# Question Of The Week... ( 2016 Week 12 )



## ripjack13 (Mar 20, 2016)

*

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*Is it all about the tools or the wood? *
Please explain your choice or thought process....if you had one.

 


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## justallan (Mar 20, 2016)

At my skill level I'd say both, I need every break I can get.
I feel those that are more driven than myself can work magic with less than I have in woodcrafting and have all the respect in the world for them.
My hang-up is all of the "unknowns" and "surprises" in each and every piece of wood. Rarely do I turn something that looks the same as the pic in my head when I started, but I still try a little anyhow.
As for tools, I feel there are places that you can skimp and places that you can't.
Good question this week, I'll be watching this one.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Nature Man (Mar 20, 2016)

Wood comes first, as some pieces don't even require a tool, for instance driftwood. But tools are necessary to optimize the eventual outcome of most creations. Chuck

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## Mike1950 (Mar 20, 2016)

Looks like at this point I am solo- it is about the wood. No matter how good the tools if you have crappy wood you are doomed. Look back at historical pieces and their tools. Pretty crude tools turned beautiful pieces of wood into beautiful things. Ya have to add a might bit of talent- imagination and skill also.

Reactions: Like 3 | Agree 2


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## Tclem (Mar 20, 2016)

It's all about talented awesome hands that I process and the genius mind of mine that can create the most beautiful master pieces off all time.

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 1


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## Mike1950 (Mar 20, 2016)

Tclem said:


> It's all about talented awesome hands that I process and the genius mind of mine that can create the most beautiful master pieces off all time.



Might add full-of-it also................

Reactions: Agree 4 | Funny 2


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## Tony (Mar 20, 2016)

It's mostly about the wood. You can have the right wood and with very simple, crude tools, make something beautiful. (I can't, but it can be done.) However, if you have the wrong or ugly wood, no tools will make it look right IMO. Tony

Reactions: Like 2


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## rocky1 (Mar 20, 2016)

1.) I'd have to agree with Mike to a certain extent... Great works were made with simple tools, therefore it's about the wood. Tools simply make it easier. But by the same respect, it's not ALL about the wood, because...

2.) There is however a need for tools, unless you're a beaver! And...

3.) Tony likewise has a point, up to a point... You can give the finest tools in the world, and the most beautiful stock to have ever graced the face of the earth to some citified dweeb who's never held a hammer, and they would lack the skills to build even a fire with it.


It is the proper balance of tools, wood, imagination, patience, and skill that create masterful works. Give a true artist of wood a spruce 2x4 and tools and he'll create a work of art with it. Give a chimpanzee tools and the most beautiful piece of mahogany in the world, and he'll pound nails in it.

Reactions: Like 3 | Agree 1


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## Mike1950 (Mar 20, 2016)

rocky1 said:


> 1.) I'd have to agree with Mike to a certain extent... Great works were made with simple tools, therefore it's about the wood. Tools simply make it easier. But by the same respect, it's not ALL about the wood, because...
> 
> 2.) There is however a need for tools, unless you're a beaver! And...
> 
> ...



I agree but No need to insult @Brink .......

Reactions: Funny 3


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## Brink (Mar 20, 2016)

WHAT!!!!

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 5


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## duncsuss (Mar 20, 2016)

All of the above. Anyone who thinks you don't need something more than a bowl gouge to hollow out a form taller than 8 inches has either brass ones or never tried it

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 2


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## Mike1950 (Mar 20, 2016)

duncsuss said:


> All of the above. Anyone who thinks you don't need something more than a bowl gouge to hollow out a form taller than 8 inches has either brass ones or never tried it




http://www.turningtools.co.uk/history2/history-turning2.html

Reactions: Like 1


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## Blueglass (Mar 20, 2016)

Cut it twice and still too short, dag nab it!

Reactions: Like 2


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## CWS (Mar 20, 2016)

Depends on where the wood comes from. If it comes from Texas, then it's the wood.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## duncsuss (Mar 20, 2016)

Mike1950 said:


> http://www.turningtools.co.uk/history2/history-turning2.html



Mike, I might have missed it, but I don't see anything in there along the lines of this

Reactions: Like 1


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## Mike1950 (Mar 20, 2016)

duncsuss said:


> Mike, I might have missed it, but I don't see anything in there along the lines of this



Did not say nor imply that - but my point was long before we had modern tools they were makin very cool stuff out of wood.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Kevin (Mar 20, 2016)

For me wood is most important. But I disagree that tools were crude back in the day when victorian era and other period works of art were created. Those Masters used state of the art tools and they were not crude even by today's standards. They also were as good at making some of their own tools especially special tools and maintaining their own tools as they were at creating the works of art that they did. Their steel might not have been as good as what we have today (except in Japan) but they just sharpened more often then we have to today.

Tools are important, but not nearly as important as the wood because an skilled craftsman can produce good results with less than good tools..

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## woodtickgreg (Mar 20, 2016)

Chicken or the egg? Wood or the tools? Obviously the wood came first and the tools where made to work the wood, but? For me my wood working journey started with the tools when I was a kid in junior high school. We had a nice shop in my school in San Diego. I was fascinated with the tools at a young age as a total beginner. The wood I used was almost always pine with all the knots and imperfections, it didn't make much sense for the school to provide great woods to students that had no clue and where still learning. I made a ton of stuff out of the pine and figured out many ways to color, stain, and finish it to make it beautiful and something that I was proud to take home and show my mom. Power tools where it for me when I started out, my favorites where the router, scrollsaw, bandsaw, and belt sander, I didn't discover the lathe and better woods untill high school. My fascination with tools still continues today in many ways, I love old american iron and hand tools. My hand tool collection is starting to grow and I am almost at the end of my wood working journey of life. I still dream of retiring someday and tinkering in my shop everyday to stay busy and stay alive. I still get great satisfaction out of restoring and old tool, power or hand, and then using it. And then the day came that I started milling lumber with a chainsaw mill, and that really opened my eyes up to the wood. I was seeing things for the first time that I never saw in the lumber yard. Sometimes I think I enjoy the milling more than the wood working, until I make something with the wood I harvested and the tools that I restored. This last couple of years has been spent building a new shop in my spare time when I have it and I have enjoyed all of that too and the tools needed to do the work. So I guess for me I havta vote both just because of my passions and not for overthinking it or being politically correct. We like what we like.

Reactions: Like 2


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## Schroedc (Mar 20, 2016)

This is definitely a chicken/egg question,

It's not so much whether or not they are power tools as they are halfway decent tools. As far as the wood goes, it's all about using the proper materials for your hoped for outcome or finished product use. The trick is to combine the two and get what you want. Basic pine 2x6's will give you a gorgeous house in the end where the same wood for a bowl might look like dookie.

Reactions: Like 2


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## kweinert (Mar 21, 2016)

Yes.

For all the reasons other folks have already said. I agree with them all.

Reactions: Like 1


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## MKTacop (Mar 21, 2016)

The wood. The tools are just the method of fully showing it's beauty. With out the wood, tools are just expensive paperweights.

Reactions: Like 1


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