New Toys!

[Charlie Gummer]

So between the tax return this year and my annual bonus (as an aside; this is the first company I've worked for that gives bonuses) I had the opportunity to invest in the following items that I've been lusting after for years:

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I've been working at a mediocre bench that I built 4 years ago as my first project. Spindly, not really flat, no vises. Pretty horrible. I'm hugely looking forward to stepping up to a real bench in the form of the Benchcrafted Roubo.

I have a decent set of vintage Stanley's (#4, #6, #7) purchased here and off the auction site and I've learned a fair bit about tuning the planes and sharpening the irons (thanks Jim!) I've also been making a fair number of mortise and tenon joints for two projects recently and am finding the lack of a shoulder plane a real pain. Enter Lee Valley for the solution.

Unfortunately these shiny new toys will have to sit woefully unattended for a while; my wife and I just started the second phase of the remodel of our home and I've been conscripted for all of the labor therein...oh well, it's nice to have something to look forward to at the end.

[Chris Griggs]

SWEET!!!!! Maybe you can use find a way to use them in the remodel.....

[Jim Koepke]

Sweet Tax return inspired gloat.

Hope SWMBO lets me spend some of ours on vise hardware.

jtk

[Joe Hillmann]

I am jealous of the hold fasts you got there. :)

[Charlie Gummer]

I've got a set of built-in cabinets to do for the living room...I'm thinking I just might NEED the new bench to help make the long face frames...we'll see how that flies :p

[Trevor Walsh]

Love tax returns, I'm eagerly awaiting mine.

[Jim Koepke]

I have had a lot of people "get on me" for letting the government hold my money. (hey aren't we the government?)

They say I would be much better off by keeping the money and investing it.

Funny, when it comes tax return time they do not have any more money saved or invested.

I always like getting a check that can buy a few things that I couldn't buy without the check.

jtk

[Jim Neeley]

I'm with you there, Jim...

Also, I have the large LV shoulder plane and, as un-traditional as they are, those handles really help you power through without having a "grip of steel".

[Charlie Gummer]

I have had a lot of people "get on me" for letting the government hold my money. (hey aren't we the government?)

They say I would be much better off by keeping the money and investing it.

Funny, when it comes tax return time they do not have any more money saved or invested.

I always like getting a check that can buy a few things that I couldn't buy without the check.

jtk

Well-written as usual Jim and, also as usual, I share the sentiment.

[Brandon Craig]

Those are some sweet toys! Are those the Gramercy holdfasts? And are YOU the reason why they're out of stock?! :-) Yay for tax returns--I still have to do mine.

[Charlie Gummer]

Those are some sweet toys! Are those the Gramercy holdfasts? And are YOU the reason why they're out of stock?! :-) Yay for tax returns--I still have to do mine.

Gramercy indeed. I was fully expecting the full 4 week wait quoted, the whole package came in just under three weeks. Sorry for buying them out!