November Contest: Beaver Tools

[TJtools]

I have enjoyed reading the responses to this contest.  It has been a hoot and relieved the stress of teaching ninth graders.

The below plan is one I share with customer at my part time job who occasionally ask for input on disguising new purchases:
step 1:  store new purchases at the shop or home of one of your church elders
step 2:  retrieve purchase some weeks later
step 3:  when asked about the new tool, truthfully reply how the tool is not new, but that you have owned it for some time

Thanks Beaver Tools, and good idea.

Don

this is the kind of stuff we're lookin for. 

 

[JeromeM]

Good Afternoon,

The new theme of the contest is as follows:
"Most creative way to hide tool purchases from your spouse, OR how to convince your spouse to buy tools."

Stay in touch,
Matthew

Sorry this not a light a story as the intention of this month, but it is a true one.

My wife and I are saving to build our own house. When we have enough cash we can start I will have to finish work retire and be a full time site supervisor.

Until about 4 weeks ago I had had about enough money saved (in Kaupthing Singer & Friedlander IoM )  to ensure we would be able to live on my savings after building. Then the British government started a run on the Icelandic banks by saying they could not pay all depositors, put them into administration and by that caused Iceland to be bankrupted. This has probably cost me more than half my life savings.

The up side of this has been that now SWMBO now says "I am going to buy you all the Festools you  want because at least then you will at least have some really great toys to play with. And we will have something rather than nothing"

So out of the darkest times some good things can happen. :-\

 

[Frank Pellow]

Sorry about your savings Jerome, but you certainly seem to have the right "carry on" spirit about it. 

I am retired and, in the last two months, we have, on paper, lost about 25% of our savings but that is not nearly a big a loss as yours.  I hope that we will see the money we have lost some day, but we have adjusted our plans so as to not count on it.

 

[Enrico74]

Personally, I don't have to hide anything from my wife because she is the one that buys everything.
At first she brought this fine electric bread knife, that has proven to be very superior to the previous manual one. Perfectly regular slices with (almost) no splinters. For now she only regrets not to have chosen the 75mm version that would have been helpful for toasts.

[attachthumb=1]

Then, convinced by the quality of the first one, she could not help to get another of these wonderful tools. So she got the famous domino duster with its rotating, oscillating brush. Works like a charm on most surfaces. German-class aspiration.

[attachthumb=2]

Finally, she bought the hand mixer, 1400W, chantilly cream master. Of course she had to buy the optional chrome beater, item #412974, 200 bucks only.

[attachthumb=3]

She is so pleased with these that she even let me take them to the garage for some woodworking... provided I take them back to the kitchen quickly...
8)

Thomas

 

[Matthew Schenker]

Thomas,
Now that's good!  Really ups the ante on the contest!
Thanks for your post.
Matthew

 

[Matthew Schenker]

Good Morning,
Hey, anyone else have a creative entry for this month?

Have some fun with this...
Make people smile...
Win a free tool!

Matthew

 

[Mike_Chrest]

Domino Duster!!!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

 

[robtonya]

I just have to tell my wife that I bought them at Beaver tools, and she knows I got the best deal. ;D ;D ;D

 

[mhoy]

I think my wife knows there is a problem all that you are about to read has occurred this November... I blame Festool, Ebay and Microsoft Live for my problems.

I found a used TS 55 EQ and rail on Ebay, it arrived in a well packaged box but the rail got a bit dinged. I used it to trim an outside 1 3/4" door without any trouble (other than 1/8" too short) but heck I can't blame the saw for that.    Might nice work this Festool stuff, I should look around and see what else Ebay has for sale. Another night while looking around Ebay what should show up but a nice Rotex 150 sander, just what I need!!! A short time later another box arrives at the house. Just a sander honey.  Used it a bit outside, hmmmm, it sure would be nice to have a dust collector for the next time I use it... so start looking around Ebay a bit more.  Then Jim Hart tells me about this Microsoft Live search cash back thing. I try it out on a mini-Systainer with apron. Hey, it works. Well Jim just happens to have a nice used CT 22 with a "Buy It Now". A short time later another big box arrives. Whoo hoo. this works very nice with the sander.  Fix up a table in the atrium with it and no dust. I can't believe it, why didn't I get one of these as the first items in my home shop!

Well this cash back thing seems too good to last, so I had better save some more money and what do I see, a used CDD 12 drill. OK it's not the latest and greatest but looks to be in good shape and has the "Buy It Now", hmmmmm, it has two batteries and I'm down to only one portable drill in the garage. A short time later another box arrives and I think my wife is starting to get worried...  No worries I say, I'm saving some serious money here honey.  I'll rebuild the kitchen for you as soon as I get a couple more tools.

Now the FOG forum suggests that the Domino is the best thing since sliced bread. Ah HA, one is for sale on Ebay with a "Buy it Now", a little bit more than I expected, but heck 25% off makes it OK right. Of course I say, (talking my self into this is pretty easy by now).  A short time later, what should arrive but a pristine Domino DF 500Q. I mean I don't think this has ever seen a piece of wood before, guess the price was OK after all. 

I'm still on the lookout for a MFT/3 and a router but I think I had better stop the home deliveries for a while... Hmm, Woodcraft isn't too far away and I can fit things in the back of the station wagon. Got to run....

Mark

 

[bijeshj]

I don't try to hide anything from my wife, I just tell her that I sold something else to finance something new. I generally point out to her that a package will come home on a certain day and I saved money by selling something for more money that I paid for whats in the package 

Works, since she never double checks even if we have no more space in our garage  ;D

Bijesh

 

[peter halle]

Hello everyone,

Although it seems that the majority are against hiding tool purchases from their significant others, in the spirit of the contest I offer the following in two parts due to the phtographs included.  This may have other applications, but its use to deceive your significant other is at your own risk.  Whereas we all have a little green flowing thru our veins, this project was designed to hide Festools in their systainers, or sortainers.

This project was constructed using scrap on hand and can be easily adapted by anyone in this forum for their own purpose / situation.  Festools used in the project include mft3, ts55, domino, ras 115, rotex 160.  Other tools - cordless drill, kreg pocket hole jig.

I call it STEALTH TAINER.

Since I got my mft3 I have had the need to support longer boards while cutting.  My idea was to create a useful item that would fit the parameter of the contest, yet be useful afterwards.  So here goes.  I don't have a shop like most, so I need to be portable.

[attachimg=#]

Using scrap plywood, dominos for alignment, and pocket screws for fastening, construct a three sided box. 

[attachimg=#]

I sized mine to fit around a systainer and as tall as the mft3 table. 

[attachimg=#]

I decided I wanted to have a recessed area at the top to hold a systainer or tools while using the mft3.  So...

[attachimg=#]

Nothing difficult here at all.  As you can see from the rear, you now have an area to hide your new purchases in their systainers.  All you need to do is change the width and depth to allow for drawer slides, add a bottom shelf, drawer slides, and sliding shelves and you have a systainer port.   Adapt it to your wants, needs, and space and you are started.  You have something that looks like a plywood box  when it backed up to a wall.  But this is so boring,  so stay tuned to part two.

Peter

 

[peter halle]

So now the fun begins.  As people interested in Festool, we have heard that the advantages are in the system.  Likewise we well know all about accessories.  Here are some ideas for all of you to use when customizing your stealth ports or stealth tainers.

Question 1.  What do most people have in the shops that we Festoolians don't?  Hint:

[attachimg=#]

Answer:

[attachimg=#]

Question 2.  What do all woodworkers have in their shops including us with the green blood?

Answer: 

[attachimg=#]

How can we quickly use our stealth tainer for useful purposes?

Answer:

[attachimg=#]

But it looks so new.  Try this for aging it a little.

[attachimg=#]

Variety is the spice of life I'm told. I am also told that you never have too much storage.  So the accessories are easily stored for rotation or for future use.

[attachimg=#]

Once your other is accustomed to your spending habits - or is no longer in the picture - it's easily broken down for storage.  For those of you in areas where you worry about the safety of your treasured green tools, have you ever read in the newspapaer about someone stealing scrap wood or sawdust?  Just a thought.

If it weren't for that darned orange drill, all the power tools used would have been Festool.  Darn.

Remember - deceive at your own risk.

Peter

 

[robtonya]

Great one Peter!

 

[Mike_Chrest]

Stealth Tainers!!! ;D ;D ;D  Woo Hoo!!! But how do you sneak the real systainers into the stealth-tainers?

 

[peter halle]

Mike,

Possibilities include:  a large clean trash can.  Maybe doubled or tripled contractor trash bags.  Bribe the UPS driver.  Make up labels to resemble Victoria Secrets' and plaster them all over the marking on the box.  If you choose this route you had better get something from that store or else hading tools will be the least of your worries.  Darkness of night.  Wait till they are in the shower.  Have your tool delivered to a very trusted friend and him / her bring over the new tool and leave with the empty shipping box.  The possibilities are endless.

Peter

 

[Mike_Chrest]

  Make up labels to resemble Victoria Secrets' and plaster them all over the marking on the box.

This has possibilities 8)

 

[Matthew Schenker]

Good Morning,
OK, all the entries are in, and we'll be hearing about the winner very soon!

Thanks to everyone who posted an entry, and a big thank you to TJ and friends at Beaver Tools for sponsoring this month's contest.

Now, let's see who won the prize...

Stay tuned,
Matthew

 

[Matthew Schenker]

Good Morning,
We have a winner!

Click here to see who it is...

Matthew