Do we ever say no?

[Jim Koepke]

if the OP asks a Chevy or a Ford we discuss the pros and cons we have learned from our experience.

The Chevy/Ford discussion often tends to have deep seated loyalties influencing many responders to such a question. At times people seem to have stronger opinions about their preferred automobile brand than some of us get about diamond stones versus oilstones versus water stones versus _______ (insert your favorite sharpening system here).

In my case my experience included a necessity to be frugal and purchase second hand tools. This not only gave me a better understanding of the tools while saving some money, it enabled me to rehab tools and sell them to make a little money. The money was usually spent to buy more tools.

jtk

[Adam Grund]

My beginning in woodworking had me in a situation a little stretched financially and having the spare time of any average man with 4 kids and a job.

jtk

4 kids?! My hat’s off to you.
I have 2, oldest is 2 and I can barely find enough time to remind myself to breathe. I just keep collecting tools telling myself one day down the road I’ll finally have some time to use all the tools I’ve collected.

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

I bought a radial arm saw for $25.00 at a yard sale four years ago. I brought it home, plugged it in and sawed a 2x4 to make sure it worked. I have never used it since. It serves as a nice table to set things on. About all it gets used for. If I had not purchased it, I would have needed one every other week. Sort of like buying a snow shovel only to go through a spell without snow.

[Nicholas Lawrence]

I often say no on sharpening questions. Many people post that they are frustrated with perfectly serviceable stones. They do not need to spend $300 on the latest thing from Japan. They just need to learn how to sharpen.

[Dave Lehnert]

Years ago I was asked by a friend about a wood lathe he saw at the local Sears Hardware store. He was not a woodworker but was interested in wood turning. I talked him out of it. Think I recommended a JET Mini lathe. He has since passed away.
Looking back I should have encouraged him with the Sears model. It was at a price point and brand he was comfortable with. At the end of the day im sure it would have worked fine. He never did get into wood turning.

[Doug Dawson]

Contemplation
The more i think about it we,as a group, are pretty good. Something never offered is "you'd be better off putting that $1100 in an IRA" But if the OP asks a Chevy or a Ford we discuss the pros and cons we have learned from our experience. Of course someone will say buy a Cadillac but rarely will someone suggest a yugo because we know that's false economy

You ARE actually better off putting that money into an IRA. But what are you going to do in the meantime? Speaking of economy, a better quality tool might save you from buying the tool twice or more, which is a long-term saving (the proceeds from which you should put into an IRA, if that's still an option for you.)

Assuming somebody is committed to this (a)vocation, which most people in this forum are.

[Bill Dufour]

The IRA yearly limit is now $6,000 per year, per person. So the IRS thinks $500 a month is the correct amount to put into your IRA. I just added $500 extra to my 2019 IRA because they retroactively increased the limits for 2019.
Make it a ROTH IRA not the traditional kind.
Bill D

[Rick Potter]

You want rejection?

Just post , asking if you should buy a Craftsman Radial Arm saw.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Say no? Of course not - we're all tool sluts...

[Ron Citerone]

I often say no on sharpening questions. Many people post that they are frustrated with perfectly serviceable stones. They do not need to spend $300 on the latest thing from Japan. They just need to learn how to sharpen.

Agreed! I have some money invested in sharpening stones and a jig, but not a crazy amount, and I have a system that get me the chisel and plane iron sharpness I need. When ever younger people ask me about sharpening I tell them go with the scary sharp method or another sandpaper based idea to start and maybe forever.

[Jim Koepke]

When ever younger people ask me about sharpening I tell them go with the scary sharp method or another sandpaper based idea to start and maybe forever.

This was used in my beginning days and worked well at teaching me about sharpening.

It also taught me purchasing sand paper all the time for sharpening can become more expensive than purchasing decent stones.

Now days my sandpaper usage is mostly for on the lathe, putting a good point on a pencil or removing heavy rust from metal.

jtk

[mike stenson]

It also taught me purchasing sand paper all the time for sharpening can become more expensive than purchasing decent stones.

Yep, it can easily become false-economy.

[Wade Lippman]

When I moved I sold all my difficult to move tools and bought new ones. In most cases I upgraded, but I downgraded my bandsaw because I didn't think I used it enough to justify the price of a good one. That's saying "no", isn't it?