collinb Posted November 23, 2014 Report Share Posted November 23, 2014 It's been said here that having the right tools is a freeing thing, that it's what made for them the hobby enjoyable. I take it that means that problems were minimized and the work became pleasurable rather than difficult. The comment that comes to mind involved having a jointer so that things would fit properly. And as I've said before, my photography makes a useful metaphor. Right lens, right film, right chemicals, and things just work smoothly. I could see what I wanted on the ground glass and that's all I needed. (For me it's a plasmat, though a Tessar will do, on 8x10 TMax or 4x5 Acros. And it's not about resolution or other techie stuff. It's about finding the most comfortable path to the product I enjoy the most. So we, esp. those who do large format, concern ourselves very little with resolution. It is instead about image rendering. That's why we really do not enjoy so much the Gaussian designs of 35mm. That sense of the image looking like the real thing is of high importance to us.) So I'm wondering .... 1) Was it a tool or a working condition that helped you the most? If a tool, which tool? If a working condition, what was it? 2) Is this an ease matter, making work physically easier, or a mental matter, reducing the though you have to put in by not having to work around the limitations of the tools you owned? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customwood montrose Posted November 23, 2014 Report Share Posted November 23, 2014 I think the things that made it the most enjoyable is that the shop space is clean (lately a far cry from that!) and well organized. As far as the tool that made it that way, hmmmmmmmm. Probably my big shaper that I bought back in 2006, an Extrema XT-160. A 10 HP tilting spindle, sliding table shaper with all mechanical counters on all adjustments so that I can just dial in known set ups. Makes my life much easier knowing that I can set up a cut in a few minutes and then have enough power to cut pretty much anything I want. Dustin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted November 23, 2014 Report Share Posted November 23, 2014 All of it. Having the right tools and an organized and comfortable shop makes the journey much more fun. And having the right tools makes for better accuracy and ultimately a higher quality piece, making for a more satisfying end result. The whole point of making this your hobby is to enjoy it, and having that right tool and accomplishing a particular task with perfect results...nothing is more enjoyable to me. Going at something when you know you're lacking the proper tool - and boogering it up - isn't much fun at all. I don't handle frustration well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Z. Posted November 23, 2014 Report Share Posted November 23, 2014 Honestly, the one thing that has helped more than anything is a workbench with vises that actually hold things, and enough mass that I'm not chasing it around the shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted November 23, 2014 Report Share Posted November 23, 2014 Moving from a benchtop to a full size contractor tabkesaw made the difference for me. Bench vise for the hand work. Don't know how I managed to accomplish anything without them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2nd floor Posted November 23, 2014 Report Share Posted November 23, 2014 For me, it's the dust collection system that not only helped the area remainder "cleaner", but better for me. The cyclone added last summer also made the system emptying much less frequent. The next thing to add enjoyment is heat.........very limited season. I do enjoy the challenges of figuring out how to safely do a task without all the best tools. If I do a task repeatable, the tools definitely come to thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted November 23, 2014 Report Share Posted November 23, 2014 It's everything combined. Right tools, good dust collection, a clean and organized shop, and heat so that I can enjoy it all year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted November 23, 2014 Report Share Posted November 23, 2014 +1 on Kev's post. Me too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raefco Posted November 24, 2014 Report Share Posted November 24, 2014 I would say first, a person has to know what he is looking to get out of wood working, as a craftsman with a wide skill set that is used to working In the field and improvising, I don't get a big release from "building stuff" I build stuff out of wood because I would rather buy a tool and do it my self then pay someone. I know many here would cringe at the following, but when it came time for cabinets I bought a pocket jig and a raised panel router bit set and built cabinets. So, I guess one has to decide, 1) what level of quality they are looking to achieve 2) do they have the skill too achieve this with modest tools or do you need modern equipment 3) are you patient enough to accumulate the tools or can afford to go buy them now. The tools that have allowed me to take my projects to the next level are a jointer and planer, but that to me does not nessarly make It more enjoyable. Perfection does not exist, each of us just has to decide what we are willing to accept and try to exceed that 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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