New Paul Sellers Book - 'Essential Woodworking Hand Tools'

[Simonhi]

Great advice all. Economics won in the end - I've ordered a second-hand copy of 'The Essential Woodworker' for less than a third of the cost of Mr Seller's book.

Good for you. You certainly won't be disappointed, its a great read from tool set up through handy jigs and straight onto layout and joinery.

 

[transatlantic]

Great advice all. Economics won in the end - I've ordered a second-hand copy of 'The Essential Woodworker' for less than a third of the cost of Mr Seller's book.

Of course, you want quality not quantity, but to be fair, Paul Sellers book is a fair bit chunkier

 

[bridger]

Well, Matthew is incentivised to sell tools and Paul Sellers in incentivised to sell books and web access. I have watched a few Paul sellers vids and think he gives good information but in a slow and laboured way. I suspect his writing style is not dissimilar so I would wait before buying this book until I had been able to see it and judge its usefulness. Whilst I like hand tools, I am somewhat of the philosophy that life is rather short and when you need something made, some mechanised help is no bad thing.

I find his rambling folksy style wears on me after a bit. The man is badly in need of a good editor.

 

[Bm101]

Without going off topic too much I hope, it's related, has anyone read Making and Modifying Woodworking Tools by Jim Kingshott? After looking about last night after reading this thread I nearly bought it. Its a bit pricey though! :shock: Used for over £25 new at £75. Is the price indicative of the quality of the book, it's rarity or both. if it's an excellent book I'll take a punt on it second hand but I'd rather have someone on here recommend it first.
Cheers
Chris

 

[ED65]

Chris, the reviews on Amazon of the Kingshott book may tell you what you need to know.

Not sure what kind of tools you'd like to make but I think a better bet might be "Making Wood Tools" by John Wilson, I've only read an excerpt in PDF but I'm sure the rest of the book is just as good.

 

[rkboston]

Those guys definitely do some nice work.
I looked at their planing of the table top and was surprised at so much cross grain planing.
https://youtu.be/K00Tg7IdaJI?t=215
I am no pro, but I have always favored with the grain motion, seems more ryhtmical and efficient. Maybe with the wide tabletop it is hard to reach the middle for thick shavings with a try plane, and grain was all over the place.

 

[Bm101]

I'm miles away from making planes ED! Just wondered if there was a guide to plane making, metal and otherwise.Not so much a 'how to', more a 'what to look for'. A history of the manufacture of planes and what went on. I know a little of the rise of LN and so on, Veritas etc. Filling a void left after the 60s' 70's decline in hand tool making. At least I think I do.... :roll: I'd be interested to have a book i could reference to see the quirks and changes of plane manufacture from early days up till that point. A plane spotters guide if you like. I'd love to know if anyone has a recommendation or two.
Cheers.
*Puts on anorak
Chris

 

[Cheshirechappie]

Without going off topic too much I hope, it's related, has anyone read Making and Modifying Woodworking Tools by Jim Kingshott? After looking about last night after reading this thread I nearly bought it. Its a bit pricey though! :shock: Used for over £25 new at £75. Is the price indicative of the quality of the book, it's rarity or both. if it's an excellent book I'll take a punt on it second hand but I'd rather have someone on here recommend it first.
Cheers
Chris

I've had a copy on the shelves for quite a while - indeed, before writing this I checked the book and found the invoice - I've had the thing for 23 years!

Jim was a consummate craftsman, and took immense pride in his tools. He writes in a clear and precise style. The book is very well illustrated with drawings and photographs.

There's quite a bit about metalworking tools and techniques, including heat treatment. There is one chapter on making wooden planes, which whilst not comprehensive, has some useful tips. There is one chapter on tuning Bailey style planes, and reference to making a metal marking gauge and forging screwdrivers, and a chapter on making a Stanley-type shooting board and plane including making the patterns for the castings - rather an advanced project, I think. The bulk of the work is about making infill planes, starting with a small chariot plane from a bronze casting, then working through smoothers and panel planes up to a 30" try plane.

If you intend to start making infill planes, I think the book would be worth it. Otherwise, particularly if you're thinking about simpler wooden tools, maybe not - especially at £25 plus.

Edit to add - Seeing you posted as I was typing, I'll add this! The 'bible' on wooden planes has just been republished - John M Whelan's "The Wooden Plane; Its History, Form and Function". The companion volume by the same author, "Making Traditional Wooden Planes" is reckoned about the best on that subject, too.

Classic Hand Tools stock both books - https://www.classichandtools.com/acatal ... ooks-.html

 

[Bm101]

Thanks I appreciate the reply MrC. I might be a bit of a div but I'm not delusional! One to save for the future. I'd enjoy reading it anyway tbh but as to enacting it I'd better work out which hand is left and right first. 20 years time I might attempt it.

Double edit. We'll have to stop meeting like this. Thanks for the link! I'll take a look.
Cheers
Chris

 

[D_W]

There are bits and pieces tutorials online for making infill planes and wooden planes. For infill planes, you just need someone to give you some basic guidance on joining metal, and some layout items are useful to talk about. I've made three and a half so far (the third just came to a screeching halt the same time I learned to use a cap iron in stanley planes - I developed a greater appreciation for them than my infills).

I have made some wooden planes, too, but after getting bearings making basic tools in general, the best thing to do in making planes is to find a good one to copy, take a shot or two at actually copying it (ask questions on here or elsewhere when needed) and sort of own the process yourself. It's a subtle thing, and the particulars of neatness and extreme precision aren't that important, but proportion and layout generalities are - you don't want to freelance too much or you can have a pretty piece of crap that isn't very nice to use.

i have some planemaking books (including kingshott's), but have always found having a good plane in hand to be much more instructive than texts.

As far as infills go, look around at the dovetailing bits and pieces online (there's a site called planemaker or something) and take two pieces of scrap metal and see if you can join them. If you can do it cleanly, you're ready to start cutting, filing and sweating.

 

[Bm101]

Bloomin' heck, stop the bus! :shock:

 

[Cheshirechappie]

Just remembered this one - t's a rare book, but Gary Roberts of Toolemera has very kindly posted a PDF on the web. "How to Make Woodworking Tools" by the master's master, Charles Hayward. Well worth more than a passing shuftie.

http://www.toolemera.com/bkpdf/haywardhowtobk.pdf

 

[bugbear]

Edit to add - Seeing you posted as I was typing, I'll add this! The 'bible' on wooden planes has just been republished - John M Whelan's "The Wooden Plane; Its History, Form and Function". The companion volume by the same author, "Making Traditional Wooden Planes" is reckoned about the best on that subject, too.

Whelan was an expert on the history of wooden planes - but not so much on making them.

(I own both books)

BugBear

 

[AndyT]

Richard Tomes certainly studied the Jim Kingshott book and rated it highly.

 

[Argus]

Jim Kingshott seems a long way from Paul Sellers......................... or have we come full-circle?

 

[bugbear]

Jim Kingshott seems a long way from Paul Sellers......................... or have we come full-circle?

Their woodworking backgrounds were surprisingly similar, their attitude to tools, not so much!

BugBear

 

[richarddownunder]

Just remembered this one - t's a rare book, but Gary Roberts of Toolemera has very kindly posted a PDF on the web. "How to Make Woodworking Tools" by the master's master, Charles Hayward. Well worth more than a passing shuftie.

http://www.toolemera.com/bkpdf/haywardhowtobk.pdf

Hi. Thanks for that terriffic plane-making link - I think I'll have a go at one or two.

Nice furniture in the other links too, I recon I always pick something up from watching these guys who make fine furniture for a living as opposed to a few hours now and again in the shed. There is an obvious confidence that you are not going to wreck a very expensive bit of wood that only come with practice. I kiinda noticed that none of the tools used were $20 budget examples.

As for Mr Sellers book, I think I'll follow his own advice and wait till its under $1 on e-bay

Cheers
Richard