On Tuesday, February 9, 2016 at 3:00:23 AM UTC-6, OFWW wrote:

I appreciate all your words of wisdom. Anyone reading it should pay
attention. There has been a few times when I bought tools for my
normal trade and shouldn't have, but it seemed like a good option at
the time.

Thanks... but rereading it, it could have been more clear. That's what happens when you are typing and answering the phone!

We have all bought tools we didn't need to begin with, or no longer need. We have all bought tools that we simply "want". (Nothing wrong with that!) It is a lovely feeling to pick up a tool and think "man, I really like using that XXX", and it makes you smile when you use it.

little. My super duper router bit set, which I hung onto for dear life
now turns out to be crap, they had no bearings, just bushings, no
carbide, just High speed steel, which at the time was about all there
was to buy. Only one or two bits where used and it ends up as money
down the drain, but I am not sorry I bought them as I had good
intentions.

NOT money down the drain. If for no other reason, they guilted you into using them so you could get going with your router! I have a of router bits for different uses, and over the years (starting in 1975) have used my share of steel bits. Nothing wrong with them. They don't hold an edge as well, and they don't have all the fancy profiles we have come to expect, but they work fine. I used to buy SEARS router bits (made by Stanley) back in the 70s, and we would use them a lot and just figured that we would be doing a little more cleanup sanding at the end of the bit's life. Don't know if anyone here has been doing this long enough to remember this, but working in the shop we used to take the blade off the table saw every night and put it in a tray of kerosene. When we were doing dadoes, rabbets and edging profiles (all we used a router for) we would drop the bits in the tray as well. By morning, we could take a toothbrush and clean off all the resin and glue buildup easily. Clean bits and blades last surprisingly well!

In any event, I need to learn on what I have, like you say, and let
the project needs drive the updating on tools. I have also been buying
some good books on Joints and I totally love the feeling of good hand
tools.

You know, at the encouragement of some of my older buddies, I have considered putting together a video or some sort of instruction on how we used to build cabinets without a shop or even a lot of tools. A router, a good circular saw, a drill, pipe clamps and a miter saw were all we used, and we turned out good cabinets, completely serviceable and some even pretty!

At this point, if I were you, I would be enjoying the ride. I started like you by nailing old pieces of scrap together, taking pieces of this or that out of the trash to make things using my Dad's forbidden tools when he wasn't around. For years, I was totally enthralled with wood working and took shop classes and worked on some of the neighbor's projects. The very worst and at the same time best thing to happen was for me to do woodworking professionally, full time as a trade. Eventually, you get tired of anything, and then when you have to do it to pay your bills, it is work. No longer fun.

My power tools are aligned, lubed, and in good shape. I don't
know if I will be able to reach the skill levels of Karl, Leon,
Yourself and others here, but it won't be from lack of trying and
doing.

I wouldn't give that another thought for a couple of reasons. First, if YOU enjoy it and you feel like things are going well, to hell with everyone else! I know Karl and Leon both well enough to know that without being the slightest bit patronizing, they feel the same way.

You may never be as good, but on the other hand, you might be better! You might never be as good because you cannot have the same opportunity to do the same task over and over until you get it right (and in turn finally get paid) for doing a certain task. When I bid the woodworking part of a job that I will be doing as a contractor, I bid it to be accomplished in the most expeditious manner, with the best results (a result I can put my name on), never with a thought of any kind of enjoyment. I have little love for woodworking anymore. So be thankful that you don't have the practice it takes to excel.

On the other hand, I have seen some really good, a few things excellent from hobbyists. The difference? The good craftsmen take the time to get their projects as perfect as they can, and learn more every time they make something. They have a passion (that 40+ years of doing something burns out)to learn, enjoy and try new things. Every little detail has been addressed with consideration and the executed to the best of their abilities. I have actually seen hobby/project guys that turn out work better than "professionals". The big difference I have observed is that they still love what they are doing enough to take the time to get it right. They might easily take 5 times longer than a "pro" to do the same task, but in the end they get a great result.

Thanks again for your post!

It was just meant to be a bit of encouragement. Too many times I have seen hobby guys sit inert because they didn't have this or that tool. Hang around here and post your questions or remarks, and ask for help when you need it. You won't find a better resource on the 'net for advice than here. Still quite a few folks that hang out here that have a huge amount of experience.

Robert