[joasis]

I was thinking about this topic, and of course, we all use a few hand tools, but how many? I use wood chisels...and...and...and...hammers, and dead blow hammers...and...and...and...screwdrivers...and.....

See where I am going? I stumbled across a block plane the other day, and remembered that there are probably a bunch of hand plane styles I couldn't even tell apart....I don't own a handsaw of any kind...not even one of the Japanese saws that are used for dovetails....so what about everyone else? Seems like power tools rule my world.

I do have a measuring wheel for wagon wheel rims that I don't think will have much use in the future!

 

[Daren]

I would use more handtools if I had them. I too use primarily power tools, planer, saws... I would like to have a good profile plane with all the irons. I have a few standard planes, round over and spoke shaves that kinda thing and I use them. And of course chisels and I use an old brace and bit sometimes. Some of my layout tools are old like scribes and radius tools. I would not want to have them as my only option though. I cannot imagine the amount of work that went/goes into a truly handmade piece of furniture from hard maple for example with nothing but handtools.

I have one handtool I never use, it is a saw. I will try to put a picture of it (at least a link) below. I think I got ripped off when I bought this tool. I didn't get the manual though, I may be using it wrong.

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/gallery/data/500/saw.JPG

 

[Leo G]

Daren - I have the manual you are looking for:

Saw- Purpose: To cut wood to length and/or width.
Proper Usage: Draw line on board to be cut. Place saw blade on board with your hand in the supplied handle, cutting teeth must be in the downward position towards the board. Push forward, pull back to original position. Repeat as necessary.
Cautions: Saw is sharp, will not only cut wood but fingers and toes:cursing:. Please do not use for this purpose unless you are a qualified surgeon .


I use some hand tools. I have a smoothing plane I use to surface boards to give them the 18th century look. I use a rabbet plane (Stanley #92), chisels for carving and just cleaning out corners. I have a few different saws, a standard cross cut and a flush cut. I have a jack plane but I have never used it. The wife thought I needed it and got it from a friend of hers. For carving it is usually rosettes, no, not the drill press kind :no: - this kind....

 

[Tom R]

Sharp rosette, Leo, - - yeah, - - I'm still on the drill press kind . . .

 

[Burlkraft]

Nice job on the rosette...

I have done very little carving, I have carple tunnel in both hands, so that limits my hand tool use. I think if it were pain free I could really like carving...especially decoys. :yes:

 

[steg32168]

Impressive rosette and your miter cuts are A#1 !! I've got a bunch of old planes I bought on e-bay. Really use just the jack plane and only every now and then. Did drop a chiesel once and when I tried to catch it before it hit the concrete, cut the heck out of my finger(keep me out of the shop for week or so). I have alot of other hand tools, but only use them occasionally, but its nice to have them when you want them!! You can find them on e-bay really cheap and in pretty good condition!!

Dave
steg32168

 

[JohnV]

Daren That is FUNNY!


John

 

[TexasTimbers]

Daren. "Now dat's funny ratder ... I don't care who ya are dat's fuuunny!" :yes:

 

[Daren]

I have had that "saw" hanging above my workbench for a couple years, that is where I do my business. People just stop by and we discuss what the want (lumber/sawmilling/furniture custom or repair) The looks it gets are priceless, some people get it right off and just laugh...others actually think about, and keep looking at it out of the corner of their eye :laughing: .

 

[mhdoc]

If you like old tools you might find www.old-woodworking-tools.com interesting. NOTE: it's an 1897 tool catalog

 

[ch0mpie]

The first guy I worked for did some stuff with only hand tools, mainly hanging doors and running trim. It makes you appriciate power tools a lot more.
On another note, has anyone been to the carpentry shop in Colonial Williamsburg in VA. I went to VA beach this past spring and we stopped over there. They build all the recreated buildings by hand. It is really interesting. The coolest thing was what they used for a router. I'm not sure what they are called but it looked like a plane with a sieres of fixed blades arranged in the shape that it would cut.

 

[SawDustJack]

I was in Norfolk for 12 years , and went there about thirty years ago , very cool ..
Also if you ever go to DollyWood in Pigeon Forge Tenn .. They have a huge area where you step back 150 years .. Very Cool ..
if any of you read Pop woodworking , you know of Adam Cherubini and his series on the craft .. Very interesting stuff ..
I have thought about going all hand , but you can put as much in good hand tools as you do in power , if not more ..
The more power you put to a piece of wood , the further away you get from it ..
And as my mentor has said , there's something almost spiritual to working with wood .. Think that is well said ..

 

[nywoodwizard]

Hand tools are not dead yet,i use a fine finish handsaw all the time,forgot the brand name(Not Jap) but its very flexible and cuts on the push and pull stroke and i love it! althought i use machines often,some times cuts need more work,i use a very small woodplane approx 1" wide by 4" long all the time in the shop and use it alot when i'm on a job site doing different type of trim work.

 

[BULLHART]

Every year, I build one chest of drawers out of nothing but hand tools.


It hones my profanity skills more than my woodworking skills. One a year is 'nuff for me.

 

[pitbull]

I like the older tools.
the more I look into it the more I find more usefull for this day and age suprisingly. I even still use the yankee where the cordless drill cant reach. I hate the feel of plastic handles. the only tool I use that has a plastic handle, are the hardpont toothed saws. But then I do have and love the Lie Nielsen tools.

 

[jim386]

Hand Tools

Yes, I use hand tools...Quite a few years back, I supported my family as a carpenter, then for many years I sat behind a desk, now I sit at a computer...anyway a few years back I decided to start using my hands again, even if it was only evenings...started to set up a 'shop' in the garage, planned on using mostly hand tools...I now look at my shop in suprise, there are more power tools than I had planned on ( grinder, drill press, table saw, surfacer, and 18" bandsaw)...all power tools must be movable, as my wife keeps on insisting on using my 'shop' to park her car...But, I do use hand tools a lot, many planes, from the old Stanley 45, Stanley plough, Hollows & Rounds, Edging Plane (no power jointer), Block Planes, Stanley #5, #7, Chamfer Plane, Round Bottom, Smooth Plane, Shoulder Plane, Rabbett Plane, Scraper Plane, way too many, and only a couple purchased new, same goes for chisels, also have a variety of hand saws, hand drills (egg-beater), yankee (no chordless drills)...of course for me, the time spent in my shop does not have to be productive at all, if it did, I am sure I would use more power tools, for example, my current project is a hope chest for my daughter, and I spent A LOT of time hand cutting and chopping the dovetails...so yes, some of us do use hand tools, in combination with power tools.

 

[Butch]

Yes, I use hand tools...Quite a few years back, I supported my family as a carpenter, then for many years I sat behind a desk, now I sit at a computer...anyway a few years back I decided to start using my hands again, even if it was only evenings...started to set up a 'shop' in the garage, planned on using mostly hand tools...I now look at my shop in suprise, there are more power tools than I had planned on ( grinder, drill press, table saw, surfacer, and 18" bandsaw)...all power tools must be movable, as my wife keeps on insisting on using my 'shop' to park her car...But, I do use hand tools a lot, many planes, from the old Stanley 45, Stanley plough, Hollows & Rounds, Edging Plane (no power jointer), Block Planes, Stanley #5, #7, Chamfer Plane, Round Bottom, Smooth Plane, Shoulder Plane, Rabbett Plane, Scraper Plane, way too many, and only a couple purchased new, same goes for chisels, also have a variety of hand saws, hand drills (egg-beater), yankee (no chordless drills)...of course for me, the time spent in my shop does not have to be productive at all, if it did, I am sure I would use more power tools, for example, my current project is a hope chest for my daughter, and I spent A LOT of time hand cutting and chopping the dovetails...so yes, some of us do use hand tools, in combination with power tools.

wow..sounds like a movie of my place...except for the power jointer... WAAAAY too convienient not to be used.after working all day, time is an issue in completing projects in an expected(by others) timeframe. yeah, I know we're not to be pushed, but the list keeps getting longer, and we ain't gettin' no younger!!
... @ 50, the ole bod says "easier is better"....:laughing:

 

[jimmiet.]

I love old tools,both hand and machinery. I use a mix of both on what ever I build or restore. I thought about going all hand tool work, but I'm too lazy. 90% of my hand or machines are from early sixtes to early 1900's. some times missing pieces can't be reproduced by machines on antiques there is a need for hand work.

 

[NMUWoodworker]

I use all hand tools for smoothing and sanding. In my shop now I managed to buy a power hand planer, a power vibrating sander, random orbit sander, and a power hand belt sander all of which are now never used for anything. I found when it comes to smoothing and finishing, my antique hand planers and wood-sanding blocks do a higher quality job on the finish than I ever managed with the power tools. These power tools collect dust and age while my antique planers get shinier and newer looking hehe. Also, its much nicer having 4 #5 bench planes 2-2 3/8in thicknesses for each depth of cut than a black and decker power hand planer that never-fails to make a giant curve of the surface on each pass (following manual)

 

[Kingfisher]

I got started in construction working for a restoration. We did true historic restoration, not this old house stuff. While working there I have glued 8' of new wood to an orignal 2' and hand shaped the profile so you can't tell there was a patch. I think most guys who are in the true restoration biz still use alot of hand tools. My old boss was a little more so, I still don't think he owns any nail guns, all hand nailed. For quick one shot peice say under 6' I can make it by hand quicker than setting up the router. I still put mortice locks in by hand with chisels. For the most part its great to have a good working knowlage of the hand tools and how they work with the wood to understand more about the wood. Someone who only finishes boards with a beltsander may not understand the way grains react like a person who has spent time hand planing. Wood is something to work with not against:thumbsup:

And Daren I think the blades on backwards try that and see if it cut faster:laughing: