Essential shopping list for beginner cabinet maker

[Phil Pascoe]

Try not to get shot at so often?

 

[Jacob]

Just a detail but I see "marking knife" mentioned.
This causes a lot of confusion because knives are not used for marking, but may be used to cut a mark already made, where a clean cut edge is essential. It's a misnomer.
Mark with pencils, you can rub them out if they are wrong. Or a scribe point sometimes if you are confident about getting them right. Trying to do it with a knife is a PITA.
There is an exception - I've seen old work marked with a knife on just one of the four sides and my theory is that the foreman would have done this from the rod to avoid mistakes, an indelible mark to be completed in pencil by the bench hand.
Also nobody needs "dovetail markers" whatever they are. They were always done freehand, which is not that difficult. If you wanted absolute perfection you might mark out with dividers and a sliding bevel, at the angle of your choice!

Just revisiting the above - were we given a marking knife too, with our end of course Carpentry & Joinery course kit? Checked the list - answer is no.
I've got two now but I never use them and can't remember where they came from

Tops course kit
1 toolbox - made week 5
5 1/2 Record jack plane
Good quality Sanderson & Kayser saws:
26" hand saw 6tpi
22" panel saw 10tpi
14" tenon saw 14tpi
3 Marples firmer chisels 1" 3/4" 1/2"
Rabone Combination square
Whitehill 16oz claw hammer
Nail pullers (Footprint?)
sliding bevel (poor quality)
double sided oil stone - box made week 6
big screwdriver
small screwdriver
2 ft boxwood rule
nail punch
brace & bit (one 32mm bit for yale locks
mallet
S&J carpenters axe
marking gauge
bradawl
brass face marples spirit level
plumb bob

 

[woodbloke66]

Just a detail but I see "marking knife" mentioned.
This causes a lot of confusion because knives are not used for marking, but may be used to cut a mark already made, where a clean cut edge is essential. It's a misnomer.
Mark with pencils, you can rub them out if they are wrong. Or a scribe point sometimes if you are confident about getting them right. Trying to do it with a knife is a PITA.
There is an exception - I've seen old work marked with a knife on just one of the four sides and my theory is that the foreman would have done this from the rod to avoid mistakes, an indelible mark to be completed in pencil by the bench hand.
Also nobody needs "dovetail markers" whatever they are. They were always done freehand, which is not that difficult. If you wanted absolute perfection you might mark out with dividers and a sliding bevel, at the angle of your choice!

Just revisiting the above - were we given a marking knife too, with our end of course Carpentry & Joinery course kit? Checked the list - answer is no.
I've got two now but I never use them and can't remember where they came from

Tops course kit
1 toolbox - made week 5
5 1/2 Record jack plane
Good quality Sanderson & Kayser saws:
26" hand saw 6tpi
22" panel saw 10tpi
14" tenon saw 14tpi
3 Marples firmer chisels 1" 3/4" 1/2"
Rabone Combination square
Whitehill 16oz claw hammer
Nail pullers (Footprint?)
sliding bevel (poor quality)
double sided oil stone - box made week 6
big screwdriver
small screwdriver
2 ft boxwood rule
nail punch
brace & bit (one 32mm bit for yale locks
mallet
S&J carpenters axe
marking gauge
bradawl
brass face marples spirit level
plumb bob

As you've mentioned Jacob, that's a great list for a carpentry & joinery tool kit, but the OP required cabinet making tools. Many on your list would pass muster, many should be kicked into the long grass as in my book, they're not suitable for cabinet work. Namely, firmer chisels, nail pullers, most certainly a boxwood rule (not nearly accurate enough>parallax error) carpenters axe (!!!) spirit level and plumb bob
The marking knife(s) need to stay, but I'd agree that a sharp 4H pencil is also pretty good and I use both extensively - Rob

 

[MikeG.]

......I'd agree that a sharp 4H pencil is also pretty good.......

On the subject of pencil's, does anyone use a white pencil on dark woods? If so, which one? I've seen metal workers and engineers mark steel with a white pencil. Would that suit wood? If so, what are they called?

 

[AJB Temple]

They are chinagraph pencils.
Only snag is the tip is quite fragile.
Readily available from amazon.

 

[Jacob]

.......
As you've mentioned Jacob, that's a great list for a carpentry & joinery tool kit, but the OP required cabinet making tools. Many on your list would pass muster, many should be kicked into the long grass as in my book, they're not suitable for cabinet work. Namely, firmer chisels, nail pullers, most certainly a boxwood rule (not nearly accurate enough>parallax error) carpenters axe (!!!) spirit level and plumb bob
The marking knife(s) need to stay, but I'd agree that a sharp 4H pencil is also pretty good and I use both extensively - Rob

Firmer chisels are No1 for chopping out DT sockets and similar. They are the workhorse and a good range of sizes is useful. Bevel edged just for finishing, getting into corners, etc. You only need 1 or 2. Cabinet makers (working by hand) would also need mortice chisels.
Everybody needs nail pullers.
Agree about the boxwood rule - a bit of an anachronism!
Carpenters axe is much more useful than many realise. Removing waste, rough scribing (essential for fitted stuff), splitting to make pins and dowels etc.
Spirit level handy - check you cabinet is horizontal and you don't need to adjust the legs?
Plumb also more useful than appears - it can be used as a vertical straight edge to visually check alignments.
Pencils: 2B for face and edge marks, HB for notes, 2H for precise marking. Never thought of white for dark wood - isn't the reflection of a normal lead pencil line enough?

 

[Trevanion]

I've seen metal workers and engineers mark steel with a white pencil. Would that suit wood? If so, what are they called?

It's French chalk, very hard and can be sharpened to quite a fine point without it snapping or wearing away too quickly. The tip does need touching up on sandpaper or something like that occasionally though as it tends to glaze over and stop marking after a few marks. I keep one in my pocket for extraordinarily rough marking out lengths and width for sawing Sapele.

A big bonus is that they're dirt cheap.

 

[MikeG.]

......It's French chalk, very hard and can be sharpened to quite a fine point

I've got loads of that. No, it's a pencil I'm after. I've even seen it as a propelling pencil.

 

[MikeG.]

They are chinagraph pencils. .......

Thanks, I'll have a look.

 

[Woody2Shoes]

......It's French chalk, very hard and can be sharpened to quite a fine point

I've got loads of that. No, it's a pencil I'm after. I've even seen it as a propelling pencil.

WH do them: https://www.workshopheaven.com/white-pe ... woods.html

Also - pretty colours (!) - https://www.workshopheaven.com/staedtle ... -of-5.html

Cheers, W2S

 

[MikeG.]

Thanks W2S.

 

[woodbloke66]

......It's French chalk, very hard and can be sharpened to quite a fine point

I've got loads of that. No, it's a pencil I'm after. I've even seen it as a propelling pencil.

I got a couple of decent white pencils from Workshop Heaven a while back; excellent for marking on Bog Oak and other dark timbers - Rob

 

[guyr]

Hi Everyone, thanks a lot for time taken to respond. I am sure this thread will become an excellent reference for all newbies like myself. Well my list has changed. In some respects I do expect to do more ply and mdf boxes etc for bits around the house, but I am also looking to learn traditional techniques by hand. My shed is small, but big enough @ 2 x 3 m. First job, build a bench! Cheers all.

 

[quixoticgeek]

2. Marking out tools - 150mm try square, marking knife, dovetail marking knife, a few marking gauges (min four) cutting gauge, mortice gauge, mitre set, sliding bevel gauge, 4H pencil, awl

Another beginner here. Please learn from my mistake. Don't buy cheap squares. If your square isn't spot on you're just going to end up wasting material, which is more expensive in the long run. Make sure that your square is actually square. This took me way too long to learn the hardway.

J

 

[MikeG.]

......Another beginner here. Please learn from my mistake. Don't buy cheap squares......

This is wrong. A cheap square can be just as square as an expensive square. What you pay for with an expensive square is a higher chance that the first one you pick off the shelf will be square.

Make sure that your square is actually square. ..........

Yep, exactly. And an £8 combination square is just as good as an £80 one if it is square. It takes seconds to check in the shop.

 

[quixoticgeek]

This is wrong. A cheap square can be just as square as an expensive square. What you pay for with an expensive square is a higher chance that the first one you pick off the shelf will be square.

Fair point.

Make sure that your square is actually square. ..........

Yep, exactly. And an £8 combination square is just as good as an £80 one if it is square. It takes seconds to check in the shop.

Which is harder to do if you are buying mail order. Or it's in some sort of packaging.

To rephrase my original post:

Make sure that the square you buy is square. Test it before purchase.

J

 

[MikeG.]

.......Which is harder to do if you are buying mail order....

Indeed. A good reason not to buy a square online.

Or it's in some sort of packaging........

I went through this a couple of months back with my son in law. Most of them are in a little plastic or cardboard hanger/ sleeve arrangement and are easy to take out, test, and put back. One of them we tested still in the packaging. Half dozen £8 to £15 squares and we found 2 that were spot on, 2 that were pretty damn good, and the rest were miles out.

 

[woodbloke66]

Half dozen £8 to £15 squares and we found 2 that were spot on, 2 that were pretty damn good, and the rest were miles out.

This was one of the big problems Mike with the old Axminster squares from a few years back. It was very 'hit n'missy' if the purchaser ever got hold of one that was true. Fortunately, all the ones I bought, inc the biggest 300mm square then on offer, were all spot on - Rob