Game Changing Tools

[Peri]

My 'game-changing' wood work nomination is the 2010 Ford Kuga Titanium.

My wife bought one, and when she tried to put it in the garage found it to be about 3" too long to fit - I went from having a fold down shelf and a cupboard to having a dedicated single car garage workshop !!

 

[Ralfyfix]

Happy Christmas folks. By a mile my Router is the most versatile tool I have. So many options with jigs that can be shop made and not bought.

 

[mg123]

An impact driver changed my life. I always got by with a battery drill or manual screwdriver and never really felt the need to change. Now I have one, I don't know how I lived without it.
I would also say the tracksaw made a huge improvement in my accuracy and speed, like many of you I've watched the majority of Peter Millards videos and had the sudden "need" for a tracksaw. Peter has also convinced me that the domino will be in my tool list soon but I can't yet attest to the benefit of that until its in my hands (and oh yes, it will be in my hands )
Merry Christmas everyone, I hope you're all eating and drinking far too much.

 

[Fidget]

This forum!

When I built my workshop back in 2017 I had learnt everything I knew from Norm's NYW and was only using power tools.
This forum has educated me in the use of hand tools and I now enjoy using them. Whereas before I had a couple of old planes (No 6 and a 41/2) and a couple of rusty chisels which I couldn't get to cut properly. I now have a few more!
The knowledge and willingness of members to give advice freely and others posting WIPs showing the process has inspired me to be better (although progress is slow)
I still use the power tools but finishing everything by hand has been a revelation.
Thank you and Merry Christmas to one and all

 

[Illy]

My personal game changer was a reasonable table saw and a Kreg mitre gauge - for the first time I was able to cut absolutely square.

 

[heimlaga]

My gamechangers so far have been:
-A large enough planer/thicknesser for the work I do. This means a huge increase in productivity as I can dimension timber and platten most glue-ups in short time. I would never again try to make do without a 600mm capacity planer/thicknesser or equal separates.
-Full size spindle moulder. This also meas a huge increase in productivity. I can profile timbers quickly and rather safely using the power feeder and cut joints using the tennoming sled.

 

[jcassidy]

YouTube.

Want to build a table? A car port? A new bathroom?
Someone's done a video for that.

Dunno which sander to buy? @petermillard has a video for that (BTW thanks, I bought the Bosch!)

 

[paulrbarnard]

Which one?

Sintron i3 kit, essential a Prusa clone. It’s been a bit pimped. I have a laser head under the tree, or at least I hope so.

 

[Jacob]

Yamaha GC41 was another game changer. Lucky ebay buy £550. It'd been fu**eded up with badly set bridge and nut for "low" but buzzy action and the poor sod had given up on his expensive purchase. £5 for replacement bridge and nut and a bit of fiddling about - perfect!
Have googled "Sintron i3 kit, essential a Prusa clone". Still no wiser!

 

[Awac]

A good pair of safety prescription glasses! I can see so much better and eyes protected all the time, no "I will just do this quick, I don't need my safety glasses for this....." Oh, and the string to keep them around my neck....LOL.

 

[paulrbarnard]

Yamaha GC41 was another game changer. Lucky ebay buy £550. It'd been fu**eded up with badly set bridge and nut for "low" but buzzy action and the poor sod had given up on his expensive purchase. £5 for replacement bridge and nut and a bit of fiddling about - perfect!
Have googled "Sintron i3 kit, essential a Prusa clone". Still no wiser!

https://www.sintron.co.uk/collectio...-mk3-heatbed-stepper-motor-and-lcd-controller

 

[sploo]

Good thread. Totally agree on a planer/thicknesser (going from a hobbyist making speakers from sheet goods to being able to dimension "real" timber was a game changer).

But then, the Festool Domino was another game changer; being able to do decent joinery really quickly (a not inconsiderable factor for a hobbyist who gets very little time to do the hobby).

However, the one that changed things for me the most was actually the hand plane (or more specifically - learning how to sharpen and set one up). Being able to do projects with hand tools; without the noise and dust of powered machinery has been a joy.

 

[topchippyles]

2 ways to look at this and a really good thread. The hobbyist will be different to the professional woodworker in choice but for everyone the cordless systems we all use today. I am 51 so taught old school but was subbing on price work when all these cordless tools came on the market and boy what a game changer.

My main tool which i think you guys would all love to have is a bandsaw mill (woodlands HM130) No feeling like milling your own stuff.

 

[sploo]

My main tool which i think you guys would all love to have is a bandsaw mill (woodlands HM130) No feeling like milling your own stuff.

Having done a bit of milling and air drying (using a poor man's solar kiln); yes, it's incredibly satisfying. Unfortunately it's also extremely hard work, and requires way too much storage space for any decent scale of stock. If I had the space I'd definitely be doing more though.

 

[Jelly]

If I had to pick a single tool which revolutionised my woodworking, it's probably the joiners axe (i.e. a hand axe with a wide, very slightly radiused bit with a very acute bevel, sharpened to be extremely sharp).

I was doing a lot of heavily carved work from the solid when I got one, and discovered that if I had the confidence to use the axe I could remove material very quickly and accurately to get close to the finished shape.

Power-Tool wise it's got to be the Impact Driver, with the Planer Thicknesser coming a close second, both would be inconvenient to do without, but the impact driver moreso.

In metalworking I would argue that the universal dividing head was more more of a game changer for me than the mill or lathe, as it opened up spiral milling, gear cutting, splines etc. which allowed me to generate the full range of machine elements from scratch.

 

[Jacob]

If I had to pick a single tool which revolutionised my woodworking, it's probably the joiners axe (i.e. a hand axe with a wide, very slightly radiused bit with a very acute bevel, sharpened to be extremely sharp).
.....

It was standard issue with the C&G TOPS course kit. I've still got mine and it got a lot of use. Folding boxwood rule was also standard but they soon got dumped in favour of a steel tape.

 

[Jelly]

It was standard issue with the C&G TOPS course kit. I've still got mine and it got a lot of use. Folding boxwood rule was also standard but they soon got dumped in favour of a steel tape.

I have a vague memory it was one of your posts that alerted me to how useful they could be.

It seems to have been largely overlooked as a sensible tool to use in mainstream woodworking circles, but I don't really get why as they're dead handy whenever you need to remove a lot of material fast...

I have even used mine to split tenons for some huge M&T joints, followed by cleanup to the line with a jack plane; which sure beat cutting them with a ripsaw for both speed and conservation of effort!

 

[NormanB]

Actually for me the game changer was You Tube.

Without You Tube I would not have sought out the information about tracksaw or the domino.

But beyond woodwork You Tube and the interweb in general is an absolute godsend for those with a will, an enquiring mind and who want to ‘do stuff‘ or repair stuff.

Judging by some of the more sensible channels on You Tube it has also provided the inspiration/catalyst to many to actually change their lives be that building a house, building a boat, converting a van to an RV, going adventuring or sailing around the world with their family ( it’s so common now they are literally bumping into each other).


Its just cost me a lot of money - thanks Peter Millard.

 

[Jameshow]

Let me go against the grain here. I have a variety of (hand) tools that I enjoy using to a greater or lesser degree, but I would not describe any of them as game changers. Rather, game changers for me have been steping stones in my skills or understanding. When I finally "get" something that has previously caused me problems, that is a game changer. For example (and it is only an example) understanding what is needed to reliably produce decent dovetails. That sort of understanding has been more of a game changer for me than any tool.

Definitely spill the beans!!

Cheers James

 

[D.Stephenson]

I think the single biggest game changer tool for me has been the domino jointer. I finally bought the original df500 back in 2013 and instantly regretted not getting one sooner, within a month it had paid for itself!