Suppose you are well on your way to becoming an impractical woodworker. You don’t really care how long it takes to finish a project, or even if it ever gets finished at all, you just really enjoy the craft.
Now suppose that you are begining to really hate power tools. They throw dust and little chips everywhere and scream like a baby at 2 am. And let’s face it, they are kind of scary. If you are careless, (or a klutz), you are risking serious injury.
What saws would you buy? Could you find a set of saws to replace your table saw?
What other tools would you buy in order to make all your other power tools go bye-bye.
Maybe nothing. Maybe just replace power tools as you become disenchanted with them?
geoff
Replies
I went through what you are experiencing several years ago. It's chronic, give up. The only know therepy is to flood your senses with hand tools. Good news is its a fun treatment.
Kidding aside, I can only tell you what I did. I bought every hand tool on every auction I could make it to for most of a year. I ended up with a huge assortment of saws, planes, chisels, hammers, etc. Then I found Ebay, and got some not so ordinary tools there. Pretty soon, I got one of practically every tool I could think of, plus a bunch of replicas, which can be sold to fund future tool purchases. I really didn't have a plan, or any idea what to get, I just bought it all. In retrospect, if you don't want as many "extra" tools, here's what I'd get:
Disston saws, at least one rip, one crosscut
A good dovetail saw, LN's are great. You want rip profile for your dovetail saw. I use an old English version. You'll also want a tenon saw, basically the same as a dovetail saw but filed crosscut.
I don't like pull saws, so I would not bother with any Japanese style saws.
You'll need planes. I went with one of each of Stanley's bench planes, but a guy could get by with a 3, 4 1/2, 5, 7 or 8. You'll also need a good rabbet, shoulder, and a low angle block. I'd also start to find some hollows and rounds. I'm probably missing something....
Get a good "set" of chisels. Mine are a mixed bag including Stanley, Hibbard, Berg, Buck Bros, etc. You'll want some gouge as well.
Now for the most important part of a woodshop unplugged. A great workbench. Everybody has there own idea of what to use.
That ought to get you started. Hand tools are part of the most rewarding work I do. I think realizing that a hand tools can out perform electric tools is a step in the never ending education of woodworking. That's my long winded $.02 anyhow
baldmoutain,
Here's the bad news.....next Friday, Saturday (Sept. 9,10) is the fall Antique Tool Auction at the Holiday Inn in Nashua, NH (exit 4 off route 3). They will be auctioning off about 1700 lots over the two days. Worse than that, however, is the parking lot outside the Holiday Inn. Maybe 100 vendors loaded with all hand tools of every quality, description and price point...including Spiers and Norris planes. You can pick up a ton of stuff really cheap(well, reasonably priced).
The first year I went up I never even got inside the auction hall..the dealers outside love to share knowledge too...
There, now your in real trouble...
Hey: I wonder if there is a psychiatrist out there who could put a name on this common disease of humans who enjoy a hands on existence: toolmania or chiselphilic syndrome or ? Don't know what to call it but I have it bad. Hope it doesn't have any negative sexual connotations :)
KDMKenneth Duke Masters
The Bill of Rights
December 15 1791
NRA Endowment Member
LEAA Life Member
CRPA Member
Not as long as you make things for your significant other Duke!
Steve
Nice instigation BG. Did you get an infill yet? I know when I was on Knots last winter you and I were daydreaming about a nice smoother. No luck for me yet. Have a good day.
Steve
dirtstirrer,
No infill..yet...but I did buy the LN 4.5 York pitch....yum. I'm feeling kinda bad about what I just did to baldmoutain...
Pretty good aye?
And you should feel bad. I bet right now the poor guy is getting one of those home equity lines of credit, just for a fix.
Steve
dirtstirrer,
I sent him a private e-mail with the addy http://www.mjdtools.com where you can review what is being auctioned, the price range they expect, and bid if you so desire. Okay, enough, off to church...haha
<Okay, enough, off to church...haha>After doing that to the poor boy you SHOULD go to church........ ;-)
I bet right now the poor guy is getting one of those home equity lines of credit, just for a fix.
No, figuring out how to make new tools appear at the house without my wife noticing. I just have to figure how many I can show up with before she gets suspicious. :Dgeoff
Well Geoff, if she's anything like my wife, a plane looks like a plane, saw like a saw and so forth. The trick is to only let them see one tool at a time. Thats why I have 200 planes, 30 saws, 50 chisels, and a whole bunch of other stuff all cleverly disguised behind piles of sawdust, cutoffs, and the tools she already knows about. What they don't know won't hurt em, right? God help you if she finds out, but, your odds are at least even you'll survive if she does....
Steve
There, now your in real trouble...
Thank you very much. You've now provided the conduit for me to get divorced. My wife is going to kill me when she sees all the new goodies.
Actually, I think I'm really going to enjoy myself. Thanks for the pointer.geoff
Looks like no tools sale for me. Got laid off yesterday. I was on vacation and they called to tell me I'd been let go. :(There are two ways to look at the situation. A disaster, or an opportunity. I choose opportunity.geoff
Chances are your future will be better without a company that felt you were expendable. Good luck.
Good luck.
Thanks, my wife is pretty stressed out right now but I think we'll be OK. I'll just have to work with the tools and materials I have right now.
geoff
baldmoutain,
Lousy. It's a terrible feeling especially if you've got young children...and wives have a tough time.
It is also very difficult to work a hobby during these times too...
Good attitude! Keep the faith and you'll find an employer who appreciates you.
Pax crosscut and rip saws.... about $180 shipped replaces the basic tablesaw funtions. Mitre box and a few backsaws take care of the finer cuts.
ECE bow rip and crosscut saws (if that style appeals to you) about the same amount of money.
Suppose you are well on your way to becoming an impractical woodworker.
I been doin' that for about 40 years!
make all your other power tools go bye-bye.
NEVER!
If you are sick and tired of the dangers of a tablesaw then I'd suggest the relatively benign bandsaw. Sure we all like the craft of it. But would you rather be spending your time hogging wood by hand or would the time be better spent cutting nice tight dovetails or carving some nice detail into a piece. Time in this world is limited and if you choose to spend time in the shop doing tasks that machines are good at and can cut your labor by 90% I think the choice is clear. By the way Krenov has to be one of the biggest machine room junkies I know.
But would you rather be spending your time hogging wood by hand
Well, yes. Sort of. I'm still learning. I'd rather learn skills hogging wood by hand than trying to cut good dovetails or carving details. I'm just not ready for that yet. (I think.)
Time in this world is limited and if you choose to spend time in the shop doing tasks that machines are good at and can cut your labor by 90% I think the choice is clear.
I'll get there. But right now I want to build a BIG toolbox of skills as well as a big toolbox of good tools. I'm not worried about finishing anything fast because I don't have to. This is my pass time. Something I do for fun. I can take all the time I want and have fun.(Which makes me impractical. :) )
By the way Krenov has to be one of the biggest machine room junkies I know.
Cool, you got the reference. I'm enjoying the book by the way.geoff
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