"Mike Girouard" wrote in message
om...
"It's a poor workman who blames his own tools."

How many times have we heard THAT old chestnut? The broad implication
is that talent and ability should be able to overcome sub-standard
tools.

Well, not necessarily sub-standard tools. There is and always has been a
point beyond which talent and skill could not prevail over pure junk. It's
really more of a case where acceptable tools get tagged as sub-standard
because of a lack of skill, talent, or patience.

Last night I realized for the first time that the expression
was coined a LONG time before power tools even existed.


Yup, but it's as applicable today as it was back then. A lot of what we
demand in a tool today, especially as we get more into our hobbies,
sidelines, or whatever, really does not have that much to do with turning
out a good product. Not to harp on a point, but the laser is a good
example. It's rapidly gaining acceptance and soon will achieve the level of
must-have. It really offers nothing to the woodworker in terms of quality
product, but even now you're beginning to hear that it contributes to
quality work. At some point a bad cut will be blamed on a miter saw that
didn't have a laser. Shame.

I now believe that a good workman is fully entitled to blame his tools
whenever he gets a ****ty result. Makes me feel better, anyway.


Despite everything else that could be said about it, this is absolutely
true.
--

-Mike-