I've been a hobby woodworker for the last 40+ years using a mix of hand tools and basic power tools. I made a lot of furniture (bed, bookcases, built -in wardrobes) in my 20s with very basic tools, when I bought a house that needed lots of work. I also repaired and restored some antique furniture - including a chair that still sits in our lounge. Now that I'm retired I've got a couple of small workshops - one mainly hand tools, the other houses a Kity combination machine, Charnwood bandsaw, Axminster belt/disc sander, a drill press, mitre saw, basic lathe, routers etc. I do like traditional hand tools - including interesting planes, draw knives, adze, shave horse, different saws and I collected many antique examples when I was living and working in France; I don't equate more tools with more productivity, its more a kind of industrial disease or affliction that gets worse with age! My latest acquisition is a beautiful joiner's bench and I've reorganised my shop to accommodate it, making a pact with myself to only keep the tools that I need and use frequently (the claw hammer being the only tool visible in the picture is just an unfortunate coincidence!). The other pictures are from recent projects.
The YouTube era has been a great influence on me as any formal training I had was limited to a few wood and metalwork classes at school. I admire Paul Sellars for his demonstrations of how to achieve accuracy and how to use and sharpen particular tools, I love Harry Rogers (Windsor chair to wooden cloggs) for his willingness to take on new challenges and share the journey, I watch Pask Makes for his diverse skills and creativity and Mr Chickadee for his hand tool skills and the scale of the projects he undertakes. I find watching YouTube videos can provide the encouragement, inspiration and technical expertise that gives me the confidence to push myself beyond my comfort zone and retirement allows me the time to enjoy the learning experience.
One thing I miss is the daily teamwork, camraderie and banter of the workplace. UK Workshop is somewhere to go to find the chat, the jokes, the advice, the wit and repartee that I enjoy. Keep up the good work, be creative and inspire us with your ideas, remember - time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana!