I can do that

[Dale Cruea]

Today I was walking down our hallway and noticed a picture hanging on the wall. I remembered when the wife first bought the frames.
She said she could not get the exact size she was looking for and asked me to make her one.

At the time I was a machinery guy. Everything HAD to be done on one of my machines.

I tried for several days and still could not figure out how to make it. I drank gallons of coffee and smoked many cigarettes thinking.
Nope... I told the wife it takes special cutter for the router to make it. Can't find a cutter or anything like it. Can't be done at least not safely by me. You will have to find something else.

Now being a Neanderthal person without any machines I looked at that frame and told my wife. I can make that frame now.
No problem. I saw most of the process in my head even before I turned to talk to her.

I have been told a lot of things are easier to make with hand tools. I guess in this case that is correct.

Just the wood, a #4 plane and a shoulder plane and those puppies would be done.

Glad to be a Neanderthal.

[Adam Cruea]

Yes, I figured that out very quickly when I made my bench in my barn. The more I used hand tools, the easier I found things to be. It takes skill, patience, and a decent eye, but for the most part stuff is made easier and it is much harder to make a mistake.

That, and I don't have to worry about shaving my hands with high-speed blades. :)

Like father, like son I guess. lol

[Tony Shea]

To an extent I find this to be true sometimes. But there are many times that a power tool would be the way to go. My biggest trouble without power tools falls in not having a band saw. I will rip long boards all day long and plane them to finished dimension width and length wise but resawing boards and cutting different contours is a whole different animal that a band saw would truely be a joy. And odviously where power tools really shine is in dimensioning rough stock, which I typically use my portable planer for unless I have a couple smallish boards to proccess.

Hand tools really shine when it comes to sawing and truing weird angles on parts.

[Dale Cruea]

Tony,
I will never give up my band saw or drill press.
I gave my planer to my son. I have most power tools shoved in a corner that I can use if I want to pull them out. PITA
If I had a bunch of money and more space I would try to combine the two. Power and hand tools.
For now, I do most everything by hand. I just like the work.
Slow and easy. Take my time. And I can hear the radio.