Suggestions for tools for a tiny workshop?

[Alf]

Did it take you a long time to achieve that level of skill?

Remember them lessons I talked about?? Mistakes I made..??

Heart attacks you've had... :roll:


Steve, just a possibility, but could

The notion that you can produce better results with hand tools is one I disagree with, if this was the case joinery shops worldwide would not be full to the brim with such machines!

be partially explained by

I also don't feel that anyone "needs" anything other than a stanley plane, chisel etc.
There have been literally thousands of apprentices who have been taught their trade with such equipment.
I personally have worked on banks, goverment buildings and major shopfits for well over 20 nearer 30yrs, and have never seen one of these exotic planes used on any job!

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Cheers, Alf

 

[pooka]

Hi Midnight,
Thanks for that. I have a couple of decent planes already, but while I can use them comfortably enough for bits of planing here and there I haven't yet summoned up the nerve to tackle the flattening of a board. As you point out, just taking that leap to making the effort is the first, and possibly biggest, hurdle. I have a jack plane that I am due to tune (for several months now...), but I plan to attack some rough-sawn stock when that is done (don't have a scrub plane right now, but it is on my wish list). Your post gives me encouragement to just get stuck in and try it, so thanks again.

And as for sharpening, that too is still a challenge for me - I have had good results with sandpaper (the "scary sharp" method), but several months ago I invested in some waterstones and my results have temporarily taken a step backwards with those, not to mention my difficulties with holding the chisel/blade properly square in my flimsy (Stanley) honing guide. Again though, another case of my needing to just practice, and then practice some more - I got a Veritas honing guide a few weeks back which I expect to help a lot.

Steve - I do have a back yard alright, but carrying any of the heavier machinery, such as a P/T, to and from it will be too awkward to make it feasible as a regular option (narrow doorways to squeeze through, high steps to get over, etc.). If I buy a portable thicknesser, then it is certainly an option. I have a decent dust collector that I invested in last year to tackle the dust from my routers, and I am hoping that it will prove capable of handling the output from any other machinery that I hook it up to (although, as pointed out by Shady, it is probably less effective for shavings than dust, or vice versa). I might well still need an air filter though.


I'd have to say that I started out this thread feeling that I wouldn't be able to get by without a saw, and a planer and thicknesser, for my future projects mainly due to lack of skill with the appropriate hand tools. My view has changed during this discussion though, thanks mainly to those pesky handtool supporters :wink: . I still plan to get myself a bandsaw, as I can't see myself being able to accurately resaw by hand for the forseeable future, but I am inclined to postpone the purchase of a P/T for a while at least - that'll give me more time to work on my skills at jointing wood by hand (helped by using the bandsaw to eliminate some of the initial donkey work of scrub planing). If my hand skills refuse to improve, or prove to be a bottleneck time-wise, then I'll look again at either a P/T or maybe even just a portable thicknesser - is there an official support group for the battered and disillisioned people that have fallen off the handtool bandwagon, 'cos I might need to keep their number on speed dial?

Thanks for all of the advice and encouragement.

 

[Chris Knight]

Pooka,

If you find scrub planing too much like hard work, don't overlook the merits of a hand held powered planer to get you wood approximately to size. I bought a Bosch at a show for a very reasonable amount (I forget what it cost I am afraid) and it does an excellent job. I use it for skimming rough sawn wood so that I can see figure and grain prior to marking out. I do this in the garage before taking wood into my workshop. My Bosch planer will take anything from a half mm to 5mm (fully adjustable between these points) off in one go.

 

[pooka]

Thanks for the suggestion Chris. As a matter of interest, is your planer one of the professional (blue) Bosch range or one of the DIY (green) range? I have seen the DIY Bosch ones on special offer in Homebase at times and wondered if they were any good.

 

[Chris Knight]

Pooka,

Mine is a blue one. I have no idea how the green ones stack up in detailed design aspects or usage but for rough planing I would guess a cheaper one should probably be OK. One thing to check for sure is how a vacuum can attach. My planer has an excellent pick up facility for a vacuum and that is truly essential. The stupid little cloth bags that attach to the tool itself fill up in seconds and also leak dust.

 

[Steve James]

Hi all

Alf, Touche' (hope the spelling is correct!)
Someone please remind me not to post while intoxicated!!

Steve

 

[Alf]

Someone please remind me not to post while intoxicated!!

Now where's the fun in that?

Cheers, Alf

 

[Midnight]

Midnight wrote:
Quote:
Did it take you a long time to achieve that level of skill?

Remember them lessons I talked about?? Mistakes I made..??

Heart attacks you've had...

caused by a blunt saw...

 

[Alf]

:-$ It spoils the comic* effect. :wink:

Cheers, Alf

* Albeit rather black comedy. But then I persue a policy of equality in my comedy...