Comments on: If You Buy One More Fancy Jig, You Better Just Close Up Shop

By: 17.5 Reasons to Never Come to This Site Again | The Woodworker's Journey

17.5 Reasons to Never Come to This Site Again | The Woodworker's Journey — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 16:13:21 +0000

[...] There is such a thing as too many tools. There’s also such a thing as too few. Most “tool collectors” are simply seeking that instant gratification that comes from thinking a new shiny tool will [...]

By: Give up on holding back starting your woodworking business.

Give up on holding back starting your woodworking business. — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 10:04:30 +0000

[...] same thing applies to your tools as well. You’ll never have enough tools, and you’ll never have every tool you [...]

By: Adam

Adam — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 18:45:12 +0000

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.

By: Scott

Scott — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 17:33:17 +0000

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.

By: Adam

Adam — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 03:34:14 +0000

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.

By: Joe Morrissey

Joe Morrissey — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 22:54:45 +0000

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.

By: Adam

Adam — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:02:58 +0000

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.

By: George Walker

George Walker — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:42:30 +0000

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

By: Eric Hegwer

Eric Hegwer — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:42:04 +0000

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.

By: Mark Mazzo

Mark Mazzo — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:37:18 +0000

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