Once in a Lifetime Tools

[James Pallas]

I see lots of posts about tool storage. I am guilty myself. How many tools are you storing that you just had to have used it once or even three times in the last ten years but it still has its special place in your storage scenario. I start out by saying I have curved spoke shaves that I used for one job 25 years ago, and yes they did what was needed. I see them once in a while but have not used them. What have you got lurking in those dark spaces of never land in your shop?
Jim

[Frederick Skelly]

* Kreg pocket hole jig I bought at a show about 10 years ago.

I got foolishly carried away when I started out using hand tools. So I am the proud owner of:
* Lee Valley large router plane. I just had to have it. I've used it twice in 5 years. (Use the small one constantly.)
* Lee Valley aluminum winding sticks. Not used once in 4 years. Seemed like a good idea at the time. Look nice on the wall though.
* Lee Valley skew rabbet plane. The most lovely tool that I never use, but just had to have.

None of these are for sale though. They'll pry them from my cold dead hand.....

[Matt Evans]

I came to the realization that storing tools like that was not the best idea for me. It is one thing if a tool is a part of a set, or if I have projects planned for a tool in the future, but I go through the shop every year or so and move unused tools down the road. Just because I happen not to use a tool doesn't mean that someone elses methods or work wouldn't incorporate the same tool.

Frees up a little space and puts a little cash back in the tool fund for things I will actually use.

[Gary Ragatz]

* Lee Valley aluminum winding sticks. Not used once in 4 years. Seemed like a good idea at the time. Look nice on the wall though.


Huh! Had never heard of winding sticks until just now - had to go to Lee Valley to see what they are. Is there supposed to be some advantage to winding sticks vs., say, a pair of torpedo levels?

[Andrew Seemann]

Huh! Had never heard of winding sticks until just now - had to go to Lee Valley to see what they are. Is there supposed to be some advantage to winding sticks vs., say, a pair of torpedo levels?

You get to look like that picture of Tage Frid squinting down his workbench in Scott Landis's "The Workshop Book"

I never quite got the hype of them, or why you would buy something that is basically a couple sticks. If you are going to buy aluminum ones, just get 4 foot aluminum levels or straight edges and do X levels to check for twist. Winding sticks are handy in a pinch, I guess, but there are easier and more accurate ways to check for twist these days. I'm sure some people prefer them, though. But still, a couple 24" levels from Home Depot do the same thing, plus they can be used for levels.

Back on topic though, I have a wood skew rabbet that is displayed a lot more prominently in the hand tool cabinet that its actual utility. It looks cool though. The swan neck mortice cleaning chisel isn't as useful as I thought it would be either.

[ken hatch]

Huh! Had never heard of winding sticks until just now - had to go to Lee Valley to see what they are. Is there supposed to be some advantage to winding sticks vs., say, a pair of torpedo levels?


You get to look like that picture of Tage Frid squinting down his workbench in Scott Landis's "The Workshop Book"

I never quite got the hype of them, or why you would buy something that is basically a couple sticks. If you are going to buy aluminum ones, just get 4 foot aluminum levels or straight edges and do X levels to check for twist. Winding sticks are handy in a pinch, I guess, but there are easier and more accurate ways to check for twist these days. I'm sure some people prefer them, though. But still, a couple 24" levels from Home Depot do the same thing, plus they can be used for levels.

Back on topic though, I have a wood skew rabbet that is displayed a lot more prominently in the hand tool cabinet that its actual utility. It looks cool though. The swan neck mortice cleaning chisel isn't as useful as I thought it would be either.

Not to hijack the thread but your statement/question needs an answer. You are correct, there is no need for a set of LV aluminum winding sticks but they are handy and the right size for small work. Shop made sticks work as well as does just a couple of boards with parallel edges. Truing a board is very hard to do without a set of winding sticks/straightedge. By moving the winding sticks around on the board you can see wind, belly and/or concavity that is hard to see any other way. And yes, you should look like Tage Frid while doing it.

ken

[Rob Luter]

A year ago I could have offered up a list as long as your arm. Two purges in the last year have me pretty much "right sized" again. I still have a couple scraper planes that never get used, and my braces and bits haven't been touched in 5 years. They'll be the next to go.

[ken hatch]

Mine was a complete in the wood box with all the cutters Stanley 45 I bought from the Old Hippy Tool seller up in Maine way back in the early 80's. I hauled that sucker around for years and finally sold it last year.

ken

[Jim Koepke]

Huh! Had never heard of winding sticks until just now - had to go to Lee Valley to see what they are. Is there supposed to be some advantage to winding sticks vs., say, a pair of torpedo levels?

After making a pair, mine do get used. One of the best parts of winding sticks is they can double as a straight edge.


What have you got lurking in those dark spaces of never land in your shop?

There are a lot of parts from broken tools. Some duplicate tools and some tools that should possibly be ground up for scrap metal.

Though last Friday at a Tool Event in Portland a shooting plane was given a test drive. My thoughts have been moved toward the idea of selling off a few of the excess tools. Maybe it would raise enough cash to fund the acquisition of a new shooting plane. It sliced through the wood much easier than my low angle jack.

jtk

[ken hatch]

After making a pair, mine do get used. One of the best parts of winding sticks is they can double as a straight edge.



There are a lot of parts from broken tools. Some duplicate tools and some tools that should possibly be ground up for scrap metal.

Though last Friday at a Tool Event in Portland a shooting plane was given a test drive. My thoughts have been moved toward the idea of selling off a few of the excess tools. Maybe it would raise enough cash to fund the acquisition of a new shooting plane. It sliced through the wood much easier than my low angle jack.

jtk

Jim,

I assume it was a LN event. My LN 51 is a great user, go for it.

ken

[Julie Moriarty]

These have dedicated places in my workbench drawers:
LN large scraping plane and cabinetmaker's scraper - Every time I pull them out, I end up putting them away in favor of card scrapers.
LN #4 cast smoothing plane - for some reason I almost never use this. It sits right next to a bronze #3 and my hand always seems to grab the pretty one. On the other side of the #3 is a LN #164 low angle plane that is also suffers the same treatment.
LN mortise chisels - For some reason they repeatedly get ignored.
Henry Taylor carving chisels - I have 10 of them. I bought them for carving ball and claw feet. I did one years ago then we moved and they have been largely ignored since.

I am drawn to newly sharpened edges. But I don't like sharpening. I love dulling. Most of the above tools haven't been to the sharpening room in a while or I forgot they are already sharp. I need to go check them out again to see if any need dulling... :rolleyes:

[Andrew Seemann]

and my braces and bits haven't been touched in 5 years. They'll be the next to go.

I just can't seem to give the braces and bits up, though I did sell some a couple years back. I use them just barely enough to keep them, although it is hard to justify the prominent space they take up in the big tool cabinet. I do have a full set of Jenning's bits in a nice wood case I haven't used. Those are at least in on a shelf. I did get them for a steal though.

In my defense, I have at least stopped acquiring more braces and bits.

[Jim Koepke]

In my defense, I have at least stopped acquiring more braces and bits.

Bought two bits last Friday. If they are good and cheap they tend to come home with me.

As for braces, my worst enemy is myself. If it isn't marked, don't ask the price unless you want to take it home. On a recent day trip with the LOML there was a 12" and a 14" brace for cheap in a shop in Claskanie, Oregon. They called out to me to be rescued. My new years resolution is to only buy ones that are not already abundant in my shop.

jtk

[Mike Henderson]

I have waaay too many hand tools. I have bench planes that I've hardly every used and more chisels than I can shake a stick at. I really need to put some of them up for sale. When I die, my wife won't know what the tools are and she'll probably sell the whole batch for $100.

I don't feel that I have excess power tools - except for a DeWalt biscuit jointer that I never use any more. I really should put that up for sale. I don't because I'm afraid that as soon as I sell it, I'll need it.

Mike

[Stephen Rosenthal]

A Stanley #20 Circular Plane in mint condition. But I bought it at an estate sale for $20, so even if I never use every time I see it I'll always remember the smile on my face when I walked out with it.

[Jim Koepke]

A Stanley #20 Circular Plane in mint condition. But I bought it at an estate sale for $20, so even if I never use every time I see it I'll always remember the smile on my face when I walked out with it.

It's an investment!

Otherwise, maybe you need to make something with some curves in the design.

jtk

[James Pallas]

What got me going on this subject is that I'm starting to give things to daughter and SIL. In the past I would open a drawer and look in the back and see something and think "I forgot I had that". I have now put a special box in my big job box to put things in to give to them. I'll have to go thru that job box, a 3x5x4 that is nearly full, when it gets warmer in the garage. I thought I may be alone on this issue but it appears that I'm part of a large group:)
Jim

[Tom M King]

I have many, many, many tools that haven't even been used once in ten years. I do so many different things though, that if I sold any one of them, I would need it week after next, and have to go buy another one. As one example, my broadaxe doesn't get used often, but when it's needed, there is no decent substitute. I have three buildings full of tools, still need to buy more almost every week, and am getting ready, this Spring, to put an addition on one shop building.

[Kevin Hampshire]

Jim,

I assume it was a LN event. My LN 51 is a great user, go for it.

ken



Ken and Jim, the LN No. 51 is a gorgeous tool. I chose the LV/Veritas.

There were several points that sold me on the LV over the LN, but even if you ignore those (and you definitely shouldn’t) there is one thing that can’t be ignored...PM-V11 blades



As to the original intent of the post. I try not to collect or hoard tools, but I am open to trying out new or innovative tools. Even if they’re not the most productive tools to keep around, I enjoy working out uses for them.


The only real collection I keep is a set of Stanley transitional planes. I actually routinely use a few of them. I ‘m still short the No. 25 low angle smoother...if someone would like to send me one.

[Jim Koepke]

The PM-V11 blade does appeal to me over A2.

The Veritas also has a lower cutting angle. For me that is more important on right handed use than left handed use.

jtk

[Mike Allen1010]

OK I'm convinced – as much as I hate to admit it I have way too many hand tools, but am stuck about how to proceed.

I can gather the "extra" tools into a box in the shop, but what do I do then? I know I need to overcome laziness and simply take pictures and post. I'm discouraged because for a technological Ludite like me it's more work to take the pictures and post description that's probably worth.

I appreciate advice/suggestions about how to do the right thing – is it Craigslist, eBay,?

Cheers, Mike

[James Pallas]

OK I'm convinced – as much as I hate to admit it I have way too many hand tools, but am stuck about how to proceed.

I can gather the "extra" tools into a box in the shop, but what do I do then? I know I need to overcome laziness and simply take pictures and post. I'm discouraged because for a technological Ludite like me it's more work to take the pictures and post description that's probably worth.

I appreciate advice/suggestions about how to do the right thing – is it Craigslist, eBay,?

Cheers, Mike

i guess I'm lucky a little having an SIL that is interested. Trying to sell things is problematic in itself. Sometimes I wish someone who had a real interest would show up. Over the years I've had a few people that seemed interested. Things like "I'll come help if you show me how to do that." They arrive and see a bit and than ask, Where is your table saw and power sanders?. And than comes, I really don't want to do all that with antique tools. And we as woodworkers think how wonderful our tools are and how much they mean to us. Not so much to others. Dilemma, indeed it is. I have at least a part answer 1500 miles away.
Jim

[Jason Martin Winnipeg]

You get to look like that picture of Tage Frid squinting down his workbench in Scott Landis's "The Workshop Book"

I never quite got the hype of them, or why you would buy something that is basically a couple sticks. If you are going to buy aluminum ones, just get 4 foot aluminum levels or straight edges and do X levels to check for twist. Winding sticks are handy in a pinch, I guess, but there are easier and more accurate ways to check for twist these days. I'm sure some people prefer them, though. But still, a couple 24" levels from Home Depot do the same thing, plus they can be used for levels.

Back on topic though, I have a wood skew rabbet that is displayed a lot more prominently in the hand tool cabinet that its actual utility. It looks cool though. The swan neck mortice cleaning chisel isn't as useful as I thought it would be either.

What are the easier and more accurate ways to check for twist?

[Jason Martin Winnipeg]

OK I'm convinced – as much as I hate to admit it I have way too many hand tools, but am stuck about how to proceed.

I can gather the "extra" tools into a box in the shop, but what do I do then? I know I need to overcome laziness and simply take pictures and post. I'm discouraged because for a technological Ludite like me it's more work to take the pictures and post description that's probably worth.

I appreciate advice/suggestions about how to do the right thing – is it Craigslist, eBay,?

Cheers, Mike

If you know anyone that's looking to get into woodworking, you could always give them some tools to get them started. That's what I've been doing with some of the tools I started out with but have since replaced with better tools. Or duplicates I have that I bought just because I wanted to clean them up from their rusted/dirty state.

[Stew Denton]

I have a few tools that have not been used YET, but I am planning to use them when I get more time and a place to work.

The most under used tools are simply due to numbers. I have too many saws and too many bench planes. Fortunately like some of the others, many of the planes will end up with my son in law and hopefully at some point with grand kids.

In the case of the hand saws, I have had many of them for years, and I mean 2 to 4 decades, but I added to the number a few years ago when I bought some of them for a song at a garage sale. The ones I bought were in good condition at a low price. A few will be restored and sharpened up so I won't have to stop work to sharpen a saw as a spare will be sharp and ready to go. A few will get cut down to make into panel saws for use on jobs where I carry tools with me a fair distance and need tools and tool boxes that will travel fairly easily, be light, and have only tools that will get used. Some of the extra planes will get a permanent assignment in such tool boxes as well.

That said, i am quite certain I have more handsaws that I will ever use or probably even give away. As I say to myself...you don't need any more hand saws. Don't buy any more....but I am not a good listener if the price is really low and the quality is very high.

Shoot, I still use the first one I ever bought, about 45 years ago. I used to use it a lot, now since I have more, I have other favorites, and so the first one does not get used as much. Still I probably have 1/2 of its life left, and I don't use a handsaw that has a very narrow blade. Even so I have used that first handsaw a great deal. If I have not worn it out it seems likely I will almost never wear one out, especially since I now sharpen my own saws, and only take off the minimum amount of steel each time I sharpen one.

Stew

[Andrew Seemann]

What are the easier and more accurate ways to check for twist?

Well, it depends on what you have available to you. For me, I just set the board on the bench and see if it rocks, or has gaps under it. My Frid bench and assembly bench both have flat tops, so that makes it easy. Straight edges work checking for dips and high spots as well. I know people will say you can't tell accurately enough, but whenever I have tried winding sticks, between the parallax, the squinting, the moving your head around, I don't really see anything more accurately than just using a straight edge, and I am good at mentally compensating for parallax.

At the same time, rarely hand thickness lumber, only when I have something too short to run through the planer. My checks for flatness are generally before running wood through the planer, and if necessary facing the board by hand if it is too wide for my 6" jointer.

[John C Cox]

You guys have reminded me that it is time to do a workshop tools purge. As you guys have also noticed - it's easy to end up with a bunch of stuff I don't use but somebody else would probably love....