What is your most used tool?

[craigb]

O.K. which tool do you find most often in your hand? (yes, leave the double entendre out of it )

For me, it's the try square.
__________________

[ss_11000]

roughing gouge or skew chisel ( i mostly turn stuff )

[Harry72]

My most used tools are machine's that dont fit in the hand... I vote other!

Thread title shoud be most used "hand" tool...

[Wongo]

I think it is hand plane for me. Actually the try square is pretty close too.

[NewLou]

click pencil:eek:

[DanM]

Is a pencil a tool or a comsumable, a marking knife is a tool!

[Wood Borer]

This is a hard question Craig. The tool most picked up or the tool in the hand for the longest accumulative time? No double meanings intended :o

I use my chisels, marking gauge and planes on most jobs along with the squares, pencil, marking awl and dovetail marking template. I use my RAS and bandsaw quite a bit and my electric router but they are mainly used for breaking down and shaping larger pieces of timber.

A lot of time is used also on the whiteboard and paper if you can call those tools.

Yesterday I spent a fair bit of time on a cheap SCMS I bought.;) The time spent was setting it up so it was square and half accurate. It will be used when I do those love jobs away from the shed such as some skirting boards for my cousin tomorrow morning and his bookcase in a few weeks/months time. Noisy savage dusty thing but it does the job near enough.

[NewLou]

MArking - Incra Rule
Drilling - Drill Driver
Cutting - Block Plane
Pounding - MAllet
MAchine - Dust extractor
ME - Hands (You'd think Brain would be first here ............But No!) :eek:

REgards Lou:D:D:D

[craigb]

. The tool most picked up or the tool in the hand for the longest accumulative time?

The most picked up was where I was coming from Rob.

[journeyman Mick]

Well, not in my hands, but I'm at my sliding panel saw for up to 8 hours a day (gets pretty bloody monotonous:( )

Mick

[journeyman Mick]

Most picked up? that would have to be a tape measure - there's about a dozen of them around the shed, one in the front of the ute, two in the house and a couple in my carry all.

Mick

[BrisBen]

Tape measure


I use it all the time - sometimes it's accurate sometimes it isn't


Should I get it calibrated ??

[Wood Borer]

The most picked up was where I was coming from Rob.

Mallet, pencil or marking gauge have to be seriously considered then.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

If not my tape measure, then it'd have to be my "sharpened nail in a handle."

Pencils disappear too quickly around here. :(

[rodm]

It would be the cordless drill.

As a matter of interest is a marking or measuring instrument a tool? A quick search pulled up this definition of a tool.

A tool is, among other things, a device that provides a mechanical or mental advantage in accomplishing a task. Most tools employ some form of simple machine, or a combination of them. For example, a hammer simply functions as a lever with the fulcrum (pivot point) being the hand of the user. The further out from the pivot point, the more force is transmitted along the lever. A sword combines a lever and a wedge.

Not trying to be smart but I am interested to hear opinions.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

As a matter of interest is a marking or measuring instrument a tool? A quick search pulled up this definition of a tool.

A tool is, among other things, a device that provides a mechanical or mental advantage in accomplishing a task. Most tools employ some form of simple machine, or a combination of them.

A professional artist or even a housepainter would be extremely peeved if being told their brushes, etc. couldn't be deducted as "tools of trade." :D:D

No matter how accurate a bandsaw, tablesaw, or whatever tool you use, it'd soon prove to be pretty useless without appropriate layout tools. Including squares, rulers, pencils and scribes.

[masoth]

My constant companion and most handled tool is home made - I call it my "doubtabout".
We've all had the message 'Measure twice. cut once', well I use my doubtabout to ensure I have time to rethink all moves, and there is no doubtabout it having saved me much frustration and embarassment.

Make one, and try it. Mine is a simple lenght of dowel painted bright yellow with even brighter red ends. I hold it from the time I unlock my Playroom.

Edit: Sorry. I vote 'Other'.

[Driver]

I voted for hand plane without giving it too much thought. On reflection - and having read through the posts above - I'd still vote the same way.

I reckon that I would use one of my hand planes every time I do any woodworking. Even if I don't need to use a plane for the particular task I'm working on, I nearly always just put a piece of wood in the vice and take a couple of swipes for the sheer pleasure!

I reckon that, as with standing and/or leaning and staring, it is a Code of Practice requirement to do something useless and unnecessary every time a bloke goes into the workshop.

Col

[Simomatra]

Definitely the pencil for me

Cheers Sam

[Waldo]

G'day,

Tools I most use in progression are:

• ruler;
• pencil;
• square;
• bandsaw with dusty;
• jointer with dusty;
• face plate sander;
• sanding block; and
• paint brush.

and somewhere in between depending on what I'm doing:

• drill press; and
• lathe.

Yeah, I know it says hand tool but they're all held in your hand aren't they? ;)

[RufflyRustic]

I reckon I use my handsaws more than anything else, but now that I'm starting to use planes, they are fast becoming a close second and maybe a first.

I just love darksiding away :)

cheers
Wendy

[doug the slug]

measure twice, cut once. DAMN:mad: get another piece

measure three times, cut once DAMN again:mad: :mad: get another piece

Measure five times, cut oncehttp://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/images/icons/icon14.gif

Gotta be the tape measure for me

[Sturdee]

IMO the workshop, the way it is laid out and organised to suit the working needs of its owner, is a tool in itself. At least in my case it is.:D

So I voted other.

Peter.

[Buzzer]

As a beginner woodie, I have been practicing my marking out/measuring, and I would have to say try square at this stage, with my chisels and hand saw a close second.

Looking forward to buying my first electron burner soon, hopefully at Brissy woodshow(not made my mind up what to buy yet!!)

[masoth]

Hey Doug. I've a mate who when challenged for cutting a length of steel too short replied, "It's my ****** steel, I'll cut where I want!", and this was not said with the intention of being funny.
The same bloke is sort of famous for saying, "The nearer we got, the farther she got away!"

soth

[DPB]

Veritas Saddle Square.

http://img160.imageshack.us/img160/8863/veritassaddlesquare5kc.jpg http://img160.imageshack.us/img160/6118/markingourwithveritassaddlesqu.jpg

[Shedhand]

WHile I'm building the shed and stuff its my Wally 14.4 cordless and the Makita 24v for the heavy duty stuff.

[doug the slug]

Veritas Saddle Square.

Don i like the look of the saddle square. it looks robust and accurate, being solid and almost impossible to knock out of square. would be just the thing to eliminate parallex error when continuing a line around a piece of square or rectangular stock. where do you buy them?

Oh, and, um, err, i think you could improve even further on accuracy in marking out if you buy a good pencil sharpenerhttp://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/images/icons/icon14.gif

[DPB]

Doug, that's one of the reasons I love this tool. This is where I purchased mine. http://tinyurl.com/f2qnw (http://tinyurl.com/f2qnw) They also sell a 45 degree saddle square.

[fred.n]

roughing gouge
turning it's so addictive, followed closley by the dust extractor???
I must remember.......start extractor?? start lathe?? lol

[echnidna]

either me hammer or the axe

[Mirboo]

I reckon I'd use my tape measure the most.

Regards,
Mirboo.

[derekcohen]

Bandaid:D

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Andy Mac]

Leatherman Supertool...always on my belt, always reached for! :D To give an example of daily use: sharpen pencil, pliers to undo wingnut on easel, normal blade as marking knife, cut packing tape, awl to clean out MIG nozzle, screwdriver to access batteries, built-in ruler for emergency measuring instead of hoofing it 3 buildings away.
To be honest I'd be lost without it!

Cheers,

[silentC]

Steel rule. I've got 1 metre, 300mm and 150mm versions. Very handy for all sorts of jobs, even measuring ;)

[Daddles]

Yer all liars. No-one's mentioned the moaning chair yet :D

Me little block plane. Lovely little brute and able to make tall mountains of shavings out of any lump of dead tree.

Richard

[jmk89]

Vacuum cleaner - doesn't matter which tool I use, something has to get sucked up at the end.

Next - rubbish bin for the times when it's too big to be sucked up ( a mistake is just a bloody big shaving)

[Groggy]

Marking knife, chisel, bandaids.

[E. maculata]

#1-Measuring devices, tapes, steel rules, verniers.(dozens of lufkin tapes lying around the shed and house:o just in case of an emergency measuring moment)
#2-Marking devices, scribe or pencils.(I've always used scribes made from keysteel)
#3-The venerable and much underated cordless drill(buy a really good one you'll never go back)

I make things, and I reckon like a lot of my fellow board denizens not necessarily just wooden stuff, so these three seem to be a constant must have at my side. At the moment I''m building a frankenstien four stroke motocross bike, and these three are still the most reached for, just as they were when I built two bedsides last year.

[Lignum]

Im puzzled that only 5 out of 42 have said a square. Isnt it the first thing you grab to check the jointer fence before dressing the timber to start a project? then onto the saw to make sure the blade is square to rip and cross/cut, using it to mark shoulders on your dovetails or making sure the handplaned board is flat and square, or your tennons are ok, or the bandsaw table is square before you rip those boards, then checking all the way through every stage of a job to make sure its all square? Mine is in my pocket all day and gets used far more than any other thing i own. Maybe only five of us have square furniture:D

[E. maculata]

Im puzzled that only 5 out of 42 have said a square. Isnt it the first thing you grab to check the jointer fence before dressing the timber to start a project? Maybe only five of us have square furniture:D

I get timber presquared, I don't even own an electric jointer, and can't envisage ever even needing one.
Furniture needs to be square:eek: , when did this happen:confused: ? who decreed this:( ? and why:confused: ?, cause none of my houses have had square corners:o .

[Cliff Rogers]

I...cause none of my houses have had square corners:o .

Arh, so you are the bloke that built 76 Dearness St. in Garbutt Townsville. :mad:

Boy was that place bent outta shape. :rolleyes:

The tiles on the floor in the bathroom & toilet were square with one wall only. :eek:

[bitingmidge]

Pencil.

Definitely a pencil. Usually a RED clutch pencil so I can see where it is at all times IF I accidentally put it down.

It's also known as my "Talking Stick" because I can't explain anything to anyone unless I have a pencil in my hand.

I use it to think out loud with as well, make marks, dig glue out of corners, and without the lead it's a handy pickup device for really tiny screws out of reading glasses and radios, (you know the kind that are too small to pick up by hand)

Cheers,

P

[Driver]

Pencil.

Definitely a pencil. Usually a RED clutch pencil so I can see where it is at all times IF I accidentally put it down.

It's also known as my "Talking Stick" because I can't explain anything to anyone unless I have a pencil in my hand.

I use it to think out loud with as well, make marks, dig glue out of corners, and without the lead it's a handy pickup device for really tiny screws out of reading glasses and radios, (you know the kind that are too small to pick up by hand)

Cheers,

P

But, Brother Midge .... if the screws have fallen out of your reading glasses into your radio, how do you keep your glasses on your nose so you can see to pick up the little screws with your clutch pencil? :confused:

[Cliff Rogers]

....Definitely a pencil....

Did you hear about the constipate mathematician who worked it out with a pencil? :rolleyes:

[Studley 2436]

I use my square a fair bit but I am pretty sure that the tape measure is my most used. Measure along and across all sorts of things. You can use it to find if something is square with it as well. In fact timber not being such a precise medium (god I use big words) the tape can sometimes be the best thing to use to find square.

I should use my roller stands as well more than I do. I have made plenty of mistakes running something through a machine which was really just a bit too long to do without the stands.

Studley

[ele__13]

Bandaid:D

Regards from Perth

Derek
hello my friend
doug has a supply of bandaids for me stashed in a few places wallet car and fairstaid kit hehehheh but i do love my random orbital sander as well cheers all jules the bandaid queen !!!

[Waldo]

hello my friend
doug has a supply of bandaids for me stashed in a few places

G'day Jukes,

When I first read that in my email I thought I read that Doug has some barmaids stashed in a few places, but I thought nah! Then I wondered what you'd do with barmaids, but then if you're both on the verandah all the time hitting wood together then someone has to get the beers. :cool:

Then I come herre and read "bandaids" :(

[ele__13]

G'day Jukes,

When I first read that in my email I thought I read that Doug has some barmaids stashed in a few places, but I thought nah! Then I wondered what you'd do with barmaids, but then if you're both on the verandah all the time hitting wood together then someone has to get the beers. :cool:

Then I come herre and read "bandaids" :(

Oh dear me ..... why cant i have a topless male bartender those chickie models dodnt do it for me hehehhehe sorry couldnt resist in a silly mood tonite cheers Jules

[Waldo]

Oh dear me ..... why cant i have a topless male bartender those chickie models dodnt do it for me hehehhehe sorry couldnt resist in a silly mood tonite cheers Jules

G'day Jules,

Get Cliff on the blower. Maybe he'd come to your aid.
:D

Always put enough on the hook so the fish will bite. ;)

[Cliff Rogers]

G'day Jules,

Get Cliff on the blower. Maybe he'd come to your aid.
:D

Always put enough on the hook so the fish will bite. ;)

OK, I'll bite.... Why me? :cool:

[vsquizz]

OK, I'll bite.... Why me? :cool:

Yeah..why Cliff...I just can't picture him topless in a mini skirt:eek:

[Cliff Rogers]

Yeah..why Cliff...I just can't picture him topless in a mini skirt:eek:

You want to buy some? :D

[Waldo]

G'day,

Well Cliff's up that way and with that avitar of his, he's gotta be a handsome bloke. Don't know how Doug would take it, but if Jules is up for it well... ;)

[masoth]

Studley 2436 said:
"In fact timber not being such a precise medium (god I use big words)....".
Now, me being another word man, wonder if ' precise medium' is an oxymoron? ;)

soth

[Cliff Rogers]

...Well Cliff's up that way ...

Hey? What are you on about??? :confused:
Brisbane is closer to Melbourne than it is to Cairns.

From Brisbane, QLD to Melbourne, VIC 1679.9 km
Approximate Driving Time 18 Hours 36 Minutes
From Brisbane, QLD to Cairns, QLD 1715 km
Approximate Driving Time 20 Hours 48 Minutes

[Waldo]

G'day Cliff,

I knew you'd come back with that, I''m well aware of the distances - just couldn't think of anyone else up North - even though Bundy is a fair way from Cairns.

:)

[ele__13]

MMMMm totally content with who ive got not saying cliff wouldnt look cute in a skirt BUT he really doesnt have the legs for it .... anyway back on track im happy getting beer out of the fridge for doug and doug getting cascade permium lite out of the fridge for me it works for me and for him...
but i spose it comes down to watever floats ur boat !!! cheers guys jules

[Driver]

MMMMm totally content with who ive got not saying cliff wouldnt look cute in a skirt BUT he really doesnt have the legs for it .... anyway back on track im happy getting beer out of the fridge for doug and doug getting cascade permium lite out of the fridge for me it works for me and for him...
but i spose it comes down to watever floats ur boat !!! cheers guys jules


Er .... Jules, listen ... if you and Doug are floating your boat in beer then I have to say, you're living far too high a life! ;) You'll find that water is much more economical.

[ele__13]

mmmm Driver thanks for the cheeky comments ur a good guy cheers jules