buy any more tools. She says I have enough.

[dkerfoot]

I actually am serious about it. I am going cold turkey until I have something to show for the tools I have. The last major furniture project I built was a outdoor swing that I made with a CS and a block plane - before I even had my TS! Literally, everything else I have done has either been a home-improvement/carpentry sort of job or else workshop cabinets/jigs, etc

I will admit am thinking hard about what to request for Father's day, but I see that as a good thing. I have to choose wisely.

Hoakie, you may have me beat, but if so, not by much:

Skill Heavy Duty Benchtop Drill Press (gift from FIL)
Drill bits/wire wheels
Craftsman 21829 Table Saw
Misc blades
Extra Accessory table, SMT and two dual-slot miter tables
Incra miter guage
SharkGuard
PC dual base router
Large Router table
Misc router bits
three Featherboards plus misc safety tools
HF 2hp dust Collector + Accessories
ShopVac
several hand planes
Misc Chisels
card scraper & Burnisher
cabinet scraper
PC Dovetail Jig
Veritas MK II plus camber roller
Lie-Neilsen Plane Iron
One Wonder Dog + two Bench dogs
Grizzly bench vice
Hitachi belt/disk sander
Delta scroll saw
Misc extra tools for Sears 19.2V Drill I batteries I already had
Peltor Worktunes
Sadly, I am sure there is a lot I am forgetting...


Prior to BT3Central, I had a 1/4 sheet sander and and ROS, CMS, a bench grinder, a reciprocating saw, a roto-zip and a dremel rotary saw, as well as some basic hand tools, etc. It took me 40 years to buy all of those and about 2 to buy everything in the list above.

I am with you Hoakie. Anyone else want to sign up for peer-support/accountability?

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[Knottscott]

Good luck Doug...it's an admirable goal! I think my tool swapping has been way out of control too. The good news is that most of it happens during my "off season" when I can't get out to the shop and spend way too much time "jonesing" for new tools and stumbling into irresistible deals...now that I'm actually getting shop time and using said tools, I think I'm gaining back some self restraint.

[gjat]

In all seriousness, I agree on holding off on the tools. For years I had almost nothing, and have built beds, toyboxes, book shelves, TV stands, etc., with minimal tools (for 1/2 of them I had a $99 craftsman TS which was an upgrade). Now that I make more money, I've been able to upgrade and only built a desk and sewing machine desk with the BT. I've bought a band saw, used jointer, used planer, hand planes, plunge router, router table, router bits, and even upgraded my circular saw, and haven't had the time to build anything major with them for almost the last year.

I think I get in the mode of upgrading tools soon after I complete a project because I don't have the commitment of having a new project i MUST start. Not another tool until I've built something more than shelves.
(except for upgrading the dust collector, setting up the jointer & planer & spindle sanders for the dust collection. Then I need a table for the new bench top tools, and drawers in the shop. And my files are old and need replacing, which reminds me, my plans and chisels NEED to be sharpened, since I don't have much time, should I buy a Tormek?...)

[LinuxRandal]

You know your a tool addict, when: (feel free to add, guys)

1. You have no money left for wood/materials


BTDT, couldn't afford the T-shirt


Consider researching and adding CL to your hosts file!

[docrowan]

Very timely post. I'm struggling with organizing my shop and finding room and time to work on projects, yet I still look at cool tools. I need to stop reading catalogs and start reading project plans. I join the resolution - no more purchases until I've completed some projects for which I purchased the original tools. Free tools in the form of gifts or hand-me-downs . . . well, that's another story!

[Knottscott]

You know your a tool addict, when: (feel free to add, guys)

1. You have no money left for wood/materials


BTDT, couldn't afford the T-shirt


Consider researching and adding CL to your hosts file!

2. You sell last year's big impulsive purchase to fund this year's big impulsive purchase!

[ironhat]

2. You sell last year's big impulsive purchase to fund this year's big impulsive purchase!

3. You find yourself cutting your pancakes and sausage with your 19v reciprocating saw.

[dkerfoot]

You have no money left for wood/materials

This is sad, but I really struggle with the price of hardwood. I look at what it would cost to make a nice table or cabinet and I start thinking "Why I could by an xxx tool for that much!" The sad part is I then go and buy the tool, not the wood!

For that reason, I am going to be concentrating on small boxes for a while. They require most if not all of the skills of larger projects, but use relatively small quantities of wood. I have been reading Doug Stowe's books and find them very inspiring. I really like his designs and recognize that I need to develop more patience and attention to detail. (I have always been oriented more towards function, rather than form - more a mechanic than an artist)

[dkerfoot]

3. You find yourself cutting your pancakes and sausage with your 19v reciprocating saw.

Are you crazy? If I did that, I'd have no good excuse to have purchased a scroll saw!

The reciprocating saw is for trimming bushes in my backyard. I have a corded one. It sure would be more convenient to have the Craftsman C3 model...

[LinuxRandal]

3. You find yourself cutting your pancakes and sausage with your 19v reciprocating saw.

Are you crazy? If I did that, I'd have no good excuse to have purchased a scroll saw!

The reciprocating saw is for trimming bushes in my backyard. I have a corded one. It sure would be more convenient to have the Craftsman C3 model...

I hope the wife doesn't read those! She might think of it as less of a tool comment, then a cooking comment!

[Bill in Buena Park]

...I have resolved to not buy any tools or accessories ... I will not buy so much as a router bit or a saw blade ... I will not read the bargain alerts.

I totally empathize. Over the last year, as I've transitioned raw home improvement into home decorating into home furnishings (carefully not stated as furniture, which is "fine woodworking" ), I've added tools to increase my ability to do things I couldn't with my smallish collection of construction tools.

But I've had divine intervention - I have now run into the very real limit of my shop space. I absolutely have no more room

However, its still DARN tough not to check out classifieds and bargain alerts!