Justification for our tools and shops

Jim DeLaney said:

I'm pretty much in agreement with Stu.

I spend a lot of money on my woodworking hobby - both in tools and materials.

My wife spends even more on her quilting hobby.

Neither one of us cares what happens to our 'stuff' when we're gone.

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Same here... we retired so we could do our hobbies and enjoy our remaining years... in the case of my tools, I suspect my son will take them and enjoy them himself... he's a wannabe hobbyist... right now his job takes most of his time... before he married and got his current job he was a decent wood worker... he made crossbows with a drill press and hand tools.

My wife justify's my tools by having me build things for her.

Mine make money. They are not family heirlooms and most will be used up by the time I'm done with them.

No alibi!!!!!

I'm not worried, as I said, about justifying my tools, but if I had to, that would be dead easy. The last two aparto renovations are an example, yes, I spent maybe $20,000 total on both apartments renovating them, and that includes all of my tool purchases, like the SawStop, but if these renos were done by the Pros, they would have cost more like $50,000 so right there, in two goes, I've justified everything I've ever bought Not to mention the two apartos that I renovated now produce about $15,000 a year in income that they were not producing before the renovations, well, what can I say.

I also did some shelving in the L shop, cost about $300 for materials and my sweat equity, a friend who is a carpenter told my Monster-in-law that if a Japanese cabinet maker built those cabinets, custom sized to fit the L shop, they would have cost her at least $3000, if not more, so again, total justification.

What happens to my tools, well, I too hope they go to someone who will appreciate them and use them, and can get them out of the Dungeon

I hope I live long enough to have some grandsons to give them to, but who knows. I do know that by that time, I will have gotten my fair share of use out of them, so I'm not that concerned.

Cheers!

Now some have said to me i should have saved all this cash for retirement. And my reply there has been that to retire to doing nothing but sit in front of the TV would well kill me in a very short time. Rob Keeble

I just retired last Thursday. Several of my fellow workers made the comment that it would be nice to just sit down and take it easy. That's not for me. I've been talking about getting back in the shop all winter and now that it's warm again I'm getting that time..full time!

Justifying my tool cost...most came from ebay or CL with a lot of careful study and comparison before actually buying. My only New new machine is a Grizz G0555 bandsaw and I love it. LOML says if I need a new tool, within reason, Go get it! Life is good.

Brent Dowell said:

I do woodworking because I need to see a tangible result of my efforts. My day job is programming. While I enjoy it, it's not something I can easily explain or show to other folks, and at the end of the day when the computer is off, theres no there, there, if you know what I mean.

My tools, and the things I make with them, give me a sense of satisfaction and completion (when I actually complete something) that helps to balance things out.

That's my justification and I'm sticking with it!

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Brent,
It's funny you say this, my son who's also a programmer, says exactly the same thing... he doesn't do a lot of wood working now, but did for a while. He used to hand make crossbows... in his apartment living room... when I commented on the saw dust and wood chips, he said that was the reason the shop vac was invented..
He's also into the or was into the medieval re-enacting and gaming... he hand made a shirt of chain mail... he's gained some weight now, so don't think the chain mail will fit him any more...

Stuart mentioned having grandsons to pass his tools along to... I don't think I will have that... my wife's daughters have finished their families and all are girls... my son doesn't want children, so no grandsons there. Most likely he will take my tools when I go... if he's still interested in woodworking by then..

My greatest regret is that I didn't go through my father's tools when he passed away... he was a journeyman carpenter and had mostly hand tools, but at the time I wasn't much into wood working and thought his tools were likely worn out as he'd used them for many years... if for nothing else, they could have been keepsakes... some of his tools were over 50 years old and would have been a great treasure to have kept and learned to use.

I feel the love from Don and Tom!!

My dad after his cancer has just sat. I am glad he is alive and sitting, but he is an example to me of a man that never sat down. We were always doing something, now he tells me it was to keep me busy and out of trouble! Lou Ann and I bought this farm, decent buildings, but no fences and a 1941 home. I have done some things right, others, well, could maybe have been better . Do know this farm raised two very knowledgeable and hardworking girls so if for no other reason, it has been a success for us. Our farm has provided us with our vacations (4H fair week), our hobbies (raising ponies, cattle, hogs, rabbits, chickens, ducks, turkeys, dogs) and has put food on our table. I used to get down in the dumps about money spent and no return. I look at my grown daughters, what was I thinking, THE BEST RETURN EVER are those two girls. All of the tools, tractors, saddles, ropes, gates, trucks, trailers, horse drawn equipment, even the farm itself, it becomes stuff. Hey that is how I got it, so the saga just continues. I don't justify stuff to myself anymore. Like others have said, as long as it doesn't affect the household money. I quit chewing, smoking and drinking years ago, man am I glad! I heard some of the boys talking about SKOAL being $5.00 a can! that is what I gave for a roll when I was in high school! Feeding a couple of saddle horses that don't hardly get 200 hours a year on them isn't cheap either. But boy if I were wearing a blood pressure cuff when riding my mare, that is better for me than any Dr visit! So, what the hey, realize this is a long winded explanation of very little information. But the end result, my life experiences have led me to woodworking and to this family. Thank you God, it has had challenges, but my life has been good!!

I consider myself a "thrifty" woodworker and person in general. So purchasing tools is a tough thing for me...plus I don't have lots of extra $$ so that usually makes the decision for me. Many, no most of my tools have been gifts from my father, grandfather, MIL, FIL and wife. Yes, I do consider myself lucky to have something I enjoy so much that my family knows exactly what to get me for christmas and birthdays...gift cards!! If only there were gift cards for craigslist!

I've benefited from inheriting many tools from my grandparents and a few my wife's grandparents too. Getting my grandpa's lathe got me into turning and I can't tell you how much joy that has given me. Plus turning wood is usually free!

I know I will recieve the bulk of my dad's tools someday as well, as my brother has other interests and my sister and BIL do as well. To date, I only have one child, but I already have her in the shop with me to help out as much as she wants. If I have another child I'll do the same as well. Don't know if the interest will remain, but I hope it does. I also hope my kid(s) will want my tools, but if not I hope I can find someone thru a forum like this or a local woodworking club that will benefit from them just as I have.

Bill Satko said:

Actually I have thought of what happens to my tools after I am gone for some time now. It all started when I saw an estate sale and the tools that were there. For some reason, it made me sad to see this woodworker's tools up for auction. Maybe it was because I do not have any children to pass my tools on to.

I have decided that if they are not needed by my wife for survival (assuming I should go first)(and they should not be) I am going to find the right young struggling woodworker and donate my handtools to him. The handtools mean the most to me and actually have the greatest value. I would want them to live on as a set and appreciated by someone who would know the value of them. Not so much the monetary value (although there is that), but the quality of the craftsmanship they exhibit and the care that was given to them by me.

Once I decided that, I felt much better about my purchases and what happens after I die. I am creating a dynasty (I hope), like Benjamin Seaton's chest.

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Bill
Thats a great idea. One suggestion and its a tough one. When and if you see your self failing to the point where your tools are sitting and rusting the time has came to find that young gun. I have seen so many lifetime collections of tools at sales flea markets and shows that had rusted much of the valve and beauty away.

I don't know how to cross this bridge myself. I do have two children but they only need some of the stuff.


Added
One thing I don't do is worry about doing something that will cut down on the life of the tool or its value. I bought the tools for me and if I have a need I plan on using them, I don't hesitate to turn wood on my metal lathe, I don't hesitate to grind on my sander. I might cut metal on my table saw. If they go bad I will repair or replace them. I won't "Save" them for resale value. Same way with cars if I need to poke a hole for an Ham antenna I poke a hole. I buy my stuff for me not the next owner...
Now some will say I abuse my tools. I actually try and take great care of my tools, I just don't hesitate to use them when I have a need or want..

A humorous article from Highland Woodworking on justifying tool purchases: http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/woodnews/2010may/justifying.html

Rob after downsizing and dealing with a lot of tools I have come to the conclusion, which is an old Christian saying. The best gift is the one needed at the time. So it goes with tools.
During the downsizing I tossed old tools that hardly worked. I tossed tolls that their was no room for them any longer and sold tools that were not getting the use. Shops like mine work with tolls that are needed at the time. I have not built any built-ins in 6 years so the table for the router went, I am thinking of cutting off the extension bars to the big table saw to cut down on space. I have a big old heavy 6" joiner that is destine to be just given to the 1st person who needs one.
Old tools are fine for do it your self guys but in a production shop tools need to be reliable and make very good use of time. Unless it's for conservation then most tools in the true fasion of the work rendered needs to be correct and the tool that best suits the project is often bought or even made.