I have noticed that many of us on the forum are either senior citizens or fast approaching it. We may also have some younger members who are beyond their years in eyesight or arthritis.
Sooner or later, we must all face the fact that the time will come when we are no longer able to enjoy using the Tormek or do woodworking. I believe our best defense against this time is sharing the ways we have devised of dealing with declining eyesight, diminished strength and arthritis. We have a wealth or experience in this area, and sharing it can only help all of us. Even those of us who do not yet qualify for senior citizen discounts (I'm thinking of you, Jeff) may have experience coaching older Tormek users.
I'll start the ball rolling with a couple thoughts, and hope others will chime in.
My "shop" in my former house was an unheated garage with terrible lighting. Setting up my Tormek outside improved the light greatly, both in quantity and quality.
My present basement shop has a finished ceiling and lots of fluorescent lights installed by the former owner. The lighting looks fine at first glance. The quantity of the light is fine; the shop is nice and bright. The quality of the light is not so good. There is no directional task lighting. It is difficult to see fine details.
Eventually I will probably have more task lighting installed. For the present, I have several old Smith Victor lights left over from my photo side business days. They are designed for 500 watt bulbs, but work remarkably well with ordinary 100 watt bulbs. Placed on their light stands, they are quite flexible. They make seeing the angle master much easier.
I will pass the ball off to the next poster.
Ken
Viagra does it for me :-)
Good idea Ken. There are many seniors out there and making woodworking less strenuous for them means they can keep at it longer.
I am 73 with an extremely bad back, arthritis and bum knees. I still do everything (ok, not everything) that I did when young. Being retired means you can work anytime you want, but the important thing is to take a lot of short rest breaks while working. I don't really takes breaks while in the shop, but I work sitting down when it's practical. I built my relatively small shop (228 sq.ft.) myself about 12 years ago. Here is a list of the things I've done to make life easier.
1. The whole shop is insulated including the floor, ceilings and walls. The loft above is also insulated in a similar manner. I am mostly in the shop in fall, winter, and early spring. It is very warm and
comfortable.
2. I have fluorescent lighting covering the entire shop. It is light and bright. The walls and ceiling are painted white. All this makes it pretty easy for me to see layout marks, and for setting up machines.
3. I have five 4 point outlets near all the work areas throughout the shop, This facilitates the use of electric hand tools and extra work lights.
4. I have 3 round top wood stools placed around so I can sit and work easily without having to move one stool around. They are light with round seats so you can sit on them from any direction and get
up from any direction easily.
5. The floor is tongue and groove chipboard with 2-1/2"styrofoam insulation underneath, and painted with enamel paint. Easy on the feet/legs, easy to clean and it doesn't ruin dropped tools.
6. All of my big machines are on wheels. This makes it easy for cleaning the floor and rearranging when necessary for different projects.
7. I have my floor model drill press positioned to act as an out feed table for my bandsaw, I built my router table at the height of my Combi machine and it doubles as an out feed table for that
machine. I made a tool stand for small power tools with shelves for the tools and drawers in the middle for tool accessories. It also serves as extra support for long boards being cut by my sliding
miter saw.
8. I use a lighted magnifying glass when doing fine work on my scroll saw. I couldn't do marquetry work without it.
9. I bought a Tormek to make sharpening more fun and easier too.
10. Small can be good. Many of us complain about having shops that we consider too small, but a larger shop requires a lot more walking and more expense to heat, light or cool.
Good post, Mike. Lots of useful ideas.
Ken
Pictures please Mike...your shop sounds very cosy. Mine's a bit big and dispersed
I finished out my basement shop when I was about 32 or 33. I covered the walls with 1/2" plywood, installed four, 8-foot, 2-tube, high output fluorescent fixtures, and painted the concrete floor with an off-white epoxy paint. The lights happened to be the last thing I installed and when I turned them on for the first time I thought, "Uh-oh. I'm going to have to wear sunglasses to work in here." It was truly bordering on too bright.
Now I'm 51 and every time I flip that switch I'm thankful that I did it the way I did. If I could do things over I would probably cover the walls with something other than plain plywood but as far as lighting goes, it's terrific, still.
I too have sore knees (and sometimes hips), and bulged disks at L4 and L5. Concrete floors are not good in that area, but I've invested in some good foam rubber floor mats that really help in addition to paying attention to the shoes & socks I wear.
I will post some proper photos later Rob. Right now I am in the middle of reconfiguring my shop to facilitate my marquetry work. I built a veneer press which takes up more room in an already cramped shop. BTW, the veneer press also works real well to glue up segmented turnings. I am also building a long table near my scroll saw to hold my light table and for assembling marquetry works (lots of itty bitty pieces to keep track of). I've already moved my machines into position and I love the set-up now. I am transferring many of my hand tools to the wall behind my bench from the cabinet which used to hang over it. I've relocated the cabinet. I'm currently making a hand plane till for the same place.
My shop is not a showplace like some, but I like to think of it as practical, fairly well organized and fun to work in. Right now it looks pretty messy though. I did forget to mention in my last post that besides my machines, I have just about everything else mounted on wheels too. Makes life a lot easier. I hope to be finished with it in August if it rains a lot. If not, then mid-September. Meanwhile here are some teasers. Remember Fats Domino's song 'What's behind the Green Door'? Well, it's my shop of course! It used to be a carport. The sketch up pics show the old layout. That is a sliding beam bench in the back which has since been removed.
(http://i647.photobucket.com/albums/uu199/mikego/workshop5.jpg) (http://s647.photobucket.com/user/mikego/media/workshop5.jpg.html) (http://i647.photobucket.com/albums/uu199/mikego/workshop5-1.jpg) (http://s647.photobucket.com/user/mikego/media/workshop5-1.jpg.html)
(http://i647.photobucket.com/albums/uu199/mikego/006-1.jpg) (http://s647.photobucket.com/user/mikego/media/006-1.jpg.html)
One thing I really envy you Mike is the roof/loft space above the garage. That's something I would really like in my shop for general storage (wood mostly). But its obvious you're well organised having gone to the trouble of planning it in sketchup first. What a fabulous tool that is considering its free.
My shop has evolved rather than been purpose built. I built the house I now occupy 6 years ago and I'm lucky enough to have a 3 car garage which has grown into my workshop. Advantages are of course space and remote control doors which is fabulous for quick access to both natural light and dust opening. Disadvantages are that I still house my Harley in one of the garages as do my wife and kids store cycles...so really its only a double garage.
Because my previous house was a 400 year old cottage with limited space, I only had a workbench and hand tools. This space has allowed me to develop my machine tools and in the last 5 years Ive added table, bandsaw, router table, planar/thicknesser and lathe. Ive also built a new workbench and a few cupboard storage spaces. But its still got a regular concrete floor and a lot of junk. I could do with just stopping....getting everything out.....dealing with the floor and painting etc and then redesigning the round walls benching around the tools. Also dx is poor, relying on standalone vac type equipment at each major dust producer. As I say, its evolved rather than been purpose built and the large space has allowed me to be inefficient with the space. Very cold in winter too...I don't really use it much, though this year I did because of the lathe purchase last year....I was turning at 4 degrees C with numerous clothes on and a dalek style gas fire next to me.
I agree with Ken and you on lighting. I have 6 strip lights, 2 per garage and its not enough. I need specific moveable task lighting on the bench or at least spots above the bench.
Forgot to mention, I turned 50 this year and I also get sore feet etc and find that rubber matting useful, especially for lathe work. I also have an old swivel kitchen stool and use it as much as I can.
It sounds nice except for the winter temperatures Rob. When I built my shop it started as a carport with gravel and a 2m wide utility/shop across the back of the garage and carport. I poured a cement floor and built foundations. I didn't want to work on a cement floor so I installed what we call a 'floating floor' here. The cement wasn't perfectly flat, so I leveled it with dry clean sand, the kind used to make mortar with. Then I laid down 5cm thick styrofoam panels (40X60cm I think), it was then covered with a layer of plastic sheeting, and finally the MDF flooring panels which I painted with enamel (great stuff). This type of floor can support a huge amount of weight, but it still is nice to walk on. The walls are just the regular studs with 10cm insulation and also a layer of plastic sheeting on the inside of the wall and then fiberboard panels over that. The only work I couldn't do was the electric installation. The building costs were about Kr. 14,000 or about 1,400 pounds plus electric of about kr.6,000 or 600 pounds. I guess the cost would be about double that now. I can't work in my shop in the summer much, so it was essential for me to have the insulation. I use only one very small electric radiator for heat. The loft floor is also heavily insulated and I have an insulated door to the loft at the top of the stairs that I keep closed, so I just heat the shop itself. I do have some wood storage up there, but we store a lot of other stuff we don't want or need there. I have a platter storage rack downstairs to the left of the entry door and some lumber racks on the wall at the back of the 'L'. The shop is pretty small and it can be maddening at times, especial with larger projects, but it serves me well. I have to admit that I did the sketchup drawings after the shop was completed. I'm not sure if Sketchup even existed 12 years ago.
Your floor and insulation ideas are well taken Mike.......very nice. My garages have 9" masonry (brick and block) walls with a 1" cavity that has insulation inside it. But the problem is the electric doors which are of course a massive source of heat loss. They're just reinforced glass fibre with a wooden frame, with a wood type finish. Pretty, thin, light and totally bloody useless at keeping heat in! Further the gaps above and below allow a small tornado to whistle through my shop when the north wind blows. My dream is to have a wood burning stove in there which swallows all the sawdust as well as regular wood. But that's a whole lot of chimney design and build hassle. I need to do some things which take it further towards purpose built though, that's for sure.
Mike,
Do you use a chevalet in your marquetry or a scroll saw?
Paul
Ron, you would have to construct an inner wall to eliminate your garage door problem, but maybe you could do that and have some large insulated sliding doors so you could open them and the garage door for access. For anyone with even a hint of a heart problem, it is not a good idea to work in the cold and on cold cement in the winter in spite of warm clothes. I'm not a doctor, but my wife is a nurse and knows about these things.
Paul, I use a scroll saw. the chevalet is an admirable machine for dedicated marquetrians , but I just don't have room for one. Besides that, I love my scroll saw with which I can do pretty detailed work using a 2/0 blade. A chevalier can do smaller details, and while I greatly admire the fantastic work done by many who use them, I feel that marquetry is essentially about the use of wood grains and colors and the way the subject is presented to make an interesting and dynamic graphic. I think that a scroll saw can do that in spite of it's limitations. Whether I can do that with my scroll saw is an entirely different question. I can't judge my own work, as I am rarely satisfied with anything I do. I am in it mainly for the fun of doing the work.[/sizeI
Nice responses, guys. Mike (Kansas), I agree about the importance of a softer, warmer floor. It's essential.
Mike (40), nice sketchup work and photos. You have obviously put a lot of planning in your shop
Rob, the bodgers worked outside!
Ken
Thanks Ken, but I did the sketchup drawings based on my actual shop at the time. There were no plans as it was a no brainer, just foundations, floor and walls. the Ceiling was already in place as to was a carport.
Mike, for those of us who are still using pencil and graph paper, your sketch up work is definitely "brainer".
Good organization, too, even if some of the variables were fixed.
Ken
It's been a couple of years since I used Sketchup to any degree Ken, so I'm pretty rusty with it now. It is a great program for planning furniture pieces unless you already have plans. The main drawback is that it is fairly time consuming, but it can save you a lot of aggravation during the build, as design problems and mistakes turn up before you start actually building.
did you know there is a plugin for sketchup called Cutlist. It allows you to take a design you've made and lay it out on an 8x4 sheet good to get the most efficient usage of the material.
Yes Rob, Thanks. I am aware of that, although I haven't used it. I know a lot of plugins have been added. I'm not building any furniture these days, so I'm not using Sketchup much. I'm finding it a lot easier to do mainly small projects and of course the marquetry which I just started with last Fall.
I forgot to mention In earlier my posts above that when you get older, it can be nice to mainly do small projects where you can do at quite a bit of the work sitting, like for scroll sawing and carving for example. Although it's not good to sit too much. That's where hand tool work like hand planing can provide a fair amount of exercise. I also like segmented turning and I have a few new ideas I would like to try in that area. I have to admit though that segmented turning is 90% cutting, sanding and gluing, some of that work can be done sitting. The actual turning part goes very quickly and easy, so you don't have to be on your feet there too much either, and there's not as much shavings to clean up either.
Not just for older humans but I think manufacturers do a poor job with signage on their tools. On/off switches have small icons that don't mean anything. Or the writing is so small and of the same color that you can't see it. Look at the second pic....on and off has been molded into the black surround. So if something is poorly marked or labeled I will take a Sharpie and make it easily read and understood.
(http://pkstudios.smugmug.com/photos/i-zTq7SqT/0/M/i-zTq7SqT-M.jpg)
(http://pkstudios.smugmug.com/photos/i-wVC3pTt/0/M/i-wVC3pTt-M.jpg)
(http://pkstudios.smugmug.com/photos/i-prxRnFN/0/M/i-prxRnFN-M.jpg)
Good post, Paul. It would be funny if it wasn't true. Sometimes I wonder if manufacturers actually expect customers to use their products. This reminds me of the gymnastics center where I take my two grandchildren. The program is from nine until noon. There is a dry marker board next to the door where the parents (mostly young mothers) may write a reach number and leave until pickup time. By 905 the place is usually cleared out and the parents have some precious free quiet time. I have noticed the handwriting is usually very neat. No one wants to lose the free time. I wonder how neat the same handwriting is for day to day "stuff".
We shouldn't have to mark switches!!!!
Mike and Ron, I have enjoyed primitive mechanical drawing since my grandmother gave me a kid's drafting set when I was quite young. Sketch-up is on my list of skills to learn. Maybe when I'm really retired.......
Ken
If up is on, and down is off, I'm ok. But I agree that if there's any doubt a big fat label is in order.
True but I also do it just in case of an emergency and you never know if that large visual reminder will be the difference between safe and sorry.
I also mark all kinds of things on the tools.
Sort of like that movie "Memento"...the story of a man with memory loss that self tattoo important messages on his body so he won't forget.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0209144/?ref_=sr_1
(http://pkstudios.smugmug.com/photos/i-fxcC982/0/M/i-fxcC982-M.jpg)
Quote from: MakerUnknown on August 01, 2013, 11:10:05 PM
Sort of like that movie "Memento"...
That movie taught me a valuable lesson that I still use to this day. In one scene the character purposely destroyed some evidence, if I recall correctly, so that his future (forgetful) self would have no clue an event occurred.
I now leave my future self plenty of clues and evidence because I know he's forgetful and getting worse all the time. :)
I'm exactly the same. My memory is shocking given I'm only 50. I have a whiteboard in my workshop for sketching designs and dimensions as I tend to make up my furniture as I go along. I rarely take the time to draw it all in advance (though I know I should). I also keep a loose leaf clipboard which I load with printer paper also for jotting design ideas and dimensions. The loose leaves then often get pinned or taped to machines as I work so I don't forget the dimensions I'm cutting to.
I spent a lot of time calibrating my table saw rip fence so I can trust the measuring scale on it. This means I don't need to mark the wood for my rip cuts and it saves a lot of time. It does however, require me to remember the widths...hence all the paper :-)
I do the same with complex procedures for tool setups or joint cutting (like how to set up the dovetail jig). Because given I don't do this for a living, I forget the details.
Speaking of switches. My family has two cars. One has the wipers on the right of the steering column. The other car has a column shift on the right.
So, I turn on the spray and wipe and gun the engine while looking back when I try to back out of a parking space. The car does not go. I spray and wash and gun the engine more until I figure out what's going on by looking forward. Or I shift into neutral when it rains. Luckily, the computer is smart enough to prevent me from shifting into reverse when I'm going 50 mph.
Or when I set up the GPS, it shows me two routes and my wife tells me to go on a third unmarked route that is faster. I drive the third route (guided by my wife) and promptly gets lost with the GPS constantly saying "U turn" "U turn". I tell her, why did we get the built in GPS advanced technology package for thousands of dollars if we never follow it.
People thought I was smarter when I only had one car and no GPS.
That's why I prefer knives, BBQ and woodwork. I am the only one doing it and its all set up the way I want.
Excellent post Rhino :-)
Thanks Rob.
By the way, I would put myself into the older member category.
Quote from: Rob on August 01, 2013, 11:47:31 PM
I spent a lot of time calibrating my table saw rip fence so I can trust the measuring scale on it.
Me, too. That's a highly recommended strategy. The time spent is not only well worth it, but saved in the long run.
I still have the cheap rip fence that came with the saw. I owned it for a few years before I spent the time adjusting it correctly. As long as I lubricate the moving parts once every few years it stays in perfect working order.
Ditto for Herman's comment, Rhino. I have exactly the opposite problem with our cars. We finally traded in an ancient sedan and truck and ended up with two Equinoxes. I took my wife's favorite watch with me one day to get a new battery. When I finally arrived at the jeweler's store, I could not locate the watch. I looked everywhere and felt terrible. I knew the loss of the watch, a present from me many years ago would sadden her. As I pulled in the driveway, I remembered I had switched cars to have the oil changed. Sure enough, the watch was exactly where I had remember putting it......in the other car.
"Tis a gift to be simple"
Ken
Many amusing posts here. I had a good laugh. Like Rob, I have a whiteboard and markers which I bought about 9 years ago. I've never been able to use it because I don't have any wall space left to hang it on!
Like Ken, I have a similar car story. When I met my wife to be about 48 years ago, we both had Volkswagen beatles. They were the exact same year and model, only mine was black and hers was white. Someone had banged up my fender where I was parked one day and I had to put my car into the body shop for repairs. It just so happened that the day my car was due to be in the shop was the same day I was supposed to drive into Los Angeles to pick up our weddings rings. I borrowed my wife'a car, and parked in a big parking lot near the jewelry store. I picked up the rings and returned to the lot. I gave the attendant my parking receipt and he asked me what car it was. I told him it was the black beetle. He searched and searched for about 10 minutes and couldn't find it. That's when I remembered I had my wife's white beetle and not my black one. The attendant was standing in the driveway shaking his head back and forth as I drove away.
This is a lovely set of posts guys. Best I've read for a long time...warmed my heart :-)
I would add: Safety first.
See something with even the slightest possibility of being a hazard? Even little things like a dangling cord, a can of something to close to the edge that could vibrate off, a tripping hazard. Anything. Deal with it when you see it. Don't put it off. For me at least, I know it's always more fun to continue with what I'm doing, but if I put something off today I'll probably put it off tomorrow... Or simply forget about it 10 minutes later.
What always amazes me he the very high probability of extremely low probability events occurring on a regular bases. Like you drop a screw. There is only one tiny little hole that the screw can go into in a 10' area. And... the screw must fly into the hole exactly perpendicularly to go in. Yet, it falls from the bench, bounces off the chair, takes an amazing bounce off the floor and goes in the hole. You could not make that happen again in a lifetime, but yet...
I have a tendency to say, yup. That's a problem. But I know it's there. I wouldn't be so stupid as to...
I have to admit that my little shop sometimes looks like a military hazard course, but I am so used to working in that cramped situation, that It hasn't been a problem for me. One potential problem that I've experienced in my shop is that when I am working with MDF, which I often make jigs out of, any dust that gets on my enamel painted floor can be dangerously slippery. It has not been a problem for me because I am well aware of the danger, so what doesn't go into the dust collector gets swept up right away. Which brings up a good point. 'Awareness' is perhaps the most important safety device in my opinion. A lack of safety awareness it seems to cause many or maybe most accidents, even when people are working in inherently dangerous situations where you would think the would be really on the alert.
Quote from: grepper on August 02, 2013, 01:32:47 PM
I have a tendency to say, yup. That's a problem. But I know it's there. I wouldn't be so stupid as to...
We all do, Mark. And it's a dangerous and foolish practice. All it takes is just a few seconds for a life-altering accident to occur. Then we're sorry we didn't spend hours and hours of time doing those little safety things that we thought were "stupid".
For how many years have I told myself I should add that safety saw-brake feature to my table saw? If someone loses a finger, or worse, I will deeply regret I never did it.
For those who don't know, these devices employ the same technology as those lamps that turn on when you touch them. Human skin in contact with the metal surface alter the capacitance of a circuit which then closes or opens a switch that turns the lamp on and off.
As soon as you touch the saw blade a brake stops it before it rotates far enough for the next tooth to make contact. You can run a piece of wood through it no problem, but try to cut a hot dog and all you'll do is nick the skin.
Isn't that just amazing technology? Something can detect a finger and go BAM! And clamp down that hard in an that tiny fraction of a second.
I saw an interview with the inventor. I guess manufacturers are reluctant to install them on all saws because it increases the cost and they fear increased liability if someone were to be injured.
You can purchase cartridges for them at Amazon for ~$70.00.
There have been calls to have them mandated on all saws sold in the US. The anti-government regulation folks call these do-gooders "finger huggers".
Herman, You forgot to mention that not only skin, but also a staple or any hidden metal in the wood also triggers the stop mechanism when the blade comes in contact with it.
Mike, I didn't realize that you vikings had travelled to Los Angeles!
I agree that the new saw stop is a terrific idea. I confess I don't have one, but I have become much more safety conscious in my old age.
According to family legend, my grandfather, who had a gift for making chairs, almost took his hand off using the table saw I now have. It ended his woodworking. I don't want that to happen to me. Among other things, I have two gripper units and a Brett guard to improve the odds.
Ken
My grand parents had a model T Ford that was converted into an outdoor circle saw on their farm in Minnesota. My grandfather got his foot almost cut off in it. Amazingly enough they managed to save his foot, but he always needed a cane after that. Luckily, he worked for the railroad, as he couldn't do farm work anymore. The doctor worked on him at their farm house and my grandmother said his hair turned white over night. I suppose he was put into hospital after that, but I'm not sure.
I am staggered at the number of videos I see online where USA woodworkers (in professional and demonstrating situations) are using table saws which are not fitted with either crown guard or riving knife. (Crown guard is the protector over the top of the blade; the riving knife keeps the two cut pieces of wood apart to reduce the risk if throw back.)
It is illegal here to sell and operate table saws without these devices fitted. They must also be fitted with brakes to stop the blade in a short time if the stop button is pressed. I am not aware there is a requirement for 'finger detectors' yet.
nothing to say here
The only guard I've seen that I like is the type that mounts to the ceiling. The one that came with my saw is, I think, more likely to cause an accident as all it does is get in the way.
I admit that I don't use a guard. No one I've ever worked with did either.
Very cool Paul... In a lot of ways. :)
Also, exceptional video. Beautiful photography, mood, lighting and editing. Really very well done.
And..., Umm... Shouldn't you be wearing shoes when you are working in the shop?
Interesting video, Paul. Have you ever used a wooden view camera? They are quite addictive.
Herman, my Brett guard is the original design which mounts to the saw. My saw is a 1930s vintage tilting table Delta. I need to custom mount the guard. In the meantime, I use the grrippers.
Ken
Fun video Paul. We can behave the way we want in our own little universe that we call our workshops. I can see that you are creating things out of love for your work and the result, not for the money, even though you surely need money like everyone else. When your liquor cabinet door is open, it's like walking into very special bar. Very creative and and a lot more than just woodworking with the special lighting and mirror surfaces.
The real question Paul is......how often is it opened :-)
Paul - Interesting video and drinks cabinet.
There are woodworking forums where members submit their work for comment and criticism, and if you don't mind, I would comment on your drinks cabinet.
It's impressive design and workmanship would be greatly enhanced by the obvious presence of some Scotch Single Malt Whisky.
I would recommend any or all of the following:-
Lagavulin; Laphroaig; Ardbeg; Bunnahbhain; Caol Isla; Talisker; Macallan. (There are many more!)
I would stress these should only be sampled and enjoyed when you have finished for the day and the machines are all off. Slangevar! Skol! Prost! Cheers!
I'll second that :-)
Thanks all. I'll be sure and let the film maker know, he loves compliments as well.
Rob. No, never worked with a wooden view camera. Back in the film days I would say 95% of assignments were shot on view cameras with most being done on 8x10. Mine are big and heavy and metal.
I haven't looked through one in quite some time at this point. All digital.
The liquor cabinet is opened frequently although in reality my drink of choice would be beer. Made myself a very nice Negroni last night before heading out for some more late night San Francisco revelry. I went through a single malt scotch phase quite a few years ago, right now I seem to be investigating the aperitifs and digestifs of the world. But I do love a good single malt if someone wants to give me one... :)
Paul,
You missed a treat by never having worked with a wooden view camera. My 1910 vintage Kodak D2 8x10 would comfortably fit in a regular book pack with its triple convertible lens, focusing cloth and a few holders. It was comfortable to carry that way all day. (The tripod I hand carried got heavy.) The "little" 4x5 was very portable.
I have used a digital camera since 2005. I appreciate some of the advantages of the technology. However, I miss the flexibility and "pixels" of the big negatives.
By the way, the eighteenth amendment which started prohibition allowed the use of alcohol for religious purposes. This loophole was much abused!
Ken
Quote from: Ken S on August 09, 2013, 01:46:37 PM
By the way, the eighteenth amendment which started prohibition allowed the use of alcohol for religious purposes. This loophole was much abused!
Ken
And righteously so Ken!
Quote from: Ken S on August 09, 2013, 01:46:37 PM
By the way, the eighteenth amendment which started prohibition allowed the use of alcohol for religious purposes. This loophole was much abused!
Most of my photography business has been in the wine industry so I know a few of the wineries I have worked for only stayed in business because during prohibition they were allowed to make wine for the religions that use that in their rituals.
Many years ago I visited the Lonz Winery near Sandusky, Ohio. During prohibition they sold home kits for making wine vinegar. The wine was presumed to be made into vinegar.......
Ken
nothing to say here
Paul, I regret that you felt you should pull your post.
Ken
Quote from: Ken S on July 30, 2013, 08:18:08 PM
I have noticed that many of us on the forum are either senior citizens or fast approaching it. We may also have some younger members who are beyond their years in eyesight or arthritis.
Sooner or later, we must all face the fact that the time will come when we are no longer able to enjoy using the Tormek or do woodworking. I believe our best defense against this time is sharing the ways we have devised of dealing with declining eyesight, diminished strength and arthritis. We have a wealth or experience in this area, and sharing it can only help all of us. Even those of us who do not yet qualify for senior citizen discounts (I'm thinking of you, Jeff) may have experience coaching older Tormek users.
Ken
Sigh. Each time this thought comes by, I will tell myself 'time is running out'.
So, whenever I am stuck as to whether to buy or not to buy a tool, usually I give in because
'time is running out' and end up poorer and poorer. What a lousy excuse.
Joe,
I think you have misunderstood my comment. My point was to stress the value of sharing ideas. For the record, I have not completely stopped buying tools; I have just slowed down considerably. That is not just because of age. I am finally realizing that more stuff equals more distractions. Unnecessary tools mean more time committed to maintaining them.
My original reason for purchasing my Tormek was due to my aching hands after flattening the backs of several chisels. I don't find flattening faster with the Tormek; my hands just don't hurt after using the Tormek. Perhaps that was a concession to getting older. If so, so be it.
We don't leave the field; we just plan better.
Don't be poorer; be more skilled and more focused.
Ken
Ken,
once again a thread I hadn't seen bubbles back to life after a couple of years. (Note to self: Spend a weekend reading EVERYTHING here :) ). I find myself saying "Jeez, Gerald. This is going to be you in n years time" until I realise that, at 56, I'm older than most of the posters! :))
G.
Quote from: Ken S on January 22, 2015, 12:08:03 AM
Joe,
I think you have misunderstood my comment. My point was to stress the value of sharing ideas. For the record, I have not completely stopped buying tools; I have just slowed down considerably. That is not just because of age. I am finally realizing that more stuff equals more distractions. Unnecessary tools mean more time committed to maintaining them.
My original reason for purchasing my Tormek was due to my aching hands after flattening the backs of several chisels. I don't find flattening faster with the Tormek; my hands just don't hurt after using the Tormek. Perhaps that was a concession to getting older. If so, so be it.
We don't leave the field; we just plan better.
Don't be poorer; be more skilled and more focused.
Ken
Ken, I'll bear that in mind - stay focussed.
My hands (fingers actually) are aching too, especially during sleeping hours - they become stiff. If anybody knows why is that and how to manage better, please share with me. Told the doctor and don't seem to get anything concrete.
Cannot stress them else it will get worse.
Quote from: Ken S on January 22, 2015, 12:08:03 AM
We don't leave the field; we just plan better.
We eventually fertilize the field!
Don't be poorer; be more skilled and more focused.
Ken
Skills do help. Tools just make the job easier, skills give you options on how to do things with both good and lesser tools.
I've done two things to help with light in my shop:
1. Clean the top surface of any exposed fluorescent bulbs. I noticed when changing a bulb that they were covered in dust on the top. It was like I doubled the number of fixtures.
2. My shop is an attached garage with a door opener that has two 60 watt incandescent bulbs under it. The bulbs can be operated separately from the door opener and they are directly above my tablesaw. I removed the 60 watt bulbs, installed a "Y"socket in each receptacle and installed 2, 100 watt CFLs into each "Y". This increased light output from 120 to 400 watts equivalent and only demands 92 watts total so there is no concern about overloading.
Good thoughts, Tarhead. I did not realize how important good light was until I stumbled upon really good light one day.
In my case, the really good light was the open shade just outside my garage door. It made all the difference.
Ken
Its so dark in my workshop I cant find the light switch!
Rob, do a Google on "Thomas Edison". He's an American chap with an idea which might help your shop. :)
Ken
Haha. Comedy! :)
BTW, how old is old?
Old enough to still get into trouble but wise enough to know better!
I have one of those seasonal affective disorder light boxes - the brightest one I can find. 10,000 lux at 30 inches. I take it with me everywhere around the house. In the "workshop" I got two sockets. I put socket splitters on them and screw on 4 60 watts fluorescent bulbs. Each of the bulbs is supposed to be equal to a 300 watt light bulb.
The most wonderful addition is an oversized giant leather recliner and a laptop computer. I am not in a hurry. I watch a movie on the internet while working and take a nap here and there. Take pictures of the project as I go along.
I do smaller projects now. Like restoring old fountain pens. The tormek is amazingly useful for fashioning and shaping small metal pieces like nibs, springs and things like that. Of course, the nib tips only sees 12000 grit sandpaper but I found I can also grind a fine nib into an italic nib on the tormek. I am talking about $20 nibs, $5 nibs. Not $500 nibs on the tormek. :)
I am not retired. Still holding down a demanding job.
Fascinating post, Rhino. You have found an application for your Tormek which provides you great satisfaction. We all need ways to restore and maintain our quiet inner equilibrium.
Herman has used the expression "sharpening hobby". Very descriptive, Herman. I think your pen restoration hobby would fall into the same therapeutic catagory.
The Tormek seems ideal for this work. The water bath frees the mind from any worry about riuning the steel from overheating or stress cracks. The tool is quiet and gives off no sparks or dust. While a turner might be frustrated with the Tormek's more measured pace in reshaping a gouge or skew, the andante tempo suits the work and the state of mind in these areas.
One of the projects I have in mind is setting up my Tormek on either the back deck or front covered porch during the milder parts of the year. When the light and temperature are right working that way is far more pleasant than working in a garage or basement workshop. The back yard is quiet and has a bit of wooded area. The front porch faces west, providing lovely soft open shade lighting in the morning and early afternoon. Sharpening need not be unpleasant just because it is also practical.
Related to this is my favorite time to post on this forum. I am usually awake and up by four. I like to curl up in a comfortable chair with a thermal mug of coffee and my ipad. I have the ipad screen dimmed. The room lights are also very dim. My wife and grandchildren won't be up until about six. The room is very quiet and I have no sense of deadline. I happen to be retired now
Quote from: Rhino on January 31, 2015, 06:26:02 AM
I have one of those seasonal affective disorder light boxes - the brightest one I can find. 10,000 lux at 30 inches. I take it with me everywhere around the house. In the "workshop" I got two sockets. I put socket splitters on them and screw on 4 60 watts fluorescent bulbs. Each of the bulbs is supposed to be equal to a 300 watt light bulb.
The most wonderful addition is an oversized giant leather recliner and a laptop computer. I am not in a hurry. I watch a movie on the internet while working and take a nap here and there. Take pictures of the project as I go along.
I do smaller projects now. Like restoring old fountain pens. The tormek is amazingly useful for fashioning and shaping small metal pieces like nibs, springs and things like that. Of course, the nib tips only sees 12000 grit sandpaper but I found I can also grind a fine nib into an italic nib on the tormek. I am talking about $20 nibs, $5 nibs. Not $500 nibs on the tormek. :)
I am not retired. Still holding down a demanding job.
, however, the quiet early hours also helped me focus when I was working.
Thanks again, Rhino, for an interesting post.
Ken
See the "beyond knives" topic posted in this section.
Ken