Sawmill Creek. Blessing or curse?

[Rick Potter]

I was thinking today about how much money being a contributor to Sawmill Creek has saved me. I have learned of many really good deals that I never would have known about if not for the creek.

In the last ten years I got the Tool Nut deal on the Makita track saw, picked up several Freud saw blades for as little as $18, clamp deals at Lowes, half price on DeWalt scroll saw, also give away prices on Biesemeyer fences, and Kreg benchtop router tables. Can't forget the $100 Festool sanders either.

I would not have known of any of these deals if I hadn't seen them on the Creek.

But, on the other hand.........I have spent a lot of hard earned cash on things like a SawStop PCS, the track saw, my Kreg foreman machine, router table with lift, and Onieda Gorilla DC. These are all things I learned about on this forum since joining in 2003.

The Creek has been an enabler, an opiate, opening my mind to new acquisitions to feed my tool junkie sickness. I may have never fallen this far down this slippery slope without the aid of fellow Creekers.

What say you?

[Victor Robinson]

Both. Pretty much like any other hobby/tool forum - you learn a lot and burn a lot [of cash]. But in the end hopefully you're happier for all of it. :D

[Jeff Heath]

Those caskets don't have side pockets. You can't take it with you.....

[Ben Rivel]

I look at is this way: If you wanted to and were going to get in to the hobby anyway, forums like these and some youtube channels educate you on WHY certain products are worth more money the benefits to better/higher end tools preventing you from buying stuff you might not need or use AND from buying cheap tools that will ultimately cost you more money when you decide to upgrade and cant recover little to any money from selling them. Buy once, cry once, then live with the better tool every time you need/use it. EVEN if you're "just" a hobbyist.

[Brian Holcombe]

Talk to us when you start admiring German machinery with blue paint.

[Carlos Alvarez]

Well I just spent $100 at Woodpecker's today because of a thread telling me it was stupid to pay that much for a square.

[Nick Decker]

The Creek is as valuable for learning what NOT to buy as enticing me to buy things. Well, maybe not quite.

I recently paid cash for a PCS, and I'm sure some of the younger members of my family weren't as happy about it as me. :)

[Osvaldo Cristo]

[...]

The Creek has been an enabler, an opiate, opening my mind to new acquisitions to feed my tool junkie sickness. I may have never fallen this far down this slippery slope without the aid of fellow Creekers.

What say you?

The Creek is one of the funniest places I know. Additionally you can learn a lot about people... and by extension, myself, of course.

On the other hand, living at thousands km away the US helps me do not fall in temptation so frequently. :D

All the best,

[Ken Fitzgerald]

The Creek is a blessing. It' s a friendly place where you can learn from amateurs and professionals in a civil atmosphere. I have gained an enormous amount of knowledge here. The advice I have gotten here has prevented me from making a lot of mistakes. When it comes to tools, it's subjective. It's a matter of personal opinion. Just because you and I disagree doesn't make either of us evil. We just disagree.

[John K Jordan]

The Creek is a blessing. It' s a ...

This is a fascinating place. I most enjoy "meeting" the people, learning how they think, reading of their experiences, and watching how ideas evolve through them.

I've been reading about memetics lately. SMC could comprise the basis for a post-doctoral thesis.

JKJ

[Jim Becker]

Those caskets don't have side pockets. You can't take it with you.....

I have a new CNC friend who builds caskets...and I'm sure he can include that option if you want it!

[Martin Wasner]

I would say thanks to one person in here who changed my entire approach to equipment. Thanks to him I realized most of my stuff was dog vomit. Without that ah ha moment I wouldn't be on the path that I am, and for that I am grateful.

[Andrew Seemann]

Well Rick, chances are the bug would have bitten you anyway and if you weren't enabled by SMC, you would have gone down the same path reading FWW, PW and the other standard rags and been equally or more likely even more enabled.

Here when your read or ask a question you at least get dissenting, often vehemently divergent, opinions and views. You don't tend to get that in magazines as much, especially ones that want to keep their advertisers. Here if someone says "I like brand X" someone will say X is overpriced and more tool than you need and Y is perfectly fine, while others will say if you don't upgrade to Z, you are wasting your money.

I know I probably could have done just as good of work if I had never upgraded from my old blue handled (Record) Marples chisels, Defiance smoothing plane, and Revonoc jack plane, but i did, and I normally don't regret it. Oh, and I did it long before this here newfangled interweb thing and SMC :)

[al heitz]

Can we start up a new forum section for an 11 step program for tool and equipment addicts?

[John K Jordan]

Can we start up a new forum section for an 11 step program for tool and equipment addicts?

No need. The 12th step is always "Forget all that and buy the tool anyway."

[Frederick Skelly]

I've been reading about memetics lately. SMC could comprise the basis for a post-doctoral thesis.

It's funny you say that John. I used to frequent SMC's predecessor, Badger Pond. I was new to the internet and new to online forums. And I just couldnt figure out why Wayne (?) was doing all the work to keep up that site FOR FREE. One theory I had, was that he was a grad student doing sociology research for a PhD. And when the site closed down, one explanation could have been that he'd finished up that doctorate. NOW, I know that wasnt the case, but it was something I wondered then, from time to time. You could definitely use an online forum to study how people join and integrate into a social community. (Bet a bunch of work's been done already that I just dont know about.)

Fred

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Talk to us when you start admiring German machinery with blue paint.

LOL, or give in to that old iron urge, gently nudged along by the Wadkin guys...

[Jon Snider]

Well I just spent $100 at Woodpecker's today because of a thread telling me it was stupid to pay that much for a square.

Ironically, just did the same. I need more red bling in my measuring and marking drawer.

[michael langman]

What I like about SMC, and what seems different to me is that SMC is a mixture of white collar and blue collar workers, and even people that do not need to work.
The white and blue collar workers tend to socialize with their own kind in the real world, most of the time.
A lot of the white collar workers have a desire to do things with their hands, and be creative, which leads them to SMC.
A lot of the professional wood workers seem to be a mix of blue and white collar in their businesses.
The mix makes for an interesting place to visit.

[Ronald Blue]

I learned a long time ago that "All of us are smarter than any of us".

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I learned a long time ago that "All of us are smarter than any of us".

I couldn't agree more!

[Rod Sheridan]

It's a great forum, I have some great virtual friends here.............Regards, Rod.

[Rick Potter]

I must admit Sawmill Creek, and Badger Pond before it, have been a real blessing to me despite the original click baiting posting.

I have said before that the Creek is my only 'social media'. I look at so many other sites I frequent, and find that any statement made about any subject soon becomes a name calling, nasty, political or religious free for all, having nothing to do with the original subject.

As others have said, the Creek is a place to get objective viewpoints on tools and procedures, and if someone goes a bit overboard on their opinion the moderators do a wonderful job of gently censoring when necessary.

[Mike Cutler]

Well I just spent $100 at Woodpecker's today because of a thread telling me it was stupid to pay that much for a square.

Well, I guess I'm doubely stupid. I have one of Brian Lambs Triangle squares.
Wouldn't want to be without it. It's a beautiful piece of work.

[David Utterback]

SMC is my primary source for woodworking and tool information. It has enhanced my skills and creativity and frequently gives me motivation to try something new. Wonderful groups of experts and wannabees. Who could ask for anything more? :)

[Marshall Harrison]

95% blessing and only 5% curse.

Why? Because I have learned a lot, gotten questions answered and thoroughly enjoyed reading the forum. I have seen a few things that I would like to purchase but so far I haven't "just had to" purchase anything based on this forum; so only the 5% curse rating.

[John Sanford]

The Creek has been an enabler, an opiate, opening my mind to new acquisitions to feed my tool junkie sickness. I may have never fallen this far down this slippery slope without the aid of fellow Creekers.

What say you?

If you think THIS place is bad, then never, ever go to GarageJournal. They have much wider tool interests to suck you in....

[John Sanford]

Well I just spent $100 at Woodpecker's today because of a thread telling me it was stupid to pay that much for a square.

Contrarian!!

[Jon Snider]

If you think THIS place is bad, then never, ever go to GarageJournal. They have much wider tool interests to suck you in....


Unfortunately , as a member of both the effects often don’t completely overlap and are cumulative.

[Rick Potter]

Actually.......I don't actually belong to Garage Journal, but I frequently end up there through The Ford Barn, and other Y-Block sites.

Yup, two expensive hobbies.

[Carlos Alvarez]

My deliveries list is looking like christmas around here, half of it inspired by this site...


385656

[Patrick Irish]

Thanks to SMC, I share my 1 bed apartment with a 3hp dust collection and 3hp sawstop because nothing is better :)

This site does cause me to buy tools that are 'worth' the money. I typically buy used and look for deals but sometimes after enough research I just gotta go new. SMC has helped in avoiding bad purchases and also doing the jobs right, which may take longer for a hobbyist like me but at least it's correct.