Recipe for contentment - overview

A small shop, a few tools, the fragrance of wood in the air.

Appreciation

I posted these pages because I've spent a lot of time looking for tool reviews and wish there were more personal reviews by amateur woodworkers around. These aren't reviews in the sense of comparing several of the same tool; rather, I'm just sharing some thoughts about the tools I really enjoy using. I carefully research all of my tool purchases, and I've used all of the tools I mention here long enough to know they're good ones: Woodworking tool reviews.

A passionate amateur

I'm an amateur, weekend woodworker. I love wood above all other materials, and I love simplicity and quality. The few times I've wandered into furniture stores I've either had an allergic reaction to the shoddiness of manufacturing in evidence or just plain sticker shock, so in most cases I've opted to make my own simple stuff. Because I love books, much of what I've made has been bookshelves. I also love shoji lamps and polyhedron shapes, so that's been another focus. And I've made a variety of other things: desks, end tables, book stands, a bed frame, a large oak cabinet for my sweetheart's business, and so on.

I've tried a lot of different tools over the years. One lesson I learned (unfortunately the hard way) is to always buy quality tools if possible, even if they cost far more than cheaper versions. Sometimes I've really had to stretch to buy some of my tools, but I've never regretted it. Quality tools give you two things that cheap tools don't: accuracy and longevity. In many cases, they're also safer. And it's simply a pleasure to hold and use a tool that has been designed and made with care.

On the other hand, tools are just tools

While I suggest buying quality tools if possible, I don't think lack of quality tools should stop anyone who is interested in woodworking. Good tools make it easier to do good work, but they don't make it possible to do good work. That comes from desire and practice.

When I lived in India 20 years ago, I watched barefoot woodworkers who had only a few crappy hand tools sit on the ground and turn a pile of rough-sawn rosewood into beautiful and precise window and door frames. It took them a really long time (weeks to do the store I watched them do), but they were obviously practiced at their craft and could do things with their poor tools that I still struggle to accomplish with an indoor shop, a workbench, and quality power tools.

An unusual mix of tools

My collection of tools is a bit unusual. My hobby for many years has been making shoji lamps. This requires a lot of small hand tools—micro clamps, small hand saws, a hand miter saw, mini sanders, and so on—as well as some power tools like a band saw, planer, miniature drills, and a palm sander. (Here's an older series of photos showing a lamp making project using these tools.)

Ten years ago, we purchased an older house that needed a lot of remodeling. Having grown up in a house that my father remodeled as we lived in it, I already knew a lot of the necessary skills, but needed to get an additional set of tools to work on the house and build some of the furniture for it, for example: circular, table, and electric miter saws, bigger sanders, routers, and so on. (Here's a newer series of photos showing a furniture making project using these tools.)

Finally, though I love using power tools, lately I've been thinking more about working by hand, and have begun investing in hand tools with the thought that someday when I have more time to spare, I may be able to slow down a bit and explore that approach.

Finding tools

Finding tools is a challenge, especially living in a somewhat rural area as I do. We have a wonderful local hardware store, but I often have to reach beyond it to find exactly what I'm looking for. Over the years I've stumbled across some great tool sources. I've also stumbled across some great woodworking-related sites. I selfishly want these sources and sites to continue to thrive, so am happy to share them: Sources.

Learning woodworking

Being an avid reader and having an incurable stubborn streak that manifests in a determination to teach myself everything, I often turn to books to glean clues about how to proceed. In my quest to learn woodworking I've come across some wonderful books (and more recently some great DVDs, as well) that contain a wealth of knowledge, and I'm happy to be able to share these treasures, too: Woodworking books.

Looking forward to weekends

I'm just about finished with the remodeling and am working on the second to last piece of furniture I want to make, so I'm beginning to contemplate returning to my hobby of making shoji lamps sometime in the not-too-distant future. In the meantime, I take a step back and think about where my journey has brought me: Is it worth it?

Tool reviews - Power saws »