Which tools do you really need? Some of you have asked about the tools you should buy to get going. I will try cover them over the next few days. I am not really a minimalist when it comes to hand tools and because there is no one size fits all tool I can expand …
The woodworker’s knife Knives for woodworkers are often called striking knives or layout knives because we strike and lay out the cut lines of shoulders, cut around hinges and other hardware and trim and fit veneers and thin or small sections of wood to size. There are indeed many different knives to choose from, ranging …
Here is a thought on a knife that comes with students to my workshop. Unfortunately I end up working on them to get them to function and the result is always unsatisfactory. Now this will go against thr grain for those of you who bought them and swear by them, but I know I have …
My minimalist tool list – the woodworker’s knife I don’t use Read More »
Tapes as a rule for woodworkers It is hard to get romantic about retractable measuring tapes, after all, they are about as utilitarian as it gets. Tape measures have replaced rigid folding rules because of their convenience, and tapes are more accurate today than they ever were, so even low-grade tapes are generally quite accurate. …
My minimalist tool list – the woodworker’s tape measure Read More »
The combination gauge Two gauges common to woodworking are the marking gauge and the mortise gauge and both are essential primarily to joinery. Mortise gauges tend to be more expensive because of the addition of the adjustable extra pin point and so we find a unique gauge we call the combination gauge. It makes good …
So you need a dovetail saw. I think that many people think that a dovetail saw is for cutting dovetails and though that is true, it is not so much a dedicated saw but simply a small saw we use mostly for cutting smaller joints and that includes dovetails. A well-sharpened well-set dovetail saw is …
A bevy of #151s in my arsenal of spokeshaves. In the minimalist tool kit is a spokeshave we refer to commonly as a #151 after the product numbering system used by the Stanley Rule and Level Company. This flat-bottomed spokeshave was another tool rejected by craftsmen for many years because it ‘stock’ to the surface …
This is my hammer for chisel workI know that it doesn’t look much, but I have used a Thor 12-712N Nylon Hammer for at least two years and really like the way that they handle my chisels. There are other weights and sizes, but my favourite is 1 1/2″ – 38mm model. When I bought …
Warrington hammer Hammers are important tools in the furniture makers arsenal but we don’t really need large ones and less so claw hammers. I have owned this hammer since a boy. I bought a 16oz Stanley claw hammer at the same time. That was in the days when there was only one maker and all …
Bandsaw beaders with hook Bandsaw blades may sometimes seem a waste of good steel and indeed as an apprentice 45-50 years ago, we used to send them away to be sharpened many times over. Today they are all discarded for meltdown and that’s fine as the steel bands themselves degrade and become weak and tend …
Minimalist woodworking – Another poor-man’s beading tool Read More »
on Considering the costWe just had a community garage sale here. I have a bunch of planes that I have collected over the years that I am never going to use and tried to sell off my excess. I may have sol…
on Considering the costIn the US you have to look hard to find the bargains, and forget it with planes. Since the prices have risen, there are a large number of mercenaries who scour all the garage sales… on Restoring the Jack . . . Plane SpeakingSince I started hand tool woodworking my wife has noticed a marked increase in the sharpness of our kitchen knives. I am on a bathroom vanity build using Padauk. I had been having…
on Restoring the Jack . . . Plane SpeakingI started working with hand tools about two years ago. I've thoroughly enjoyed getting pre WW2 Stanley planes and working them into shape. I found some pretty good deals because I…
on It’s dark when I arrivePaul you are as eloquent a writer as you are a craftsman. your blog post actually made me sad. I 've yearned for years to experience being totally immersed in this wonderful craft.…
on Considering the costIf your charity extends that far try Tools with a Mission, Workaid or others on Google. That's for the UK but I am sure Google can help in other countries.
on Restoring the Jack . . . Plane SpeakingNo, Kobalt brand. From Lowes. Was my first plane. I didn't know any better and I think I paid $50 USD for it. I tried, I really did, but I eventually had to give up on it. Almost m…