Assume that there were no power tools in the world. Would you still be a keen woodworker? Be honest.
I don't think I would, at least not to anywhere near the extent I am at the moment. There would be so many things I would be unable to do, or would be able to do in a crude manner. It would drive me nuts. Frustration would reign. Does that make me a true Normite? (sigh) I guess it does!
FoggyTown
I would probably still be a woodworker, but would make smaller projects. And they wouldn't look as good, at least for the next 10 years while my skills improve.
And I would probably buy s4s if such a think existed.
brian
foggytown wrote:
Nope. Using power tools is a big part of the fun.
I think I'd have to make my own power tools first. Someone get me some steam.....
It would be tough to price a job when it takes a pile of wood to run my table saw :-)
YES I'd still be a wood worker. No power tools, I might get to be a master in my trade....
| Assume that there were no power tools in the world. Would you | still be a keen woodworker? Be honest.
I was a keen woodworker when all I had to work with was a pocket knife - and can't imagine letting go of my enthusiasm.
If there were no power tools, I think I'd end up building 'em from scratch - and at least some would be sun, wind, and water-powered.
-- Morris Dovey DeSoto Solar DeSoto, Iowa USA
Hard question. No power tools changes too much else about society.
In my early years I did not have power tools. Took a lot longer to make things. Later on I built a cabin in the mountains. No power available. The hardest part was putting in a maple floor. Had to drill holes for all the nails. Took a couple years, part time. I am thankful now for all my power tools. Get a lot more done, better and fast. W W
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"foggytown"
Define "Power Tools". I'll assume you are referring to electrical power tools. Sure, I'd just invent them and run them on water, steam, human or amimal power.
Dave
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I'd be glad to go back to mallet and chisel its where *Master Caftsmen* got their name. :-)
Here's the 'R' ;-)
I would be a woodworker largely to the extent that I am currently: I would do my best to make useful things for my family.
Honestly, it might even be more fun... it honestly depends on what you enjoy more: the results or the process.
The hardest thing would be learning how to use a handsaw properly so your cuts are straight enough to make planing more effective or even unnecessary, depending on the use.
In a related note, if you haven't already, check out the Firefox series of books (amazon has them). They're amazing collections of old-school know-how and history.
-Nathan
And I meant Foxfire, not Firefox.
I doubt I'd be a woodworker either. I have very limited time for the hobby. If I had to make everything with power tools, my stuff would come out looking bad and it would take 10 times as long to do it.
Most of my projects are "necessity" items like bookshelves, shelves for toys, computer desks. They already get completed well after they are needed. If I had to hand plane and join all the wood for a 6' by 32" bookshelf, it would probably take me 2 years instead of 2 months (I usually only have part of Sunday to do WW, occasionally some evenings).
Yup.
I use power tools to save time. I also use hand tools to save time. It all depends on the operation.
Well, I'll be dating myself a bit here but when I started in the industry we did not have half of whats out there today. I did have a T/S a Circ Saw and electirc drills. We could call that the *Marginal Period* When I look back on it I believe we did better work - in general- than is being turned out today. So, if we were to go back further to say my Grandfathers day and look at your question, I think I would have enjoyed it and the work would be even better again.
J
Since I consider myself, at best, a slightly better than average woodworker who is fortunate to have been in a position to acquire great tools to compensate, maybe not. If everything were "manual" the more artistic types would prevail and those of us who are not talented in that way might be frustrated.
Frank
The longer I stay in the shop the more I want to use power tools only for saving time, as when ripping or crosscutting large numbers of (or just very long) boards, cutting cove and bead strips for a boat, or scroll sawing. I try to do as much of the rest of the work as possible by hand. I have come to dislike the crisp, clean lines of an object of furniture that has been machined to Euclidean perfection. There's not enough imperfect humanity in them for my liking, these days.
J.
foggytown wrote:
Yep. I've even been there, when I was first starting out- even when I first got into turning, I used a bow saw, axe, and splitting maul to harvest wood, then roughed the blanks with a handsaw. Of course now I have and appreciate a chainsaw, but not having one never stopped me.
Even now, I do most fine shaping and finish work with hand tools because they seem to have more control than a speeding hunk of carbide. Not much of a stretch to do all of it without motors, though I'd get a lot less done.
Thu, Aug 10, 2006, 5:36am (EDT-3) snipped-for-privacy@aol.com (foggytown) doth query: Assume that there were no power tools in the world. Would you still be a keen woodworker? Be honest.
Silly question. Too many variable to give a viable response. Whatca mean by power tools for one? If you mean just electric tools that's one thing, after all there were none for most of our history; but if you include water power, human power, that's something else altogether. And, am I going to be filthy rich, with time to waste; or am I going to be a coal miner say, working 12-14 hours a day, seven days a week? Inquiring mind wants to know.
However, if you're just referring to electric power tools, then I'd have to say that regardless of my occupation and status I'd quite possibly be doing woodworking of one type or another. After all, not so many years back as history goes a lot of people had to make their own furniture, and so on. Doing it as a profession, possibly; doing it as a hobby, I seriously doubt it.
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