Hi all,
I’m somewhat of a beginner. I watched my father woodwork as a child and learned a lot from him. Being a father to 5 kids and working as the editor of a city paper, he always found time to work in the shop and spend time with me. I LOVED watching him work and especially when we built things together. As far as power tools, he never really had all the fancy stuff like router dovetail jigs or even a power planer. All his rough cut was planed by hand or jointed and dovetails were cut with a dovetail saw. He called himself an amatuer, but he was a master. He was even published in FWW:
Fine Woodworking – May/June 1988 – #70 Shopmade Marking Gauges by Fred Palmer
He passed away when I was thirteen, not long after that article was published, but he instilled a love for woodworking that lied dormant till now. I even have slides and notes for several articles that he had in the works. My dream would be to someday be published myself and finish his unfinished work. Over the years I preserved all of his tools as best I could.. Delta Unisaw, an old craftsman jointer, numerous planes (Marples / Record #4, old stanley block plane and more), dovetail saws, etc. I grew up and got married (no kids yet) and work as a software engineer and have started to setup a shop of my own.
I see trends in the sotware industry come and go, but the best work always comes from those that go have that low level of understanding of a system. I’ve been drawing a lot of parallels from my profession to woodworking and want some issues clarified. My question is for everyone and may be somewhat subjective, but I’ll ask it nonetheless.
Since I’ve rediscovered this passion for woodworking, I find that there is SO much to learn to get even get close to my ulimate goals. I’ve seen quite a departure from the old way of doing things especially at a recent woodworking show I attended. The place was littered with a zillion gadgets for making super accurate joints. My question, from a beginners (cause really I’m starting over), is should I master my hand tools first and foremost? It seems that any monkey could use a dovetail jig and produce a joint. But isn’t it a rite of passage to hand cut dovetails as fast as one of these machines take? While maybe not as perfect, certainly they would have more character.
Thanks,
Fred Palmer III
Replies
I started my woodworking by focusing on hand tools. This was done primarily because of cost. I now have the money to buy most any reasonable tool I want but I still gravitate toward hand tools. I am only 43, but I am a traditionalist in most everthing I do.
I use power tools when time is a major factor. Right now I am making and installing ALL the trim in my house (all stair components, trim, jambs, hardwood flooring, the whole works). I simply do not have the time to plane stacks of lumber by hand.
However, I have made pieces of furniture where everything was planed by hand. I still cut all dovetails and most mortises and tenons by hand. I also think that certain old hand tools still beat power tools in many situations. In my opinion, many hand tools have fallen out of favor with the public because too few people have the skill or patience to master the preparation and use of the tool. What a shame.
If you master the use of hand tools first, you will have a greater appreciation of what is happening with the wood. I think you will also have a better sense of when you should convert over to power for certain tasks and you will be better at coaxing maximum performance out of them.
One situation where hand methods are often better is when you are making just one or two. Many power tool methods require jigs and/or set-ups that are time consuming. You could be done with the job using hand tools sooner. Certain pieces are too large or small to use power tools. When jointing the edge of a 14' stairway skirt board I resorted to my trusty old wooden-bodied jointer plane. When cutting a decorative edge in a 3" x 8" jewelry box, I resort to my Stanley 66 bead cutter.
There are many other arguments that could be posited for or against, but remember one thing. You should do what makes you (and your family) happy. If you and your children enjoy spending time together making things the old fashioned way, then lean in that direction. If your wife will only be happy once you have made this stuff and gotten it in the house, then lean toward power when necessary.
Mike Betts
Freddie, I think you know the answer already. Learn to use your hand tools, buy good ones. You will get more satisfaction from handscraping then sanding. Same for most jobs in the shop. A good tablesaw makes work easier. I still plane by hand for many purposes even though I own a jointer and a planer. I do alot of mortice and tenon work, buying a mortice machine never crossed my mind. I use a horizontal router setup that I made or once in a while mortice by hand. From your post you seem to have enough tools. As far as cutting dovetails, I cut them by hand unless I am doing a production run such as kitchen cabinets. I cannot cut dovetails as fast by hand or even care to. For one of a kind pieces I always cut them by hand, and enjoy it more.
mike
Freddie
My two cents. I am a hobbyist, about four years into this. No question that my greatest level of satisfaction and learning about wood has come with hand tools - as well as less noise, and dust and more safety. Yet, if I had not started out mostly with power tools, I would have lost interest in my hobby before I had acquired enough skill to produce something presentable.
Time is a big factor. As a hobbyist, I have about 2-3 hours a week at best to spend in the shop. It would be hard to finish any project in that time without power tools. I could spend a year sharpening chisels and planes. But if your satisfaction comes from the intimate experience with wood and you have the time, that may work for you. Like Mike said, family support for your hobby can depend on whether you actually produce something or not.
But your question implies that power tools are somehow cheating or foolproof. I have had as much challenge and learning in having to troubleshoot a fence alignment problem, setting up an old bandsaw, or adjusting a lock miter bit, as I have had trying to hand cut dovetail joints.
The real answer is you need both and use what is appropriate for the given project. I know that my current handcut dovetails may look like Billy Bob teeth, but it will eventually be a better way for me than a router and jig. But if I want to have my daughter's present done before Christmas, I'll use them.
I can't improve on the advice already given...just go get some wood and begin a project...and let your instincts take it from there, remembering that you don't really need any more tools than your Dad had.
You have received some very good advice here.
I have been using power tools for about 30 years and only now am I progressing to hand tools because I don't feel I have the basic skills I should. Start with hand tools, develop your skills with them and I think you will know when you need the power tools.
JW
Hello Everyone,
Hand vs Power.....What do you wish to achieve? I mean do "you" want to do the achieving or are you content to allow a pre-set spacing or machine do the "do-ing" while you merely switch it on?
There is also an in between. Have a look at the AngleMag on http://www.anglemag.com This tool allows you heaps of room for the improvement of your "marking out" and chiseling etc. You can still improve on almost every skill as this is purely a hand tool. Jeff
G'Day Freddie and everyone from Australia,
I read with great interest your posting about mastering hand tools before going on to machinery. I personally derive a tremendous amount of pleasure using my own resources rather than "pre-set" & "pre-done" where all one has to do is to switch on a machine and feed the board of timber. There is a place for some of the gadgets on the market or they won't be selling.
During the course of attempting to make hand cut dovetails some three and a half years ago, {I was an abject failure } I stumbled upon a concept now called the AngleMag. I have since applied for a patent {world wide, almost}; designed & developed; financed; manufacture, and am now marketing the device since the 11th of April of this year. I am very glad to report it is a success at all the Australian Trade Shows I've attended. All that it does is gurantee to guide a hand held saw, preferrably a pull saw, in any angle and any of four different planes, repeatedly. With this concept one is able to cut numerous cabinetmaking joints with absolute precision. You can make 3 different types of dovetailing and heaps more.
It was awarded a GOLD MEDAL in Geneva, Switzerland, and given the Australian DESIGNMARK for 2003 & and earned the POWERHOUSE MUSEUM "SELECTION" also for 2003. Check out the website http://www.anglemag.com The website is being updated to show the AngleMag in action. This will be complete in about 2 weeks from now.
Look out for it also in Tools for Working Wood, a store in New York.
All the best from "Jeff" I know it says joseph but I'm Jeff
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