Folks
I’ve added all the commercial listings that I have at the moment. More will surface, I have no doubt. After a brief foray into other things, I’ll get to work on the User Made section. Unless someone can come up with a better name for it, User Made it will be.
Gary
Replies
Oooooooooohhhhhh, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Pete
saliva and keyboards don't mix
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Real trucks dont have sparkplugs
Please be aware that I do not sell tools over this site. Therefore, any hard earned monies spent by viewers is and always will be categorically Not My Fault. GaryGary Roberts Dedham, MA USA http://toolemera.com http://toolemerablog.typepad.com/
Gary,
Please make a note on your website that if any of the tool makers want to send me one of their tools for free, I will post a review of it. I believe others will want in on this deal, but I asked first. :-)
If any of them balk at sending me a free tool, please remind them of the old saying: "It is better to give than to receive." If any of them believe you when you say this, let me know, and I will send you other things to say to them.
By the way, I am doing this more for you than for me. By having my reviews on your site, your readers will have better information, and they will like your web site better, and they will return to it more often. I just wanted you to know that I am only doing this for you.
Thanks,
Mel
Measure your output in smiles per board foot.
Golly Gee Thanks. I'll pass your recommendation along to everyone. I have not doubt that a Holtey plane or two will appear at your doorstep within a day or so. GaryGary Roberts Dedham, MA USA http://toolemera.com http://toolemerablog.typepad.com/
I, too, applaud your effort. Good luck with this, Gary.
I'm unclear on your intentions with the "User-made" page. Is this intended to be an inspirational page showing tools made by regular folk who have no intention of making similar tools for sale to others? Otherwise, wouldn't the "Kits" listings cover that?
Edited 7/2/2009 8:55 pm by RalphBarker
User-Made is a term brought over from the antique tool collecting world. I am trying to come up with a better term to describe tools that people make for their own use rather than for sale or for commercial gain. Hence.. user made. But it really doesn't describe the subject properly. Any ideas? GaryGary Roberts Dedham, MA USA http://toolemera.com http://toolemerablog.typepad.com/
"User-made" might be as good as anything for this context, as the usual "self-made" or "homemade" don't fully convey the non-commercial intent. Plus, some (many?) of the small-shop commercial toolmakers might actually be working at home.
Ralph My thoughts too. The title will stick until, or unless, I come up with something else. GaryGary Roberts Dedham, MA USA http://toolemera.com http://toolemerablog.typepad.com/
"Shop-made" might be an alternative to "user-made"
Hi Gary,
I think the site is wonderful - however I did see one omission - none other than our own Philip Marcou here at knots. Surely he is too bashful to be asked to be placed on the list - so I am nominating him for a spot along side the other great toolmakers listed on your site.
Take care,
Lee
dang... and here Philip did contact me. I forgot to add his site and will do so for the next update. My apologies to Msr. Marcou. GaryGary Roberts Dedham, MA USA http://toolemera.com http://toolemerablog.typepad.com/
Gary,
I would set it up so that when you click on a link that takes you off the handtoolmakers site, it opens up in a new window.
and www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com)
- Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Now that is a hot topic, and always has been in the web design community. Do you force people to open a new window or allow them to make their own choice in the browser preferences? At one time I set links to function as you suggest... the link opens in a new window. But, and it's a huge but, depending on the operating system and the particular browser, the user can choose to override these parameters. Sometimes the override results in a dead link or in windows behaving strangely, such as a window that opens shrunk to a tiny rectangle. That's why I opt for the lesser of the two evils. I leave it up to the viewer to choose what browser settings they want when it comes to controlling what happens with links. Not to mention tabs versus new windows. That's another option that I really don't want to delve into! Thanks for the suggestion and the feedback. GaryGary Roberts Dedham, MA USA http://toolemera.com http://toolemerablog.typepad.com/
Gary,When I look at the home page, this is what I see. On my site, to counteract this phenomenon I call "drifting", I had to convert all the text and photos into a single graphic. There's probably a better way, but I ain't no techie!Chris @ http://www.flairwoodworks.com and http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com)
- Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Chris,
I see the same thing when I open the page also.
Lee
Gotcha. It's the recurrent problem trying to design for Firefox, IE, Safari, Opera, Chrome and so on. I'll correct the mistake. It's more to do with CSS and tables and all those fun things. I'll take the easy way out and include the footer in the table instead of an html object. GaryGary Roberts Dedham, MA USA http://toolemera.com http://toolemerablog.typepad.com/
Hi Gary
I do not like the term "user-made". All tools we make for ourselves are "user-made". This can cover anything from the most crude, one-off jig or blade to a fancy-schmancy piece that would happy grace a museum stand. "User-made" just does not grab me as a name. It lack pizzazzzzz.
We talked about this on WoodNet. You picked up on "Shop Made". I think that is better than User Made. What about Galoot Made (or is that too close to Chris' "Galoot Tools" brand?)?
I'd call mine "Almostatool" :)
Regards from Perth
Derek
Derek Shop Made it shall be. Galoot Made would be too close to various existing titles, as well as peculiar to those of the outside world. As soon as I can fix a peculiar CSS glitch, I'll update the site to read Shop Made My thanks to Perth GaryGary Roberts Dedham, MA USA http://toolemera.com http://toolemerablog.typepad.com/
Just to be a contrarian, my shop has never made a tool on its own. ;-)
Perhaps your shop never made any tools because you: 1. never asked it to 2. didn't consider it's feelings when it came to tools 3. always turned off the lights when you left. How could any(thing) make tools in the dark? Tsk tsk tsk GaryGary Roberts Dedham, MA USA http://toolemera.com http://toolemerablog.typepad.com/
You might be correct on several points. But, doesn't using "you didn't ask" as an excuse show a lack of initiative on the part of my shop? Plus, the shop could always get the broom to turn on the lights (ala Disney's "The Sorcerer's Apprentice". ;-)
Shops are known for sitting around and waiting for someone to come in and do something. They rarely act on their own.Gary Roberts Dedham, MA USA http://toolemera.com http://toolemerablog.typepad.com/
Gary,
They rarely act on their own.
Ok, so what's your secret?
My woodshop is notorious for hiding my stuff when I'm not in there. It can't possibly be me.....................
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Speaking from extensive experience, I can truthfully say that workshops will hide tools and materials purely out of spite. Think about it. You turn off the lights, turn off the heat or AC. You only use the workshop when the mood strikes you or when there is a contract to fulfill. Otherwise you ignore the poor thing. Wouldn't you act out too? GaryGary Roberts Dedham, MA USA http://toolemera.com http://toolemerablog.typepad.com/
Gary, I have clicked the link on several of your postings and I always get the page not found message. Does the link provided work for others, or is there an error in the link? Thanks.
Bruce"A man's got to know his limitations." Dirty Harry Calahan
Hopefully I've corrected the problem in the signature. If you cannot get to other links, please let me know which they are and I'll troubleshoot them.
Edited 7/9/2009 12:17 am ET by Toolemera
Gary,
Here's a few more you might want to add to your list:
Barr Specialty Tools, maker of a variety of chisels
Knight Planes, high quality wooden planes
Gerd Fritsche, classic hand planes
Neil
Great recommendations. I'll add all three for the next update. ThanksGary Roberts Dedham, MA USA http://toolemera.com http://toolemerablog.typepad.com/
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