“No Net New” in 2016: Or How I Stopped Buying Tools and Started Using Them

Hi, I’m Joe. I’m a tool-a-haulic. It’s been 116 days since I last purchased a tool.

New tool abstinence is not an original idea. In fact it’s not even my idea. I heard Shannon Rogers talk about the concept of not buying any new tools for one year right around Christmas time. Instantly I knew what I had to do. My self-imposed rules are simple:

1. Nothing net-new. If a tool I have breaks, I can replace it. But I cannot add a tool, sharpening stone, cyclone attachment, etc to my collection
2. Shop made tools are okay as long as they replace something. I made most of the planes I use. Some are not ideal and I’d like to remake them. As long as I re-use the iron, it’s acceptable.
3. Consumables are exempt

I had just filled a 10 cubic yard dumpster with most of my scraps, broken tools, worn out jigs, and anything that had pissed me off in the last few months. My 2 car garage shop was looking pretty clean and de-cluttered.

.
I put some effort into organizing my hand tool area a bit better. I re-made my marking gauges and squares in a matching theme, and got all my hand tools in one place. I don’t like cabinets (which I will discuss in another post) so I hung everything on the wall.

This is it most of it:

All of my most used tools are right there on the wall. 5 steps from my benches (yes I have two). These are the tools I use the most and are involved in almost every project. To the right of my bench, I have a small Japanese-style chest with my No.45 and it’s cutters, spoke shaves, rasps, carving gouges and other miscellany.

So, how’s it going?

Pretty well actually. I’m about 5 months in and the pangs I see when that 25.00 moving fillister shows up in a Facebook group still hurt. However I’m really learning to use my tools, and more importantly leaning limitations. Both of myself and the tools. So far the results have not been surprising and I will go into more detail on subsequent blog posts.

Have any of you ever tied this? How did it go? Will you be my Sponsor?