Ray,
I partly understand your desire to do a lot with next to nothing. I often find myself in the same situation and just do what you need to to get the job done well.
What I'm not so clear on is are you discouraging the use of good tools just to make the job harder on yourself, just for the "challenge" it presents?
I don't agree with that. I like to know what all my choices are and choose the one that suits my needs, cheap or expensive I'll make that call when I need to. I won't set out to buy the cheapest tool just to see if I can make it work, likewise I won't set out to buy the most expensive tool just to say I did. I choose the best value for my needs and future needs if I can predict them.
You can learn a new skill with any tool, sometimes no tool at all. Using difficult or cheap stuff doesn't make someone any more or less of a craftsman than someone who can master the same task with good quality tools.
A skilled craftsman will shine through no matter the tools at hand.
Grigg
