Do SOMETHING new

I thought my playing days were over when I nicked my left index and
left middle finger in a table saw. But with a really good Orthopedic
surgeon, who is also doing my knee, he was able to save enough of the
index to not have to remove any of the bone. I started playing slide
guitar which uses either a glass finger slide or metal slide and
thereby worked around the fingering that is done with the left hand.
After awhile of that I wanted to see if I could still finger the
guitar like a standard playing style would do. So after practicing
with the National Reso-phonic in a standard tuning and finding that I
could still hit all those sweet notes, It drove me to look for a
dedicated finger style guitar, and lo and behold, I found one. It is
so good to get back into the groove again, and I would encourage
anybody who used to play, no matter how badly, to look for a
instrument and give it another go. All those tunes come back and you
can amaze your friends with tales of your misspent youth, in search of
musical perfection. There is something about playing an instrument,
any instrument, that is very satisfying. That is what you did before I-
pods, and you ere the life of the party.

John
That is why I worry every time dh goes near the table saw. He played
and taught guitar music in his younger days. His playing goes through
fits and spurts these days. There must be something
universal about folks that play guitars. They all seem to have owned a
zillion of them? They buy, sell and swap them a lot. Those around get
to enjoy them a lot in the listening though.
Taria

On Jan 7, 10:27*am, "Taria" wrote:
I thought my playing days were over when I nicked my left index and
left middle finger in a table saw. But with a really good Orthopedic
surgeon, who is also doing my knee, he was able to save enough of the
index to not have to remove any of the bone. I started playing slide
guitar which uses either a glass finger slide or metal slide and
thereby worked around the fingering that is done with the left hand.
After awhile of that I wanted to see if I could still finger the
guitar like a standard playing style would do. So after practicing
with the National Reso-phonic in a standard tuning and finding that I
could still hit all those sweet notes, It drove me to look for a
dedicated finger style guitar, and lo and behold, I found one. It is
so good to get back into the groove again, and I would encourage
anybody who used to play, no matter how badly, to look for a
instrument and give it another go. All those tunes come back and you
can amaze your friends with tales of your misspent youth, in search of
musical perfection. There is something about playing an instrument,
any instrument, that is very satisfying. That is what you did before I-
pods, and you ere the life of the party.

John
That is why I worry every time dh goes near the table saw. *He played
and taught guitar music in his younger days. *His playing goes through
fits and spurts these days. *There must be something
universal about folks that play guitars. *They all seem to have owned a
zillion of them? *They buy, sell and swap them a lot. *Those around get
to enjoy them a lot in the listening though.
Taria

Hey, I worry about whenever I go near a table saw. They are evil
machines without any conscience. I never touched myself when I was
working in the trades, but when you are doing it for a hobby, maybe
you are less cautious. That is why I mostly use hand tools these days.
Slower and more rewarding, working environment, with fewer chances to
lop off extremities. But hey, I think of myself as somewhat of a
Luddite.
John

On Jan 7, 6:10*pm, John wrote:
On Jan 7, 10:27*am, "Taria" wrote:





I thought my playing days were over when I nicked my left index and
left middle finger in a table saw. But with a really good Orthopedic
surgeon, who is also doing my knee, he was able to save enough of the
index to not have to remove any of the bone. I started playing slide
guitar which uses either a glass finger slide or metal slide and
thereby worked around the fingering that is done with the left hand.
After awhile of that I wanted to see if I could still finger the
guitar like a standard playing style would do. So after practicing
with the National Reso-phonic in a standard tuning and finding that I
could still hit all those sweet notes, It drove me to look for a
dedicated finger style guitar, and lo and behold, I found one. It is
so good to get back into the groove again, and I would encourage
anybody who used to play, no matter how badly, to look for a
instrument and give it another go. All those tunes come back and you
can amaze your friends with tales of your misspent youth, in search of
musical perfection. There is something about playing an instrument,
any instrument, that is very satisfying. That is what you did before I-
pods, and you ere the life of the party.

John
That is why I worry every time dh goes near the table saw. *He played
and taught guitar music in his younger days. *His playing goes through
fits and spurts these days. *There must be something
universal about folks that play guitars. *They all seem to have owned a
zillion of them? *They buy, sell and swap them a lot. *Those around get
to enjoy them a lot in the listening though.
Taria

Hey, I worry about whenever I go near a table saw. They are evil
machines without any conscience. I never touched myself when I was
working in the trades, but when you are doing it for a hobby, maybe
you are less cautious. That is why I mostly use hand tools these days.
Slower and more rewarding, working environment, with fewer chances to
lop off extremities. But hey, I think of myself as somewhat of a
Luddite.
John- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

DH recently nearly severed his middle finger on his left hand with a
bisquit joiner. His description - nearly impossible to do. But he
did. Fortunately they were able to save the finger - minus the first
knuckle he sliced through. Gets the pins out on Tues. And he's
always been extremely cautious. We were recently discussing his
deceased father's woodworking tools which are still left in his
parents home which is for sale. He said the buyers could have the
house lock, stock and barrel. I asked if he didn't want those tools
and he just waved his bandaged finger and said he didn't think so.
He'll probably change his mind when the time comes but in the meantime
he's a little gun shy. Years of table saws, band saws, etc. with
little problem but this one really hit him hard. We'll see in a
couple of weeks if he needs any PT. He is able to feel when the doc
cleans the area and changes the bandage so that's a good thing.

Kim in NJ

On Jan 7, 9:06*pm, AuntK wrote:
On Jan 7, 6:10*pm, John wrote:





On Jan 7, 10:27*am, "Taria" wrote:

I thought my playing days were over when I nicked my left index and
left middle finger in a table saw. But with a really good Orthopedic
surgeon, who is also doing my knee, he was able to save enough of the
index to not have to remove any of the bone. I started playing slide
guitar which uses either a glass finger slide or metal slide and
thereby worked around the fingering that is done with the left hand.
After awhile of that I wanted to see if I could still finger the
guitar like a standard playing style would do. So after practicing
with the National Reso-phonic in a standard tuning and finding that I
could still hit all those sweet notes, It drove me to look for a
dedicated finger style guitar, and lo and behold, I found one. It is
so good to get back into the groove again, and I would encourage
anybody who used to play, no matter how badly, to look for a
instrument and give it another go. All those tunes come back and you
can amaze your friends with tales of your misspent youth, in search of
musical perfection. There is something about playing an instrument,
any instrument, that is very satisfying. That is what you did before I-
pods, and you ere the life of the party.

John
That is why I worry every time dh goes near the table saw. *He played
and taught guitar music in his younger days. *His playing goes through
fits and spurts these days. *There must be something
universal about folks that play guitars. *They all seem to have owned a
zillion of them? *They buy, sell and swap them a lot. *Those around get
to enjoy them a lot in the listening though.
Taria

Hey, I worry about whenever I go near a table saw. They are evil
machines without any conscience. I never touched myself when I was
working in the trades, but when you are doing it for a hobby, maybe
you are less cautious. That is why I mostly use hand tools these days.
Slower and more rewarding, working environment, with fewer chances to
lop off extremities. But hey, I think of myself as somewhat of a
Luddite.
John- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

DH recently nearly severed his middle finger on his left hand with a
bisquit joiner. *His description - nearly impossible to do. *But he
did. *Fortunately they were able to save the finger - minus the first
knuckle he sliced through. *Gets the pins out on Tues. *And he's
always been extremely cautious. *We were recently discussing his
deceased father's woodworking tools which are still left in his
parents home which is for sale. *He said the buyers could have the
house lock, stock and barrel. *I asked if he didn't want those tools
and he just waved his bandaged finger and said he didn't think so.
He'll probably change his mind when the time comes but in the meantime
he's a little gun shy. *Years of table saws, band saws, etc. with
little problem but this one really hit him hard. *We'll see in a
couple of weeks if he needs any PT. *He is able to feel when the doc
cleans the area and changes the bandage so that's a good thing.

Kim in NJ

I would strongly urge him to retain ownership of those tools. Once
lost are they can never be replaced. Even if he doesn't use them they
are part of his fathers heritage. I think a lot of woodworkers are
bedazzled by all the whiz-bang tools that are available for use by
amateur woodworkers. I used all of those things during my professional
woodworking life, as it was to my competitive advantage to do so. But
at the hobby level, they are not as necessary as the time/cost
constraints are not present. I often get a kick out of Norm on TV on
the Old Yankee Workshop who goes into the shop and uses $30,000 worth
of machinery to make a box. That example might be somewhat of an
exaggeration, but it is a rather clear example of woodworking
overkill. Using only hand tools, and traditional joinery to accomplish
the same thing is a much more rewarding experience, to me, and
indicative of a greater degree of skills in the process, because it is
easier to flub with hand tools. A flub at a late stage of the project,
usually involves lots of work to get back to that stage of the
project. I do the work by hand as there is much more satisfaction with
the finished project, for me, than when I used to do the same sort of
thing with machines. So tell him to keep his fathers hand tools. He
can stick them in the basement somewhere, and maybe someday he will
discover the joys of hand tool woodworking. Even if he doesn't, he
will preserve a link to a time past, that was a part of his family
history.
John

On 08/01/2011 12:07, John wrote:
On Jan 7, 9:06 pm, wrote:
On Jan 7, 6:10 pm, wrote:





On Jan 7, 10:27 am, wrote:

I thought my playing days were over when I nicked my left index and
left middle finger in a table saw. But with a really good Orthopedic
surgeon, who is also doing my knee, he was able to save enough of the
index to not have to remove any of the bone. I started playing slide
guitar which uses either a glass finger slide or metal slide and
thereby worked around the fingering that is done with the left hand.
After awhile of that I wanted to see if I could still finger the
guitar like a standard playing style would do. So after practicing
with the National Reso-phonic in a standard tuning and finding that I
could still hit all those sweet notes, It drove me to look for a
dedicated finger style guitar, and lo and behold, I found one. It is
so good to get back into the groove again, and I would encourage
anybody who used to play, no matter how badly, to look for a
instrument and give it another go. All those tunes come back and you
can amaze your friends with tales of your misspent youth, in search of
musical perfection. There is something about playing an instrument,
any instrument, that is very satisfying. That is what you did before I-
pods, and you ere the life of the party.

John
That is why I worry every time dh goes near the table saw. He played
and taught guitar music in his younger days. His playing goes through
fits and spurts these days. There must be something
universal about folks that play guitars. They all seem to have owned a
zillion of them? They buy, sell and swap them a lot. Those around get
to enjoy them a lot in the listening though.
Taria

Hey, I worry about whenever I go near a table saw. They are evil
machines without any conscience. I never touched myself when I was
working in the trades, but when you are doing it for a hobby, maybe
you are less cautious. That is why I mostly use hand tools these days.
Slower and more rewarding, working environment, with fewer chances to
lop off extremities. But hey, I think of myself as somewhat of a
Luddite.
John- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

DH recently nearly severed his middle finger on his left hand with a
bisquit joiner. His description - nearly impossible to do. But he
did. Fortunately they were able to save the finger - minus the first
knuckle he sliced through. Gets the pins out on Tues. And he's
always been extremely cautious. We were recently discussing his
deceased father's woodworking tools which are still left in his
parents home which is for sale. He said the buyers could have the
house lock, stock and barrel. I asked if he didn't want those tools
and he just waved his bandaged finger and said he didn't think so.
He'll probably change his mind when the time comes but in the meantime
he's a little gun shy. Years of table saws, band saws, etc. with
little problem but this one really hit him hard. We'll see in a
couple of weeks if he needs any PT. He is able to feel when the doc
cleans the area and changes the bandage so that's a good thing.

Kim in NJ

I would strongly urge him to retain ownership of those tools. Once
lost are they can never be replaced. Even if he doesn't use them they
are part of his fathers heritage. I think a lot of woodworkers are
bedazzled by all the whiz-bang tools that are available for use by
amateur woodworkers. I used all of those things during my professional
woodworking life, as it was to my competitive advantage to do so. But
at the hobby level, they are not as necessary as the time/cost
constraints are not present. I often get a kick out of Norm on TV on
the Old Yankee Workshop who goes into the shop and uses $30,000 worth
of machinery to make a box. That example might be somewhat of an
exaggeration, but it is a rather clear example of woodworking
overkill. Using only hand tools, and traditional joinery to accomplish
the same thing is a much more rewarding experience, to me, and
indicative of a greater degree of skills in the process, because it is
easier to flub with hand tools. A flub at a late stage of the project,
usually involves lots of work to get back to that stage of the
project. I do the work by hand as there is much more satisfaction with
the finished project, for me, than when I used to do the same sort of
thing with machines. So tell him to keep his fathers hand tools. He
can stick them in the basement somewhere, and maybe someday he will
discover the joys of hand tool woodworking. Even if he doesn't, he
will preserve a link to a time past, that was a part of his family
history.
John

And down the line somone else may want them and use them... I currently
have Alan's grandfather's pin hammer in my sewing tool kit for hammering
in studs and poppers. A perfect size and weight for me to use on the job!

--
Kate XXXXXX R.C.T.Q Madame Chef des Trolls
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.katedicey.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!

On Fri, 7 Jan 2011 15:10:08 -0800 (PST), John
wrote:

SNIP

Hey, I worry about whenever I go near a table saw. They are evil
machines without any conscience. I never touched myself when I was
working in the trades, but when you are doing it for a hobby, maybe
you are less cautious. That is why I mostly use hand tools these days.
Slower and more rewarding, working environment, with fewer chances to
lop off extremities. But hey, I think of myself as somewhat of a
Luddite.
John


AND remember it is your off/other hand that gets the hurt, left if you
are right handed and vice versa.

Does anyone remember Reilly who worked with Bob Villa on his show
after he left This Old House? That poor man's left hand was a mess!
And he did some of the damage on the show...

Watch that fingering hand, my grandpap lost his little finger and
couldn't even play an ukalele (4 strings).

Incorrect spelling is all my own!

On Jan 8, 7:07*am, John wrote:
On Jan 7, 9:06*pm, AuntK wrote:





On Jan 7, 6:10*pm, John wrote:

On Jan 7, 10:27*am, "Taria" wrote:

I thought my playing days were over when I nicked my left index and
left middle finger in a table saw. But with a really good Orthopedic
surgeon, who is also doing my knee, he was able to save enough of the
index to not have to remove any of the bone. I started playing slide
guitar which uses either a glass finger slide or metal slide and
thereby worked around the fingering that is done with the left hand..
After awhile of that I wanted to see if I could still finger the
guitar like a standard playing style would do. So after practicing
with the National Reso-phonic in a standard tuning and finding that I
could still hit all those sweet notes, It drove me to look for a
dedicated finger style guitar, and lo and behold, I found one. It is
so good to get back into the groove again, and I would encourage
anybody who used to play, no matter how badly, to look for a
instrument and give it another go. All those tunes come back and you
can amaze your friends with tales of your misspent youth, in search of
musical perfection. There is something about playing an instrument,
any instrument, that is very satisfying. That is what you did before I-
pods, and you ere the life of the party.

John
That is why I worry every time dh goes near the table saw. *He played
and taught guitar music in his younger days. *His playing goes through
fits and spurts these days. *There must be something
universal about folks that play guitars. *They all seem to have owned a
zillion of them? *They buy, sell and swap them a lot. *Those around get
to enjoy them a lot in the listening though.
Taria

Hey, I worry about whenever I go near a table saw. They are evil
machines without any conscience. I never touched myself when I was
working in the trades, but when you are doing it for a hobby, maybe
you are less cautious. That is why I mostly use hand tools these days..
Slower and more rewarding, working environment, with fewer chances to
lop off extremities. But hey, I think of myself as somewhat of a
Luddite.
John- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

DH recently nearly severed his middle finger on his left hand with a
bisquit joiner. *His description - nearly impossible to do. *But he
did. *Fortunately they were able to save the finger - minus the first
knuckle he sliced through. *Gets the pins out on Tues. *And he's
always been extremely cautious. *We were recently discussing his
deceased father's woodworking tools which are still left in his
parents home which is for sale. *He said the buyers could have the
house lock, stock and barrel. *I asked if he didn't want those tools
and he just waved his bandaged finger and said he didn't think so.
He'll probably change his mind when the time comes but in the meantime
he's a little gun shy. *Years of table saws, band saws, etc. with
little problem but this one really hit him hard. *We'll see in a
couple of weeks if he needs any PT. *He is able to feel when the doc
cleans the area and changes the bandage so that's a good thing.

Kim in NJ

I would strongly urge him to retain ownership of those tools. Once
lost are they can never be replaced. Even if he doesn't use them they
are part of his fathers heritage. I think a lot of woodworkers are
bedazzled by all the whiz-bang tools that are available for use by
amateur woodworkers. I used all of those things during my professional
woodworking life, as it was to my competitive advantage to do so. But
at the hobby level, they are not as necessary as the time/cost
constraints are not present. I often get a kick out of Norm on TV on
the Old Yankee Workshop who goes into the shop and uses $30,000 worth
of machinery to make a box. That example might be somewhat of an
exaggeration, but it is a rather clear example of woodworking
overkill. Using only hand tools, and traditional joinery to accomplish
the same thing is a much more rewarding experience, to me, and
indicative of a greater degree of skills in the process, because it is
easier to flub with hand tools. A flub at a late stage of the project,
usually involves lots of work to get back to that stage of the
project. I do the work by hand as there is much more satisfaction with
the finished project, for me, than when I used to do the same sort of
thing with machines. So tell him to keep his fathers hand tools. He
can stick them in the basement somewhere, and maybe someday he will
discover the joys of hand tool woodworking. Even if he doesn't, he
will preserve a link to a time past, that was a part of his family
history.
John- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I agree he should keep them. Most are newer power tools of the 20-25
year vintage. His Dad needed to replace all of his tools and then
some after the house they were building (and almost complete) burned
completely to the ground. He used all of them to rebuild the house.
But they are good quality tools and it's quite an extensive
collection. None of his brothers have a clue what to do with most of
them anyhow. DH will get over his hesitation the next time there's a
need to do some project or another. And I agree that he should
maintain that link to his Dad. I think he'd ultimately regret letting
them go at some point down the line and I would hate that for him.

Kim in NJ

When I started in building school, I received some of my father's
tools, got some more from his father, including a handmade box with
brass corners I used for my drafting tools. It was a beat-up old
thing, but really cool looking, and I think the envy of a few
classmates. I used it through my designing years, and still keep my
drafting stuff in it today.

OTOH, I was promised my other grandfather's tools "when he laid them
down" (if you catch his drift) but he was many states away, and you
know how estates can go... I never got one of his tools, which I
would have loved to have.

I think tools can be as important heirlooms to the males in a family
as jewelry and sewing/quilting stuff can be to the women.

Doc


On Jan 8, 8:56*am, AuntK wrote:
On Jan 8, 7:07*am, John wrote:
I would strongly urge him to retain ownership of those tools. Once
lost are they can never be replaced. Even if he doesn't use them they
are part of his fathers heritage. I think a lot of woodworkers are
bedazzled by all the whiz-bang tools that are available for use by
amateur woodworkers. I used all of those things during my professional
woodworking life, as it was to my competitive advantage to do so. But
at the hobby level, they are not as necessary as the time/cost
constraints are not present. I often get a kick out of Norm on TV on
the Old Yankee Workshop who goes into the shop and uses $30,000 worth
of machinery to make a box. That example might be somewhat of an
exaggeration, but it is a rather clear example of woodworking
overkill. Using only hand tools, and traditional joinery to accomplish
the same thing is a much more rewarding experience, to me, and
indicative of a greater degree of skills in the process, because it is
easier to flub with hand tools. A flub at a late stage of the project,
usually involves lots of work to get back to that stage of the
project. I do the work by hand as there is much more satisfaction with
the finished project, for me, than when I used to do the same sort of
thing with machines. So tell him to keep his fathers hand tools. He
can stick them in the basement somewhere, and maybe someday he will
discover the joys of hand tool woodworking. Even if he doesn't, he
will preserve a link to a time past, that was a part of his family
history.
John- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I agree he should keep them. *Most are newer power tools of the 20-25
year vintage. *His Dad needed to replace all of his tools and then
some after the house they were building (and almost complete) burned
completely to the ground. *He used all of them to rebuild the house.
But they are good quality tools and it's quite an extensive
collection. *None of his brothers have a clue what to do with most of
them anyhow. *DH will get over his hesitation the next time there's a
need to do some project or another. *And I agree that he should
maintain that link to his Dad. *I think he'd ultimately regret letting
them go at some point down the line and I would hate that for him.

Kim in NJ- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Actually, I have my dad's wood plane on my mantle. One sis has his hand
drill.
Girls like that stuff too. Dad is still alive and was smart enough to give
us these
things before they went to the 4 winds. If you want your stuff to end up
somewhere
it isn't a bad idea to get it there yourself if possible. There are some
really bad
feelings over my grandpa's tools.
Taria
"Dr. Zachary Smith" wrote in message
...
When I started in building school, I received some of my father's
tools, got some more from his father, including a handmade box with
brass corners I used for my drafting tools. It was a beat-up old
thing, but really cool looking, and I think the envy of a few
classmates. I used it through my designing years, and still keep my
drafting stuff in it today.

OTOH, I was promised my other grandfather's tools "when he laid them
down" (if you catch his drift) but he was many states away, and you
know how estates can go... I never got one of his tools, which I
would have loved to have.

I think tools can be as important heirlooms to the males in a family
as jewelry and sewing/quilting stuff can be to the women.

Doc


On Jan 8, 8:56 am, AuntK wrote:
On Jan 8, 7:07 am, John wrote:
I would strongly urge him to retain ownership of those tools. Once
lost are they can never be replaced. Even if he doesn't use them they
are part of his fathers heritage. I think a lot of woodworkers are
bedazzled by all the whiz-bang tools that are available for use by
amateur woodworkers. I used all of those things during my professional
woodworking life, as it was to my competitive advantage to do so. But
at the hobby level, they are not as necessary as the time/cost
constraints are not present. I often get a kick out of Norm on TV on
the Old Yankee Workshop who goes into the shop and uses $30,000 worth
of machinery to make a box. That example might be somewhat of an
exaggeration, but it is a rather clear example of woodworking
overkill. Using only hand tools, and traditional joinery to accomplish
the same thing is a much more rewarding experience, to me, and
indicative of a greater degree of skills in the process, because it is
easier to flub with hand tools. A flub at a late stage of the project,
usually involves lots of work to get back to that stage of the
project. I do the work by hand as there is much more satisfaction with
the finished project, for me, than when I used to do the same sort of
thing with machines. So tell him to keep his fathers hand tools. He
can stick them in the basement somewhere, and maybe someday he will
discover the joys of hand tool woodworking. Even if he doesn't, he
will preserve a link to a time past, that was a part of his family
history.
John- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I agree he should keep them. Most are newer power tools of the 20-25
year vintage. His Dad needed to replace all of his tools and then
some after the house they were building (and almost complete) burned
completely to the ground. He used all of them to rebuild the house.
But they are good quality tools and it's quite an extensive
collection. None of his brothers have a clue what to do with most of
them anyhow. DH will get over his hesitation the next time there's a
need to do some project or another. And I agree that he should
maintain that link to his Dad. I think he'd ultimately regret letting
them go at some point down the line and I would hate that for him.

Kim in NJ- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

On Jan 8, 5:19*pm, "Taria" wrote:
Actually, I have my dad's wood plane on my mantle. *One sis has his hand
drill.
Girls like that stuff too. *Dad is still alive and was smart enough to give
us these
things before they went to the 4 winds. * If you want your stuff to end up
somewhere
it isn't a bad idea to get it there yourself if possible. *There are some
really bad
feelings over my grandpa's tools.
Taria
"Dr. Zachary Smith" wrote in ...
When I started in building school, I received some of my father's
tools, got some more from his father, including a handmade box with
brass corners I used for my drafting tools. *It was a beat-up old
thing, but really cool looking, and I think the envy of a few
classmates. *I used it through my designing years, and still keep my
drafting stuff in it today.

OTOH, I was promised my other grandfather's tools "when he laid them
down" (if you catch his drift) but he was many states away, and you
know how estates can go... *I never got one of his tools, which I
would have loved to have.

I think tools can be as important heirlooms to the males in a family
as jewelry and sewing/quilting stuff can be to the women.

Doc

On Jan 8, 8:56 am, AuntK wrote:



On Jan 8, 7:07 am, John wrote:
I would strongly urge him to retain ownership of those tools. Once
lost are they can never be replaced. Even if he doesn't use them they
are part of his fathers heritage. I think a lot of woodworkers are
bedazzled by all the whiz-bang tools that are available for use by
amateur woodworkers. I used all of those things during my professional
woodworking life, as it was to my competitive advantage to do so. But
at the hobby level, they are not as necessary as the time/cost
constraints are not present. I often get a kick out of Norm on TV on
the Old Yankee Workshop who goes into the shop and uses $30,000 worth
of machinery to make a box. That example might be somewhat of an
exaggeration, but it is a rather clear example of woodworking
overkill. Using only hand tools, and traditional joinery to accomplish
the same thing is a much more rewarding experience, to me, and
indicative of a greater degree of skills in the process, because it is
easier to flub with hand tools. A flub at a late stage of the project,
usually involves lots of work to get back to that stage of the
project. I do the work by hand as there is much more satisfaction with
the finished project, for me, than when I used to do the same sort of
thing with machines. So tell him to keep his fathers hand tools. He
can stick them in the basement somewhere, and maybe someday he will
discover the joys of hand tool woodworking. Even if he doesn't, he
will preserve a link to a time past, that was a part of his family
history.
John- Hide quoted text -

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I agree he should keep them. Most are newer power tools of the 20-25
year vintage. His Dad needed to replace all of his tools and then
some after the house they were building (and almost complete) burned
completely to the ground. He used all of them to rebuild the house.
But they are good quality tools and it's quite an extensive
collection. None of his brothers have a clue what to do with most of
them anyhow. DH will get over his hesitation the next time there's a
need to do some project or another. And I agree that he should
maintain that link to his Dad. I think he'd ultimately regret letting
them go at some point down the line and I would hate that for him.

Kim in NJ- Hide quoted text -

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I have one nephew, out in California who is involved in the building
trades. He is currently working in Hawaii doing Green Energy Designing
and retrofitting of houses. One of the problems, for me, is that most
of the kids these days want to use all the latest power tools, and
what I have is 2 complete 3' x 4' tool boxes of Stanley and English
metal planes and other items of that nature, and another box full of
Wooden German style woodworking planes and chisels, and saws. There
is, in effect, a complete 19th century woodworking setup, and very few
people these days are into or interested in doing hand work with these
type of tools. Plus a seven foot long Cabinet Makers Bench made out of
Maple, that I built about 40 years ago. Oh yes, there are the
collectors, who swoon over serial numbers and patina, and pay big
money to acquire them, but they don't sharpen up the blades and hand
saws and get to work with them. They just end up in display cases,
with dust on them. Phooey. I would give these tools to my Nephew, if I
thought he would use them, but I know he would sell them and pocket
the money, as that is his style. So I will continue to use them and
after I die, they will become the problem of the estate executor. and
I won't be around to hear about what happened to them. Unless I come
across some deserving young man, or woman, who takes an interest in
hand made items.
I actually taught a young woman who worked for my wife, in the
publishing industry, to use some of the tools. She used to come over
to our house for dinner a couple of times a week and then we would go
down into the shop. She used that knowledge to make herself a nice bed
frame and was proud as a Peacock when she called us over to see what
she had accomplished. So there you have it. My dilemma.
John