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So my wife and I rock five kids so sometimes as with this year we bump our Christmas back some to get the kids a little more. This year we decided to wait til this last week and set aside an amount of money a piece to let us “gift” our own Christmas. I do realize that is cheating. Anyway I of course took the opportunity to buy tools and lumber as I don’t have large amounts or at least large for me amounts of money through out the year.
This started me thinking, I was faced with a choice buy better power tools or hand tools. This was more conflicting than you would think as I have been thinking about going hand tools for awhile. I decided to go that route in fact.
I was able to buy a Lee Vally router plane, Stanley sweet heart chisels about 200 bft of lumber ( 100 of that being cherry) and various other things. I haven’t been happy with my projects for various reasons (mainly because I always feel rushed which ends up in mistakes) so I decided that in during shop time I would focus on aspects of a project and not rush. This will be difficult for me, but I am not turning out the level of projects I want.
On another point, has anyone tried the asian style rounds and hollows from Lee Valley? I purchased three sets and am anxious to see how well they do. I have heard there are people making the American or European style but I can’t find them online. I also purchased Woodcraft’s plough plane or 70$ I do not have high hopes for it but it was affordable so I gave it a shot.
So first step in my opinion is to build my work bench that I have been planning in my head for a couple years now. I think the top out of cherry and the base out of pine. I bought the lumber for Frieden exotic lumber, of which I have mentioned in a previous blog. That is just a good guy. It is the third time buying from him and I always walk away feeling like he cared about my business more than getting every penny he could. I even offered a tip and he refused it (he delivered).
Anyway I haven’t had much shop time for awhile and hope to get in there more this year. I hope everyone is good and having lots of saw dust.
Source: LumberJocks.com
shop evolution #2: late Christmas, thoughts on shop time and dealing with good guys.
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