Intro to Harbor Freight: Well... It finally happened. Harbor Freight opened locally last fall. Pretty big store at that. We are replacing the interior doors here so yesterday I...

PhotoKurtz Loc: Carterville, IL

Well... It finally happened. Harbor Freight opened locally last fall. Pretty big store at that.

We are replacing the interior doors here so yesterday I suggested that we pick up a cheap router at HF... Donna's first exposure to HF was like a study in anthropology...

She (retired social worker) expected to see a blend of Lowe's and Home Depot... Her impression was more like " The Flintstones visit Harry's U-pull-it."

Knuckle d**ggers driving pickups without tailgates, with matching spouses and kids. I didn't show her the c**pons in my wallet.

What a hoot. Router came to $35 including bits.

Happy day!

Jeff

Texcaster Loc: Queensland

PhotoKurtz wrote:

Well... It finally happened. Harbor Freight opened... (show quote)

If it's an anthropological dig your wife is after the attic is a mother of a lode!

I keep three vehicles on the road, a new Mazda 3, a 2001 Mazda hatch and an almost vintage 1991 Holden/Isuzu Rodeo flatbed ute. The two oldies have been looked after by the same mechanic all these years. The flatbed is my burro and just too useful to retire. Sort of like me really. It was my cabinetmaking business workhorse. These days it still hauls cabinet/luthiery timber, firewood and water.

It's Been A Three Year Wait
http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-469058-1.html

More Firewood
http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-453415-1.html

For The Woodworkers
http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-424362-1.html

My Water Collection
http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-389722-1.html

PhotoKurtz Loc: Carterville, IL

Interesting stuff! Thanks for sharing.

GeorgeH Loc: Jonesboro, GA

Nice to see an Attic thread that didn't go nasty! Texcaster, thanks for your posts! I'm envious of you. You seem to have discovered your own paradise. So many of us as we aged have found our dreams up on the shelf, as Tori Amos wrote in her wonderful song, Winter See this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PDlGUdDF8Y

Texcaster Loc: Queensland

GeorgeH wrote:

Nice to see an Attic thread that didn't go nasty! Texcaster, thanks for your posts! I'm envious of you. You seem to have discovered your own paradise. So many of us as we aged have found our dreams up on the shelf, as Tori Amos wrote in her wonderful song, Winter See this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PDlGUdDF8Y

Cheers George, I've reached the point that I now know I'll never exhaust my cabinet/instrument timber before I cark it. Firewood and water are another matter.

skylane5sp Loc: Puyallup, WA

You make some beautiful instruments! Thanks for sharing.

Texcaster Loc: Queensland

skylane5sp wrote:

You make some beautiful instruments! Thanks for sharing.

Cheers skylane.

WNYShooter Loc: WNY

Texcaster wrote:

If it's an anthropological dig your wife is after ... (show quote)

You make some beautiful instruments!!! Do you have a sales outlet?

Shutterbugsailer Loc: Staten Island NY (AKA Cincinnati by the Sea)

GeorgeH wrote:

Nice to see an Attic thread that didn't go nasty! Texcaster, thanks for your posts! I'm envious of you. You seem to have discovered your own paradise. So many of us as we aged have found our dreams up on the shelf, as Tori Amos wrote in her wonderful song, Winter See this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PDlGUdDF8Y

Not surprising. No mention of sex, religion, race, politics, or guns. In fact this thread had no right being in the attic. Before it is moved to general chit chat, I am going to change that. Their brad point drill bits SUCK. Now it is deserving of attic status

WNYShooter Loc: WNY

Shutterbugsailer wrote:

Not surprising. No mention of sex, religion, race, politics, or guns. In fact this thread had no right being in the attic. Before it is moved to general chit chat, I am going to change that. Their brad point drill bits SUCK. Now it is deserving of attic status

Actually, much of their stuff is disposable after a couple of uses, especially their hand tools.

Shutterbugsailer Loc: Staten Island NY (AKA Cincinnati by the Sea)

WNYShooter wrote:

Actually, much of their stuff is disposable after a couple of uses, especially their hand tools.

That's the t***h with most of their items. However their higher end hand tools with the Pittsburgh Pro label are quite nice. They are also venturing into higher end cordless tools with their Bauer and Hercules brands. For those here who actually engage in photography, their Apache brand rugged cases order great protection at 1/3 to 1/2 the price of the Pelican cases sold elsewhere

GeorgeH Loc: Jonesboro, GA

WNYShooter wrote:

Actually, much of their stuff is disposable after a couple of uses, especially their hand tools.

Unfortunate. With Sears in a death spiral where do we go for moderately priced good quality hand tools? Sears was my go-to in the past.

idaholover Loc: Nampa ID

GeorgeH wrote:

Unfortunate. With Sears in a death spiral where do we go for moderately priced good quality hand tools? Sears was my go-to in the past.

Craftsman hand tools guaranteed for life.

Texcaster Loc: Queensland

WNYShooter wrote:

You make some beautiful instruments!!! Do you have a sales outlet?

Thanks WNY. I used to promote, show and sell my electric double basses and fiddles. My acoustic work is mostly for myself because I don't want to stand by them like I do the basses. http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-393630-1.html

Re the Sears posts above: My father, after an apprenticeship as a machinist, worked in sales for Sears his whole life. He was always going on about the quality of the Craftsman brand and Sears profit sharing plan for the employees.

Sears and Monkey Ward were the backbone of American fiddling. German 'trade instruments' are sought after as objects and as something to play.

https://maestronet.com/forum/index.php?/topic/319743-1902-violin-catalog-pages-sears/

Sears' Silvertone guitars and tube amps from the 50s and 60s are wanted as well. I stumbled upon this wide awake character and his beautiful Monkey Ward Sherwood Archtop while looking for western swing rhythm playing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv0Pgae8TUE&index=5&list=RDruh7yp29bbU

GeorgeH Loc: Jonesboro, GA

idaholover wrote:

Craftsman hand tools guaranteed for life.

Right you are! I've only made use of the guarantee once. But if Sears vanishes....