Tools you don't need or regret?


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Dewalt biscuit joiner - used only a couple of times

Delta tenon jig - set up time takes to long, I found a crosscut sled on the table saw to cut the straight line for the shoulders and a router table works better for me.

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Hi, my name is Matt and I'm an occasional impulsive tool buyer. I've been very good about it for a few years now, but every so often I fall off the wagon. When I do, I pick myself up off the shop floor, dust myself off and start searching for the receipt. My habit is no where near as bad as it use to be, but when the itch arises I MUST SCRATCH...if you know what I mean.

The reason I'm bringing this to light is because of a post from Adam Cherubini on the "Arts & Mysteries" blog at Pop WW. I was looking for some great content for a little side thing I have going on and this post spoke volumes, while infuriating me a little at the same time. Adam's article was titled "Tools you don't need". Something I've asked myself and have been asked, in a couple of other little side things I do for fun.

Adam lays out a solid argument for why you don't need a certain 15 tools in your workshop (here's a hint in case you don't know Adam, they're all hand tools). I don't agree with him on a few, but that's beside the point. Where I do agree with him though, there are definitely some tools that seem like great ideas at the time. The kind of tools you just can't understand how you lived without before you brought them home, and then after a very short use of them, you barely remember how you thought you couldn't live without them.

For example in my shop here's a few to get the ball rolling. Unlike Adam, I'm not limiting myself to hand tools:

1. Veritas Dovetail Saw Guide System - familiar with this? For the lack of a better description, it's training wheels for cutting dovetails

2. 1/4" Collet Router - because it's 1/4" collet!

3. 45° Lock Miter Bits - by the time I set these up I could've assembled the corners something 10 other ways

4. Cornering tools - great idea, but I get way better results with my block plane (a tool Adam would be willing to pass on)

This is just the tip of the iceberg, I have so many more I don't know where to start. Any you're willing to share? Maybe we can start a support group with sponsors and anniversary coins (non legal tender kind, so we won't spend them on tools we'll regret).

Here's a link to the article http://blogs.popularwoodworking.com/blog3/CommentView,guid,b73862db-c1c1-4f72-a14f-700af68e63ac.aspx

Hi, my name is Miles and I’m not an occasional or impulsive tool buyer. I buy tools all the time in the event that I might find a use for it in the future. And if I find a need for a particular tool I must first go through my inventory of tools to make sure I don’t already have one and buy a duplicate by mistake or which has happened before buy another duplicate. Fortunately, that doesn’t happen very often. Eventually I’ll have every tool made and the contest will be over. My wife is praying (rat now) for this day to arrive.

Miles.

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  • 2 years later...

I realize it's been a while on this post... but I found something that we can all do to those tools we don't use but don't want to give up just yet...

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Acrylic-Paperweight-With-a-Stanley-Tools-Wood-Chisel-No-60-Inside-Unique/390604223719?_trksid=p2047675.m1982&_trkparms=aid%3D333005%26algo%3DRIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D177%26meid%3D8187912438393461638%26pid%3D100009%26prg%3D1088%26rk%3D3%26sd%3D271210958520%26#ht_280wt_958

 

(I'd love to see what someone does for their table saw...)

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I have received some tools as gifts and thought, What were they thinking? Once I got them out and tried them, found out they were really good. One such tool is the Rockwell Sonic Crafter I got last year for Christmas. Thought I would never use it until one day I was doing some sanding and remembered that it came with a sanding head and thought I might as well try it. I was amazed! That little thing really eats wood. Just wish the batteries would last longer.

 

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My weakness is shaper cutters. I was planning out a cabinet for cutters this weekend and found one for an exact replica Stickly Quadralinear leg. IIRC I tried it out but never made anything with it. The only reason I had it made was because a buddy copied the pattern and sent it to me.

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I remember seeing that list.  I actually use some stuff on it.  Sometimes I have one small piece of molding to reproduce, and I don't know how you'd do the quirck without a snipe billed plane.  I use most of the stuff mentioned in this thread too. We've worn out scrub planes.  Have several power planers for different purposes, and a low angle block plane stays in my tool belt.

 

 The only thing I can think of that doesn't get used is an 18 ga. pin nailer.  I don't think I've ever used it again since they came out with 23 ga. pinners.

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Every cordless tool I have aver purchased. The batteries fail and they cost too much to replace. I have a collection of nice-looking yellow and blue paper weights. My 25-year-old Craftsman Professional corded drill has never failed me and no point of my shop is more than six feet from an outlet.

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mostly the hand tools I bought don't care for hand plaining too much work to get it where I can get clean long ribbons of wood and I have to sharpen a lot. prefer to toss into my planer and be done with it. most hand saws I cant cut a true strait line with

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All those "starter" tools that I bought and have since upgraded.

 

I started last week trying to find homes for this stuff..  I tried to give away a 10" compound miter (Skill) saw yesterday but, nobody needed it...

 

Well, today's another day and I'll try again.

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I have a ridgid belt sander that I never use. In fact, I lent It to a friend, and he returned it over a year later. I didn't even remember it was gone.

 

i use my belt sanders all the time for sharpening, grinding, sanding, shaping ect...

 

All those "starter" tools that I bought and have since upgraded.

 

I started last week trying to find homes for this stuff..  I tried to give away a 10" compound miter (Skill) saw yesterday but, nobody needed it...

 

Well, today's another day and I'll try again.

 

thats because its skill yuck.....

 

Until today I regretted buying a jigsaw.  I can't cut an accurate line with that thing and I hated it.  But, today I needed it to remove some subflooring and the jigsaw could plunge in and cut through the wood easily.  No accurate line needed.  Job done!

 

great for ruffing out wood plus its cheap can fet for 10-20 bucks at any garage sale.

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Until today I regretted buying a jigsaw. I can't cut an accurate line with that thing and I hated it. But, today I needed it to remove some subflooring and the jigsaw could plunge in and cut through the wood easily. No accurate line needed. Job done!

Have you tried using the jigsaw upside down? Many people find it much easier to use it that way.

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Have you tried using the jigsaw upside down? Many people find it much easier to use it that way.

 

Always use mine upside-down unless it's impossible, like a subfloor in the way :)  Much more accurate and safer in my opinion.  I use a barrel-grip jigsaw so it's very comfortable that way; not sure a D-handle/"clothes iron" style model would be as comfortable, but then I don't like ironing :)

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Well, I didn't buy it, but I inherited a tool shop brand lathe... I did turn a baseball bat on it, now the belt slips and no amount of tightening will fix it, oh, and the tool rest moves enough to scare me when it's fully tightened down, in fact, to tight, I broke the bolt off trying to get it locked in... Oh, I bought 2 tool shop brand bar clamps, those promptly got returned after I discovered that they wouldn't actually "clamp" because the slide just moved as you tightened the screw! Lesson learned!

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