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Ponderings

65K views 336 replies 80 participants last post by  Tomcat1066 
#1 ·
The Great Wide Open

So.

I just put a bid on a #71 router plane on ebay. I have my #4 and #5 within arms reach, as is the POS block plane I bought from Tractor Supply Company that is better than I thought it would be. My Japanese saws are just outside of my reach, as are my chisels. Since my workshop is in a house I'll be moving to, I have no where else to put them. That's OK. I like having them nearby. It makes me feel like I'm working toward my goal of being a woodworker.

There is some trepidation though. I'm worried that the project I have outlined will be far more difficult than I expected. That I will be unable to do the work I have envisioned in my head. It's a real fear for me, one that has a basis in the fact that nothing I have ever tried to do has worked out as I have envisioned it. I've been known to have that problem.

There are a couple of differences this time though. My previous projects that didn't go so well were home improvement/home repairs. I usually bit off more than I could chew, and ultimately had to admit defeat. This time, I may have done the same, but there is no wife to be inconvenienced by the lack of a shower, or a roof missing off the laundry room. At worst, her entertainment center will be delayed a bit. If I get bogged down, I can set the piece aside (figuratively…there's not enough room to do it literally, depending on the piece), and think about it. I can practice a new technique on scrap wood if I have to until I know WTF I'm doing.

Is there still some fear that I will be a failure at this? Yes. However, that's irrelevant for me. Fear has been present before every great journey in history. Every great achievement in the history of mankind has had some element of fear. The Wright Brothers, Edison, Erik the Red, Niel Armstrong, John Glenn, etc. All had some element of fear to their work prior to their achievements being realized.

I guess I'm just rambling on here. Without a shop, I can't exactly go play with wood, so instead I get to ramble on here with you good folks. I hope you don't mind to much ;)
 
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#2 ·
What project are you referring to TC . . . the bookcase ?? I read your earlier posts and seen that you will be quite cozy with your tools for a little while . . . so why not start smaller with a stroage unit/box for all your neat planes, saws, scraprers, etc. You can practice your skills on that and fine tune your skills with the bookcase.

Just my $0.03
 
#3 ·
Actually, I've got three projects I'm wanting to do. One is a storage bench for my 10 year old sister-in-law that will serve as her hope chest. The bookcase for my Mom is another one. The third is a case for my father-in-law's Native American flute. All three of these have a self imposed deadline of Christmas 2008, so there's a lot of time. However, I probably won't be into the shop until March, so that only gives me 9 months. Luckily, if I had to pare it down to just one project, it would be the storage bench. Her family plans on giving her stuff for her hope chest starting next Christmas. It just seems logical that she should have something to put that stuff in, right? ;)

My first project will definitely be my workbench, followed by some form of tool storage system. I'm just not sure yet what I want to do, though Pop Wood's plans for the Benjamin Seaton chest has me intrigued :D
 
#4 ·
Let 'er rip TC. Nothing to fear but fear itself. And if it goes south, it ends up slightly smaller than planned (trim off the flub and go at again. If the joinery is an issue, don't forget that no less a light than Todd Clippinger has shown us that pocket joinery ain't cheatin' where it don't show. Get a Kreg jig and you're two-thirds of the way home.
Can't wait for your project blogs. As Karson or Tom(Mot) might say NPDH (No pictures, didn't happen).
 
#5 ·
Fair enough Douglas! I've been other places were no pics = nothing happened, so I can totally deal with that ;)

I'm still kicking around joinery methods on all the projects, with few actually settled on. For the storage bench, it'll mostly be loose tenons. On the flute box, I'm still kicking around a few ideas, but dovetails seem appropriate. If I feel REALLY froggie, I might go mitered dovetails, but only have actually having practiced it a few times first ;)

As for the bookcase…well, I know the shelves will be stopped dados, but other than that I'm still working on a LOT in my head. Luckily, I've got 12 months to figure it out :D
 
#6 ·
Well get you camera working. At least take a picture of your plans. That way we know the way you are heading.
 
#9 ·
:)
and as for "errors".... they are just plan adaptations… you work around it, learn something new, and sometimes-the "flaw" becomes the highlight of the project, to be copied in the future.
 
#10 ·
Great advice folks! Thank you very much!

Karson, I'll have to scan the plans in then later today…just so folks know they exist :D

Tom
 
#13 ·
When you can't go to the shop is a great time to go to the drawing board. Make scaled drawings or get in Sketchup. In Sketchup you can do everything except smell the wood. By making detailed plans, you can eliminate most of the problems or find and identify problem areas. If you have until March you can know those projects so intimately that construction will seem almost an after thought. Keep a journal of your thoughts concerning each project and you will start to get in the habit of good planning. Good luck. I can remember carving leather on the kitchen table because we were in an apartment. You can do it, we'll watch. LOL
 
#14 ·
True. I'm trying to get to know Sketchup, but not having a whole lot of luck with getting it to do what I want it to do just yet. I'm probably going to spring for a book or something, since I suspect this will be a very important part of what I do :)
 
#15 ·
False Start? Or Divine Intervention?

My childhood was…unique. Now, before I get to far into this, let me let you know this won't be a post about how I had a crumby childhood or anything. It may be true at times, but it wasn't necessarily because of my parents. My mother was great, though a little odd. She was an artist though, and that seems to go with the territory there. My Dad was never a contender for Father of the Year, but he tried and that's what counts in the grand scheme of things.

One thing my Dad did try to do was teach me about working with wood. When I was a young child, I got a kid's workbench. It wasn't particularly sturdy, but it was real. It had a real front clamp and a peg board back with real tools. I tried a few small projects but nothing really happened. This was about the same time that Dad was trying to talk my mother into letting him get a Shopsmith. One tool that would do it all. Dad wanted it bad, and Mom just didn't believe that Dad would use it. He had a habit of getting started in something, throwing tons of money at it, then losing interest. I sometimes think that Dad got me the workbench for Christmas that year with the idea that it would convince Mom he was serious. It didn't work.

Mom and Dad split in 1995. I was in the Navy at the time, but about to get out. Mom and I were talking about my interest in woodworking, and the Shopsmith came up in conversation. She recalled how badly Dad wanted it, and how she felt that he should start building with the variety of tools he currently had. I remember the Shopsmith demonstrations that were held at the local mall. It was the coolest piece of equipment I had ever seen. It could do anything and everything. Still, Mom held her ground.

This got me thinking though. Could that purchase have gotten Dad into woodworking? If so, what would that have done to me? Dad had a habit of trying to teach me something, and getting me so flustered that I wasn't doing it right that I would never want to touch it again. I couldn't cut wood with my little saw from my workbench kit, and Dad would critique my technique. In truth, the saw may have just been dull. The chisels didn't work right either…they were dull too. All of this was right out of the box…and probably a cheap one at that. No wonder I had trouble with it. However, Dad said I wasn't sawing correctly.

Had Dad gotten that Shopsmtih, would I have been forever turned off from real woodworking? My brief exposure with hand tools didn't banish the though of hand tools from my mind in adulthood, but perhaps if Dad had become a serious woodworking, it might have. He might have insisted on me using the Shopsmith at some point. I might have found a talent for it, and worked with it for ages to come. I might have had an additional 20 years of practice with it. However, it's possible that I would never be here today, gathering my tools for a new workshop. Perhaps if he had, I wouldn't be interested in crafting fine furniture that the world has never seen before.

Who knows. However, right now I'm just happy to be where I'm at right now. In the grand scheme of things, I wouldn't change a thing.
 
#22 ·
Inching Closer to Building

Every day, I'm a bit closer toward being able to finally build something! I want to finalize my workbench design. I want to get familiar enough with Sketchup that I can design some of the other stuff I have bouncing around in my head and see how they would work. And each day brings me just a bit closer to that.

Tomorrow I'll pull the trigger on a jointer plane I found at a killer price. Details will follow after thee purchase, just in case someone else things it's a good deal ;). I've got three old saws coming to me. I'm working on the router plan, and possibly the Veritas plow plane as well (needed for a particular project, as is the router plane). I'm just plain antsy right now!

Luckily, tomorrow morning I'll pull the trigger on Christopher Schwarz's book, and I'll probably drop a few extra pennies to get it faster. Gotta love Amazon Prime though…even if I keep the couple bucks to myself, it'll be here Tuesday. I don't know that I wanna wait that long though, you know?

Here are the projects I've got lined up in my head, not counting the workshop projects. I just have to get them on paper and/or in Sketchup:

1. Box for father-in-law's curly maple indian flute. He plays it and plays it well. He also transports it places in a cloth sleave. I'd hate for that beautiful flute to get damaged.

2. Storage bench for my sister-in-law. This will serve as her hope chest as well as be a neat piece of furniture. I'm hoping it will become a family heirloom for her children to cherish as well.

3. Bookcase for my Mom. She was going to build one herself, she even bought a table saw (cheap little Ryobi unfortunately). However, she physically just wouldn't be able to handle the lumber. That's OK. I look out for my Mom.

I hope to have the first two done by Christmas next year. The bookcase would be great to be done by then as well, but if not that's cool. Mom said she's not in any rush. However, I'm impatient. I want to be working on SOMETHING now. I guess I'll try and draw out the projects later and scan them so I can post them and get input from folks. Hope you good people don't mind ;)
 
#23 ·
Exciting.

Think about if you haven't yet
1. Do your sketchups
2. Make a cut list
3. Make a plan of procedure consisting of the steps to build the projects and the tools needed. This is like building it out in your head one time. I try to do this even when I have a magazine or book's plan as they are never correct.
4. You could also make some finish samples. If you know the finish to your projects ahead of building and have a written schedule, you will be more likely to complete the project.

Keep on posting.
 
#27 ·
Getting Antsy!

So, yesterday found me in both Lowe's and Home Depot. I finally found Home Depot's selection of non-construction wood. I also found Lowe's oak and birch plywood. Why was I wandering through these sections? Because I'm getting pretty damn impatient!!!!

I don't have a shop to use, but I'm antsy! I want to build something now! A tool chest, or something small and easy to move. I almost bought a Workmate yesterday just to have something to work with. I want to make some sawdust badly! The only reason I haven't jumped all over building my workbench yet is that I'm hoping it'll be heavy enough that moving it will be a pain, hence not wanting to start until I'm in the new place.

I was looking and red oak and thinking of the dovetail saw ripping a kerf-sized section into dust, of the chisel pealing away chunk after chunk, until POOF! A dovetail. Yeah, I've got delusional fantasies of perfect dovetails on the first attempt. I have this silly notion of making fantastic stuff on my first try. I have to get past this.

So, here's the plan. All my projects will get a first attempt with pine, since it's pretty cheap. Then, if it's suitable for use, I'll either give it to someone, or donate it to some charity. I'll be sure to finish it as well, because an unfinished piece just doesn't look right. However, I'm antsy now, so I suspect I'll be in Lowe's in the next couple of weeks, buying that Workmate and some pine.

Got to practice those dovetails, right?
 
#40 ·
"Essential" Shop Machines?

I was just looking at Popular Woodworking's site a few minutes ago, and noticed they have an article this month on power jointers. The synopsis refers to the power jointer as "essential". However, have we really lost sight of what the word essential means?

es·sen·tial /əˈsɛnʃəl/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[uh-sen-shuhl] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
-adjective
1. absolutely necessary; indispensable: Discipline is essential in an army.
2. pertaining to or constituting the essence of a thing.
3. noting or containing an essence of a plant, drug, etc.
4. being such by its very nature or in the highest sense; natural; spontaneous: essential happiness.
5. Mathematics.
a. (of a singularity of a function of a complex variable) noting that the Laurent series at the point has an infinite number of terms with negative powers.
b. (of a discontinuity) noting that the function is discontinuous and has no limit at the point. Compare removable (def. 2).
-noun
6. a basic, indispensable, or necessary element; chief point: Concentrate on essentials rather than details.


The first and the sixth definition are the key ones. They both indication that, if a power jointer is essential, that woodworking can not be done without one. But I think we can all agree that the implication is simply incorrect. It's not essential. Essential for a production shop to be competitive? Sure, I can agree with that. But for the hobbiest? I just don't think it's essential.

Now, don't get me wrong. I would love to have a nice, beefy jointer and planer to match. But I just don't have the room. If I did, I'd probably have all the "essential" equipment like a table saw, the jointer and planer, the router table, the mortiser, etc. But I don't. I have a hole that is smaller than some folks on LJ's wood storage! Maybe in time I can get to where I can set up a bigger shop, but that time is far, far away.

In the mean time, articles that talk about "essential" shop equipment can be discouraging for someone just starting out. All of these "essential" tools cost significant money for a decent quality machine. The thing is, furniture has been made for a couple of millenniums and these "essential" machines have only been a round a faction of a percentage of that time.

And please don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing machines. Like I said, I only wish I had the shop to have them myself. The issue for me is just the term "essential". It's like I tell my wife Jennifer, breathing is essential. Food and water are essential. That new purse? Not essential…it's just damn nice to have. That's right before I hand over my wallet and she gets the purse anyways…but it was never essential! ;)
 
#41 ·
Good point. However, I don't discourage the wife too much when she tells me a new pair of shoes is essential. Instead I use that misunderstanding to inform her that the new sander is essential. While I agree that too many words have been over used and watered down to the point of being meaningless, I think using that can be a very good strategy with the Mrs. ;-)
 
#55 ·
A Romanticized View of Hand Tools?

It happens from time to time, a new woodworker asks the inevitable question. The question is what tools are the bare minimum needed to produce quality work. Depending on the particular forum (i.e. internet forums), he'll get different answers. Recently, this question was asked in the Neanderthal forum of one of the bigger sites. The person wanted to know about hand tools. Now, normally, the answers are tools like a #4, #5, #7 planes, chisels, etc. This time, however, someone responded about the romanticized view of hand tools many of us have. He has a relative who is a retired cabinet maker who gives the verbal smack down when this person gets a bit to misty-eyed about the past. He advised power tools like a planer and a jointer. Probably $500-$600 worth of machinery to start with, without even finding out if the new woodworker had the budget or space to house such equipment.

You see, as a professional cabinet maker, he had to work quickly and efficiently to maximize his production. He couldn't spend all day cutting dados with a chisel. He needed a power tool that could knock it out in a couple of hours tops! Of course, to him, romantic notions of working with hand tools seems silly. However, most of us hand tool folks aren't doing this for a living. This is something many do to relax, and have some really nice furniture in our homes (hopefully). It's not necessarily something we're doing to make a profit on.

Further, I don't think all hand tool users necessarily have a romantic view of woodworking with these tools. There are folks like me who don't really have the space to house large machinery. There are folks who have to worry about noise for whatever reason. Sure, there are romantics too, but is that a bad thing? Romantics create poetry, music, art, literature…and apparently fine furniture and wonderful wood items as well.

Romanticism about woodworking can probably be found amongst the power tool users too. Perhaps they are all power, but they still use the 1950's table saw that was their father's. There's bigger and better out there, and they can house and afford these beasts. But Dad's table saw is still their choice, because it was Dad's.

I guess my point is, who cares if someone's view of using X type of tools is romantic? Romance is hardly a profane word. I know, I was in the Navy. We're experts on profane language! Instead, live and let live, and let the work speak for itself.
 
#82 ·
Boundaries

For some time, I have been setting boundaries for myself. What kind of furniture I would do, and what I wouldn't do. What materials I would work with, which ones I wouldn't. Even what kind of tools I would use (although tiny shop space sort of made me have to set this boundary). Even though there are no set rules on most of this stuff, I still seemed to want boundaries. Why?

Honestly, I don't know. However, as of tonight, I throw off all boundaries that are NOT involved in the laws of physics or other such things. If I want to build a Chippendale Highboy, so be it. I'll build one. I'm sure I can sell it off later, so what does it matter if Jennifer doesn't want something like that in the house? If I want to build a piece of wood art, with no useful purpose whatsoever, who cares? OK, who other than Jennifer cares? No one, that's who.

You see, I was raised by an artist. My mother taught me at an early age to push boundaries. I didn't have a coloring book until I was 8 years old, because my mother wanted me to be creative, not be taught to operate "inside the lines". With an art background like this, why would I set boundaries for myself? Wood can be an artistic medium, and fine furniture can be a medium as well. Mission style furniture is art. Chippendale is art. Funky yet functional stuff can be art as well.

Why not embrace the art? I know I am. Let's just see what happens ;)
 
#96 ·
Woodworking for Women?

I was just surfing through Amazon.com and came across this book called Easy to Make Organizers: Woodworking for Women. Now, I know I'm a guy, so perhaps I should just keep my mouth shut, but I suspect by now that some folks here realize that that is just not my style.

Frankly, this title bugs the hell out of me. First, there is the implication that women are more likely to be interested in things like organizers rather than coffee tables. Now, I'll be the first to admit that might be a hypersensitive reaction, but here's the thing…why specify "woodworking for women"? Why not just call it Easy to Make Organizers and leave it there? I know I could use more organization in my life, but hopefully they have an Easy to Make Organizers: Woodworking for Guys floating around also.

As a guy, perhaps I'm missing the boat here. Are women different in some way where they need a different set of instructions to build something? Are women wired in some way where they need to be taught how to do a dovetail in a different way? Honestly, I don't get it…is there some difference that I'm missing?

Male or female, woodworkers are woodworkers. Techniques are the same, the materials are the same, and the designs are often the same. If you take a man and a woman with the same experience level, give them both some lumber and some plans, some tools, and let them loose, they are both going to produce the piece. Any differences between them will probably be because of the individuals in quesition, rather than which bathroom they go into at Cracker Barrel.

Perhaps the "Woodworking for Women" is less threatening to some women? If so, then perhaps the problem isn't the title, but that the idea that a woman can't pursue a "man's" activity is still floating around. Before my son was born, I joked that if it was a boy, he would be a Noble Prize winning physicist. If it was a girl, she would become the starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcon's. Here's the thing…I'm one of those wierd people who actually think a girl can be a football player. So it's hard for me to wrap my head around the idea that women need seperate books for woodworking, or that magazines for women woodworkers should focus on small projects like plant stands instead of dining room sets.

I honestly don't understand it. If someone does understand it, please explain it to me. There are far to many women who's stuff kicks my butt for me to think there's some difference requiring seperate books, or that women require easy projects (see here for examples). I'm sorry, but I just can't buy it. The wood don't care what's in my underwear, just how I work it.
 
#97 ·
They teach a class at the local Woodcraft store called, "Box Making for Women" about once every other month.

Every five or six months, they'll teach a more general class, called "Box Making".

That's always bugged me a bit, from the perspective of a guy. How much trouble would Woodcraft get into if they offered a class called, "Box Making for Men"?

Upon further reflection, I can see the other point of view. Maybe the reason for having a separate instructional class for women would be to avoid the testosterone-filled atmosphere that might be created in a woodworking class full of men, all talking about the quantity and quality of woodworking tools they have and want to buy. It can get a bit intimidating, I must say, at our monthly woodworker's guild meeting with 60 guys all talking wood and tools.

But to reference your example, I'm not really sure why there would be a need for a separate BOOK for women. Hopefully there are female lumberjocks who are just as offended by this title as you.
 
#119 ·
Saws Aplenty

Recently, I've been asking myself, "Self? How many saws do you need, and why type of saws do you need?" Now, obviously, I'll never have enough saws. However, there should be a minimum set that a hand tool woodworker who's going "old school" should have, I'm sure we can all agree.

Now, I've got two crosscut hand saws, a Disston D-8 and a Norvell-Shapleigh's Diamond Edge that looks like a Harvey Peace P-26 Crosscut. I also have my back saw, which looks to be a rip saw. I've also got a couple of Japanese saws, but they'll be relocated eventually. I'm looking to go western just for the easy of sharpening them myself. Obviously, this will not be enough. But how many of what do I need?

Well, I may be able to get away with just one more back saw that can handle crosscuts. However, I'm not so sure that it would serve as a long term solution. While I have no problem with adding to the collection, I'd also like to put together a set for my son as well, and it be complete enough that, in time, he will be able to build all his own projects without having to borrow from dear old Dad. First though, he's only 6, so I have time to put together a set for him, but when a question gets into my head like this, I really find the only thing I can do to stop the voices in my head are to answer their question.

Where should I go for an answer though? Everyone has their own opinions, including the idea that one should have two saws of each type, rip and crosscut. Sound reasoning to be sure. However, I read recently that the cabinetmaker's shop at Colonial Williamsburg doesn't have a single crosscut saw in house. Instead, everything is filed rip and just kept very sharp. Apparently, a sharp rip saw can make crosscuts. Something for me to think about. But that still doesn't fully answer my questions.

Wenzloff & Sons, on the other hand, sort of does. For those of you who aren't familiar with them, they are one of the finest saw makers alive today. Period. No discussion. Are they the best? Don't know. However, their saws have been universally praised by everyone I've talked to who have used them. Now, how did they answer my question? Well, if you were to click the above link, you would find a section called John Kenyon - Seaton Chest Saws. These are saws modeled after the famous Benjamin Seaton tool chest. Honestly, they look pretty darn good too.

Now, as I look at the saws, one thing strikes me. There are three groups of saws: the dovetail and carcass saws, the tenon and sash saws, and the panel and half-rip saws. Why? Well, more or less, they are the same saw design within each group. The only differences seem to be size and the ppi (points per inch). Also, the panel saw is the only one filed crosscut!

The real trick is the ppi. The more ppi a saw has, the finer the cut. The fewer ppi it has, the faster the cut. This is a real important point to remember, because a couple of inches on a saw means you can handle bigger stock, but the ppi is the real determiner of a saw's purpose. For example, the tenon saw's ppi is 9. That's a pretty fast cut, great for cutting out tenons, since you'll have a lot of cutting just to get one. However, you'll have to clean up the shoulder for a good fit. The sash saw, on the other hand, is 13 ppi. A much nicer cut, but slower.

Now, why go into the whole ppi thing? Simple. It seems to me that the ppi is what determines a saws purpose, not just the design. The Kenyon-style carcass saw is 14 ppi, while the dovetail is 16 ppi. Very similar. It could be argued that a carcass saw will cut decent dovetails all by it's lonesome, but the dovetail's size makes it a specialty saw (only 1 5/8" usable depth on Kenyon-style saw).

So, what are my takes on the minimal hand saws needed (also taking into account what I already own)? Here we go:

1. Carcass saw (14 ppi rip, 12" long blade)^
2. Large tenon saw (9 ppi rip. 19" long blade, 4 5/8" usable depth at the toe.[*per Kenyon-style saw)
3. Panel saw (10 ppi, 22 1/4" blade)^
4. Rip Saw (10 ppi, 22 1/4" blade) ^^

^ saw I already own
^^ own saw already, but will refile it to rip

Now, why these four saws? Well, the carcass saw can fit the niche of both the dovetail saw and the sash saw. Only 3 ppi separate the fine toothed dovetail from the larger sash saw, and the carcass saw is pretty well smack dab in the middle, with only one ppi finer than the sash saw and 3" shorter blade. Obviously, some folks will prefer the sash saw over the carcass saw, and I can see the point. The larger blade can make it easier for larger stock.

The tenon saw, however, was the one saw that I just didn't feel there was a way around. The 9 ppi and 19" long blade made it unique of the Kenyon-style back saws. It cuts aggressive, which is good with all the cuts required for mortise and tenon joinery. While a panel saw might work from my newbie perspective, I just don't think it's the right tool for the job. A back saw seems more stable and therefore a better choice all around.

The panel and rip saws are obvious. The panel saw could be argued as unnecessary if a sharp rip saw will do the job as well, but they're common and cheap, so why not?

Now, don't get me wrong. This shouldn't be the complete kit you die with ages from now. This is just a starting point. By all means, get the dovetail saw and the sash saw. Get a flush cut saw too! This is just a starting point that I suspect will get you through darn near everything you encounter, but in time you'll want to add to it to make your jobs a bit easier.

I suspect some folks will disagree with this list. I can't say that I blame you. Obviously, part of this is preference, and this was a list I came up with for me primarily, so it reflects my thoughts and opinions. If you disagree, please share why and what your list would be. I, for one, would love to hear from others on this one! The most important thing is to have a selection of saws that will do what you need them to do. Period. On that, we can all agree!
 
#120 ·
I think there is a "Slippery Slope" with these saws. I'll bet you have quite a collection when you're through. We all are benefiting from you efforts. Thanks! I have a Diston CC panel saw, then 3 Garlicks, a dovetail, a tenon and a rip. I also use a double sided Marbles Dozouki. They all work.
 
#129 ·
Does how bad you want it affect the price?

So, I find myself looking at two different saws (yeah, I know what I wrote earlier, but that was a minimum…who wants just a minimum anyways?). I'm mostly checking out the dovetail saws and the rip saws on eBay. Guess what? The style dovetail saw I want? They seem to shoot up in price bigger than snot. I top bid $45? They go for $46. I don't bid? They go for $30. What's up with that?

However, I'm not despairing though. Every time I have gotten a setback, it's been like room is being made for something else. My #4 turns out to need more work than I though? Yesterday I won a Norvell Shapleigh smoothing plane…looks like a #4 to me! So, with this in mind, I have to remember that these saws will find their way to me soon enough.

On a related note though, my wife wants to buy me a dovetail saw. I told her I prefer vintage saws over new, mostly due to price. "They can't be that much. How much do they cost?" Well, I told her that they run about $130. Vintage it is then! (Why couldn't I have said I wanted a Wenzloff & Sons dovetail saw? What's wrong with me?). I'm very lucky. Jennifer and I have had plenty of rough patches. There were times when I didn't think we'd make it. There were times when I hoped we wouldn't make it. But here we are, and I'm starting to realize how fortunate I am to have her. While she's not crazy about dropping hundreds of dollars on a single tool, and she'll never be cool with a table saw (SawStop might be an exception though), she's done nothing but been supportive of my hand tool habit.

In truth, she deserves a blog posting all her own!
 
#130 ·
The tool is only worth what you are willing to pay for it, TC.

I love eBay just as much as the next guy (buying and selling, actually…), but I do have a steadfast rule I always stick to when bidding on something. I figure out the maximum amount I'm willing to pay for an item and that is my bid. I don't ever go back in and make a new bid. If someone outbids me, then they obviously wanted it more and I don't ever feel like I lost out on anything.

Anymore, I think the best ways to find deals on eBay is by searching for the misspelled words. If you search for Lie-Nielsen, chances are you're going to pull up items that have their bids already close to the actual value of the tool if you were to buy it straight from Tom himself (Tom Lie-Nielsen, that is). But occasionally you'll come across a listing for a "Lei-Neilsen" or "Lie-Nielson" or some such thing. And you'll find the price might be more reasonable (at least at first, anyway) because not as many people have found it per the misspelling of the name.

Or when I was in a big lignum vitae carver mallet phase (I have about nine of them… a sickness, really), I'd search for just "mallet" and take the time to go through all 300 listings, looking for that lignum carver mallet someone listed and they didn't know what it was. Or I'd search just for "lignum", counting on the fact that they might have misspelled "vitae". Several times I found myself the only bidder.

Anyway, those are my eBay tips for the night.
 
#137 ·
Fortunate for my Wife!

In my last blog, I mentioned I should write a whole blog about my wife. I know I'm not alone on this one, but I'm damn lucky to have her. You see, my wife and I have an unusual history together.

We first encountered each other when she was just 6, and I just a lad of 13. I was a Boy Scout, and our troop was camping on a private farm. One of the assistant Scoutmasters knew the owner and had arranged the whole trip. It was a fairly fun trip, with the exception of me almost drowning in the Muckalee creek that ran through this farm. For breakfast one morning, the owner and his family were invited down to join us for breakfast. There was this little girl with them. Truth be told, I only vaguely remember that breakfast. I think, mostly, I was preoccupied with near death…go figure. Still, if anyone had told me I was going to marry that little girl, I'd have told them they were nuts. She was just a kid!

Our lives weaved in an out a few more times, until I found myself in college as a non traditional student. We had mutual friends, and our friends were friends. It was pretty odd actually. Then one day, we met. It was in Walden books. She was sitting on the floor, looking at books, and doing one hell of a Yoda impression while her best friend was talking to a couple of my friends. Episode I was out recently, and Jar Jar Binks wasn't nearly as annoying to me, and so I stuck my head around the corner and said "How wude!" We started talking. I got the digits, and was tickled to death.

I called a couple of times, and she was never home. So, I tried one last time. This time, she was on the phone and talking to me. She let me know pretty quickly that she had a boyfriend and was crazy about him. "OK, so what?" I thought. "Who ever has enough friends?" So, I just talked to her. For the first time in my life, I was the real me while talking to a girl. Two hours later, she still had the boyfriend, but she didn't know how long it would last (she later told me she wasn't really interested in me when she got on the phone, but was when she got off the phone…GO ME! :)). The next day, she called to tell me she had broken up with the boyfriend, and asked if I would meet her after she got off from work that night.

Now, despite this magical beginning, things haven't always been puppies and daisies in the Tomcat household. We've had plenty of ups and downs, and I've often felt like she wasn't very supportive of things I was interested in. That, however, is in the past.

When I first started talking about woodworking, I told her that I wanted heirloom quality tools. I wanted tools that would last for generations to come. Not only was she OK with this, she seemed to endorse the idea. When I priced quality tools, I was shocked at the cost. That lead me to the slippery slope called vintage tools. Again, she's been nothing short of encouraging. She even said that, if nothing else, we'd end up with some really cool looking tools with cool stories about them. She's right.

The other day, I was commenting on wanting a dovetail saw. I was in the bedroom watching TV when she came in. "Can you I get you to come look at something on eBay for me?" she said. Usually, this means something I could care less about. This time though, she had a half dozen back saws on the screen. She wanted me to let her know which would work as dovetail saws and which wouldn't. Most of them would, so she added them to her watch list. She told me she would pay, if I wanted one. Well, the first one I made a play for fell through. I lost the auction by $1.00, and since I was at work when it ended, I couldn't do much about it. Such is life.

Last night, I showed her the Lee Valley catalog, and the Wenzloff & Sons dovetail saw. She was ready to OK the purchase right then and there (though for down the road…we don't have $130 of tool money available right now). I mentioned there was a long wait for Wenzloff's saws. I honestly don't know if Lee Valley has them in stock or not, but will check when I'm ready to buy.

Now, is it our anniversary? Not until April. Birthday? Nope…not until September. Late Christmas? Not really. Then why this outpouring? Honestly, I don't know what reasons she may have, except that she knows a dovetail saw is something I want, and therefore it's something she wants me to have. Now, what more can you want than that?

Please, tell me about your spouses. Tell me about how they support you and your sicknes…err, passion. Share with me how they've supported you in this wacky hobby/profession (depending on the individual). Then, if you haven't already, tell THEM how much you appreciate them! It would be a lot harder if they were against it!
 
#138 ·
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw what a special blog entry!!

this isn't a woodworking story but one that shows how lucky I am. Rick and I were shopping and he left the store while I waiting my turn at the checkout. When my turn arrived the lady showed me a special they were having on kitchen scissors - a great deal and nice pair of scissors, so I bought it. Rick comes back in and I say "I'm buying this pair of scissors that's on sale." He said, "OK." and waited for me. The lady behind me said, "wow where did you get one of those? You say "I bought this" and he just says "OK"??? I want one of those!!!!"
 
#145 ·
Coming to Terms

Four eBay listings in two days. All have gone right in front of my eyes. Most for just a hair more than I had bid just at that moment. The sad thing is, I was settling for most of these tools. That's right, they weren't exactly what I wanted. The handles looked good, the blade looked good, they were pretty rust free…and yet, I didn't want them.

Why? Well, they were in good shape, that's why. Earlier today, I said on a forum, "Give me your poor tools, your tired steel, your huddled masses of rust." Yep, I ripped off the Statue of Liberty. That's how I roll! But seriously, the point is, I've found that I enjoy getting these old, beat up tools and discovering the greatness. I remember the feeling inside when I found out my Warranted Superior saw was actually a Norvell Shapleigh saw, and was dated from 1902-1911. That, to me, was about as good as it gets. Then, to watch the rust disappear under my careful work is something else to behold.

I started with rehabbing old tools as a means to an end. I needed tools, and here were tools that no one wanted, so I could get them cheap. I just needed to do a little work. Sweat equity is easier for me to part with than cold, hard cash. I didn't expect the reward of finding another hobby in the process. Make no mistake, fixing up old tools IS a hobby in and of itself. Even after I get enough to do what I want to do woodworking-wise, I still intend to fix up old tools. It's truly a joy to take a fine tool and breath new life into it.

However, I'm still stuck looking for a vintage dovetail saw that meets my specifications (though Patrick Leach may be able to help me out with that…I should know tomorrow sometime). Even after the dovetail saw, I have a few other saws I'm looking to pick up to complete my set. The problem is, the rust hunting in this neck of the woods is pretty sparse. I hit the flea markets yesterday hoping to find some rusty tools of quality, but the only thing I found was a Millers Falls breast drill that the lady wanted far more for it than I was willing to pay. So far, the antique stores aren't much better.

Don't get me wrong, I mostly just venting. eBay has seemed to dry up on the things I'm looking for, but it'll probably come back around again. Maybe around Christmas time when people are trying to bring in some extra cash. Who knows. However, I refuse to get down about it. There's zero point to it, and it'll just make me mad all over again ;)

I'm sure I'll find what I'm looking for. I got this far thanks to the net, and I'm sure I'll complete the collection thanks to the net. At times, it almost seems like a higher power is deciding where and what I should buy, and that's pretty comforting actually. I know I'll get what I'm meant to have, which bodes well for my woodworking! At worst, I'll just cough up the money for Mike Wenzloff's fine saws. Oh darn ;)
 
#146 ·
Tomcat keep on with your tool quest. If you weren't successful on some bids I really wouldn't worry about it too much. I have often wondered what goes through the minds of some of these bidders. I have seen used items go for more than the item is new and then you have to add the cost of shipping. I have bid on and won a few items but have lost many. I refuse to get caught up in auction fever. If I don't get the item at my price I simply let it go and wait for another one to bid on. Do I have regrets that I didn't bid higher? The answer is of course, we all do when the bidding is over. I can remember one wood auction for 600 feet of cherry that went for less than a $1.00 per bf and the person selling it was located about 15 miles from me. I lost the bid by $50.00 but I stubborn enough that after I set my high price I simply refused to budge.

Just be patient you will get to where you want to go in time.
 
#155 ·
Who am I? Why am I here?

A conversation with MsDebbie on my last blog entry got me to thinking about why I'm here. Why do I want so badly to build fine furniture that will last for generations? Why do I want to use tools that are 60+ years old when I could get shiney new stuff instead? It's simple. Just one word really. Rebellion.

I, my fellow LumberJocks, am a rebel. I'm rebelling against the current thoughts that pressboard furniture and $1.99 hand tools are just fine. I'm rebelling against the idea that Ikea and Walmart are the bastions of style and taste. I'm rebelling against the notion that quality is long since gone, and that heirlooms all had to have been built in ages past. That's right, I'm rebelling against all that!

We live in what I call a "disposable society". Everything is disposable. Plates, napkins, even our furniture. Mass assembly lines crank out junk furniture that will, at best, last for 10-20 years…and that is usually the absolute tops! Then, in the store, you pay $200-$300 or more for this piece that you'll have for a few years before it literally falls apart. However, if you have a pipe leak or something and that piece gets wet…well, it might have lasted twenty years otherwise. Instead, you've got about 20 minutes left. And people seem to think that it's normal.

That thinking is what I'm rebelling against. Don't get me wrong. Not everyone can have custom furniture or heirloom pieces. However, what bugs me is that most people will take the junk over the heirloom, just to save a few bucks. Well, I don't have the money to spend like I'd want to on furniture. However, I do have a will to build the cool pieces I want myself.

I don't want to be part of the disposable society. I want my cars to last, my home to last, and my furniture to last. Hell, this is part of why I'm going with western saws over Japanese saws! The thing is, people will toss the old, simply because it's old. Our children's generation, on the other hand, will have to toss what is old, because it won't be any good anymore. My son won't however. Sure, the TV and DVD player maybe. The stereo might as well. But the furniture and my tools? No way. The furniture will be built with the intent to last for hundreds of years. The tools? Some them have already been around for a century. There's no reason to think they won't be around for a few more.
 
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