The Tools We Want And The Tools We Need
Aug 13th, 2009 by Doug Berch
I once came home from an auction with a two-person crosscut saw.
I knew I had a tool problem.
I will never have a need for this saw but it was only $15.00 and it fit in the back of the car!
Having a small shop with limited space and only so much money to spend on tools has helped keep me out of trouble!
I have learned to separate the tools I need from the tools I want, though what I end up with at times is another matter entirely!
Having several #4 and #5 planes tuned for different work is very handy but there often seems to be room for “just one more.”
I use two braces , one with a 6″ swing and the other with a 10″ swing, but I can’t seem to part with several others. Three hand drills hang over my bench, each with a different bit I frequently use. Surely this adds up to a huge savings in time!
In truth I have reached a point where I have become more focused on the use of tools rather than the accumulation of tools. The busier I am in the shop the more I just want to get to work and the less time I have for tool hunting.
But lately I have been increasingly using finger-planes. I have a few but could use a few other sizes and profiles.
They are all so different and relatively easy to make. Surely just one more couldn’t hurt?
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“Need” and “Want” are the same thing when it comes to handtools. ; )
May I ask where you found the plans for the finger planes? Are you going to make some?
I’m planning on making some finger planes. I have a small Chinese high angle rosewood finger plane that I love! I need a few other profiles so I figure it’s time to give it a go.
I found the plans in the following article: http://bit.ly/EJbCR
I really want to whittle some shoes.