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Location: IA
As of this time I am not teaching vets to turn. Also please do not send any items to me without prior notification. Thank You Everyone.
It is always the right time, to do the right thing.
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Sometimes and not always it's about priorities. I have decent tools (at least for me), but I don't smoke, drink a lot, golf, gamble, etc (I'm pretty boring). I enjoy my tools more than some other things. I'm not saying the others are wrong, but this is my choice. Also a lot of my larger machines are older, probably purchased at least second hand, so I've rehabbed them rather than purchased new. I get more enjoyment out of a good garage sale find than purchasing new.
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I know I posted the "life is short buy good tools" comment earlier but I'd like to add to that. I'm finally at a point where I have more free money than free time. Actually I'm blessed to have a good amount of both. When I started woodworking I had very little spare income but a huge desire to build a shop full of good tools on the cheap...so I could build good furniture.
I remember building my first bench by pounding out chiseled mortises on the concrete basement floor. Today I'll pay more out for tools or wood than those days.
Nonetheless, where there's a will there's a way and I found many great old tools for dirt cheap with my desire to hunt them down.
For any new woodworker on a tight income, good tools and cheap wood can be found but you need to go find them. That's where more time than money comes into play...
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Actually, Right woodworking tool will produce better work. I recommended all of woodworkers to select the right tool for their woodworking work.
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03-08-2017, 01:11 PM
When I first started doing woodworking on my own I was using my dads old 1950's 8" craftsman table saw, measure in front of the blade then behind the blade to get a good cut. I did this for a long time and it worked. Then I got my own contractor saw and it was alright but I still wasn't really all that happy with it. Then I got a Powermatic 66 5hp and I've been in love with it ever since. I've since changed my way of thinking instead of buying something to get me by I save my money till I can get what I really want. I find this actually saves me money and a lot of frustration. It's taken me a lot of years to get what I wanted but now I'm very pleased with the tools I have.
The only down side is now I can't blame the tool when I screw up.
Robertm
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Location: CinDay
(03-08-2017, 01:11 PM)RobertM Wrote: I save my money till I can get what I really want. I find this actually saves me money and a lot of frustration.
I used to flip tools for part of my income, actually a LOT of tools, and I know what you are saying is true. I saw it every day some guy wanted a TS, would by a junker to start, swap several times, and finally buy a good saw. Generally they would lose their shirt on all the trades, and the good saw would cost a lot more than the few dollars more if they just waited. Take that scenario, and add a BS, Jointer, Planer, Sander, DC, etc etc etc, and they ended up buying several shops full of tools. Doesn't matter if you are talking good older tools, or retail new.
Worst thing they can do is cook ya and eat ya
GW
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Location: Phoenixville, PA
I learned this about good tools 30 or more years ago.
I saved zero dollars by buying lesser quality tools, and then finally replacing them with the 'ONES" I wanted.
It tough now that I am older, I see new stuff I would like to have, but do not necessarily need, and, I am full up in my basement shop.
Back problems have limited my output. I want to build a small box, but my work-space is filled with local wood (curly PA Maple) purchased to make two fire-place cab's.
Such is old retired living!!
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Yeah but you don't have to drag yourself out of bed every morning to drive in crazy traffic.
Worst thing they can do is cook ya and eat ya
GW
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It's true that alot of us have wood shops set up with older equipment. At one time, I had enough money to get the bills paid, & put some in a savings account. Now if I'm able to get all the bills covered, & buy groceries, I'm darn lucky. My health put me out of the truckin' business 5 years ago. But we had most of our tools bought & paid for before my health went. Now, I save a few dollars each month, & some from a project I might get lucky enough to sell, & just wait til I get over the amount I need for the tool(s) I'm wanting, or lumber.
When I first started getting into woodworking, I bought one tool at a time because I wasn't sure what I wanted, or needed. Bein' in the trucking business all my life, I'd never been around wood working, or any of the equipment involved. I spent alot of time reading, researching, & learning the machines. The joys of livin' in your truck, I could read the books I checked out from the library when my day was over & didn't have to do deal with the truckstop trash.
I take alot of pride in being self taught. I don't get myself in a tight very often. I don't work fast enough anymore, & I spend more time at the scroll saw & am slowly learning the lathe. I've been scrolling 20+ years now, & own 5 saws + a shop full of other toys. My back & my bride won't let me do anything heavy anymore, but my scroll saws enjoy my company. I think a fella has to decide what kind of woodworking he wants to do, & start buyin' tools that pertain to that area. It's always good to hear from others, & how they started, too.
Sawdust703
head sawdust maker
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