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jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28238
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Thu Dec 23, 04 3:06 pm Post subject:

Bugs wrote:

We've often thought it a pity it's not easier to share things like big tools...so you wouldn't need to buy so much, but wouldn't have to hire it from a dodgy old hire shop.

Trouble is only a few of our friends would consider doing something without "getting a man in" (in my sister's case that man is often my man

) and of those, much as we love 'em all dearly of course...well...wouldn't trust them with a barge pole let alone keeping a bit of electrical equipment (a) safe and (b) accessible.

I could kick myself for the amount of tools my brother who lives little over a mile away and I both have

I cut some wood for him, as I have one or two saws

and lend him a biscuit jointer and that is about it.

jema

Behemoth

Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Posts: 19023
Location: Leeds

Posted: Thu Dec 23, 04 3:40 pm Post subject:

Bugs wrote:

) and of those, much as we love 'em all dearly of course...well...wouldn't trust them with a barge pole let alone keeping a bit of electrical equipment (a) safe and (b) accessible.

I often think this and the same could be applied to stuff needed for small holding (post driver, harrow, JCB etc). It should be possible if you have a critical mass of people who can pool resources and come up with a way of properly maintaining and 'lending' the tools out. But there are somethings you just need therre and then (chainsaw, drill).

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28238
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Thu Feb 10, 05 8:08 pm Post subject:

Have been preparing to do some tiling today, did not quite get around to the actual tiling, as the measure twice cut once philosophy is even more important with tiling than most things.

But one thing I did note, is that i created battons by using a table saw to splice a 1/2" batton into thin battons that I could use the nail gun to attach precicely to the wall.

Battoning therefore will be a few minutes work, and far more easy to get right, than wacking a nail into a thick batton with a hammer.

having the right tools makes one hell of a lot of difference to diy

jema

mochyn

Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales

Posted: Sat Feb 12, 05 9:46 am Post subject:
Jema: you'll think I'm a complete idiot, but I now have images of cutting bbiscuits into pieces and joining them together. What on earth is a biscuit jointer?

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28238
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Sat Feb 12, 05 10:35 am Post subject:

mochyn wrote:

Jema: you'll think I'm a complete idiot, but I now have images of cutting bbiscuits into pieces and joining them together. What on earth is a biscuit jointer?

A biscuit jointer is a fantastic device:

https://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.jsp?id=17569

You use it to cut out a small groove in two pieces of wood, you then place a glued oval biscuit in the groove, and join on the other peice of wood. this makes a very solid joint, and whilst you can do this without the biscuit jointing tool, the tool with is depth limit and various guides, means you can welly out the grooves at incredible speed.

jema

N.V.M.

Joined: 05 Feb 2005
Posts: 207
Location: British Columbia,Canada,eh!

Posted: Sat Feb 12, 05 3:35 pm Post subject:

woodworking! yay, my field of expertise. when it comes to biscuit jointers(also known as an intermittent spline cutter), you get what you pay for. as a journeyman cabinetmaker of 20 years, there is only one brand of machine we use... Lamello.
you have to take into account we have a dozen guys using these machines and the get dropped,beaten and abused and very few brands can stand up to shop use.

also, one can use a router to cut the grooves. if you already have a router, get yourself a 3 wing spline cutter( with a bottom bearing and 1/8" kerf) linky here

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28238
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Sat Feb 12, 05 3:43 pm Post subject:

N.V.M. wrote:

For shop use, they must stand up to a lot of abuse, but for home use, there are alot of very cheap tools out there these days of remarkable quality.

I pretty much equipt myself:

https://www.downsizer.net/Projects/Starting_Out/Creating_a_wood_working_shop/

for the cost of one or two of the expensive brands of tools.

jema

N.V.M.

Joined: 05 Feb 2005
Posts: 207
Location: British Columbia,Canada,eh!

Posted: Sat Feb 12, 05 5:19 pm Post subject:

yeah, i'm not the best judge for home use equipment, been using commercial grade tools for way too long. and, as time goes by, we use fewer hand tools as it is, seems the money is in production work and true benchwork skills are used less and less. and the irony is, most times when i do use real woodworking skills is when i build for friends or for myself.(non-commercial)

now, at work, i'm becoming just a cog in the wheel. here's my saw at work,where i'll spend about 2 days a week pumping out parts, four sheets at a time.

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Sat Feb 12, 05 5:25 pm Post subject:
All right, you've won with a devastating opening bid.

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28238
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Sat Feb 12, 05 6:06 pm Post subject:
I consider myself blown away jema

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Sat Feb 12, 05 6:18 pm Post subject:
Looks like you'll need a larger garage now, jema.

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28238
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Sat Feb 12, 05 6:29 pm Post subject:
It is a bit depressing some of these tools. I am not one for over romanticising crafts. I love a good powertool But you see some programmes, showing say fairly classy wood furniture being made, something you think might be an interesing job. But when you see it, all the "craft" has been taken out of the process. In a series of souless production line jigs jema

Blacksmith

Joined: 25 Jan 2005
Posts: 5025
Location: Berkshire

Posted: Sat Feb 12, 05 6:34 pm Post subject:
With you on that one, "Norm" et al make wonderfull workpieces, not sure if I've ever seen him use a HAND tool ? Laser guided chop saws, inter continental ballistic routers, sure there is a skill to it................ Dave.

N.V.M.

Joined: 05 Feb 2005
Posts: 207
Location: British Columbia,Canada,eh!

Posted: Sat Feb 12, 05 7:14 pm Post subject:

very few commercial enterprises can make money with craft. the ones that do are smaller shops,almost 1 man operations. i don't think there are 3 guys in our shop who could dovetail with just a chisel, let alone with a router/with collar and a dovetail jig.

all our machines are just for making money, not for making anything i'd be bragging about.

here's something i made for our home @ Christmas time, this i would brag about. Jema may have seen it already over at TN, and this is the kind of project i just like to putter around at after work or Sunday morning. (and i think there are over 100 biscuits in the whole thing, lol)

My Fireplace

MizNVM was quite pleased with this...wink..nudge..

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28238
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Sat Feb 12, 05 7:40 pm Post subject:
Very nice I'll be posting piccies of my bathroom soon ( i hope) jema

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