Who is always thinking of buying a tool they don't really need?

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208
Location
central florida
I saw this really nice laguna lath for sale in south florida. its kinda far from me and I would probably only be willing to pay $500 and he wants $650 but it looks great and has a 16" swing. I just want it so bad. I don't have a real need for it but I have not stopped thinking about it.

I don't actually need any of my shop tools but I sure love them. I use almost all of them from time to time but they are a hobby and have earned me very little money compared to the cost. One of my first posts when I decided to join this site was about a giant dewalt RAS that I bet most of you would have passed on at any price. I have not completed (or actually started) my plans for it but the way I talk about the thing you would think it was my giant cast iron son. I love having it. I just don't have time to set it up properly. Did I ever mention it does over a 36" cross cut? :D. I've already started its college fund (please don't tell my wife. she thinks I'm crazy enough already)

I know I'm not the only guy or gal with this problem. Not the college fund thing. I was just kidding about that.

Do any of you have any good examples of tools you just had to have so you bought them and love them despite their uselessness?

Any excellent excuses to buy a lath you KNOW you have no need for?
 
I think I've lost the urge to buy any more tools as the ones I have right now are doing everything I need them to do.

I still love to look at craigs list though just to see whats out there and what crazy dollar amount they are asking for it!
 
I have a number of tools that I thought would be very useful, but never ended up using much, if at all. Among them, I can't think of any that I'm particularly attached to, but I can see where you're coming from.

As a side note, what model is the Laguna lathe? I know several people who had major problems with the Laguna 18-47 when they first came out. Worse than the problems themselves was the poor customer service (and outright dishonesty) they got from Laguna after the sale. Personally, I don't think I'd risk $500 to $600 on their 16-43, especially if you're not sure you'd be using it much.

As another side note, I think Giant Cast Iron Son would be an excellent name for a rock band. :D
 
keith, since it is your hobby, theres no reason to expect the tools to "earn" money.
if it brings you pleasure, you cant put a price on that.

I purchased a few smaller tools when I first got started, some extras, but try to control any spending now on exactly what I feel I need.
 
I have a number of tools that I thought would be very useful, but never ended up using much, if at all. Among them, I can't think of any that I'm particularly attached to, but I can see where you're coming from.

As a side note, what model is the Laguna lathe? I know several people who had major problems with the Laguna 18-47 when they first came out. Worse than the problems themselves was the poor customer service (and outright dishonesty) they got from Laguna after the sale. Personally, I don't think I'd risk $500 to $600 on their 16-43, especially if you're not sure you'd be using it much.

As another side note, I think Giant Cast Iron Son would be an excellent name for a rock band. :D

keith, since it is your hobby, theres no reason to expect the tools to "earn" money.
if it brings you pleasure, you cant put a price on that.

I purchased a few smaller tools when I first got started, some extras, but try to control any spending now on exactly what I feel I need.

I looked at the ad again and it is a 16-43. When I was in high school I got to use a lath and just loved making bowls and little bats. So I'm not certain wether I would find that much joy in it or not. Its really hard to say if I would even find the time.

Allen;
That is so true. I would like to tools to earn me money but who wouldn't want their hobby to earn profit. I guess I love tools for no reason at all and wish I could just collect multiple shops of them. If my wood working tools actually earned money then i wouldn't feel so guilty about thinking of buying another. I'm really only supposed to have one major tool purchase a year and that clocked out with my delta RAS. But its not a rule written in stone.
 
I looked at the ad again and it is a 16-43. When I was in high school I got to use a lath and just loved making bowls and little bats. So I'm not certain wether I would find that much joy in it or not. Its really hard to say if I would even find the time.

The lathe is just the beginning... deep dark spiral... Getting a lathe is a serious problem, you can make almost anything round.. and feel compelled to do so.. then you start figuring out new ways to make things differently round so you try that.. it quickly gets out of control.

As for "need" and tools, well .. umm .. yeah .. I take the 5th.
 
I looked at the ad again and it is a 16-43. When I was in high school I got to use a lath and just loved making bowls and little bats. So I'm not certain wether I would find that much joy in it or not. Its really hard to say if I would even find the time...

To expand on what Ryan said, the lathe is just the beginning of expenses for turners. I don't think I've ever met a turner who didn't have more money in lathe tools and accessories than the cost of the lathe itself. Quite often it's double the cost of the lathe or more. By the time you buy a few chisels, a sharpening setup, a chuck, and finishing supplies, you can easily spend over $500, especially if you don't already have things like a bandsaw, compressor, shop vac, chain saw, etc. And that's just to get started. You'll inevitably find other stuff to add to your tools and accessories.

On the other hand, it's a lot of fun. :D
 
I am not what one would call a turner, rather i dabble from time to time. I think Vaughn is being conservative about the extras costs.:)
Of course it all depends on which lathe you start out with. :)

Keith you not alone on the tool thing.....i even have a list :)

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2
 
I never knew turning could get that complicated. I was planning on waiting till the middle of the week and making an offer if it was still available. I never gave the needed accessories a thought till I read the latest posts on the subject.

For instance there are no chisels that come with it. I'm not even sure what else i would need.
Then my thought quickly went to "what are you going to turn on it" meaning where is the wood coming from? I had this romantic image of me carving out a beautiful 16" dia bowl. My image didn't have a price tag on the block of wood I would need. I not only have no idea how much the wood cost, I never even thought of where I would get it. I haven't seen any turning stock at either of the two places I buy hard woods from.

I have gone from "I can't wait to get my lath" to "I better think this over a little harder"

But I still really want one. Its not that I am over dreaming. I think I am just under funded.
 
I never knew turning could get that complicated. I was planning on waiting till the middle of the week and making an offer if it was still available. I never gave the needed accessories a thought till I read the latest posts on the subject.

For instance there are no chisels that come with it. I'm not even sure what else i would need.
Then my thought quickly went to "what are you going to turn on it" meaning where is the wood coming from? I had this romantic image of me carving out a beautiful 16" dia bowl. My image didn't have a price tag on the block of wood I would need. I not only have no idea how much the wood cost, I never even thought of where I would get it. I haven't seen any turning stock at either of the two places I buy hard woods from.

I have gone from "I can't wait to get my lath" to "I better think this over a little harder"

But I still really want one. Its not that I am over dreaming. I think I am just under funded.

well keith to help you in the thinking part,,, the main reason i dont have a lathe is the added costs that come after to make things round,, and what will you do with all of these round things? you would be far better off to have one fo the afflicted folks on this forum make you the round things yu just have to have than to do it your self with a lathe and the tooling that follows behind it.. thats what i do and and i have got enough wood so that doesnt even enter into the picture,,
 
I'd figure somewhere around $150-200 conservatively to get a minimal set of chisels, centers and a face plate new for doing ~most stuff (simple spindles and bowls on a face plate, no chuck, add another $150-200 for a chuck with a couple of jaws when you decide you want that...)

The problem I have is that the "boy it sure would be handy to also haves" keep adding up, I'd put a number on it but I'm afraid that LOML might someday read this board :eek:.

I do think that the lathe is probably the most fun tool I have in a lot of ways.. You can go out for a couple of hours and end up with something really cool pretty fast. I've been using it to reduce my scrap pile into things that I can pawn off on others :D
 
Buying tools is cheaper than buying horses. At least the tools don't eat and well, you get the point! Tools, they patiently wait on you. If you can afford it, it is a good deal, so what if it takes another year or two to get the tooling. When you have spare time, when you make the time, you have it. I don't lust after tools, but when I do see one I want, I buy it if I can afford it out of my wallet. I don't put things on a credit card nor do I take any money from our house/living fund. I work hard enough that I do try to put some extra cash in my pocket, guns and tools are to me very soothing and a great way to utilize my extra time (hmmmm, haven't much of that!) at home because I detest going away from home. (Except to go to Larry's and now the upcoming Family Gathering!!!!!!)
 
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