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| Lie-Nielsen Small Shoulder Plane |
I try to only buy any tool as I have an immediate need for it. I've got a storage cabinet coming up, and thinking about building the frame made me spring for a 5/16" Ray Iles mortising chisel from Tools for Working Wood. I threw in a pair of Gramercy holddowns while I was ordering from them. Both of those items are awesome.
I really enjoy making my own tools, mostly because I just like to make stuff. Plus I'm cheap. They rarely come out as good as a high-quality commercial item. I followed an idea from a magazine and made myself a wood-bodied router plane. The iron is a big hex key (allen wrench) ground and honed. It works fine, until you compare it to an iron-bodied commercial version. I do have a few simple items that I made that I use all the time. One is an awl that is simply a nail with the head cut off, stuck into a maple handle that I sanded to a roughly comfortable shape. I ground the tip to a crisp square profile (google birdcage awl), and it's great for locating and starting holes for screws or whatever.
That tool brings me to my next major item... Delta has a $50 rebate going on their 46-460 midi lathe until April 30. I've told myself that if I can get the spare room remodel finished before then, I'm getting it. My tool handles should improve drastically, plus I can make knobs, turned spindles, and other furniture parts, and who knows what else. No, I don't really need it, and I would probably be fine with a crappy little Chinese lathe from Harbor Freight, but that's against my religion.
