PastorFranc

I have just finished watching today's NYW piece on building kitchen cabinets, and I am reminded of Norm's skill as well as his ability to convey his knowledge in a very useful way. Most of the tools in my workshop were purchased because Norm used something like them, and the clamping techniques I use came from Norm's projects. I have a few DVDs, and now I'll want more since I won't be seeing Norm on Public TV.

Few people can claim to have made a positive difference in so many peoples lives, and I am thankful for Norm's contribution.

An August storm blew rain into the first floor of our home and it ran down into the workshop below covering a number of power tools. The insurance company adjuster said that they should be scrapped, but I was particularly fond of the Craftsman 12.5" planer and the Porter Cable plunge router, so I took them to a repair shop where I was promptly told again to throw them away and get a new tool. Perhaps I have grown sentimental about my tools, but the all-steel Craftsman planer with only two cutting knives does a beautiful job, and I know exactly how to set up my work to produce good results. I don't want a new learning curve trying to figure out how to make a plastic DeWalt do the work at a quality level I can accept. And the plunge router is a beautiful piece of equipment that seems to fit in my hand and produce beautiful work every time I use it. Is it cheaper to buy replacements? Sure, but I don't think the equation should be based on cost alone.