FROM THE BACK OF THE SHOP

Some Thoughts on Tools by William A. Wensel

"My time is worth nothing. Why should I spend all my money on tools," is the normal approach when discussing which tools to buy. "I'll only get what I really need as I'm only going to build one project." My reply is "Nuts to that." Time is always worth something. The tools of the trade are the items which can make the difference between a completed project and a vanished dream. Projects may have been built by hand for centuries but, I doubt if there was one workman who, with muscles aching after a full day of sawing planks by hand, would not have gladly used a power saw if it were available.


Timber quality is another consideration, in the good old days there was good timber, The prime cut, first growth, knot free, straight grained, trees of that generation no longer exist. We no longer have the lumber yards private wood lot from which to choose the proper tree for the particular job. We must make do with the crooked, twisted, scrub trees we have today. Good tools can help fill the gap.


A piece of wood really doesn't care if it is cut with a power saw or a hand saw, nor, can a screw know it is driven by hand or by a power driver. Only the man who put them there knows the difference.


Time appears to be the major reason for not completing many of the projects so eagerly undertaken. In my opinion "TIME" should be replaced with "DISCOURAGEMENT." It is because we get discouraged with the project that we do not find the time to complete it. I have never known anyone who was really excited and enthusiastic about a project who couldn't find the time necessary to complete it.


Due to the size of the undertaking and the normal problems it is quite necessary that the tools of the trade be fully utilized wherever possible. As an example, when doing boat work, one man drilling and placing fasteners with a hand drill and brace may be able to install 200 to 300 screws a day. The same man, with power tools can easily set 1,000 screws a day. Roughly, a four to one ratio. A 40-foot boat will require approximately 4,000 screws, so the difference becomes four days with power to sixteen days by hand.
Now, with full knowledge of self contradiction, I am going to reverse courses and recommend the first tool purchases be hand tools and not power tools. Every job can be done with hand tools. The same statement cannot be made for power tools. There are many times that the tool will be too large, power will not be available, the tool will be located in some other place or already in use. It will be quicker and easier to do the job by hand. It should also be remembered that most power tools are simply powered hand tools. One must become adept at sharpening and using all of the hand tools if he is to utilize the most benefits from power tools.


There are many good books written on the care and use of tools, therefore, other then special applications, I will not dwell on this subject. If one lacks the basic knowledge and is a complete neophyte in the world of woodworking it is suggested that some preliminary shop courses be undertaken and lessor projects be completed prior to a major building project. I will show several possible methods of accomplishing each task whenever applicable.

Selection and purchase of tools are a constant challenge of every shop. Not only is money involved, but as ones array becomes larger the available space becomes smaller. The dilemma continues as one looks at the vast selection of each article under consideration. The final decision usually comes down to, "I have so much to spend. I can buy one good tool or two or three cheap tools. Which is best?"


Beware the dual purpose tool. I have never found a tool that proposed to do two jobs to be worth a darn at either of them. In fact, they always do a half job on both of the tasks they are supposed to do. Every tool has its own speed and method of operation. A compromise of this operation invalidates the purpose for which the tool was originally designed.


Beware of the "It's on sale at 1/2 price," and "Satisfaction Guaranteed or Your Money Back." I have yet to buy a tool with the idea that I want to return it. I purchase tools to work, not to be returned. By the same token, I have yet to buy a tool which was not corrected under warranty if it failed. The 1/2 price sale is possibly the most unfair scam that can be perpetrated on the unwary purchaser. I'm not suggesting that "Sales" and "Good Buys" do not exist nor that they should not be used. The thing that I am referring to is the endless sale of, "Our $79.95 tool is on Sale for $39.95." The business of manufacturing high quality tools does not permit the discounting of 50%. If a 10% discount on a high quality too can be located I feel that I have made quite a bargain.
On the other hand, it is very easy to manufacturer a tool worth $20.00, mark it up to $79.95 and then put it on "Sale" for $39.95. You as the buyer are not getting a bargain. In fact you are paying more for the tool then it is really worth.


So what's the answer? The only solution to the problem is to purchase high quality used tools. If you have more time then money put some of that time to use in attending Auctions, Flee Markets and Garage Sales. Look for high quality tools even if they look very old and, if the price is right, even abused. Quality manufacturers have service centers that can repair tools at reasonable prices. They have the repair parts and technicians to perform the task and make the tool perform like new. A good tool, properly maintained, will normally out last the owner. The bottom line is that you will be money ahead with an old tool repaired then a cheaply constructed new tool. If you are not convinced of the value of tools wait until you try and find them used. There scarcity and price will quickly convince you that they can easily be liquidated should the conversion of such assets be deemed necessary.

Good, high quality, tools should be viewed as an investment. One set of tools was appraised prior to the purchase of a cabinet shop. Eight years later, the same tools were appraised by the same man prior to the sale of the shop. During this period the tools had doubled in price while providing me with a full time business. I doubt there are many investments that could provide a better interest income then the tools. The key words are, "Good Tools." This means professional tools of top quality, designed and built to last a life time. A professional builder cannot do a professional job with less then professional tools (Both hand and power). It is virtually impossible that a nonprofessional can do an acceptable job with anything of lessor quality. I would much rather spend the extra time necessary to do a job by hand, while saving money to buy a good power tool, then buy a cheap tool which does a poor job and is subject to failure at the most inappropriate times. If you are not convinced of the value of tools wait until you try and find them used. There scarcity and price will quickly convince you that they can easily be liquidated should the conversion of such assets be deemed necessary.
Used tools also carry a charisma of expertise with them. No matter how experienced, if you want to feel like a green horn, just carry a brand-new tool box with all brand new tools on a job. Woodworking is one area where old tools and old men are considered superior to their younger counter parts.


The difference in quality is in the tools ability to handle the power utilized when doing work. A good tool will have sufficiently sized wire and ample amounts of iron to dissipate the heat during use. The temperature will rise, to some level, much below the destruction level of the tool, then, remain virtually constant as long as the tool is used. The ample amounts of wire and iron will make the tool heavy and more expensive.
A cheap tool is not designed for the type of use you will be giving it. It will not have sufficient wire size nor iron capacity to dissipate the heat generated through continual use, as such, it will continue to get hotter and hotter until it can no longer be held in the hands and must be turned off. The heat causes the lubricants to evaporate from the bearing surfaces as well as other detrimental things causing the tool to self destruct.

The list of tools normally carried in my personal box are as follows:

It seems that a tool box tends to gather other tools along the way and needs periodic cleaning. I have a very unscientific but totally fool proof method of determining when the clean out is called for. When I can no longer lift the box, it is ready for cleaning, usually about once a week.

I prefer a wooden tool box as it has less tendency to dull the tools and can be compartmentalized to fit the exact sizes of the various tools and containers. It also has less tendency to scratch and rust then a metal box. Finally, it carries the aura of expertise much more eloquently.

Look for more articles from William A. Wensel in our next issue.

 

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About the Author:


William A. (Bill) Wensel is a graduate of Stout University, Menomonie, Wisconsin with a B.S. in Industrial Education.

In addition to his education background he has owned and operated a cabinet shop which produced and installed custom cabinets for individual families as well as millwork and cabinets for dwellings with up to sixty four family units. Bill's transition from the academic world to the reality of competitive cabinetmaking was quite traumatic. In teaching the emphases is on learning and safety where mistakes are accepted as part of the learning process. In a professional cabinet shop, there is no room for mistakes and one must continually seek new methods for building the product in a faster method while maintaining a high quality. Fortunately, there are generations of tried and true methods that are passed from one generation to another. With his background in education and practical experience on the front lines of competitive cabinetmaking he is in a unique position to teach and pass on the knowledge gained over many years of experience.

As a Freelance writer Bill has had an extensive DO It Yourself column in The Miami Herald, been a contributing editor for Creative Woodwork and Crafts, a designer for F&P Patterns and has been published in WordPerfect Magazine and Lakeland Boating.

wwensel@adelphia.net