I Made a Mistake

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jttheclockman

jttheclockman

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Feb 22, 2005
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This thread says it all but it involves us all. Over the years we all built up our shops. Bought things to enhance our hobbies and to expand them. But I am sure we also bought an item or 2 or 3 that we thought we positively had to have but turns out it was a mistake and now sits in the corner of the shop collecting dust but not the good kind. So lets get it out there and hate to bring up bad memories but it is good for the soul. Let us know what that one or 2 or 3 or more items that you bought that now is a relic. Sorry if this opens wounds with the better half but maybe keep it a secret.

Now I will start but have so many this thread could get real long. But one that haunts me every time I walk into the shop is a big $$$ item. It is a 2 speed Heavy Duty Wood Shaper Delta. Basically brand new. Used once. When I first set my shop up I bought all the big boy toys. I had plans on building cabinets and some furniture. That was my goal. Well after I built all the cabinets for my shop I found out real quick I did not have the room to do this so I lost that interest. So now this tool sits in a corner and is used as a storage shelf and has a bench top drill press sitting on it. Just one of those oops I made a mistake. This is going back to 1988. Ok lets hear them.
 
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Don't feel bad John. I've bought a lot of tools that I thought I would use a lot...but sadly, I haven't. Not in my shop but our second garage you'll find a mortising tool, never used, A 8" Delta Jointer that I got a great deal on and have used a handful of times in almost 25 years, a Makita 18" planer which I used a lot when I lived in a forest that I could plane all my own lumber. They're all in great shape too. In my shop you'll find a lot of power and hand tools that get little to no use. Many are beautiful pieces of machinery but what I thought I was going to do with woodworking never came to pass. The shaper that I got as a gift from my wife is hardly ever used. My great Makita router, also a gift from my wife, sits in a box and has probably been used a half dozen times since I got it 15 years ago. Heck, I've even got a guitar kit that I need to make that still sits in a box from 25 years ago...and I don't play the guitar! All of these tools were bought for a purpose that never came to pass. I feel kind of guilty for some of the tools that I got as gifts that I've either never used or hardly used. Problem is I've never gotten rid of them. Kinda like birthday cards my wife has given me over the last 53 years, they sit in a box on a shelf...I just can't throw them out. So don't feel like you're the only one, you're not. The best thing about the whole thing is, when you pass into your next life, your kids or grand kids get to deal with it. I'm kind of looking forward to watching my kids from on high wondering "why did dad keep all these cards and stuff". I laugh just thinking about it.
 
As my wife and I are in the final stages of moving to a different house - no workshop, no storage for past toys, no ability to finish 1/2 done projects, I have given away all my 'future toys' that I will not use. No regrets, it has been a fun ride!
 
mark james said:
As my wife and I are in the final stages of moving to a different house - no workshop, no storage for past toys, no ability to finish 1/2 done projects, I have given away all my 'future toys' that I will not use. No regrets, it has been a fun ride!
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But not over yet. Like a county fair ride, you get off one and get on another one...and you enjoy it and look forward to the next one. Right? Write a book Mark, you've got a lot of turning knowledge. Don't let it go to waste. Deal is, you write a book and save the first copy for me, autograph it for me and I'll buy it, name your price. I'm serious.
 
Metal lathe and some tooling. Had it 10 yrs and never used it.

Beall Pen Wizard. The fun went away after a few months.

Captured hollowing system. Enjoy using it but have not in a couple of yrs.

Several small jigs and tools to make some tasks easier. Yea, right!
Do a good turn daily!
Don
 
I do buy some things that I do not use as I intended but I am one who does not have to hold on to such tools. I do give away tools to son in laws, one grandson, or a neighbor or local woodworker.

Two pen making tools are: Woodpecker's Pen Mill, and another is the Beal Pen Wizard.
 
Don I am surprised about the metal lathe. I almost bought one of those and glad I did not go down that rabbit hole. Someone mentioned mortiser. I bought one for my drill press and used it a few times and then bought a dedicated mortiser and now have no idea where the drill press one is.

I have no one that is that big into woodworking except my Nephew in Pennsy. But unless I see that I am definitely on my last days on earth maybe I will help my brother to sell some things off. But I doubt it. I will leave all my tools and projects for others to sort that out. I told my brother he could rent a dumpster and just chuck it all. I will not see it. But I did mention a hundred times to look this site up for all the pen turning stuff and ask questions here for pricing and sales. Alot of money to just chuck. I am sure of that. As I started working in the shop I will definitely continue each and every year from now on put some solid months to make a huge bunch of projects. need to use up a ton of wood and materials. I do have some house projects to finish but will do those in the summer months. I am getting closer and closer to finishing the house projects each year. Then it is all shop time.
 
Based on the comments above, we may have a common thread going. Mine is the mortiser, too. I fell in love with Norm Abrams and the work he did/does years ago. I watched every episode and noticed he used the Delta machine EFFORTLESSLY. Went to a woodworking expo and, guess what? There they were. Picked it up and then found it was much easier to watch on PBS than do in real life. I got through the learning curve and used it a bit but never a lot. Sold it at a deep discount after it collected dust for 10 years. I'll probably need it tomorrow.

Good thread.
 
John, I too bought a 3 HP, 220V shaper (Jet). I actually never used it at all, I had it about 5 years and decided to sell it. I bought it on a sale and had big plans to make a bunch of cabinets but never got around to doing that. Fortunately, it had increased a bit over the 5 years, so I didn't take too big of a loss on it when a local cabinet shop saw my ad on Craigslist. I try to put a little more thought into my tool purchases now. I'm sure I'll probably make another mistake, but at least it won't be with another shaper lol...
 
David350 said:
John, I too bought a 3 HP, 220V shaper (Jet). I actually never used it at all, I had it about 5 years and decided to sell it. I bought it on a sale and had big plans to make a bunch of cabinets but never got around to doing that. Fortunately, it had increased a bit over the 5 years, so I didn't take too big of a loss on it when a local cabinet shop saw my ad on Craigslist. I try to put a little more thought into my tool purchases now. I'm sure I'll probably make another mistake, but at least it won't be with another shaper lol...
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I bought a Wood-Mizer LT15 saw mill a couple of years before Covid hit. Did a bunch of sawing with it and made some really nice stuff from the wood that came off my property in the Rockies. About 2 years ago a neighbor asked me if I wanted to sell it after I moved to the Plains. I called the guy I bought the saw through and asked him how much did he think I could sell it for. The price on that saw had almost doubled in price after Covid and they were harder than all get out to find. So I called the neighbor up and asked him how much he wanted to pay for it. With the extra bands he paid me basically what I had into it. He was happy cause he saved a bunch of money and I was happy that I got to use it as much as I did and covered my costs. I'm still using boards that I cut and stored from that machine.
 
David350 said:
John, I too bought a 3 HP, 220V shaper (Jet). I actually never used it at all, I had it about 5 years and decided to sell it. I bought it on a sale and had big plans to make a bunch of cabinets but never got around to doing that. Fortunately, it had increased a bit over the 5 years, so I didn't take too big of a loss on it when a local cabinet shop saw my ad on Craigslist. I try to put a little more thought into my tool purchases now. I'm sure I'll probably make another mistake, but at least it won't be with another shaper lol...
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Yea one of these days I have to take it apart to get back out of the shop and in the garage and put it up for sale. I need to find all the parts that went with it and I believe I had some bits with it. I just do not remember. Have a hard time remembering what I had for dinner the night before these days.
 
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