Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-03-08
,Od Tools.

There is an Q adage to the effect that
good workmfnever quarrels with his
tools. The cOnon Interpretation is that
the poor worlan finds fault with the
tools as an exde for his want of skill,
aud the goodyorkman finds no fault,
since he can nix with anything. Now,
we think thed Interpretation is almost
entirely wTH, barely containing truth
enough to zee it in use. That the un-
skilled mchaic finds fault with his
tools is naural and it is, we think, right
that he sbuldlo so. His want of skill
probably S tn cause of the tools being
wrong, an( tlB same want Of skill pre-
vents him tror making them what they
should be-. q the other hand, good
workman villot work with poor tools
he will by soc means or other make
them suitable or the work he has to do.
If he is so PLAID that he cannot buy just
what he wan he gradually transforms
those at handntil they may be classed as
good; certain they will be convenient
and effective. Usually the time needed to
do this is nch less than that which
would be wted in a single job per
formed with improper implements. To
the experience workman who knows his
business thoroghly nothing can be more
annoying anwearing upon the temper
than the attept to turn out good job
with poor orndifferent appliances. 1t
often happenthat the apprentice or in
experienced Torkman labors long and
earnestly to d a given thing well, yet he
does not suGed in doing a really first
class job, unt some day when he goes to
a new shop, ogets a new bench with new
tools, he is srprised to find that he can
do really frstlass work. This has hap
pened to US trsonally more than once in
our mechanial recreations.
Perhaps tire can be no better illustra-
ton of lad tols and bad workman than
is found in citing boy to drive nails
with one the cheap, mooth-headed
hatchets so ommon in the market. The
boy cannot trike very exactly, the Ratchet
is hungjus' little out of line, and the
head sHouh and rounded just a little
more thni it should be. The result is that
one mai goes spinning off across the shop,
the mex is bent or driven at an angle, and
at ever third blow the head slips and the
blow isaken on the fingers, or upon the
wood bside the nail. We may quarrel
with thsboy for not knowing how to
strike, but the tool is mainly 20 blame: It
was madtfor different use, and the best
man in tie shop would probably hit his
fingers ateast once in driving a dozen
nails, uness he had a chance to alter the
g hang of the head. The boy cannot
learn to rive nails properly with such a
tool. Ifle is to learn he ought to have
suitable lammer to learn with. True, he
will destoy it, but that is no reason why
the headshould not be properly hung, the
handle rfht and the whole of the proper
size and Feight.
A tradis not generally we'll learned un-
til we Cal take care of the tools-at least
not until one knows what is the matter
with badools and how it should be RENE
died. lie poor workman cannot always
do this, jut he should take care that his
tools arelooked after by some one who
knows lDw. Good tools pay. We have
in MINI two brands of tools, so much
alike ths the eye could find no difference,
yet wheI at work the difference in temper
and matrial is such that the high priced
tool willpay for its extra cost every day
it is used Good tools help to make good
and carful workmen. If any of our
readers Goubt this statement they have
only to @ to the bench and undertake d
job of an, kind, using first the poorest
-ools theycan find in the shop, and then
doing thei, work over again with good
5ools. The nervousness and dissatisfac-
ion caused by poor tool is in itself al
most fatalto good work. Take the case
IF foot-hthe. With loose spindles, GEN.
ers out O. line, and an uneven bed. we
Ire so trotbled and annoyed that we have
7ery little attention to bestow upon the
work in hand. We are, in fact, always
lighting lopelessly with our ''environ-
nent." We do not wish it to Sc under
stood thatwe think boys and apprentices
hould hare the best tools that money can
1uy, but We do think they should have
ools which are perfectly suitable for the
work they have to do, and with which a
,ood workman would not find fault If set
o do the same class of work.
In learning TO use tools, the old hand
IS well as the young one should not Tor
ret the fact that the natural way is seldom
II never the right way. Skill is not nat
lral, and theright way is the result Of the