Sweating the small stuff

[Bas]

Originally Posted by scsmith42

Bas, that is one cool looking shop! I like the old coke machine and the checkerboard flooring pattern;

Thanks! I have some more pictures of my shop.

Originally Posted by scsmith42

What's the "strangest" tool that I have in my shop? ... I'd have to say that my sawmill is the most unusual tool that I have - it's a swingblade mill and they are not that common.

Now that is an impressive piece of equipment. Never seen anything like it. I'm not sure about "strangest" but it definitely qualifies as one-of-a-kind.

Bas.

[NCPete]

Is that a 3-phase panel in the background????

[DaveD]

You folks are looking at this tool cost all wrong.... read on.....
Do you have any wall space left in the shop? If you do you don't own enough tools yet.

Is there a place to put another tool box somewhere in the shop? if there is then you don't own enough tools yet.

Does your significant other spend more on their 'stuff' than you do on tools? if they do then you don't have enough tools.

If your shop is completely packed then you need a bigger shop. After you get the bigger shop then go back to the top of this post and continue reading.

Does your shop space equal at least 75% of the sq feet of the livable portion of your current house? if not then your 'shop' is smaller than the 'shop' of your significant other. Get a bigger shop.

In the kitchen of my house there are at least 15 wooden spoons, 6 metal wisks, a couple dozen cooking forks/spoons, 3 sets of measuring cups, 4 mixers of various sizes, a couple of different type Cuisenarts, 3 sets of dishes that could feed the whole neighborhood, enough knives to fill 2 drawers, every cookbook that was ever published, enough pots/pans to stock a good sized hotel, 30 different types of cookie sheets/muffin pans. And all that doesn't include the good china and silver that is only used twice a year or the multiple turkey roasters, salad throwers, punch sets, etc. WHAT DO THEY NEED ALL THAT STUFF FOR?

For you older/more experienced folks think back how all the pot/pan technology changes every 5 years (stainless steel, cast aluminum, teflon coated, copper bottomed, flat (to go with the solid surface cook tops), no stick surfaces, etc.. and you get roped into getting them. Heck they probably magically just show up in the kitchen and we probably don't say anything about it.


So.........even with my 40 years of constantly buying small/medium/large tools I will NEVER catch up to the other 'stuff' either in volume or cost. Just not possible.

And that's only the kitchen. I could go on about the other 'stuff' too (jewelry, dolls, crystal, knick knacks, etc), but that would make it even more depressing.

Emeril's knives, Julia Child's knives, and the other 15 'nationally recognized' chefs/cooks that sell their knives (and other stuff). Seems to me about all you need is 3 knives in the kitchen (small, medium, large), not two complete drawers packed with knives.

Stand up for yourselves. We need to unite. 'They' buy something that plugs in should entitle us to buy something that plugs in. They buy a pot/pan/knife/etc., should entitle us to expand our tool base by one new tool.

Oh yeah forget about buying used tools. When was the last time the significant other bought a used pot/pan/knife? NEW baby, BUY NEW.

One last point. At least we have some remote chance to make something in out shop and sell it to support your hobby. When was the last time something was cooked in your kitchen and sold to help pay for some new utensil in the kitchen? Cooking something and donating it to a bake sale doesn't count.

I add a new hobby to my arsenal about every 10 years so I will NEVER run out of tools to buy. My shop is the proverbial '10 pounds of stuff in the 5 pound bag'

Remember 'the one that dies with the most 'toys' wins'. -or- 'You can tell the men from the boys by the price of their toys'.

Besides you have to keep the economy energized and moving forward.

[Bas]

Originally Posted by DaveD

And that's only the kitchen. I could go on about the other 'stuff' too (jewelry, dolls, crystal, knick knacks, etc), but that would make it even more depressing.

*Makes deep bow*
Dave, I have seen the light. A couple of Haikus, in your honor:

Have printed Harbor Freight coupons
Will purchase vast quantities, yet save money
Then spend savings at Klingspor

Do not sweat small stuff
Repent, woodworker, heed Dave's words of wisdom
One with most toys wins


Bas.

[Travis Porter]

Nice shop and nice set up?

The tool acquisition process for me never stops. I constantly drool and want more. I drool for bigger stationary tools, festool, hand tools, precision instruments, and I can go on and on and on.....


As for buying stuff at harbor freight, I do it myself. Never know for sure on some stuff if it is something you are going to use much and you can't beat the prices. Some stuff is as good as higher end stuff. I have a harbor freight lathe and as much as I use it I see no reason to upgrade.

Strangest tool I have in my shop..... Hmmm..... Probably the bright yellow cyclone and all of the 8" pipe strapped to the ceiling.

My one recommendation on what to get next, although it seems like a waste of time is filtering be it a shop vac hooked up to your sanders, a cartridge filter system for the dust in the air, and/or a respirator. Respirator should be pretty high on the list as it is wise to have one around and wear it. The ones at Lowes for $30 bucks are good, and fit about like any of them.

[JimmyC]

Dave,

I gotta know, do you let your wife read your posts ? If so, does she have a sister?

Jimmy

Originally Posted by DaveD

You folks are looking at this tool cost all wrong.... read on.....
Do you have any wall space left in the shop? If you do you don't own enough tools yet.

Is there a place to put another tool box somewhere in the shop? if there is then you don't own enough tools yet.

Does your significant other spend more on their 'stuff' than you do on tools? if they do then you don't have enough tools.

If your shop is completely packed then you need a bigger shop. After you get the bigger shop then go back to the top of this post and continue reading.

Does your shop space equal at least 75% of the sq feet of the livable portion of your current house? if not then your 'shop' is smaller than the 'shop' of your significant other. Get a bigger shop.

In the kitchen of my house there are at least 15 wooden spoons, 6 metal wisks, a couple dozen cooking forks/spoons, 3 sets of measuring cups, 4 mixers of various sizes, a couple of different type Cuisenarts, 3 sets of dishes that could feed the whole neighborhood, enough knives to fill 2 drawers, every cookbook that was ever published, enough pots/pans to stock a good sized hotel, 30 different types of cookie sheets/muffin pans. And all that doesn't include the good china and silver that is only used twice a year or the multiple turkey roasters, salad throwers, punch sets, etc. WHAT DO THEY NEED ALL THAT STUFF FOR?

For you older/more experienced folks think back how all the pot/pan technology changes every 5 years (stainless steel, cast aluminum, teflon coated, copper bottomed, flat (to go with the solid surface cook tops), no stick surfaces, etc.. and you get roped into getting them. Heck they probably magically just show up in the kitchen and we probably don't say anything about it.


So.........even with my 40 years of constantly buying small/medium/large tools I will NEVER catch up to the other 'stuff' either in volume or cost. Just not possible.

And that's only the kitchen. I could go on about the other 'stuff' too (jewelry, dolls, crystal, knick knacks, etc), but that would make it even more depressing.

Emeril's knives, Julia Child's knives, and the other 15 'nationally recognized' chefs/cooks that sell their knives (and other stuff). Seems to me about all you need is 3 knives in the kitchen (small, medium, large), not two complete drawers packed with knives.

Stand up for yourselves. We need to unite. 'They' buy something that plugs in should entitle us to buy something that plugs in. They buy a pot/pan/knife/etc., should entitle us to expand our tool base by one new tool.

Oh yeah forget about buying used tools. When was the last time the significant other bought a used pot/pan/knife? NEW baby, BUY NEW.

One last point. At least we have some remote chance to make something in out shop and sell it to support your hobby. When was the last time something was cooked in your kitchen and sold to help pay for some new utensil in the kitchen? Cooking something and donating it to a bake sale doesn't count.

I add a new hobby to my arsenal about every 10 years so I will NEVER run out of tools to buy. My shop is the proverbial '10 pounds of stuff in the 5 pound bag'

Remember 'the one that dies with the most 'toys' wins'. -or- 'You can tell the men from the boys by the price of their toys'.

Besides you have to keep the economy energized and moving forward.

[NCPete]

Originally Posted by twodognc

Dave,

I gotta know, do you let your wife read your posts ? If so, does she have a sister?

Jimmy

That explains why he spends so much time in the doghouse! If I used similar reasoning with my wife..... when she thinks I have done something dumb, I can usually point to someone on here who has stretched the limits even further, but not always. DaveD's post will be a constant reference now.

[LeftyTom]

Bas, I am really lost now...can you list what you DONT have in your shop? Seems like it will be a shorter list.

[DaveD]

OK, time for lesson #2 on how to get the significant other to let you buy tools........

Can you say 'BUSINESS CASE'?

Go price something professionally that she is going to have done weather you agree or not. Then underbid the job so you get it.

Right after we got married we decided to remodel our kitchen. Up to this point all I had done was build some walnut furniture while in the Army (using their really great woodworking shop). So we go price out a kitchen remodel. I say I can do it for half price including buying table saw, drill press, air compressor, spray gun, router, yada, yada, plus some plumbing and electrical tools.

I got the job and it worked out fine. Exactly what she wanted. 'Saved' 50% off of retail and got tools left over.

1st kids bedroom furniture....same deal...more tools and save 50%.

$1000 stereo cabinet made for 300$ in material and $200 in new tools.

Throw in a few freebies every once in a while. Fix a chair, table leg, toy box for the kids, etc.

If the item goes over a couple hundred bucks then its BUSINESS CASE time again.

Now get them to want to put an addition on the house. Got the guts to try it yourself. I did. $50K addition for half price and I got at least a few grand in air nailers, chop saws, etc.

Getting the idea...

Now, you need the significant other to want a BIG cabinet made out of hardwood. The more expensive the hardwood the better. Go buy 500 bd ft of rough sawn hardwood and a $1500 planer to plane it down. You are probably still below retail for already planed wood. You also have a new expensive tool in your arsenal.

Build your own deck. Justifies impact drivers, BIG drills, BIGGER routers.

Put up your own crown moulding? 3 piece? stain grade? Living room, dining room, kitchen, family room. Can you see finish nailers in your life?
How about a LVHP sprayer? think BUSINESS CASE

Fixing all my own cars/trucks over the years has paid for all my mechanics tools in spades. Throw a teen age son in the mix who can wreck cars faster than you can fix them and you even have the opportunity to try your hand at body work (more tools ).

And remember.....
.
.
.
.
.
your significant other is still outspending you for the 'stuff' that she 'absolutely needs'.

[Travis Porter]

LOL! You have it down pat. The LOML is really pretty good with me about buying toyls. I am always building and/or doing something for the house anyway. For awhile she did give me grief about every time I did something I needed a new toyl, but those days are in the past. The only thing that gets her riled up is when doing a project I have to make more than one trip to the BORG in one day.

[pcooper]

Shoot, I thought it was "He who dies with the most tools wins"...... I find that I can't do any new project without buying something in a tool line, and you can't have too many clamps, no matter how many you have. I still run low on clamps at times. My big problem is buying something that I already had sitting in a drawer somewhere, and now I have two....

[lwhughes149]

As a woman I found this thread to be the most interesting I have read in quite sometime. You see guys, I have all the woman stuff and I also seem to be able to get most of the woodworking stuff as well. I am on my way to town now to purchase a bench sander. I have to have one because I am making two trestle tables. There are a lot of curves to be sanded. Keep up the good work guys and keep the women out of your shop. Dave has the right idea though. Create a project she wants and do the work for her. Lots of tools that way. My cherry kitchen project is still bringing in tools. My husband is so happy with the results, he doesn't seem to mind another tool for the little woman. Ain't life good? Lorraine

[scsmith42]

Lorraine:



Very well stated ma'am! Personally I love it when the Doc joins me in the shop, barn, or on one of the pieces of heavy equipment. Unfortunately it doesn't happen very often...

Scott

[JackLeg]

Lorainne, I do believe you have found the secret!!

[lwhughes149]

We women are very smart. You just don't know. You can't live with us but you can't live without us either. went to Lowe's to get a new tool and they were closed. Now I have to go back tomorrow. Taking the husband and his debit card. Ha Ha Ha Lorraine