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Hello, long time no visit. Bought motorcycle. Travel all over the USA....except during Michigan winters...
Anyway, kinda sorta working in the shop this winter and also helping a couple people begin to enjoy the thrill of woodworking. Noticed a lot of the tools have changed over the years and I sure am thankful I have what I have now. So, Jorgenson doesn't make the handscrew kits any longer? Only found some Dubuque brand and I never heard of them! Do they still make the Adjustable C-Clamps???? Looks like Bessy has altered their long cabinet clamps from those I bought 12 years ago? The one handed Quick Camps, with the yellow little pads, have changed. My CMT Industrio router fence (which is freaking awesome) looks as if the DoDo bird carried it off. Kreg Pocket hole kit I paid 135.00 for is still available for 130.00, but it looks like the quality has diminished. And bring back my Norton 3X sandpaper, please! Yes, I am spoiled with what I have.....
So, I reckon my new future woodworkers, will be, in my opinion, starting with a slight handicap on quality hand tools?
Thanks for listening (varnish is curing presently on my latest piece, so you folks drew the short straw.)
All the best,
Michael
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(12-09-2018, 09:35 PM)Michael J Wrote: Hello, long time no visit. Bought motorcycle. Travel all over the USA....except during Michigan winters...
Anyway, kinda sorta working in the shop this winter and also helping a couple people begin to enjoy the thrill of woodworking. Noticed a lot of the tools have changed over the years and I sure am thankful I have what I have now. So, Jorgenson doesn't make the handscrew kits any longer? Only found some Dubuque brand and I never heard of them! Do they still make the Adjustable C-Clamps???? Looks like Bessy has altered their long cabinet clamps from those I bought 12 years ago? The one handed Quick Camps, with the yellow little pads, have changed. My CMT Industrio router fence (which is freaking awesome) looks as if the DoDo bird carried it off. Kreg Pocket hole kit I paid 135.00 for is still available for 130.00, but it looks like the quality has diminished. And bring back my Norton 3X sandpaper, please! Yes, I am spoiled with what I have.....
So, I reckon my new future woodworkers, will be, in my opinion, starting with a slight handicap on quality hand tools?
Thanks for listening (varnish is curing presently on my latest piece, so you folks drew the short straw.)
All the best,
Michael
Jorgenson went out of business - some of their product line was bought by other companies but not the hand clamps as far as I know
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Yea Jorgenson went the way of the doodoo bird. China bought their tooling up. Quality is bad.
Steve
Mo.
I miss the days of using my dinghy with a girlfriend too. Zack Butler-4/18/24
The Revos apparently are designed to clamp railroad ties and pull together horrifically prepared joints
WaterlooMark 02/9/2020
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Thanks for the replies.
How sad. Fabulous products back then. I will cherish deeply the tools I have. I still have my 3 Cabinet Master 48" clamps bought WAY BACK during early Windows 95 days at the "Jorgy Orgy"....I believe every woodworker's computer froze solid at midnight on that sale day.
Well, it is what it is today. I still have my hands and a brain that remembers the days here of Vanguard and his purpleheart projects, Jack Hutchison, John Fry, and the finishing guru Howie. Good times for sure.
Again, much appreciate the replies folks.
Mike
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(12-10-2018, 11:30 PM)Michael J Wrote: Thanks for the replies.
How sad. Fabulous products back then. I will cherish deeply the tools I have. I still have my 3 Cabinet Master 48" clamps bought WAY BACK during early Windows 95 days at the "Jorgy Orgy"....I believe every woodworker's computer froze solid at midnight on that sale day.
Well, it is what it is today. I still have my hands and a brain that remembers the days here of Vanguard and his purpleheart projects, Jack Hutchison, John Fry, and the finishing guru Howie. Good times for sure.
Again, much appreciate the replies folks.
Mike
Here are New Jorgensen Clamp at Rockler
Jorgensen
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Seems like more and more of the manufacturers are pumping up their products to stay trendy and grab attention of the DIY'er and newbie woodworkers. I love my first and second generation K Body clamps for example and my wood handled Jorgies.
Still have my first generation steel body Kreg jig and few other tools I'm glad I got back in the late 90's and early 2K.
Not a huge fan of these auto adjust clamps either. Just seem inconsistent. I've tried Kreg and Armor with mixed results. Give me a DeStaco hold down clamp any day
There is just so much fast this, easy that type of clamps, tools and other jig stuff that it just makes your head spin sometimes.
Happy to have my made in the USA Delta Unisaw and bandsaw and earlier Powermatic equipment
But yes, tools are changing to meet the demand of the new consumer and that's how these companies keep moving forward.
I'm just happy with my good tools and clamps!
"This is our chance, this our lives, this is our planet we're standing on. Use your choice, use your voice, you can save our tomorrows now." - eV
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The Dubuque clamps are an excellent domestic product. Universal aluminum bar clamps made by the same company, also great. I believe they are available from Tools for Working Wood.
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I have many of same tools mentioned in this thread and many of the same thoughts you share. It makes me wonder what my teenage son’s options will be if he decides to take woodworking up as a hobby in 15-20 years from now. Luckily, for him, I have set aside a very nice set of pre WWII Stanley planes in case his interest keeps growing. If I had more space on ground level, I’d consider the same for stationary tools as well. It’s always hard to pass up a quality machine at a great price. Even if you already own something similar. Hence the PM drill press still sitting in my garage....
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12-16-2018, 10:28 AM
(This post was last modified: 12-16-2018, 10:29 AM by Handplanesandmore.)
Woodworking or not, it is the survival of the fittest. Is old better than new? Yes and no.
Many of the old handscrews, saws and chisels (assuming they are properly maintained) are better than those you get from Lowe's or HD.
But consider these new and better products:
Mesh sandpaper
Festool dust extractor
Festool Domino jointer
SawStop safety feature and dust collection
Track saw if you often work with sheet goods by yourself, and don't have the budget or space for a slider or panel saw
Veritas shoulder plane (way better than the old shoulder plane in design and in use)
L-N honing jig (if you are ready to shell out your money)
Tormek T-8
and the list goes on.
I say the future woodworkers are lucky if they know what they are getting. But I know one thing that the older the better (until it is too old): I know the "old me" is much much better than the "young me" as a woodworker!
Simon
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