Quiz: Are You a Cheapskate Woodworker??!!
Are you a cheapskate woodworker? Take this quiz to find out the truth 
It’s 11 fun and easy questions. Share your results in the comments…
1. Wood cut offs are…
GOLD! Can I show you the extra shed I built to store mine?
Useful, but every few months I give them to turners for knobs and such. I keep a few pieces around for small projects.
Trash.
2. A young woodworker’s short on cash and needs clamps. You want to encourage his interest in woodworking so you…
Lend him some clamps.
Lend him some cash.
Teach him how to build his own clamps, which teaches him to be thrifty, too.
3. Sealing tubes of caulk…
Is a sacred art form - the tubes of caulk I seal last years.
Get a golf tee and be done with it.
Buy a few nozzle caps or even duct tape. If I can extend the life of a tube by a few months then I’m doing good.
4. “It’s only wood. It grows on trees.” This statement is…
True.
True. But still… measure carefully to prevent waste.
FALSE. It costs money or time or both. Make every cut count.
5. You throw away blades…
Every time they get dull.
Once the carbide wears down after repeated sharpenings.
Never. Ever. There’s always SOME way to use a blade!
6. Reconditioned tools…
Are a great way to save money on power tools.
NEVER. Buying new is the only way to go.
Reconditioned cost too much - I prefer used on Craigslist.
7. Fake plastic credit cards you get in the mail are…
Trash, I throw them away.
Treasure! Save them in their own box!
Useful, but I already have a few set aside so I don’t save them anymore.
8. Harbor Freight is…
A great place for SOME tools and materials, but you have to be very careful.
A waste of time AND money…
Disney World plus Cheers. (FUN plus everybody there knows your name)
9. Coffee can lids…
Have multiple shop uses - blade storage separators, drink coasters, drip catchers, screw holders and more.
Have their own storage drawer/bucket/container in your woodshop. Along with those plastic credit card thingees. Can’t have enough!
Make great frisbees on the way to the garbage can.
10. The silverware container from your previous dishwasher is…
In my workshop holding the tools I’m using for my current project.
At the dump. Why are you asking this?
Previous dishwasher? Mine is 25 years young thanks to my tinkering.
11. Altoid Mint containers…
Are nice for storing all sorts of shop doodads.
Are nice for storing Altoids.
Are easy to refurbish - I find broken ones in the trash all the time. I can’t believe people throw these away!
12. What age group are you in
Under 18 years old
18-24 years old
25-30 years old
31-40 years old
41-50 years old
51-60 years old
Over 60 years old
13. What is your gender
Female
Male
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By toolcrib | RSS | permalink | trackback
Heck yeah I'm a cheapskate woodworker! Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
I once made an entire workbench from dunnage. It took about 6 months because we only got one delivery a week with about 2 or 3 ratty 2×4’s as dunnage. Slather them with glue, shoot them in with a zillion nails and before you know it, you’ve got a 3-1/2 in thick workbench top that weighs a ton and takes a beating, fer nearly nothing!
toolcrib Says:
August 20th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
Yup - definitely a cheapskate.
This quote’s goin’ in the newsletter
Thanks for stopping by.
G
Obi Says:
August 27th, 2008 at 11:42 am
To everything there is a purpose… Ecc 3:1
people who throw away wood have no vision for the smaller things that too have their place in the world.
I was stopping at 3/4″ x 3/4″ x 12″ until i bought a dowel maker now anything 3/8″ square can be a dowel.
And then i started saving the thin strips of leftover wood for pinstriping laminates…
there is no waste. And the router lumps make firestarter
Jim Says:
August 28th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
I admit I even save the fine sawdust from the orbital sander collection bag - might need to make filler out of it!
Michael Says:
August 29th, 2008 at 6:59 am
Like Jim, I save sawdust to make filler. I have a bag from a deck I made years ago, I don’t even live at that house anymore! I packed up the bag of sawdust and it moved with the shop.
Brew Says:
August 31st, 2008 at 1:23 pm
This quiz is rigged. No matter how you answer the questions you get the same answer. I took it normally, then tried the “least frugal” answers, and last the most frugal, and each time it had the same results.
Brew
toolcrib Says:
August 31st, 2008 at 4:36 pm
Hey Brew - it’s not rigged deliberately. If it’s returning the same results then it could be we have some problems with the quiz application (which we’re still perfecting). I will check into it.
You *should* be able to manipulate the results by selecting the answers that suggest one of three results. Frugal’s the middle one.
Again, I’ll take a look.
G
toolcrib Says:
August 31st, 2008 at 4:43 pm
I was able to get all three results when I just now tested the quiz… I did weight the quiz towards frugal when I made it because I think most folks are frugal rather than truly cheapskates…
Here’s a cheapskate:
http://stusshed.wordpress.com/2008/08/19/cheapskate-woodworker-quiz/