look guys are we being ripped off with new and not so new ideas?

Och Aye
I for one buy all the new gizmos and actually use about 90 percent of them.. but if you can show how to make them easily and cheaply I will give it a go.
\Thanks Al
regards Larry

-- Drink once, cut twice. New website up.... lazylarrywoodworks.com.au

That’s the Scottish thriftiness we all know and love!

I’m looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

I agree with Charlie. Can’t wait to see what you come up with! And when you make something better than the other guys and market it and become a billionaire, remember us all here on LJ’s! LOL!!!
Seriously this will be interesting. Can’t wait!

-- Allison, Northeastern Ca. Remember, Amateurs built the Ark. Professionals built the Titanic!

You go Alistair!

-- Don, Pittsburgh

def. gonna wait to see what you’ll be presenting us with :)

I feel the same sometimes, I’ll see a new tool/jig and say – heck,. I can make that – BUT – to make it as nice as the store bought ones , you’ll need to work with metal – which is something that many of us just don’t have the capabilities to do (milling, turning, etc of metal materials) – so we come up with ideas to make things out of wood – sometimes it works, sometimes even better than store bought ones, but sometimes – you just can’t compare it to a store bought anodized aluminum piece of tool.

I wish I had the capacity to machine tools like that :)

-- When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.

perhaps to be fair , I have a great deal of machines which would be useful to me which you may not have. However things like grinding rests etc can be made easily from wood and some things can be made from wood and metal .So thanks so far guys as I say I will do this slowly over the next year.I am still going to show the way to fill holes in wood with toner mixture but I have bought a massive new industrial woodworking lathe last year and it is too awkward for me to change speeds etc the way it is designed and it’s a big heavy lathe nearly six feet over the bed, so I am going to fit it with variable speed three phase just like my last one was .At the moment it’s single phase and the slowest speed I can get it to is around 2500 which is dangerous I had a piece fly off and just missed me frightened me enough to wait til I get variable speed with an invertor. Anyway beaqr with me.Alistair

-- excuse my typing as I have a form of parkinsons disease

Hey alistair
I don’t want this to get around but i think your correct .Just look at my shop full full full, I have four dovetail jigs 3 spendy machines that mortise 3 different size band saws and maybe 10 new jigs new in the box 5 of witch I’ve never even test driven. Could I have made many of the Jigs I bought YES did I NO. I guess I just have that new-a-tool-a got-a-have-ahs,. SHHH don’t tell the boss She thinks I need all that for business.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

I’m with you Alistair. I like to think of myself as thrifty, because I’d rather spend 4 hours making a jig to do a task versus buying some Chinese crap from Rockler or any other site. It seems to be all about marketing, more than the actual task of woodworking these days.

-- Julian, Park Forest, IL

Maybe most people either don,t have the knowledge, or have forgotten how, to make their own stuff. I agree with you, there,s to much simple stuff for sale that can be made in the shop, like push sticks as a classic example. A quick bit of research and all you need to know about making your own tools and jigs is out there in cyberspace.

-- if the hand is not working it is not a pure hand

Spot on

There is another woodturner around my area that has made alot of the machines he owns and they work as good or better than the high range lathes and for a fraction of the price.
but of corse not everyone has acess to welders or metal lathes or milling machines but (nearly) everybody would at least be able to make there own round nose scraper out of an old file. all you need is a grinder a hacksaw and a propane torch (or a bonfire with lots of coals)
so there is really no excuse for saying I cant make my own things so i have to go out and buy them

dont get me wrong, im not saying that store bought tools are bad or anything like that. im just saying that anybody could make there own with just a couple common tools.

see this aricle for more info http://www.bigtreetools.com/articles/siegel%2018-4.pdf

-- BRODY. NSW AUSTRALIA -arguments with turnings are rarely productive-

Broda- that is a great link – Thanks!

I also think it’s sometimes lack of self confidence that is also driven by manufacturers marketings – for example. I’m in the process of building my own router lift and table plate, and my own wagon vise (for workbench). but I keep having these notions that maybe my designs are not as “high quality” as the store bought aluminum and high-tech versions – maybe my materials will not hold up to the stress that those store-bought versions will…. I know that It’s more psychological, as I’m pretty confident that my ideas will work just as good, but that little voice is always there…. ooooh look at that shiny new jig in the store – must be the best ever… lol

-- When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.

Alistair, your idea is superb. You are well equipped for doing it and I fully support you in your efforts.
Sharad

-- patanjali

HA!! a1jim !! I’m gonna squeel!! where’s the boss?? your gonna have to loan me some of those many overstocked tools you got now!! LOL

-- Randall Child

Hey Randy Good to see back at LJs
I give up but it’s a bit of a drive, You can borrow those rubber drill bits, the lawn mower drill press combo,
the Styrofoam bench, the dog powered table saw. and the remote flying circular saw. I’m sure I can find more

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

No no no..I wanted to borrow your left handed cresent wrench, the tablesaw with the hand crank used for power, (I know you got one too..LOL) and as far as that remote controlled circular saw goes.. make sure you give me fresh batteries for it this time, last time it barely had any juice and I chased it all over the place..:P

-- Randall Child

I checked with Robin aka woodmosaics and he said that his pedal powered table saw is in use at the moment but when he has finished with it you can copy the setup.

-- Drink once, cut twice. New website up.... lazylarrywoodworks.com.au

That’s a real good idea Al….....could help to save a few pennies.

-- I will just keep doing it till I get it right.

Can’t wait to see you ideas bear fruit Alistair.

a1Jim – Preach it Brother! I won’t tell if you don’t.

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

Hey Larry is that the pedal powered table saw mounted on a bicycle?
Hey Douglas thanks for keeping it on the hush.
Hey Randy The left hand wrench is out for repairs but I have a foot powered one.The saw I’ve adapted to a 12 volt car battery , it last longer but flies lower to the ground.
Hey Alistair sorry for pulling things of the main subject.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

Jimmy, the TS is hooked up to a bicycle and you pedal it backwards of course.
Actually He really does us this set up and has a video to prove it.. No Sh*t

-- Drink once, cut twice. New website up.... lazylarrywoodworks.com.au

well wait till I show you my new tin of tartan paint with a tartan paint brush works beautiffully as long as it’s never never stirred first.LOLAlistair

-- excuse my typing as I have a form of parkinsons disease

As one that paints some projects, I would LOVE to give that tartan paint a go!

-- Berta in NC

Hey Larry
That’s a real kick , I thought you were kidding. You got me on that one Bud .Thanks for the link.

Hey Alstair I’ve got to see that one I can use it on my car LOL you wild and cray guy.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

Swap you a tin of barberpole paint for the tartan stuff.
I am on the look out for fuse for a short circuit though,, if any one has a spare I would surely appreciate it.,.
Hey Jim.. its a hoot what Robin does on his bike saw.
Larry

-- Drink once, cut twice. New website up.... lazylarrywoodworks.com.au

Hey larry
Your not kidding thats unbeilable that he cuts out all that beautiful work on a bike saw, I guess… I know i could use the work out but its a little, harder to ripe 16 footers than what Robins cutting. great work on your most recent lazy Larry .
Jim

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

Allistar,

I think this is a fantastic idea. Comeing from some one who is too cheap (broke) to go buy anything that I can make, You are going to start seeing more tools from me on this site.

Just got done making 2 marking knives, One for me and one for the Squirt.

Have also seen a lot of jigs on here that are very simply designed and as good if not better then the store bought ones.

Look forward to seeing what other tools you come up with. My dad used to be a machinest and had a basement full of tools that I could play on, But that was over 35 years ago. Would love to have access to your shop now.

Keep us posted.

Scrappy

-- Scrap Wood's the best...the projects are smaller, and so is the mess!

I’m basically a cheapskate, but I’ll buy the “good stuff” when I need something I can’t make for myself.

Jigs and fixtures are important parts of my shop and I make almost all of them myself, Using the “good stuff”.

I almost NEVER use the miter guage that came with the tablesaw. Instead I have shop made fixtures for specific angles such as 90º, 45º, 22.5º, etc. I have wooden jigs hanging everywhere.

Buying something you can make in your shop, I agree, is just wasting money.
Being careful with money is now more important than ever, especially for those of us who are members of the Golden Ager’s Club.

I don’t think I’ll make a person powered tablesaw, though. <grin>

Best Regards,
Don

-- If a man says something in the forest and there's no woman to hear it, is he still wrong?