Tool offers / rent

[Fanous]

I'd like to build a database of people who posses woodworking tools, and would be willing to let other Woodworkers (who don't have the tools) stop by in their workshop, and help them out, by either letting them use the tool, or do few things for them. For example, I've got a nice jointer/thicknesser, and I'd be happy to run few boards through for someone who doesn't have that tool.

Some of you might recognise the idea, and you would be correct. It's been here under a different name, and got deleted by admins, as it was seen as promotion of payed service. As a result of that, this thread shall be considered unpaid help.

If you would like to chip in, please leave a note below, and I shall add you to the list. Please list your tools and rough location (say nearest city), and any extra info you want.

Thanks.

NOTE - The assumption is that you as owner operate the tool. Not the person asking for help!
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Database
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Fanous - planer/thicknesser & more - Daventry
Cabinetman - large planer/thicknesser, large table saw, morticer, spindle moulder + all the normal stuff - Grimsby NE Lincs ares

 

[Astrobits]

Many 'Mens Sheds' have equipment that is available for use. I am sure that most would happily help with the odd job, possibly for some sort of donation if you don't want to join the Shed. Facilities vary from Shed to Shed, my local one ( Burnham and Highbridge Mens Shed, Somerset) has most everything needed:- table saw, bench planer, thicknesser, router table, mitre saw, bandsaw, lathe, and plenty of hand tools ( powered and otherwise).
Nigel

 

[Doug B]

I’d be very dubious of letting anyone I didn’t know into my workshop let alone allowing them to use my tools, I have no insurance if they injure themselves using my equipment on my premises & no doubt HSE would have a field day if they did plus what’s to say they aren’t casing the joint while doing a bit of woodwork?

Sorry if I sound negative regarding the idea but if nothing else you could end up pretty out of pocket one way or another if only at best just with tooling costs from wear & tear on blades etc.

 

[Ollie78]

I am reminded of many amusing toolbox stickers along the lines of
"I value my tools as you value your wife..."
and "serious injury may result if you touch my tools"
My personal favourite " touch my tools and I will dung in your lunchbox" .

My Dad was a toolmaker and during the apprenticeship it was drummed into everyone that borrowing tools was a cardinal sin not to be tolerated.
I tend to agree with this.

Another related issue, my friend lent out his 18v circular saw to someone who promptly removed most of his thumb with it ! They patched him all up but it will never be the same.

Hire companies have insurance and user agreements due to this sort of thing.

Ollie

 

[Sideways]

There are so many potential risks with this idea.
I only respect one bloke enough to trust him with my tools. Anyone I've known less than a year and aren't certain that they share my own values, no chance !
And why would anyone trust you to be IT competent and not have some tea leaf use your database as a shopping list after you get hacked ?
The men's shed idea is more useful. There are a lot of them these days and they tend to be on the lookout for projects to earn some extra income.

 

[clogs]

Fanous
u can add me to ur data base.....but a long way from the UK....
it'll be at least 6 months before the w/shop is built and the 3 phase supply installed..
Prof w/shop full of wood machines plus the same again in DIY type machines
20inch plan/thick, Wadkin 8" jointer, Wadkin RS and Poolwood lathes...4hp spindle...
lrg band saw....everything except a vert mortiser.....will be adding a 14-16 inch panel saw n 20" bandsaw soon....
plus a full prof engineering metal shop machines....
guarded by 3 lrg dogs n 12 gauge......on a very private road away from neighbours......

 

[deema]

Fanous
u can add me to ur data base.....but a long way from the UK....
it'll be at least 6 months before the w/shop is built and the 3 phase supply installed..
Prof w/shop full of wood machines plus the same again in DIY type machines
20inch plan/thick, Wadkin 8" jointer, Wadkin RS and Poolwood lathes...4hp spindle...
lrg band saw....everything except a vert mortiser.....will be adding a 14-16 inch panel saw n 20" bandsaw soon....
plus a full prof engineering metal shop machines....
guarded by 3 lrg dogs n 12 gauge......on a very private road away from neighbours......

Core Blimey mate, just need the address and to know how good access is / lighting / security and I can borrow those tools on a permanent basis!

 

[Bm101]

It's a nice idea in theory. Bit like communism would be fantastic if it worked. But ideas based on common good are great 'til actual people get involved. Wish you luck but I think you'll need it I'm sorry to say.

 

[Fanous]

Just to be clear, I'm not planning on leaving anyone alone in my shop, let them have a free rein... NO! What I'm simply offering, is a contact on myself, so anyone who would need few boards run through a jointer, can get in touch. What I imagine would follow, is a meeting set up, where I would run the boards through my tool, and hand it back finished. Granted it would need to be reasonable. I'm not keen on truckloads of boards to run through my tool, neither milling some used scafolding boards, which are well known to have load of debree and dirt in them. Also a big NO.

This offer is for the weekend worrior, who just managed to scrumble enough cash to get a table saw, and can't efford a thicknesser, or similar. If a said person is doing some small projects, I'd be happy to help out. This hobby can be very nice, but it requires quite a bit of cash and tools. Not everyone is fortunate to gear up...

If you guys are not keen on the idea, feel free to ignore this thread. I'm not interested in the "this is stupid" comments.

 

[Fanous]

Many 'Mens Sheds' have equipment that is available for use. I am sure that most would happily help with the odd job, possibly for some sort of donation if you don't want to join the Shed. Facilities vary from Shed to Shed, my local one ( Burnham and Highbridge Mens Shed, Somerset) has most everything needed:- table saw, bench planer, thicknesser, router table, mitre saw, bandsaw, lathe, and plenty of hand tools ( powered and otherwise).
Nigel

Never heard of these sheds, very interesting. Will do some reading about them, to get the grasp of what it actually is. Thanks.

 

[Doug B]

.

If you guys are not keen on the idea, feel free to ignore this thread. I'm not interested in the "this is stupid" comments.

As far as I can see no one has said it’s a stupid idea, in fact it’s quite an admirable idea & I’m all for helping genuine woodworkers but would want to know what safe guards you could put in place to avoid the obvious problems that such a data base could cause.

 

[Fitzroy]

I’m sat here thinking that I’d willingly help out any fellow UKWS person in my area. Then I’m also reflecting on the fact that one of my work colleagues asked me for woodwork advice the other day, and it was a total rabbit hole that I could see myself getting sucked into. They asked how to make a solid wood desk top to replace the top of an IKEA desk, they said they had a power plane and some clamps what should they do. Managed to extricate myself without saying they were had no chance of success.

I guess I’d be willing to let a person with a good grasp of what they need to do, and who knows they need to use a tool they do not have access to come round and I’ll help them complete the operation. Up to a couple of hours in the shop, a good natter, and nice interaction with a fellow WW. No idea how I’d filter the requests to only find these.

What could be an alternative option is a ‘looking for help’ forum area. People could post details of what they need. Experienced WW looking for help to flatten and joint 200mm wide air dried oak, 2m long, within 25miles of Aberdeen, over next couple of weeks. Others can then use PM to offer help, and can used forum to research individual and decide if they want to offer help.

 

[AES]

Agree with the above, I haven't seen anyone saying "this is stupid". And it isn't stupid, it's very "high-minded" and in principle anyway, it's the nice side of so many on this Forum - willing to help anyone.

But "people being people" means that someone will sooner or later start trying to extract the urine - e.g. turning up with a lorry load of manky boards for you to plane up for them. And of course you have the right to say NO - but I suspect with at least some people, that NO saying is going to be "difficult"!

AND I agree with others above - I can't think of anyone off hand that I would lend any of my tools to. In our street I'm known "the Englishman with tools" (amongst other things!) but they also all know that I will not lend my tools to anyone - if the job looks "sensible" then they can ask and I'll certainly do (that "tool part") of it for them. But "lend"? Not a chance!

But hats off to you for your willingness to help others. If you do go ahead, good luck (and BTW, I'm nearly as far away from you as the member in Greece).

 

[Sachakins]

The only person I trust implicitly is SWMBO, but even she is not allowed to enter workshop.

 

[Fanous]

I like to think if you list a tool here - jointer as an example. Someone will send a message, I believe people would find out soon enough through the chat alone about what sort of help is asked for, and I also believe people are smart, and know how to discover pisstakers, and how to turn them down.

I will say this again, I would not lend anyone my tool. But I would allow them swing by with their boards, and let MYSELF run a board or two through the jointer for them.

 

[Ollie78]

@Fanous
I hope my post didn't come over as saying it was stupid. This is not the case.
Actually I don't mind allowing some select people use my stuff or I will plane a board or two for them. Or make parts on cnc as a sort of sub contract.
I think a certain distinction should be made between a professional workshop and that of a hobbyist.
If I employed someone or technically even if I allow someone else to use my workshop I must comply with a different level of health and safety, this could cost me £40k in a heartbeat, not to mention increased insurance costs yearly etc.

I think the idea of communal workshops like men's sheds ( no doubt soon to be called persons buildings lest they be cancelled) are a very good idea. I am sure that to use one you must sign a waiver of some description.

I think the attitude of "don't touch my tools" stems from the fact that those tools are a tradesman living and cost tens of thousands of pounds.

I think forming a club of some kind with a membership fee and rules and stipulations may be a way around some of the possible issues you might come across.

Ollie

 

[Sideways]

It may be hard for many of us reading this to believe, but there are a lot of people out there who aspire to DIY woodwork, and even believe that they are good at it, who will happily ruin the blades and tables of a planer / thicknesser by feeding it pallet wood to save a few pennies. Who will snap bandsaw blades by hand feeding green logs through them, and who consider a belt & disc sander to be a cutting and jointing machine. They haven't a clue about sharpening and don't get me started on the ways that you can saw through the aluminium fences of a sliding mitre saw....
Many wood butchers are lovely people, good company and I wish them joy with their hobby, just not at the expense of my tools and blades

 

[Fanous]

@Fanous
I hope my post didn't come over as saying it was stupid. This is not the case.
Actually I don't mind allowing some select people use my stuff or I will plane a board or two for them. Or make parts on cnc as a sort of sub contract.
I think a certain distinction should be made between a professional workshop and that of a hobbyist.
If I employed someone or technically even if I allow someone else to use my workshop I must comply with a different level of health and safety, this could cost me £40k in a heartbeat, not to mention increased insurance costs yearly etc.

I think the idea of communal workshops like men's sheds ( no doubt soon to be called persons buildings lest they be cancelled) are a very good idea. I am sure that to use one you must sign a waiver of some description.

I think the attitude of "don't touch my tools" stems from the fact that those tools are a tradesman living and cost tens of thousands of pounds.

I think forming a club of some kind with a membership fee and rules and stipulations may be a way around some of the possible issues you might come across.

Ollie

Yeah I understand very well that a profesional workshop is a completely different case, and yeah, I would be very careful myself, if I had a shop. However I am just a weekend warrior, and this thread is intended for people like me.

I feel like I'm just repeating myself at this point, so I won't comment much further. If anyone wants to be highlighted up top, happy to do so. I doubt many people would reach out anyhow. Either as someone offering, or someone actually needing the help.

 

[Fanous]

It may be hard for many of us reading this to believe, but there are a lot of people out there who aspire to DIY woodwork, and even believe that they are good at it, who will happily ruin the blades and tables of a planer / thicknesser by feeding it pallet wood to save a few pennies. Who will snap bandsaw blades by hand feeding green logs through them, and who consider a belt & disc sander to be a cutting and jointing machine. They haven't a clue about sharpening and don't get me started on the ways that you can saw through the aluminium fences of a sliding mitre saw....
Many wood butchers are lovely people, good company and I wish them joy with their hobby, just not at the expense of my tools and blades

No doubt there is many of those out there. But again, I'm not offering them to play with my tools. I would use the tools myself...

 

[johnnyb]

I don't get why many folks first reaction is so negative. its happening in a low key could you run this board through your thicknesser please way. woodwork is a thing much better shared. much much much better shared. I reckon the chances of meeting a thief doing this from this forum are close to zero.
most likely you'll meet once or twice with a chap just starting out. have a chat and a cuppa. that's it. nobody is going to chop any digits off. ( apart from you)
why bring up communism? seriously people try and join a woodwork club you will find the biggest issue is sharpening arguments....an whose making the tea.
take my advice and if you read a suggestion like this and your first reaction is..what about health and safety then refrain from joining in!...please