So Lonely

I’ve been purging my shop and tool chests of excess tools this week. But now I’m afraid some of my tools are “taking the hint” and leaving on their own.

This morning I set out to dovetail a walnut carcase and found that one of my beloved dividers , an old Brown & Sharpe , was AWOL. So I had to use some bigger, clunkier dividers in tandem with my Starrett (shown above) to lay things out.

I sawed out all the waste and reached for my drop-point knife to clean out the snot from the corners. No knife. Where the cuss is my knife?

I suspect that I’ve been traveling too much with my tools and these small items have been lost in the shuffle. The funny thing is that I need these little guys more than I need a table saw. They are steely psychological crutches.

Lucky for me, the Mid-west Tool Collectors Association is having meet down in Louisville this fall. So I should be able to make some new friends at the tool swap.

– Christopher Schwarz

Be a Joiner

– Someone had to hold a gun to my head to make me join French Club in high school. I never liked “groups” of “people.” But I have gotten over it. You should, too. If you aren’t a member of the Mid-West Tool Collectors Association you should remedy that right now. The first tool sale you go to will make you into a lifetime devotee. mwtca.org

– And while you have that wallet open, join the Early American Industries Association. Even if you don’t go to the meetings, you’ll stay a member if only to receive their quarterly, The Chronicle. eaiainfo.org