Rhyolith
Established Member
bugbear":29y4pq4s said:Rhyolith":29y4pq4s said:
Have seen a froe in use? Other simple versatile tools are the drawknife, and also our friend the chisel.
Many of the joints that are cut with specialised planes can be cut with a chisel (just watch Roy Underhill) but it takes more skill.
Rhyolite":29y4pq4s said:I would not see simpler makes for more versatile, not at all. Nor does it have a direct correlation with the skill required. Just think through a few simple and complex tools and it becomes clear quite rapidly... sorry I am being awkward #-o
Could you give examples to support your point?
The whole intent of many complex tools (e.g. a moving fillister, with fences for width and depth, and a build in nicker) is to provide control, so that the user doesn't have to. Otherwise, why would they be made?! A plain rebate plane is more versatile, but (...) harder to use.
BugBear
Yes I would count Froes in the exclusive club
Though the times I have use one it only started the split, the metal wedges and a lump hammer were probably responsible for the majority of the work. I would defiantly not count chisels in the same league as axes, even the massive slicks I have seen don't compare in terms of their capability to remove material... not sure a drawknife would either. Note: I am not saying there are not simple tools that are incredibly versatile. I am saying that a tool's complexity has no significant relation to its versatility, there are plenty of examples of complex tools being versatile and simple tools being not being versatile, as well as vice versa.
The obvious one are machines like lathes, however to avoid the argument that treadle lathes etc don't count as hand tools I will not use those as examples.
- A swiss army knife, compare it to a simple outdoor knife. Assuming both are well made I think there is little doubt which is more complicated and which is more versatile.
- A adjustable spanner, compare to a non-adjustable one. This is an excellent example as a slight addition in complexity massively increases versatilely
- Hand Drills, Yankee No.1530 or Millers Falls No.87 compared to simpler models. There defiantly more sophisticated and definitely more flexible.
North Brothers "Yankee" No.1530 by Rhyolith, on Flickr
Millers Falls No.87 by Rhyolith, on Flickr- A hand power bench grinder compared to an simple abrasive stone. Both are essentially capable of the same thing, however I would argue that the greater speed of the grider opens it up to engineering tasks (in my case grinding down washers) that would be impractical to do on the static stone.
The Luther by Rhyolith, on Flickr- A Spiral screwdriver vs a simpler equivalent... You certainly cannot drill holes with your simple common variety version.
In a similar vain the skill required to use a tool is utterly down to the individual tool, whether its simpler or complex makes no difference. The best examples are machines: just think of the amount you can achieve on an engineering lathe if your very skilled, it easily compares to an axe or knife. Thinking about it I would say that tools consisting of unguided blades tend to require high skill and provide incredibly versatility, for those alone I might almost agree with you; but thats a long way from being able to say simple = more versatile.
