Details are being finalized for the upcoming Tool Event hosted by Lie-Nielsen, and I think it's going to be a fascinating weekend.
There will be three different hand tool makers /companies setting up their wares and sharing their knowledge and techniques with us - here are some details.
But first - I think it's important to remember something when you look at these tools - these are not your average run-of-the-mill tools that can be bought at Home Depot or Lowes. (It's almost sacrilegious to mention them in the the same sentence.) These are tools that are designed to last a lifetime. In fact - they all have lifetime guarantees.
But here's the bigger point - how many times have you purchased something and it breaks? Maybe not immediately, but - it the fact is - doesn't last. And so a few years later - you end up buying another. And another. I have a few things in mind that have done just that - everything from vacuum cleaners to spindle sanders, and a lot more.
Frankly - I'm at the point where I'd appreciate just spending more to buy it once. Every tool has a bit of a learning curve, and I'd like to develop that relationship just once, rather than having to learn the intricacies of a lot of lesser tools, only to have them break and be cast aside later, when I purchase something better.
This tool event is about just that - switching over to quality that will last a lifetime. Is it time for you to think about that?
Infill plane maker Juan Vergara from California will be demonstrating his amazing handmade planes,
and if you've never beauty in motion, here's your opportunity. Juan's been quoted as saying that he aims to make the best plane on the planet, and it's quite possible he's doing just that. Using quarter sawn, air-dried wood that has seasoned for at least five years - he crafts his planes - using 12,000 grit micro-mesh abrasives to create an unrivaled finish. It takes more than a month to make one of his planes, and his two-part process is discussed here and here. We don't often have the chance to hold perfection of our hands, but after seeing and reading about his tools, one thing is certain.
His planes represent more than simply a woodworking tool.
Kevin of Glen-Drake Tools, an amazing toolmaker out of Fort Bragg, California, will also be joining us for the tool event. His specialty tools include handsaws, lathe tools, marking gauges and a variety of hand tools - all constructed to last a lifetime.
Here's a great example - his joinery saw deluxe set comes with three blades, perfect for crosscutting or ripping, and in a variety of teeth configurations. I think it's cool to note that this blade is reversible, so can it can be used on a pull or push stroke. Kevin has perfected every detail about this saw - everything from the geometry of how it is used, to the teeth layout on it. Again – it's easy to buy lesser priced saws that don't work as promised, and end up abandoned in a drawer. Add up the price of those unused tools and then consider what it costs to start out doing things the right way from the very beginning.
Kevin requested a lathe for his presentation, so I'm assuming he'll be showing us some of his turning tools - including skews and his duckbill, used like a gouge for turning beads, coves and other contour cuts. Want to be a better turner? Come and watch Kevin demo his tools.
On a side note - I'm considering adding one of Kevin's chisel hammers to my hammer collection. I don't even have A particular need for this hammer, but for me - it's like collecting the work of art. I might have to bust open the piggy bank...
And finally - the company that's pulling it altogether - Lie Nielsen.
It's not an exaggeration to say that they're world-renowned, known for making some of the best tools on the planet. Woodworkers seek out their planes and chisels, and no doubt - produce better work using them.
I hope you have a chance to experience this event - the first one ever held in Las Vegas.
Join us October 17 - 18, 2014
There will be three different hand tool makers /companies setting up their wares and sharing their knowledge and techniques with us - here are some details.
But first - I think it's important to remember something when you look at these tools - these are not your average run-of-the-mill tools that can be bought at Home Depot or Lowes. (It's almost sacrilegious to mention them in the the same sentence.) These are tools that are designed to last a lifetime. In fact - they all have lifetime guarantees.
But here's the bigger point - how many times have you purchased something and it breaks? Maybe not immediately, but - it the fact is - doesn't last. And so a few years later - you end up buying another. And another. I have a few things in mind that have done just that - everything from vacuum cleaners to spindle sanders, and a lot more.
Frankly - I'm at the point where I'd appreciate just spending more to buy it once. Every tool has a bit of a learning curve, and I'd like to develop that relationship just once, rather than having to learn the intricacies of a lot of lesser tools, only to have them break and be cast aside later, when I purchase something better.
This tool event is about just that - switching over to quality that will last a lifetime. Is it time for you to think about that?
Infill plane maker Juan Vergara from California will be demonstrating his amazing handmade planes,
and if you've never beauty in motion, here's your opportunity. Juan's been quoted as saying that he aims to make the best plane on the planet, and it's quite possible he's doing just that. Using quarter sawn, air-dried wood that has seasoned for at least five years - he crafts his planes - using 12,000 grit micro-mesh abrasives to create an unrivaled finish. It takes more than a month to make one of his planes, and his two-part process is discussed here and here. We don't often have the chance to hold perfection of our hands, but after seeing and reading about his tools, one thing is certain.
His planes represent more than simply a woodworking tool.
Kevin of Glen-Drake Tools, an amazing toolmaker out of Fort Bragg, California, will also be joining us for the tool event. His specialty tools include handsaws, lathe tools, marking gauges and a variety of hand tools - all constructed to last a lifetime.
Here's a great example - his joinery saw deluxe set comes with three blades, perfect for crosscutting or ripping, and in a variety of teeth configurations. I think it's cool to note that this blade is reversible, so can it can be used on a pull or push stroke. Kevin has perfected every detail about this saw - everything from the geometry of how it is used, to the teeth layout on it. Again – it's easy to buy lesser priced saws that don't work as promised, and end up abandoned in a drawer. Add up the price of those unused tools and then consider what it costs to start out doing things the right way from the very beginning.
Kevin requested a lathe for his presentation, so I'm assuming he'll be showing us some of his turning tools - including skews and his duckbill, used like a gouge for turning beads, coves and other contour cuts. Want to be a better turner? Come and watch Kevin demo his tools.
On a side note - I'm considering adding one of Kevin's chisel hammers to my hammer collection. I don't even have A particular need for this hammer, but for me - it's like collecting the work of art. I might have to bust open the piggy bank...
And finally - the company that's pulling it altogether - Lie Nielsen.
It's not an exaggeration to say that they're world-renowned, known for making some of the best tools on the planet. Woodworkers seek out their planes and chisels, and no doubt - produce better work using them.
Just as you would head to a gallery to see painting by a master, viewing their line of tools allows you to experience something that many people miss out on in this lifetime.
Join us October 17 - 18, 2014
Friday (10am - 6pm) and Saturday (10am - 5pm)
2267 West Gowan Road
Suite 106
North Las Vegas, NV 89032
