List of notable woodworkers who use only hand tools

[tibi]

Joshua Farnsworth.. look up wood and shop

Yes, I know him. He has good buying guides on his website.

 

[Cheshirechappie]

Check la cabra en la escalera (Israël Martin). He does everything by hand (except turning knobs, where he uses a lathe)

Nice one - that'll teach me to read the thread before diving in!

 

[Noho12C]

Nice one - that'll teach me to read the thread before diving in!

I really like his work. a good mix between traditional work and construction with a bit of modern esthetic. He doesnt make videos, but posts nearly everyday on Instagram. He publishes also some of his projects in F&C, if you need ideas and inspirations.

 

[sometimewoodworker]

Hello,

Can you please help me create a list of notable woodworkers who use only hand tools for their work? I would like to get to know new names for inspiration.
By hand tools only I mean people who besides joinery also dimension their wood by hand (saw and plane).

I already know:
- Tom Fidgen
- Shannon Rogers
- La Cabra en La Escalera

Thank you very much.

While Shannon Rogers will often, maybe usually use hand tools he has and uses a reasonably large plainer on occasions. I don’t have details but he mentions using it on one or both of his main podcasts.

 

[sometimewoodworker]

I do not want to go the hand tool route because of some purist ideology, but I do not want to make bad relationships with neighbours when they want to enjoy their weekends in a quiet environment. And also I have limited space. My workshop that I am going to build this year will be only 4x4m and I do not have enough amperage for heavy-duty machines.

What you can do is reduce the sound coming out of your new workshop, while you can’t eliminate it completely without spending crazy money you can certainly reduce it to a level that will be unnoticeable from a moderate distance. A 25db reduction is easy a 40db needs a bit more work. You say you don’t have power for heavy duty machines but don’t say what you do have.

 

[GarF]

Chris Schwarz is much the same. Massive advocate of hand tool joinery, but is quite open about getting the machines to do the donkey work. These days I'm erring more toward this approach. Tom Fidgen's videos are great to watch, but I feel if I want to develop my skills I need to spend more time testing them and less time on stock preparation.

 

[TominDales]

I do not want to go the hand tool route because of some purist ideology, but I do not want to make bad relationships with neighbours when they want to enjoy their weekends in a quiet environment. And also I have limited space.

Tibor

This is a very good question with multiple strategies to answer it, excellent for this forum.

Good to be thoughtful of your neighbors. Most of us probably have similar issues regarding noise, space, budget for tools and also enjoyment of the task.
Here are a few strategies I use:
Time to make a noise.
*Most neighbors tolerate noise at some point in the day, for instance my neighbors make noise typically between 10am to 12am (and maybe from 9am occasionally) on a Saturday for instance. Avoiding too early or too late or when they are enjoying a sunny day in the garden. (also I know this is forbidden for an Englishman - but I occasionally talk to my neighbors and that reassures them no end....)
*Get quieter motors - worth investing in induction etc to reduce the scream as you come to buy or replace items.
*Choose power tools carefully. I'm still trying to work this through personally. I mainly had hand tools but as I've got older with a bit more time and less strength thought I should learn to use a table saw, a router table and a Coronet lathe with small plane attachment and a skill saw. Having now got used to them all, I use them much less, especially the router great for cutting lots of mortices etc but plough planes and hand tools make for nicer - less machined look finishes. I do find thinknessing by hand a bit of a chore but have got by. With hindsight I might have gone for a band saw instead of TS. I have used the TS to roughly dimension boards - I'm terrified of it and a band saw would probably do what I need. Dimensioning with hand planes is very satisfying. Oh and we have a chain saw for getting lumber from the garden and a near neighbour who seems to have a mature tree condemned by the tree surgeon on an annual basis.

I'm interested in the list you have compiled, watching some of these masters and their blogs is a nice way to spend the cold winter nights and keep up to date - only recently replaced my oil stone with diamond thanks to Paul Sellers.

 

[joel.riley1]

I'll chip in Charles Ash - touchwood craft TouchWood Crafts | TouchWood Crafts creates stylish and bespoke artisan products

Have been to his workshop and can vouch that apart from a chainsaw, he has no power tools apart from one cordless drill, and processes from tree to furniture.

Great guy and I am a happy returning customer of his!

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

Well said Derek. In these days, unless you are either a dabbler, masochist or a prepper getting ready for SHTF then it makes sense to be a hybrid woodworker. Use the advantage of technology to do the grunt work and then finesse by hand. Even the most famous "handtool woodworkers" of the last century and a half, who shun modern tech use powered tools. Most Shaker (Amish) woodworking companies use diesel generators to power converted steam belt driven machinery to produce enough volume of stock and where they need to use more modern kit they pay a mensch to operate them. Hell, they even pay someone to wander around with them to carry and answer the company mobile phone.

There is far too much elitism in hand tool this and that. In days of old they used a panel saw or a pit saw 'cos that is what they had not really what they wanted. After all if that was the case then there would be no such thing as an electric drill or table saw.

Having had my say, mainly to emphasise that it is important to remain open-minded and flexible, the OP may not be aware that I have a website which has focussed for about 15 years on using hand tools to build furniture. There are many step-by-step processes outlined, reviews of hand tools, and builds of hand tools. I recently added a power tool section, just to keep everyone honest!

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/index.html
Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[TheTiddles]

Having had my say, mainly to emphasise that it is important to remain open-minded and flexible, the OP may not be aware that I have a website which has focussed for about 15 years on using hand tools to build furniture. There are many step-by-step processes outlined, reviews of hand tools, and builds of hand tools. I recently added a power tool section, just to keep everyone honest!

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/index.html
Regards from Perth

Derek

“made by hand” is just a fashionable statement for people who like to turn a blind eye to all the not by hand work that goes into anything. As you point out you’re quite happy to use a table saw etc to get the to good bit which is where you can’t use a machine.

I suspect that even people working entirely with hand tools may have had the material delivered by some kind of machine, use light sources that are powered by machines etc. It’s about as genuine as plastic free aisles in supermarkets.

Still it’s nice to see someone who wants to work this way as it suits them, rather than some misplaced loyalty to a flawed idea.

Aidan

 

[Jameshow]

Having had my say, mainly to emphasise that it is important to remain open-minded and flexible, the OP may not be aware that I have a website which has focussed for about 15 years on using hand tools to build furniture. There are many step-by-step processes outlined, reviews of hand tools, and builds of hand tools. I recently added a power tool section, just to keep everyone honest!

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/index.html
Regards from Perth

Derek

First class instructions and work btw...

Cheers James

 

[TRITON]

“made by hand” is just a fashionable statement for people who like to turn a blind eye to all the not by hand work that goes into anything. As you point out you’re quite happy to use a table saw etc to get the to good bit which is where you can’t use a machine.

I suspect that even people working entirely with hand tools may have had the material delivered by some kind of machine, use light sources that are powered by machines etc. It’s about as genuine as plastic free aisles in supermarkets.

Still it’s nice to see someone who wants to work this way as it suits them, rather than some misplaced loyalty to a flawed idea.

I agree with you mostly. in that likely the tree was harvested by some bloke with a chainsaw, and that went to a mill where it was turned into boards, dried in a kiln, or left to season naturally, and from there to a maker, who took those boards and entirely worked them by hand.
But where does that process begin, in order to fulfill your/the description, at the mill ?, the bloke with the chainsaw ?, or even at some forestry worker who walked across the land planting the seeds by hand 40 years ago.
It has to start at some point, and it is not too unreasonable to suggest that that process started with the maker.
The boards could have went to an industrial site to become chipboard or some other form used in the industry, but it is the maker who has taken the raw material and made from it a nice piece of furniture.

All of us are capable of this and I myself have taken a log, from a tree, cut down by the local council, riven the timber and turned that after a great deal of work and effort into a nice box, which I then gave away to someone who , for want of a better description, and to at least be truthful, someone who has put up with my constant questions, and borrowing of his expertise ,knowledge and his specialist tools in order to keep my bikes running. As way of a thank you.
Would I agree that that piece wasn't entirely made by hand ? No I would not, as the council workman didn't make it, he spent no time in though and none in design or construction, he played no part in it whatsoever. He could have taken those logs and sent them through the chipper, it was I the maker who constructed it, so I get all the credit.

Making such things entirely by hand requires only one thing that I can see, Customers willing to pay huge amounts for their furniture, and not all of us have access to such customers, though in fact many of us complete furniture of the same quality and design.
But it's not just having these customers, you also need the quality timber and for that you need suppliers willing to sell you such premium stock, and for that you again need to be able to afford premium stock. So to my mind it is all a bit elitist.
There are plenty of highly skilled creative individuals in this trade and industry, some who command high rices for their workmanship I don't look to belittle their work, skill or creativity just because they buy pre sawn boards from their supplier.

 

[thikone]

I also work in apartment with plenty of neighbors around. I managed to make friends with most of them. At least I'm lucky that those close to us are not old and many have children. Still, they might do or say something behind my back...

I work in a separate room that was supposed to be renovated but ended up as room to make mess and dust. Got quite good with dimensioning wood by hand, takes a few weeks to do that for medium project. Sometimes a month or two.

The most important tool for that is solid workbench. Mine is made of beach, 0.3 cubic meters of it, according to 3d model, probably above 200 kg. It is made of several sections, bolted together. The heaviest top parts are probably 40 kg each. And it has flat surface that I planed with #7. I wouldn't be able to dimension anything without it. I don't use winding sticks and don't have them. Instead I put a piece on my workbench and see where it rocks, on which high spots it rests.

I did try power tools at first. Probably I saw to many american videos - table saw everywhere, and routers and such. I used job site TS (Bosch PTS10) in apartment to build my workbench from factory made panels. That was scary and noisy and very dusty. I didn't use it since then and then got rid of it. Also have Bosch SHO 160 thickness-planer (also known as Mafell AD160 and both are not made anymore), use it in time of despair to thickness the other side.

There are power tools which are rather quiet that I discovered and use. Machines with induction motors are much quieter than those with universal brushed motors:

• Decent drill press without vibrations is as quiet as microwave, can use it even at 10pm.
• Cannot really bang my mortises with chisels - transmits to neighbors very well. Thought about doing it outside but instead bought a hollow chisel mortiser, noise wise is the same as drill press.
• And I have a small bandsaw (Record Power BS250), it is loud as washing machine with vacuum cleaner combined.
• Recently, I got handheld circular saw with 85mm blade (Makita HS301DZ). This tool is heavily underrated - it is not so loud, it has blade with just 1 mm kerf, it produces more shavings than dust and it spins only at 1500 rpm and most of saw dust falls down. 5 minutes after cutting there is no dust in the air. I use it to cut wood and plywood with 1 mm spare which I then trim with a hand plane.

But as they say many times above, it is a donkey job to dimension by hand. Last year I was lucky as I got a room to rent in our basement. it is almost 4x4 m. Whole last year I spend building a room inside this room for noise reduction. Will probably get like 20dB less or so. Second door, plastic windows, insulation on walls, ceiling and floor. And I got 3 machines that I wanted - dust extractor with fine filter and only 75 dB (AL-KO Power Unit 120), thickness/planer Hammer A3-41 with silence power spiral cutter and 75 dB, and a huge bandsaw Felder FB510. Over all that is 800 kg of machines... That was very scary to put there. Just a thought of moving them out and finding another place makes my stomach go down. Hopefully, it will be quiet enough and with rare use nobody should notice. I plan to work during working days, have flexible time at work, maybe in the mornings like 9am before going to work.

I live in Vienna, not far from Slovakia by the way.

 

[Jacob]

Thomas Chippendale

Chippendale was highly commercial and would have used every improved method available to him. The IKEA of his day, but only for the well heeled.
The worship of hand tools for their own sakes came a lot later.
I do like hand tools myself but not likely to become a purist unless I have to (post climate change apocalypse?).

 

[Cabinetman]

I also work in apartment with plenty of neighbors around. I managed to make friends with most of them. At least I'm lucky that those close to us are not old and many have children. Still, they might do or say something behind my back...

I work in a separate room that was supposed to be renovated but ended up as room to make mess and dust. Got quite good with dimensioning wood by hand, takes a few weeks to do that for medium project. Sometimes a month or two.

The most important tool for that is solid workbench. Mine is made of beach, 0.3 cubic meters of it, according to 3d model, probably above 200 kg. It is made of several sections, bolted together. The heaviest top parts are probably 40 kg each. And it has flat surface that I planed with #7. I wouldn't be able to dimension anything without it. I don't use winding sticks and don't have them. Instead I put a piece on my workbench and see where it rocks, on which high spots it rests.

I did try power tools at first. Probably I saw to many american videos - table saw everywhere, and routers and such. I used job site TS (Bosch PTS10) in apartment to build my workbench from factory made panels. That was scary and noisy and very dusty. I didn't use it since then and then got rid of it. Also have Bosch SHO 160 thickness-planer (also known as Mafell AD160 and both are not made anymore), use it in time of despair to thickness the other side.

There are power tools which are rather quiet that I discovered and use. Machines with induction motors are much quieter than those with universal brushed motors:

• Decent drill press without vibrations is as quiet as microwave, can use it even at 10pm.
• Cannot really bang my mortises with chisels - transmits to neighbors very well. Thought about doing it outside but instead bought a hollow chisel mortiser, noise wise is the same as drill press.
• And I have a small bandsaw (Record Power BS250), it is loud as washing machine with vacuum cleaner combined.
• Recently, I got handheld circular saw with 85mm blade (Makita HS301DZ). This tool is heavily underrated - it is not so loud, it has blade with just 1 mm kerf, it produces more shavings than dust and it spins only at 1500 rpm and most of saw dust falls down. 5 minutes after cutting there is no dust in the air. I use it to cut wood and plywood with 1 mm spare which I then trim with a hand plane.

But as they say many times above, it is a donkey job to dimension by hand. Last year I was lucky as I got a room to rent in our basement. it is almost 4x4 m. Whole last year I spend building a room inside this room for noise reduction. Will probably get like 20dB less or so. Second door, plastic windows, insulation on walls, ceiling and floor. And I got 3 machines that I wanted - dust extractor with fine filter and only 75 dB (AL-KO Power Unit 120), thickness/planer Hammer A3-41 with silence power spiral cutter and 75 dB, and a huge bandsaw Felder FB510. Over all that is 800 kg of machines... That was very scary to put there. Just a thought of moving them out and finding another place makes my stomach go down. Hopefully, it will be quiet enough and with rare use nobody should notice. I plan to work during working days, have flexible time at work, maybe in the mornings like 9am before going to work.

I live in Vienna, not far from Slovakia by the way.

Well all I can say is you’re certainly very keen indeed! I would recommend you visit one or two of the people above your new basement workshop whilst at the same time getting a friend to use some of the machinery and see for yourself how quiet it is, or not and it’s always good to talk to the neighbours to keep them on your side. As you have built a room within a room you might be pleasantly surprised, I was the first time I did it. Ian

 

[Garno]

Guy's for some strange reason you have all forgot to mention Garno.
He is without a doubt the best non power tool woodworker in my shed.
Just saying ..............

 

[thikone]

Well all I can say is you’re certainly very keen indeed! I would recommend you visit one or two of the people above your new basement workshop whilst at the same time getting a friend to use some of the machinery and see for yourself how quiet it is, or not and it’s always good to talk to the neighbours to keep them on your side. As you have built a room within a room you might be pleasantly surprised, I was the first time I did it. Ian

I plan to do that too, to hear it for myself. There is a young student girl above the basement. I showed her what machines I have put under her apartment. Maybe she doesn't realize yet but her reply was "as long as it is quiet after 10pm". Also I was thinking to make something from wood for close neighbors. But for that I have to be using machines to make it in reasonable time.

Room inside a room is maybe overstatement, but I reduced size of the room by insulating walls and installing double glass windows behind regular basement windows. Also there are some cushion layers on the floor, several of them, last being under laminate. So how much surprise was it? half of noise or what?

On the other hand, once neighbor below neighbor heard our vacuum cleaner at 10pm... and she already wanted to call police or something... But then again, when somebody renovates something during the day nobody cares... Scary uncertainty!

 

[Ttrees]

Haha, was her fella as impressed

 

[Cabinetman]

As you did I lined out and insulated the existing walls and from 6 feet away from the door I could hardly hear anything, I asked one of the neighbours and she said she hadn’t even realised there was anything going on, so let’s hope it works for you.

 

[bp122]

Try Wood by Wright channel on YouTube.