The woodworking community is bombarded and really saturated with the shiny, the fancy, and the alluring.
It comes to you in the form or a catalogue, an irresistible deal at your local dealer, or a flashy ad on a website.
It’s the latest. It’s the greatest. It’s a must-have for anyone who’s “serious” about their woodworking.
By now, you’re completely aware of what I’m describing. It’s all the jigs, gadgets, and so called time savers that are produced and paraded in front of a salivating audience eager to acquire anything that appears to offer a shortcut or advantage. You, my dear woodworking friend, are the audience.
I’m not condemning them. I’m not even saying they’re bad. In fact, some of them are downright genius. The problem is when you give in to the thinking that your work isn’t complete without them.
Essentially you begin to hide behind them out of the fear of learning to do it the “hard way.”
It’s almost as if you’re stacking the boxes they came in between you and your workbench. Seriously. Go do that.
Take all the boxes your jigs and fixtures and gadgets came in, line them up going away from your workbench, and then stand behind them. Can you reach your bench? Can you even see your bench? Chances are, you’re probably in the middle of your driveway, parking lot, or neighbor’s yard.
All these fancy toys prevent you from connecting with your essential tools, materials, and ultimately yourself. The more you collect these marvels of woodworking mastery, the more you prevent yourself from forging a deeper connection with your work, and ultimately you rob yourself of the fulfillment and passion you are seeking in the first place.
The time spent learning all of these things could be spent learning the process with the tools you already possess. In fact, the longer you spend honing the skills to master your craft, the fewer tools you find yourself using and needing. I know that’s the case in my shop. I spend more and more time at the bench than in front of a machine. You can see this shift happening in Shannon’s article.
The lack of confidence you have in your abilities cannot be compensated by placing your trust in another fancy jig. That’s only going to keep pushing you further away form the goal. You acquire confidence through consistent practice. Repetition. Like anything else in life worth gaining, you do it over and over. Simple as that.
If you’re going to trust the outcome of your work to the ability of an expensive time-saving shiny object, then you failed to trust yourself. If that’s going to keep happening, then it’s time to close up shop. You’re done.
What’s your take on this? Have you experienced this disconnection?
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Adam,
Interesting thoughts. Two things you said really hit home with me, you said:
“The lack of confidence you have in your abilities cannot be compensated by placing your trust in another fancy jig.”…
“If you’re going to trust the outcome of your work to the ability of an expensive time-saving shiny object, then you failed to trust yourself.”
I recently picked up on something that Doug Stowe talked about on his blog. It takes your thoughts one step further and contemplates whether woodworkers let what tools/jigs they have limit their designs (see the post and poll here).
Now, I love tools as much as the next woodworker and I agree that some of the things available are downright genius. However, I’m continually amazed at the amount of things that woodworkers acquire and seem to think that they “have to have” before any meaningful work can be done in the shop! I think most woodworkers would be amazed at the skills with both power tools and hand tools, as well as the problem solving sills, that can be developed by just forging ahead and doing things rather than waiting for the next great woodworking jig or machine to solve all of their woodworking problems.
Great post!
–Mark
The Craftsman’s Path
How True!
And the funny thing is this isn’t limited to woodworking. My profession is Photography (and wood is my hobby), and let me tell you there are just as many camera do-dahs, Photoshhop tutorials, and such “to make you a better Photographer” That people begin to think they need to buy these things to improve their craft. 100% not true.
Great post. Been there, and now have actually culled back the tools at or near my bench to those I use frequently. Another thought on this. You mention making the effort to really master a skill. Sometimes when I do break down and buy a new handtool, I think of that time spent mastering it as a period where I’m learning what the tool has to teach me.
George Walker
George, very glad you stopped by. Terrific suggestion about learning from the tool. IF we allow ourselves to strengthen the bond between the material, the tools, and ourselves, then our tools certainly do have much to say to us.
Adam,
So true. I’m stepping further into my woodworking journey lately. With each class or book or blog post I found myself making a mental list of all the tools and jigs and gadgets I needed to acquire or make before I could build my projects. Recently I realized it was keeping me from building projects. So for now, I build what I can with what I have (tools and skills) and enjoy the process.
Interesting site. Thanks for sharing.
I’m glad you stopped by. It’s hard to go ahead sometimes with what you have because it can feel inadequate and the fear of “not doing it right” can really stop you in your tracks.
In the end, it’s about the progress and lessons and not the amount of tools. Great comment.
Interesting post. It seems that every pursuit, even an ancient one like woodworking, can be quickly buried in gear!
Let me ask some advice: I’m thinking of getting started with woodworking, and want some opinions on what an essential tool kit–hand tools only–should look like. (I’m in a small apartment in NYC, with the obvious noise and space limitations.) I’m trying to keep my aspirations simple. I’d just like to make some dovetails boxes and bins to hold files, magazines, misc items. I’d also like to pull off a simple bookshelf. And, for reasons I don’t understand, a cigar-box guitar.
What’s the minimum, tool-wise, I could get away with?
Thanks, Adam and everyone else, for sharing your thoughts.
Hey Scott,
If you’re looking to get started with woodworking, a quality set of hand tools are essential. Get the best you can, and you’ll use them more and take better care of them. If I was starting over I would get:
A Japanese dovetail saw (dozuki)
Larger Japanese timber saw (ryoba)
High quality set of chisels (don’t skimp on these)
A set of waterstones (Shapton or Norton)
Marking gauge
#5 Clifton jack plane or a comparable #4 or #5 from a quality company
Starrett 12″ combo square
Japanese marking knife
Low angle block plane
Shoulder plane
Card scraper and burnisher
This is a bare bones set that will allow you to do almost anything you need in woodworking. Shop made jigs and fixtures will only add to these tools abilities. Like I said DO NOT skimp on quality on any of these. You sacrifice that and you won’t get a tool that performs as best it can for as long as you need it.
Hope this helps.
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