Please help! Got hit with Guilt. Bad.
I need help.
And this probably sounds sad- I know. I’m sitting here with the Grizzly page open to the 0500 jointer. It seems from everything that it is a winner to me. And my Wife says, “How many of these things are you going to get?!?!?”
Okay she does have a point. I’ve only been at this about two years (er, not counting college… somebody young and full of ideas got some- yes, some– BFAs in Sculpture, Art History… another story)- and the garage is getting kind of full. Just that I’ve gotten good enough to realize I should have bought a jointer, er, a couple of machines ago. I just sort of realized it. Something about advice and heed of.
So, advice (taken this time, honest!), a list whatever is very, very welcome! What else am I really going to end up buying without knowing -now-? Er, right, I’m making a LOT of solid wood furniture. Here is the list so far.
Cabinet saw, band saw, planer, mortiser, drill press, shaper, router, dovetail jig (call me a fool), Lots of dust collection stuff, and assorted hand tools. And Glue! How does someone collect this much glue? Saw blades and chisels don’t seem to count if they show up right after I give her something else for the house.
So- uh, please help. I promise that I will soon join some addict group for tools. Right after the jointer. Ahem.
Thanks for your help- I have truly enjoyed reading these boards and really respect what everyone has to say.
Replies
I feel your pain man, just a week ago i stumbled across a Unisaw in almost mint condition for only 700 bucks, and that was right after me and the wife had this big conversation about spending and our credit card debt.
Now i can just feel the "i told you so" look on my back every time i'm standing at that saw :)
JD
I was driving to small town just outside the city with my wife. She was telling me about his new living room set she had seen and that she really wanted. She was telling me that we were going to buy it in two days time once I got my pay cheque. She told me all the bills are paid and we are clear of debt and she wants a little something for our new home. I pull into this driveway and she looks at me as if to say why are we here and why are you getting out. Next thing she knows is I am handing a guy a big wade of dough and we are loading a planner into the back of the truck. I she didn't speak to me for sometime, but it wasn't like I was going to hear her over the noise of my new planer anyway, right.
She did get her new living room set, it was 2 years later and a jointer, table saw, dust collector and router (bought the router with wedding money) came before it. But lets face it she did get a new hall table as a result of all my tool purchases.
I guess what I am getting at is we all need help. As soon as you buy something something else will come out with a feature that we cannot live with out. So I guess what I am really saying is marry into money. That way you don't have to feel guilty.
Oh by the way I have been eyeing up a new lathe, thickness sander, and oscillating spindle sander along with a bigger dust collector. And I cannot forget about a new set of chisels from L-N and a carving set and router bits that I have been eyeing. Oh there are also those new A2 blades for my planes along with new chipbreakers, and new sharpening stones and .............
Scott C. Frankland
"This all could have been prevented if their parents had just used birth control"
Scott I hate to tell you this but it don't get any better, I've been married for 44 years, married when I was 3 years old. I am sitting in a room surrounded by bookshelves filled with books, my wife thinks nothing of spending $35.00 for a book reading it once either giving it away or putting it on the shelf. I buy a new tool and the question is when are you going to get enough. We are not strapped for money, we have anything we want. I honestly don't understand why wives have a problem with our needs. I think we should form a union, buy all the tools we want to, go on strike and then claim insanity because nobody wants a mad wife. Life is not worth living with a mad wife.;>)
So what I've learned to do is lie a lot, tell her osha requires you to have a well equipped workshop, she won't believe it but she might pretend to. I don't think our wives really care about the tools we buy, it's just their way of keeping some type of conversation with us.
Gods Peace
les
I'm gonna guess that I'm older than you and have been afflicted with toolitis foe a greater lenght of time.
So where is the.......
The other two cabinate saws,
SSC panel saw,
other two shapers,
SSC panel router.
16" radial arm,
Over head pin router.
12 assorted hand hand routers,
4 trim routers,
4 SCM's,
twin belt 25" sander.
25" thickness planer.
door planer,
108" bed lathe,
turrent lathe,
profile grinder,
MIG, TIG, TAG and stick welding equipment,
60" wood lathe,
Duplicator for same,
Bowl head,
Potable table saw.
jointer - 6 & 12",
Finish planer,
Tennon cutter 24" (yes 24 inch)
Hollow chisel mortiser - 3/4 and 2",
blanchard grinder,
surface grinder,
about 60 saw blades,
100's router bits,
100's shaper cutters,
accessoies out the wazoo for everything listed above,
redundent hand and power tools,
6k sf of shop and it's too small.
So a tool for a week, every week for the next 30 years and then evaluate. There is no known cure for toolitis. Been working on - for cure since 1957. Can only keep it in check.
You guys got it bad! I don't know of a cure for this one.
The only thing I know that temporarily relieves this pain is when I overhear my sweetie braggin' on the work that came out of my little shop of tools.
Our work will be here when we're gone. Lord, I hope there are routers, table saws and joiners in heaven!
-Ken
There are.... or will be..
I'm taking mine with me.
I with you,cheers.
Forgot....
Air tools
Compressors
Mechainic tools
Bench grinder
Almost every corded tool imaginable (within reason)
Redundently of course
If you want it cut, shaved, hollowed, turned, profiled, radiused, straightened, ground, bent, welded, trimmed, screwed, doweled, splined, nailed, pressed, pinned, shaped, cast, duplicated, sanded, notched, formed, drilled, bored, clamped, mortised, tennoned, resawed, rocked, finished, (did I leave any thing out?) out of most any material known I more than likely got it covered.
Chipper you have got to come to terms with your toolitis. The 10 step, even it was a 20, program won't work.
Tell her it's cheaper than therapy (in my case it's really true)...
We got into it one day, and I pointed out:
I don't drink,
I don't smoke,
I don't cheat,
I don't stay out late with the boys (usually)
My vice is to spend time in the shop making things. Now if you would perfer I don't do that, then the alternative is to:
Go out drinking,
Have a cigar with that drink,
Flirt with women while having that drink and cigar,
Come home late.
Oh, and then there's that therapy thing...
We don't argue much about tools any longer...
That's a good point I've used on occasion.
But Chipper, really, unless you are wealthy, you don't need $30 large worth of tools. I've built up my collection over severeal decades and I still don't have anywhere near the collection that most people here do.
Realize that the purpose of the magazines is to sell you stuff, lots of it. There are only a few things that you really need while most of it is is stuff you buy but rarely will use. I recommend sticking to the basics and what you do buy, get the very best. You will never regret paying a lot of money for the best tools. You will regret purchasing a lot of bargains because the day the will come when you realize that you wasted money on stuff you really don't need, and now you have a shop full of cheap stuff that doesn't perform as you'd like.
That is very sound advise boatman.
I have the answer for nagging wife syndrome, (commonly known as NWS) Get a wife like mine. I am certainly blessed in the Mrs department.
Transcript from a recent converstation with my wife,
Her: I know we need to finish the other bathroom, but I want you to get a bandsaw first
Me: Ok.
Yesterday when I finally got my "Rebate Tool" in the mail from DeWalt she brought it out to the shop with a smile and a hug.
Yeah boys, I got it like that.
But it doesn't come fro free. A couple of nights ago I found my self folding laundry in the living room while my wife was spralwed on the couch with a schmirnoff watching american chopper. It's a good life. Justus Koshiol
Running Pug Construction
Well, well, well. Chipper, Chipper, Chipper. I see we have much work to do here. However, admitting you're addicted to tools in this place is not like sitting in your wifes' book club group and admitting the same thing.
(*!IMPORTANT SAFTEY NOTE!*)
Do not under any circumstances attempt the aformentioned disclosure at said book club meeting. Personal experience; was getting the kids to bed, dropped down into the den to ask which of the kids had already brushed their teeth, was lured in by compliment about past funiture made, then said how I needed new tool for next project... became object of scorn for 7 women at one time... rookie error.
Best thing I ever did for myself; got my hands on the BIG Stickley cataloge and gave it to my wife. She sees the prices, then I tell her what I can make it for... the rest is blissful history.
Like my grandfather used to tell me: "There are is no such thing as a virtuous woman. Only clumsy men and bad timing."
-Marc
Hahahaha!
My New G0500 Jointer is on the WAY! Thank you all for the support! I wasn't really looking to, uh, cut back so much as to hear someone, ANYone else give me a little back up! Thanks guys!
And though my wife is fairly understanding about all this I think I may have found the key- and I thought I would share it with all of you. Shoes. I had this great idea last night. I told her that every time I get a new expenisive tool I'd would go <gulp> with her and buy her a pair of shoes... less than tax right? Well let me tell you that idea alone made for one hell of a happy wife! I went from a sinner to a saint in one small pair of shoes. And maybe there was something about going out with the boys, drinking, cigars and shinny new motorcycles. Ahem, thanks Weird.
And I mean it really is for her right? She wanted the Craftsman rocking chair. And the Sofa Table. The matching end tables... yeah, okay this might work too...
Thank you to Imerc! I know have a nice sheet of paper with my future list hanging on the wall of my office- safely way from my lovely wife of course! Now the dreadful decision on what to get next- which leads me to Boatman. I'm with you. I'm just trying to buy the best stuff I can- and so far I haven't been let down by that at all. Except maybe a certain roller stand... but luckily I got that MIG welder fix it ....
Chipper
I think the phrase you're looking for is "sucked in!"
Shoes. I had this great idea last night. I told her that every time I get a new expenisive tool I'd would go with her and buy her a pair of shoes... BIG MISTAKE less than tax right? You couldn't be more wrong! Wait till she discovers that designer shoe store where the cheapest pair is $500 ! Well let me tell you that idea alone made for one hell of a happy wife! I went from a sinner to a saint in one small pair of shoes. I'm not surprised - the item may be small but the price - OUCH ! I can't praise my wife (and best freind) too much for warning me about shoes before I got suckered in - in her case she was gloating about how she got the very last pair of these Italian designer shoes for $50 rather than the original $800.
But it cuts both ways - whilst I might buy more tools than I really need, SWMBO puts her disposable income into air fares "I'll go" she says and very often she does.
I used to spend a lot of time in the Netherelands and thought you should know people there wear wooden shoes. Maybe FWW will have an article on how they're made....
I'm in the same spot Chipper...
What works for me? Build stuff for her! Crank out 2 or 3 pieces for your house in a relatively short amount of time, and you can say (with confidence) that the savings on her new furniture has already paid for the jointer you want. Either that, or plan out the furniture with her and tell her you need the jointer to finish them...
Kevin,
You and I have the same plan, it works great. I bought the DeWalt portable planer at the January WW show in Baltimore and right away cranked out 3 projects for the house that required the planer. Even took a few Friday's off on vacation to get extra time in the shop. If I'm spending $300 on myself right after Christmas the wife better see something quick. Whatever new tool(s) you buy you "Have To" display its use to the wife ASAP, and fugging the true is allowed, unless she's a WW.
Enjoy, Roy
I'm currently in a 12 step group and there is hope. I'm working step 8 where you make amends. So I think I'll buy my wife a wide belt sander or a central dust collection system to make up for some of my past transgressions. Unfortunately I keep falling back to step 1 and admitting I'm powerless.
Jim
"I'm currently in a 12 step group .. "
When and where's the next TOOL-ANON meeting?
Jim, I think this is a classic and should end up in FWW somewhere. My wife doesn't read this forum, but she DOES read the FWW magazine.
-Ken
"Unfortunately I keep falling back to step 1 and admitting I'm powerless."
That's why there's hand tools...for the powerless...
tony b.
You're right - I better start adding to my L-N collection. This addiction thing ain't all bad - just expensive.
Jim
When I buy a tool, the sentence that my wife starts and ends with is: "You are on too restriction until...!!"
I'm kinda whipped aren't I? But I like it ;~)
Chipper -- there's nothing wrong with a little craving for a few tools ( "few" is relative). If you were looking for a way to cut back on your tool purchases, boy did you come to the wrong place. BTW, once you think you have all or most of the tools you want, you'll be starting to long for the bigger, better, newer, more powerful version of an existing tool. Try explaining THAT to your wife.
I've used all these tools to make her a really nice desk and table and more furniture than this old house can hold. And, this old wreck of a house isn't looking half bad anymore and will be pretty good, if I may say so, in a few years!
And, a few years ago, she drove me to the ER in the wee hours of the morning a few times and I almost died of asthma. Now, she buys me tools!
Have you tried the insurance clause trick yet?
That is where you inform her of the value of used tools on E Bay and tell her when you shuffle off this mortal coil she will have all those tools to sell or use to attract your replacement.. Tell her that you are the only overwieght balding middle aged man in wood working and that everyone else looks like a chippendale dancer..
The only trouble with that idea is you need to always be in mid project for her benefit so you can go to sleep claiming that "it's gonna be done soon honey" (I violated that on one occasion and wondered all night why she went and cleaned my gun)
Assure her of the value of the work you do and inform her about how easy it is to find you should you ever be needed.. (as long as she doesn't disturb you in mid glue-up or while you are finishing a piece, or ... well you get the idea.. )
First off... Same on you frenchy for even thinking about say that to Chipper..
One more word out of you and I'll stop in, paint your house and bring the Dove gray along with the Saffire Blue to do things up right.
My ex turned in an inventory to the divorce court. She wanted half of the retail value on the inventory. It was no small peanuts. That almost cost me dearly.
For penance Frenchy you now have to send me that 12" you never got around to wiring up.
Edited 8/4/2003 11:58:01 AM ET by IMERC
http://forums.taunton.com/tp-knots/messages?msg=13296.26
Your first error was lack of planning on your part.. it's called a prenuptual ! with one of those you get to keep your tools while she gets to keep the china..
Worked perfectly with my first and second wife.. Since my third wife understands the provisions of the prenuptual she's hung around for 25 years.. (just waiting for me to pass on <G>)
I'll gladly send you the 12 inch but what do you want with a ruler? (we were talking about a ruler weren't we?, Tauton press frowns on speaking about my Johnson like that)
Frenchy my dad told me that when he dies my mom keeps all of his toys and tools. He said that with his boat's, atv's, ski-doo's, and all of his hundreds of tools (most he has in duplicate long story) she will have no troubles in finding a new man. I have surpassed my dad in tools but it is all the other gear that puts him over the top.Scott C. Frankland
"This all could have been prevented if their parents had just used birth control"
We were together for 30 and I don't care nor am I interested in your manly inadequaceies.
I'll be by with the paint....
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