When is enough ... enough

[danmart77]

http://woodgears.ca/workshop/jacques/

After looking at this site a friend sent along thinking how impressed I would be I just couldn't help thinking this is just tooo much. Truthfully, I couldn't keep up with all of the stuff in that shop.

My first thought after looking at all the toys was: What does he make? I'm only guessing but I think he spends most of his time making new storage gadgets for his things and doing repeated inventories to keep up with what he forgot he already had.

dan

 

[Frank Berry]

Whatever projects he did make and complete probably got lost in all that stuff and he can't find it any more!

 

[Mike Davis]

I couldn't bring myself to look at pages 2 and 3...

 

[Frank Berry]

You really need to see the walk through video on page 3.

 

[danmart77]

I couldn't bring myself to look at pages 2 and 3...

Mike its like being forced to eat 5lbs of fudge.

 

[Mike Davis]

no, i don't.

Praise the man who has mastered one tool.
Pity the fool who thinks he needs them all.

 

[Bill Clemmons]

Wow! I thought I had too much stuff. I'm w/ Mike: couldn't handle pages 2 & 3.

 

[ScottM]

That guy is sick. Like a serious tool and gadget hoarder. I shop that clean and organized has to be just for show.

 

[Frank Berry]

I watched the video and had to shake my head the entire time wondering how he does anything in there or if he even does anything in there other then hoard! There is no way anyone can know everything that is in that shop. I would be willing to bet half of it does not even work any more.

 

[danmart77]

no, i don't.

Praise the man who has mastered one tool.
Pity the fool who thinks he needs them all.

I think of your line every time I am around wood turners who can not use a skew or know how to sharpen one for that matter.

In my view, if a man masters one tool at the lathe I would tell him to work on the skew till he was confident and relaxed.

In the latest FWW that I viewed at HD, I read the article written by Curtis Buchanan on how to use the skew while spindle turning.

I can not think of a better presentation - in print and photos that would be better. He does a superb job on this segment of turning.

The only thing better would be to stand at a lathe with him and watch the motion of his cuts. After that its just practice

 

[tri4sale]

To me it was just too crowded to actually get any work done. I couldn't move board without knocking over half the stuff in that shop.

 

[Endless Pursuit]

That guy needs to see a head doctor.

 

[ErnieM]

Maybe it's me, but that shop is a disaster. I've seen pictures of homes hit by a tornado that were less cluttered. The video on page 3 only made it worse. If he builds anything bigger than a breadbox, where does he put it? - There's no floor space at all. While most of us can think of a few tools and/or machines that we'd love to have, we realize that we don't have the room (or cash) for them so we do without. I, for one, will stick to my small, meagerly equipped shop and be thankful for what I have.

 

[jazzflute]

Must. Get. More. Routers.

K

 

[walnutjerry]

I couldn't bring myself to look at pages 2 and 3...

+1

 

[Raymond]

That is just too much for me!

 

[Brantnative]

Before you condemn the man's workspace, have you taken the time to look at some of the amazing projects he's made? To me this is the space of an artisan who's spent his lifetime amassing anything and everything needed to make just about anything out of wood. He also provides pretty detailed plans for most of what he's made.

 

[Jeff]

Mind boggling! It looks too staged and #### and span for a real workshop. Maybe more like a vintage tool hardware store in the basement and the owner is a hoarder!

Edit: #### = pronounced "#####" (4 characters and proper spelling must be vulgar).

 

[nn4jw]

Some of you seem to have missed that this guy has been doing and loving woodworking for 60 years! Longer than most of you have lived. I'd bet that a lot of his tools are older than most of you! He seems like one of those guys that has never thrown a tool away in his life. Don't discount just how many tools one could amass over 60 years at just a few tools a year. He also states that most of his tools were paid for by doing projects for others.

I don't see a hoarder there. I see a man who has loved his tools and his hobby for a long, long time.

 

[Frank Berry]

I had gone back and looked at every photo and read every word connected to the photos and now have a better appreciation for this man and what he has done over his lifetime.