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Steve66
168 posts
and
13 followers
in over 9 years
in over 9 years
6 Replies
Hand tools or power tools? I have a mix in both categories. Especially hand planes, the older Stanley Baileys and Bedrocks are as good as they ever were once tuned up. In power tools many of the older ones can be rebuilt to be very serviceable. Whether I prefer new to old usually depends on what it is, I guess.
"I long for the day when coke was a cola and a joint was a bad place to be" Merle Haggartd
I don’t care how old or new a tool is as long as it performs the tasks I put it to. That said, old tools make you wonder where they’ve been and what they’ve done. Not to mention the satisfaction of having tools handed down from loved one who are no longer with us. I also have a mix of hand and power tools and I enjoy them all, but working with hand tools is my favorite as long as the work is not too taxing. It’s good to be flexible at my age.
Mike, an American living in Norway
I like to restore vintage hand planes and use them in my work.But I also use computerized equipment in the shop.
I think the history associated with woodworking tools is fascinating.
steve66
a self indulgence here - chisel and plane fetish, old or new doesn’t matter as I’m more of a user than collector . Any tool I come across, I’ll run it through a full abrasive work-up to end up with the highest polish I can achieve for its given steel. At the end of the process there are no crispy sharp corners or milling marks left and each time I pick one up, it feels old, worn and comfortable , gliding over wood surfaces like silk, with a razor sharp business end -- polishing waxes help reduce rust too — cheers
Depends on the tool… some tools haven’t really changed much in design/function over the years. ie old Unisaws weigh a tonne and have solid bases etc. My newer Unisaw (90’s?) has a lot of tin but the same technology. I recently picked up a stroke sander that was made in 1908. The fit/finish and castings on it are amazing! Newer ones made offshore… not so much.
Angellos
Thank you for your replies!
20 years ago I wanted everything" state of the art".Now I think, if I can do it with older machinery I will happier with older machinery.Mind the restoring work, but thats a plus!
steve66
