Neanderthal Haven can be harmful.

[Gordon Eyre]

As a power tool user I was going along fat dumb and happy and then I started to read Neanderthal Haven. Now I have a new Lie-Nielsen block plane, two planes that I have fully reconditioned, Lee Valley MKII honing guide, four Norton water stones, very sharp chisels, and I am coveting an LN jointer plane. Not only that I am 1/3 of the way through flattening my work bench and I am worn out. Before this I did not even know my work bench wasn't flat. Ignorance is bliss. :)

Is there a cure for this madness?

[Ron Kellison]

No. But all the other inmates are also nuts so you will have a lot of friends!

Regards,

Ron

[Jim Neeley]

I don't think there's a cure, but there is safety equipment involved for a downhill luge run!

Jim

[Jim Matthews]

There is a cure; it's called a quiet shop.

When you can unplug the DC forever, and hear the sound of your forebears coaching you through the process, you've arrived.

Come over to the Dark Side, Gordon - we have cookies!

[Zahid Naqvi]

It gets worse, first you have cravings for shiny metallic objects then you start talking tactile feel of tool handles, soon enough you will be referring to tools and makers by initials and will be shocked if the rest of the world doesn't know what the initials stand for. At that point your illness is beyond cure.

look at it as "enlightenment" and not a sickness ;)

[Ed Looney]

As a power tool user I was going along fat dumb and happy and then I started to read Neanderthal Haven. Now I have a new Lie-Nielsen block plane, two planes that I have fully reconditioned, Lee Valley MKII honing guide, four Norton water stones, very sharp chisels, and I am coveting an LN jointer plane. Not only that I am 1/3 of the way through flattening my work bench and I am worn out. Before this I did not even know my work bench wasn't flat. Ignorance is bliss. :)

Is there a cure for this madness?

The short answer is no, you can only feed the addiction with more tools.

Ed

[Gordon Eyre]

Thanks for your comforting reply to my thread guys. I did notice it was pretty quiet in my shop for the last week or so.

[Ron Bontz]

"Feed the addiction"? Indeed! First I fell into a Vortex and wound up with Thompsons tools, vicmarc chucks, and a PM3520B before I managed to swim out. Although I still go for a dip when I can. Quiet and peaceful. THEN I slipped on a wood shaving and went head first down this slope. Got knocked unconscious and woke up with all these little shiny sharp things around. I am still learning to sharpen and drive my little Stanleys. We won't talk about the Miller Falls hiding in the drawers. That's my story and I am sticking with it. I feel your pain. But oh isn't silence golden at times.:D203539203540

[Gordon Eyre]

"Feed the addiction"? Indeed! First I fell into a Vortex and wound up with Thompsons tools, vicmarc chucks, and a PM3520B before I managed to swim out. Although I still go for a dip when I can. Quiet and peaceful. THEN I slipped on a wood shaving and went head first down this slope. Got knocked unconscious and woke up with all these little shiny sharp things around. I am still learning to sharpen and drive my little Stanleys. We won't talk about the Miller Falls hiding in the drawers. That's my story and I am sticking with it. I feel your pain. But oh isn't silence golden at times.:D203539203540

Yikes Ron, you have it bad. Sure could use one of your long planes on my work bench flattening job. I have never seen so many planes in one spot, not even in a store. Before undertaking such a job again I will surely buy that LN jointer plane. :rolleyes:

[Ron Bontz]

I do like that #8 Jointer plane. I acquired both the corrugated and smooth version of each size. Except for the 6s and 4-1/2s. Just haven't decided which version I like best. I seem to be leaning toward the war time smooth bottoms though. The nicest smoothers I have played with are probably the Breese and Saur infills. They are in a class of their own. Just out of my price range. Well, I shall babble no more. Best of luck to you.

[Tony Shea]

Ron, that certainly falls in the class of a sickness, not an enlightentment. I agree that I've never seen so many Stanley's in that good of shape in one spot, maybe just at the Tool Barn in Hulls Cove Maine. That is quite the collection sir. I mean how many smoothers does one person need? I thought I had it bad until that pic. That pic will def help my girlfriend begin to think I'm sane again. Every week I have some new toy either mailed to me or from the Tool Barn. But my plane collection has nothing on your Ron. Nice one.

[Trevor Walsh]

There are several cures, Rob Lee makes a few. Tom Lie-Neilson has some, Joshua Clark, Tone Shea, Jim Bode, Wayne Anderson and Bill Carter should be able to help some. Not to get into the saw, chisel, and accessory makers.

[john brenton]

There is. I'm done...for the most part. I would like a good plough plane,but other than that I'm good. I could easily make one, but the lv looks nice. Now, I do have a good sized hand tool arsenal tht probably costs the same as a shop of refurbished cl power tool, but I don't have a hand tool addiction. If the power went out tomorrow I could still make most any piece of furniture I could ever need. And with that, I am honestly content.
As a power tool user I was going along fat dumb and happy and then I started to read Neanderthal Haven. Now I have a new Lie-Nielsen block plane, two planes that I have fully reconditioned, Lee Valley MKII honing guide, four Norton water stones, very sharp chisels, and I am coveting an LN jointer plane. Not only that I am 1/3 of the way through flattening my work bench and I am worn out. Before this I did not even know my work bench wasn't flat. Ignorance is bliss. :)Is there a cure for this madness?

[Jacob Mac]

Don't forget to keep applying wax to the bottom of your plane really often when you are flattening your bench. It makes the work go a lot easier.

For me, the beauty of hand tools is the precision they offer. My guess is that your wood working is about to go to another level. Good luck.

[Ron Bontz]

I'm not addicted. I can quit any time I want to.:D When I went to the Lee-Nielsen event it was real agony. (Therapy) Oh those wonderful LN planes and saws and files and MS Bickford moulding planes. Some times when no one is looking... I sneak out to the shop and make long curlies until the trash can is full or I run out of 2 x. Then I am ok for a while. So many curlies to make and so little time.:D So you see Gordon. It's ok. It won't hurt at all. And you can quit any time you want. :)

[Curt Putnam]

It is just a matter of a desire to acquire skill. Each skill requires new tools with which to acquire expertise. The desire for perfection is what distinguishes the syndrome. We never get there, but the the results are a lot more useful than golf or pool, which are similar generators of frustration.

[Harvey Pascoe]

The part of the disease I fear most is the quiet shop. I see the guys who collect dozens of planes and chisels and whatnot, spend their time creating the perfect workshop and wonder when do they have time to get any work done? While beautiful tools are nice and soothing to the ego, they serve no purpose (other than temporary satisfaction of the American disease of acquisitiveness) unless used to produce something. I like beautiful tools as much as the next guy, but productivity is the name of my game. If a tool improves that, I go for it, if not, then not.

[Trevor Walsh]

John, I know how you mean, I'm almost done. I just ordered a Record 073 shoulder plane (only had the LN 041) for wider trimming tasks. And I want to trade up from the 78 rabbet plane to the LV skew rabbet. Then some clamps and I'm finished.

PS. I have a Record 043 plow plane that I'm not in need of (I had a plow plane problem, recovering) Maybe it's too small for your work, maybe not.

[Gordon Eyre]

Don't forget to keep applying wax to the bottom of your plane really often when you are flattening your bench. It makes the work go a lot easier.

For me, the beauty of hand tools is the precision they offer. My guess is that your wood working is about to go to another level. Good luck.

Thanks Jacob and yes, I have been applying wax to the bottom of the plane. It really does help as you mentioned.

[David Keller NC]

Despite what you may have heard in other replies to this thread, this slope has no bottom, and there is no "done". :rolleyes:

Even if you resist the collector's urge (much more difficult than it sounds), you will always be purchasing "upgrades" here and there...

You truly know you've the sickness when you have a smoothing plane that costs more than a professional cabinet saw, and you haven't turned your dust collector on in years.:D

[Ron Bontz]

Well Gordon. When you get that bench finished I for one would like to see it. I am planning on replacing mine after almost 30 years. I am contemplating a Rubo/ shaker mix.

[john brenton]

I would definitely be interested Trevor.

I only know that I'm basically done because I've been here before with lots of hobbies and trades. With every hobby the aquisition stage has left me worried that ill always be on the search, but I've always reached the stage where I'm happy with what I have and it stops. I'm still goiong to swap meets and antique stores, and ill buy any wwing tool that looks decent. I would still like to continur building my molding plane selection too...but the tool obsession is gone.

.Upgrade? Maybe, but I doubt I ever will until what I have becomes unmanageable.
John, I know how you mean, I'm almost done. I just ordered a Record 073 shoulder plane (only had the LN 041) for wider trimming tasks. And I want to trade up from the 78 rabbet plane to the LV skew rabbet. Then some clamps and I'm finished. PS. I have a Record 043 plow plane that I'm not in need of (I had a plow plane problem, recovering) Maybe it's too small for your work, maybe not.

[Bill Moser]

John, I know how you mean, I'm almost done. I just ordered a Record 073 shoulder plane (only had the LN 041) for wider trimming tasks. And I want to trade up from the 78 rabbet plane to the LV skew rabbet. Then some clamps and I'm finished.

PS. I have a Record 043 plow plane that I'm not in need of (I had a plow plane problem, recovering) Maybe it's too small for your work, maybe not.

The 043 is just the cutest darned plow plane ever made :) I love mine, great for drawer bottoms.

Gordon - A good place to start to get an idea of what you're in for is Chris Schwarz' book, "The Anarchist's Tool Chest". Not really anything to do with anarchy -- rather it'll give you a feel for the range of tools you need for neander-style woodworking, and the reasons for each.

[Gordon Eyre]

Thanks again for all of your input, there are some real neanderites that frequent these parts and it is interesting to hear what drives all of you. I doubt that I will reach the level of dedication that many of you have but it is interesting for me to contemplate. Just the fact that I am out there flattening my work bench that I have been using for 15 years is a tribute to what many of you espouse. Secondly, the fact that my plane is sharp enough for me to even try such a feat is noteworthy. If nothing else the exercise will do this 77 year old body good.

[Gary Herrmann]

Harm? Define harm.

Um, Ron? Did I count 7 smoothers there?

Running to get my wife and show her so she'll see that I'm not insane.

John, I've got the LV plow plane. Excellent tool. Not fiddly at all.

[christopher thomas]

You know the saying, "you have to hit rock bottom." I think you have a long way to go before you hit bottom. It will only get worse. However, it is good to recognize the sickness. Tehe!
BTW, I refer to my shop as Lie Nielsen West ;-).


Best,
Christopher

[jonathan lara]

No it just gets worse! I need to stop spending my profits on hand tools!

[Jerome Hanby]

. But oh isn't silence golden at times.:D

I no neander by a big stretch, but it's not the silence that charms me, it's that swish with a little biting sound from a hand plane that gets me. Goos thing that using one is too close to work or I'd turn all my wood into shavings just making that sound.

[Dave Cav]

Not only that I am 1/3 of the way through flattening my work bench and I am worn out. Before this I did not even know my work bench wasn't flat. Ignorance is bliss. :)

Is there a cure for this madness?

A router sled and a pair of earmuffs?

Oh, wait. Sorry, wrong forum....


Dave

(who mostly flattened his ash bench top with a #8, and yes, it was a lot of work.)

[Gordon Eyre]

Well I did it, I have a flat workbench and I owe it all to my reconditioned planes (Jack and Smoother). Planing hard maple with bench planes is a difficult task but satisfying as well. I did succumb to using a belt sander to achieve the final touch up but the vast majority of the work was done with a good old hand plane. I am certainly glad that I have a good sharpening system or I could never have done this. I have a new appreciation for the hand plane after this.

[Jim Koepke]

Congradulations Gordon!

Now go flex those new muscles and toast your success with your favorite beverage whether it be broth, water or wine.

jtk

[Gordon Eyre]

Congradulations Gordon!

Now go flex those new muscles and toast your success with your favorite beverage whether it be broth, water or wine.

jtk

Thanks Jim, a small glass of white grape juice seemed fitting. Now when I walk out to my shop I always run my hand over the surface of my workbench. :D

[Ron Bontz]

Just wait until that first accidental ding in the top. Then evey time you walk by, you look at it.:)