How did your tool addiction begin?

[kazlx]

I bought the first car I wanted, a 1990 Mustang GT. After about 3 months, the water pump started leaking out of the weep hole and I was freaked out. Took it to a couple shops and got quotes for a few hundred dollars, which I didn't have at 17....and I could see the part I needed to replace! When I went to Pep Boys and found out a new water pump was $20, I figured I wouldn't be out much if I did it myself and failed. My dad helped me with the tools he had, which were pretty basic. That feeling of buttoning everything up and the satisfaction of doing it myself has stuck with me ever since. After that, it has been a pursuit to have the correct tools for the stuff I enjoy doing and just a bit of a tool fetish in general.

Bought my first welder (refurb Hobart 140) to fix something on my Mustang. Decided to build a little cart for it, which turned out to be the saddest cart ever. I learned to a) not weld casters on and b) cutting miters by hand with a hacksaw *****.

After getting a hair up my **** to randomly buy a lathe (after seeing youtube videos on what they could do), I started having more appreciation for old iron and machine tools in general. Fascinated with all things metal.

 

[FMC1959]

As a toddler, I always played with Legos and Tinker Toys. Things really started when I was 6, in 1965, my parents bought their first house. This meant my father needed a workshop, and there was no going back. My mother would come down screaming “you’re going to hurt yourself, play with your toys”, I just wanted to play with his tools.

From that point on I was always taking my father’s tools and making go-karts, fixing my bike, and must have built about 20 tree forts over the years. It was a new neighborhood, lots of fields and trees, lots of construction and wood lying around everywhere, it was dirt cheap back then. (I remember my parent’s house came with hardwood floors, you wanted carpeting, it would cost extra!) When I finished a tree fort, I didn't want to hang in it, I was off looking for a new tree to build a better fort.

At 12 I got a summer job, went to the hardware store one day and got my own tools. A cantilever tool box and I remember looking at the pliers in the store, most were $3-$4. I told the guy I didn't want any of these cheap ones where the cutters would get messed up if you cut a small nail. He showed me a pair for $8, Diamalloy 8” lineman pliers, made in the US…..sold!........still have them today! The following summers, I spent some money like other kids having fun, but I always bought tools also.

The sickness continues, thankfully there is no cure.

 

[onemore]

Growing up my family had a small furniture store and they did some manufacturing of tables. I had the unique experience of learning woodworking, finishing and some upholstery. And of course sweeping and vacuuming of saw dust! Store and shop has been closed for close to 20 years, but my passion for tools, building and repairing still thrives. I hold the memories and lessons taught by my Grandfather, Great Uncles, cousin and Dad very dear.

 

[black00lightning]

My addiction to woodworking tools when I started watching The New Yankee Workshop. I was amazed how many tools Norm had and I wanted to be just like Norm. My need for automotive tools started when i graduated from college and started doing my own work on my car and truck. Although can afford the high end tools, I don't see any reason to buy anything better than Craftsman tools.