I keep damaging my tools!

[Doug Mason]

I was out in the garage practicing w/a spokeshave on a cabriole leg--and I slammed the face of the spokeshave into a metal dog. I did this twice and now have two gouges in the face of the brass (or bronze?) spokeshave. This got me thinking about my handtools. In the last eight months, I have:

1) dropped a LN 4 Smoother on a concrete floor which took it out of square.
2) Unknowing ran my #7 jointer plane over screws until there were long, multiple gouges in the sole from end-to-end (it still works fine)
3) dropped my LN rip saw on the concrete floor--chipping a chunck of the handle off.
4) overtightened the tighening screw on my block plane-resulting in the tighening lever bolt bending (but it still works fine)
5) in the prosess of trying to learn how to flatten a plane sole, I destroyed a fairly good block plane.

All of these occurances yet I don't at all consider myself reckless; it just confirms that if I'm going to use these tools, I better be able to fix them.

[Rob Bodenschatz]

Stop doing that.

[Dave Anderson NH]

Doug, it's time to make a few changes to your work habits and setup. First off I'd replace the metal dogs with some home made wooden ones, a pretty easy task. If they get chewed up by your tools hitting them they're easily replaced. Next in line is the purchase of some form of rubber mat for the floor in front of the bench, the longer the better. It will make you more comfortable standing for long periods of time and provide a cushion for any dropped tools. It's also time to reflect on the way you work and the number of tools and other things on the bench. Clutter offers plenty of chances for things to get swept away onto the floor and get damaged. Are you perhaps trying to work too fast and getting careless? If so, slow down. Hand tool woodworking for the hobbiest is supposed to be an enjoyable journey, not a race to the finish line. The vast majority of my screwups over the years can be directly traced to rushing and failing to take the proper amount of time. Speed and efficiency will come naturally and in due course only after repetition and experience. Analyze each incident that caused you a problem and use it as a learning experience.

[Terry Bigelow]

I have to admit I've just recently had a similar problem. After receiving a Stanley #95 plane in good shape with a nice blade and all parts in good shape I decieded to stip off the japanning (there was almost none) and rehab the whole thing. I sprayed a couple of coats of stripper and as I picked it up with rubber glove she slipped right out of my hands and...presto, a three piece plane! DOH!! First time I've done that and let's hope the last. I ended up brazing it back together and re-japanning it anyway. She looks pretty good but you can still faintly make out the cracks. Dang it! I guess what really matters is she still works great.