When I first started woodworking, I would always feel the need to justify purchases. People would ask me "Why do you need this?" and I would respond with some justification that would explain how this purchase would save me money because I can now make … Nowadays, I just tell people that this is a hobby and the hobby itself is all the justification I need. I don't ask people why they need a certain baseball card or piece of carnival glass. It is pleasure and that is that.
That being said, I think there is an underlying desire to be frugal or to keep costs down for many woodworkers. I think it is ingrained in most of us that woodworking serves an economic purpose outside of the hobby realm. We can make furniture, Christmas gifts, we can accomplish household tasks, that we would otherwise have to pay somebody to do. While others can, without guilt, add one more knick knack to the shelf, we feel compelled to justify the machines and materials that build the shelf that the knick knack sits on.
And, to me, that causes a problem.
I see many of us agonizing over the cost of a high quality tool. We put together formulas, estimate warranties, go with the "Cry once" philosophy so that we can make the purchases for the large items only once. All good and well thought out until you start seeing the blades and accessories that folks will put on these costly machines. How many times do we see folks (including ourselves) discuss the cheapest blade, the least costly sandpaper, the most discounted router bits, and fasteners that we place on these expensive tool purchases.
Truth is, that if you put the cheapest saw blade on a cabinet saw, you would be better off getting craftsman and putting an expensive blade on it. Same with the bandsaws, routers, grinders, etc. Trust me when I say that one fiinger pointed at you makes three fingers pointed at me
Not saying that frugality doesn't have its place. There are hand tools we can invest elbow grease to save dollars, methods to extend the life of things, mid-price options that we can look into. Sometimes it is based on the quantity of use that we expect from a product and can go lighter as a result of that limited use. But I do have to laugh at myself, every now and again, when I look at some of the router bits from HF I have laying around or find a saw blade that I spent 10 bucks on, because I exerted so much time and energy in saving for the big tools that the money I need to spend to make those tools efficient I hold tight fisted like an old scrooge
Anyone else catch themselves in this web of irony?
David
That being said, I think there is an underlying desire to be frugal or to keep costs down for many woodworkers. I think it is ingrained in most of us that woodworking serves an economic purpose outside of the hobby realm. We can make furniture, Christmas gifts, we can accomplish household tasks, that we would otherwise have to pay somebody to do. While others can, without guilt, add one more knick knack to the shelf, we feel compelled to justify the machines and materials that build the shelf that the knick knack sits on.
And, to me, that causes a problem.
I see many of us agonizing over the cost of a high quality tool. We put together formulas, estimate warranties, go with the "Cry once" philosophy so that we can make the purchases for the large items only once. All good and well thought out until you start seeing the blades and accessories that folks will put on these costly machines. How many times do we see folks (including ourselves) discuss the cheapest blade, the least costly sandpaper, the most discounted router bits, and fasteners that we place on these expensive tool purchases.
Truth is, that if you put the cheapest saw blade on a cabinet saw, you would be better off getting craftsman and putting an expensive blade on it. Same with the bandsaws, routers, grinders, etc. Trust me when I say that one fiinger pointed at you makes three fingers pointed at me
Not saying that frugality doesn't have its place. There are hand tools we can invest elbow grease to save dollars, methods to extend the life of things, mid-price options that we can look into. Sometimes it is based on the quantity of use that we expect from a product and can go lighter as a result of that limited use. But I do have to laugh at myself, every now and again, when I look at some of the router bits from HF I have laying around or find a saw blade that I spent 10 bucks on, because I exerted so much time and energy in saving for the big tools that the money I need to spend to make those tools efficient I hold tight fisted like an old scrooge
Anyone else catch themselves in this web of irony?
David