This week I discuss the conundrum of discerning fact from fiction amidst all the woodworking information available to us today. And let’s just say I’ve got a bone to pick with the Postmaster General.
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Dave:
I enjoyed your commentary on the “last tool first” argument. As new, old woodworker (picking it back up again after 20 years), I am in the process of properly outfitting my man room. I agree that the logic is flawed, and if you are not sure just what you are going to focus on, buying the top of the line anything does not make great sense. My thought… buy the best of what you can afford to do what you need to do. “Management” won’t allow me to buy the “Porsche” version of much, but sometimes I get to sneak on past.
Happy woodworking to ya, keep up the good work and God bless!
mh
Hey Dave:
If you get a chance, read this entry in March of mine over at the Folding Rule under Shop Thoughts:
http://foldingrule.blogspot.com/2008/03/episode-51.html it takes some of what you are saying with more depth. Brings up craft in the internet. Here I address were the work in the craft now longer speaks for the craftsman, the internet is now the mouth-piece used to self-proclaim yourself an expert, if you have extensive experience in the craft of woodworking you can read through the inexperience, but few say anything, most just move on. This is an adjustment, the seasoned craftsman will have to make. The internet is young.
As for your Arts and Craft/Shaker I agree with you about good skill-set builders, and woodworking tool opinions but again, you skirt any depth,….. its all about the options available as to how woodworking is being taught.
I’m a believer in the least amount of tools. Entry into woodworking should be a minimal expense, you just don’t need all the gotta have tooling. But when one shows how to build with minimal tools, the perception is “he’s not that good”, when in essence he/she is very good. Take for instance your turning example, just give me a 28 year old Craftsman lathe complete with tube bed and tools and I’ll spindle and faceplate turn with Richard Raffan. First woodworking tool I bought and still have and use. You mention Arts and Craft and Shaker why not bring Krenov into this, there is a reason for the numerous “Bravo’s” to the Cabinet on Stand and the many Krenovian’s that march the earth, people buy into the mystery of a piece of wood, and not the possiblities of what is beyond the straight line inherent in a piece of wood.
Your whole entire post is about how poorly woodworking is being presented or taught today.
As I’ve ended a previous post somewhat like your’s today in using the internet:
Be Creative and Caveat Emptor ……..Neil
PS….Hey Dave you never answered my e-mail…How about it??? I’d be appreciative…thanks!!!
Dude, I love it. You are like the Howard Stern of woodworking podcasts! You seem to know exactly what topics will create lively discussion and get people fired up. Bravo! And just like Mr. Stern, the people who disagree with you will listen just as much as the people who agree. Keep it up brotha!
Hey Dave! Another thought provoking episode. It is sad that all you can get for even a nice piece of shop equipment is usually “garage sale” price. I think the phrase caveat emptor had been replaced with “I’ll have my lawyer contact you”. LOL
Sad, but true. Here at the Hubbard ranch, spring demands my time. After that, it gets unbearably hot and I’ll have to decide between spending time in the pool next to a hot babe(my wife) or the shop…..decisions, decisions!
Dave — I think there is a middle ground between “last tool first” and buying something that is so cheap that you get frustrated and quit the hobby. If you are a skilled woodworker to begin with you can probably get by with crappy tools and still make something nice. But when you are just starting out and have no skill have tools that are accurate can make a big difference and help avoid frustration. I suspect this is why most of us start out with power tools and then later on gravitate toward greater use of hand tools. Using hand tools takes more skill and skill is developed through practice.
My recommendation to someone just getting into the hobby who was not sure of what direction to head in would be to buy used tools. For example, for the price of a new bench top table saw I am sure you could get a used contractor saw. A contractor’s saw is not the ultimate saw but it will have enough power and normally a good enough fence to last you a long time.
As you mentioned when you sell used tools you will probably only get between 50-60% of the value of a new tool. Since there is no such thing as a used-used tool — if you buy a used tool there is a pretty good chance that you can sell it for nearly the same amount that you paid to purchase the tool.
I started out in woodworking with a Shopsmith. I don’t regret starting out with the Shopsmith but I do wish I had purchased it second hand. I bought it new and got lucky because shortly after I purchased it Shopsmith dramatically raised their prices and so when I sold all of my Shopsmith stuff I got back about 85% of my investment.
Hey Rudy…….I’m kinda agreeing with you here but from a different idea of tool selection. I always fealt that an individual intersted in woodworking could pick up a minimal tool inventory that would enable them to feel success right out of the gate. It seems the vision that is standard to someone interested to start their first project is beyond just the minimal.
Its like a catch-22, and no guidance. What do you think???
I always thought a Shopsmith would be a good secondary tool that always enabled you a lathe and horizontal boring. Did you enjoy that machine???? Do you have a sepaerate lathe now???
Neil
Hi Dave,
My apologies for the late comments. I enjoyed this episode very much and would like to add why I buy two tools. The first one is for me to learn and understand the tool. It also allows me to discern what I really want in the tool. For instance I have bought a B&D 1/4″ plunge router, which was the right tool at the time. But after that I bought P&C 1/2″ with three bases of which one is in my router table. I was able to understand what I would like in router because I bought the cheaper one.
I currently have a shopmaster mitersaw, I ran into a few issues with it that taught me what to look for when I buy the “professional” one later.
Thanks for all your work,
Richard
Curacao, Dutch Caribbean
Thought I would comment and say cool theme, did you code it for yourself? It looks great!