Hello Redneck Woodworkers!

Written by admin on August 22, 2008 – 5:27 pm -

Power Tools: We have come a long way Baby!

More power for our power tools, yep power makes all the difference.

Or does it?

My father was a true craftsman. He wasn’t a professional wood worker and he sure didn’t have the shop full of power tools we have today,but he built fantastic projects with the tools he owned.

We didn’t have a lot of money so it was often necessary for him to build furniture for our use at home. Beds, dressers, frames, cabinets all were built with the tools at hand. I never heard him wish for something more than he had when he started a difficult project.

His shop was in a small garage that required him to leave the car parked in the street while he worked. He had hand tools, an old table saw that he had built extensions for and that was about the extent of his “shop” tools.

I only wish I had been more observant when he was building things. I would have a true craftsman’s knowledge today, but alas I was more interested in other things. He often used black walnut when building furniture. (That was before black walnut was like gold). I still have much of the furniture that he built in that little garage and it is still beautiful to look at to this day. I cannot figure out how he was able to produce the curves and coves that he built into that furniture with out our modern Power Tools.

It does tell me that a true craftsman still needs the “hands on” approach when building a fine wooden project. More power in our power tools makes the job easier and faster but that is not a substitute for fine workmanship. It also tells me that we can often produce a better product be hand than using every power device available. It may take longer but in the end the results maybe much more satisfying.

I know that having said all of the above that most woodworkers are interested in Power Tools to do the job. We are almost as interested in looking at the new tools in a display as looking a very nice lady in a bikini. Well, almost. I will be adding reviews on new power tools as well as providing good tips for using our power tools as we go along. I hope you will get ideas to help build those wood projects into great finish products build by fine craftsman.

Visit our Power Tool Shop and take a look at the power tools we have to offer.

Until next time

Jerry

Tags: woodworking, Woodworking power tools
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