Tom Clark FL
07-20-2008, 10:48 AM
We all have that favorite tool that is one of the backbones of our shop. Here’s my story.
Mine favorite tool is never used, but does more to make me smile than anything else in the shop. There is hardly a day that goes by that it does not re-create fond memories.
The short version of this story is that in my old woodworking club in Sarasota, beside our normal monthly club meeting we had a workshop meeting every month. These meetings were just informal get togethers in a different member’s shop every month. There were no formal programs, just woodworkers shootin the breeze, having a good time snooping around your shop, checking out how you had your shop set up, what your favorite tools were, and seeing projects you made.
At the time I was heavy into building wooden telescopes, and in-between major projects I was building shop cabinets to finish building out my shop.
During one of these shop meetings at my place, near the end of the evening an old English gentleman asked if he might make a personal inquiry? “ Of course, I answered!”
“Where are your hand tools,” he asked? His question kind of took me by surprise, so it took a second or two to figure out what he was talking about. I pointed to the shelf under my workbench and started explaining how I like to keep all the different sanders, routers, and other small hand tools right at hand, plugged in and ready to go so the work flow could go smoothly.
The old gentleman looked me right in the eye, and said, “Those are not hand tools, those are POWER tools.” Well, sorry – they were the only hand tools I had back then…
At the next regular club meeting the guys made a big deal out of presenting me with an electric hammer – to go with all my other hand tools. It has been proudly hanging in my shop ever since that day.
I can’t help but wondering - I am the only one - or has something like this ever happened to you?
Mine favorite tool is never used, but does more to make me smile than anything else in the shop. There is hardly a day that goes by that it does not re-create fond memories.
The short version of this story is that in my old woodworking club in Sarasota, beside our normal monthly club meeting we had a workshop meeting every month. These meetings were just informal get togethers in a different member’s shop every month. There were no formal programs, just woodworkers shootin the breeze, having a good time snooping around your shop, checking out how you had your shop set up, what your favorite tools were, and seeing projects you made.
At the time I was heavy into building wooden telescopes, and in-between major projects I was building shop cabinets to finish building out my shop.
During one of these shop meetings at my place, near the end of the evening an old English gentleman asked if he might make a personal inquiry? “ Of course, I answered!”
“Where are your hand tools,” he asked? His question kind of took me by surprise, so it took a second or two to figure out what he was talking about. I pointed to the shelf under my workbench and started explaining how I like to keep all the different sanders, routers, and other small hand tools right at hand, plugged in and ready to go so the work flow could go smoothly.
The old gentleman looked me right in the eye, and said, “Those are not hand tools, those are POWER tools.” Well, sorry – they were the only hand tools I had back then…
At the next regular club meeting the guys made a big deal out of presenting me with an electric hammer – to go with all my other hand tools. It has been proudly hanging in my shop ever since that day.
I can’t help but wondering - I am the only one - or has something like this ever happened to you?