Support your local tool store?

[Retired]

Hi,

Thanks Joe for your information regarding the Dremel clone. I've never owned one of these in any guise so now I'll give it a miss and spend the £50 on something I can actually use. I'll be pleased to have a look at your Dremel Joe next time Bron and visit in fact if I can remember I'll bring along the Fein as long as I can bring it back home because its a lovely bit of kit?

Thanks also Lawrence; no problem at all as I never thought you would call a Yorkshireman a cheapskate unless of course well deserved. I do however fully agree with your comments about cheapskates wanting something for nothing; I too have worked for myself working through the night to get a car completed for a customer etc. It must be depressing for the big sawmills that supply timber merchants knowing the timber merchants will make as much profit if not more for just being the middleman? It's hard graft converting logs; just felling a big tree; cutting it into small sections and disposing of it is extremely tiring. Even though its hard graft converting logs with decent kit must be most satisfying as long as the weather isn't too bad?

Did you kiln your timber Lawrence; I once bought Arrowsmith kilning equipment but then decided to fully retire so never used it.

I've just got a good feeling about this Fein though and I'm sure once I start to replace the double glazing it will pay for itself on this one job? All my tools have paid for themselves usually after doing a single big job. About 36 years ago I saved up and bought an ELU MFF80? power planer and this plane has seldom been out of its box but when I have used it I have needed it badly and I'll never part with it; this plane is still running the first set of carbide blades and it's powerful.

Now guys what is the next must have tool for a tool junkie like me to buy? I'm working on the principle that I have the big machinery I need to take out the backache of preparing rough sawn hardwood and now I'm gathering top quality power or hand tools for bench work. Once I'm fully happy I've got the kit of my dreams I'll start buying hardwood to make items from.

I see a good tool or machine as a wise investment; once bought then only the materials cost money. I'm very used to making tools do jobs they were never designed to do but now I am putting a kit together of tools I want rather than actually need and there is a lot of difference between the two.

I've always fancied kilning my own timber so perhaps I should now think about revisiting this idea because green timber is still cheap enough to buy in bulk and have delivered.

My last woodworking project was to make this computer desk which is a delight to own but I can do much better and where I used Formica on this in future I would like to go traditional and use wood veneer allowing me to really stretch myself.

I've just returned from a craft store in Batley with Bron and my neck sure does hurt; I've not been in the sun much but it now only takes a minute before the sun lets me know of its presence; I'm certainly not complaining though because it's much better than suffering from rust.

Kind regards, Col.