Hand tools

[veneerman]

Thank you for all the information.... I think I'm going to take a bit from each reply and have a good look about. I will probably stick to western planes and try out a mix of saws. The price gap looks to be massive between brands and second hand. I do like Axminster as a company the have always seen me ok. It's not a bad shout for a bandsaw they are pretty quiet. I will see how i go before i buy one. I am looking forward to just using hand tools. Seems to be many many options out there!

 

[Hornbeam]

I generally use Western style tools but I have tried Japanese style. While found the chisel tool a fantastic edge I just didnt like the feel of it so having bought one, I havent bought any more, Planes I have never been tempted and find basic stanley/record properly set up and sharpened work fine. The saws I have found fantastic for fine joints but still use a standard tennon saw most of the time. I think my general approach now is try it and if it works great, if not for you, move on.
Ian

 

[scooby]

Thank you for all the information.... I think I'm going to take a bit from each reply and have a good look about. I will probably stick to western planes and try out a mix of saws. The price gap looks to be massive between brands and second hand. I do like Axminster as a company the have always seen me ok. It's not a bad shout for a bandsaw they are pretty quiet. I will see how i go before i buy one. I am looking forward to just using hand tools. Seems to be many many options out there!

I'd fore go all other machines if the band saw was the only one I could have. They are quiet but you *really* should have a dust collector connected to it as the dust will accumulate around the lower wheel pretty quick. So the vac will negate the quietness of the saw.

Definitely agree on the western planes.

 

[dzj]

Not much to add regarding the ' Western or Japanese' dilemma that hasn't already been said.
Unless you're making pretty small stuff, the hand tool only route will quickly become tiresome
without a bandsaw and a thicknesser.
If noise is an issue, you'll find that ripping with a hand saw and chopping mortises isn't quite guilt-free as you might think.

 

[ED65]

One other bit of advice, only buy what you need initially. Except for the occasional job lot or crate of tools that's so cheap you can't say no, buy further tools as you need them (IF you need them) for projects as you go, rather than buying tools you think you need. These have a nasty habit of sitting unused on a shelf for months or years

Really all you need to get going is:

• a selection of chisels (just a selection of widths, not a set necessarily although it is nice if the handles match);
  one hand plane, and unless you're ambitious about early project size this can be just a no. 4;
  sharpening gear for the above;
  a couple of hand saws (buy hardpoint saws to start with);
  measuring and marking tools;
  some clamps;
  abrasives;
  glue;
  finish.

Some marking tools are good candidates for being made by the user, simple gauges for example make a good beginner project and in addition to the personal satisfaction some styles aren't available to buy. Before anything else though a great first hand-tools project is a bench hook, which can do double duty as a basic shooting board further increasing its incredible usefulness to the hand-tool user.

 

[Trainee neophyte]

[

I have no bench.... First project!!

If you're not fussy about the style of bench or what it's made from and still need it to be stable enough for heavy hand work may I suggest a bench design that makes good use of sheet materials?

There are a number of great benches out there that utilise sandwiches of ply, MDF or chipboard for the tops, providing the large, flat, stable worktop we need but without the need for glue-ups and all the associated planing. But you can use the material for more of the bench than that, guaranteeing that you end up with something that's completely absolutely rock solid (no racking) but still easy and very fast to put together – some are genuine one-day builds.

Two in particular I've been enamoured of lately are by Tom Caspar, who is/was on staff with Popular Woodworking. One is the box-beam bench which is on the Pop Woodworking website and is demonstrated by Caspar in this YouTube video, Box Beam Bench, so you can see that the claims of stability are not at all exaggerated.

I think I may have just found my bench. Quick, easy, solid - perfect. I will be able to use it to make a "real" bench later