New woodworker needing advice on tools

[daddyman77802]

Hey folks,

Im Daniel and I want to build furniture. My wife and Iove Mission/Arts and Craft style furniture, and I have the ambition to replace all of our current furniture with handmade furnishings. We love the look of cherry and maple together and cherry alone. I am looking for direction on hand tools to purchase. Here is my current arsenal:

Porter Cable circular saw

Craftsman jig saw from the late 80's

Craftsman router from the late 80's

Harbor freight trim router

Garage sale miter box with bent blade saw

1/2", 3/4" & 1" chisel set from Lowes

4 "c" clamps (2 large 2 small)

Rubber mallet

3 hammers

Porter Cable variable speed drill

Cobonation square

I would like to stick with handtools since space is limited. I also plan on building my own workbench and storage cabinets. I need tools to cut dadoes, rabbets, mortise and tenons as well as dovetails. I do not want to use screws as jointery. I do not have and endless supply of money but I am willing to invest in the long term as I know my quest will take a while to conquer. I have read several posts on plane recommendations, but in addition to what I need I would also like to know why I need it. You know, what the particular tool does in reference to what I am trying to accomplish. I would also like recommendations of some reading material in regards to my goal of creating furniture wih hand tools.

Thanks in advance! Also, if any of you live within 100 miles of me and would be willing to teacha young pup some tricks of the trade, I would welcome it with open arms.

[SteveM]

Make sure you check out these blogs and their podcasts:

http://www.logancabinetshoppe.com/index.php

http://www.renaissancewoodworker.com/

Bob has categorized his podcasts, here are the tool related ones:

http://www.logancabinetshoppe.com/podcast-tools.php

[rodger.]

If you want to go the hand tool route, a good read is Tolpin's "The new traditional woodoworker". Should be available at your local library.

http://www.amazon.ca...l/dp/1440304289

[Morton]

I recommend checking out Chris Schwarz book the Anarchist Tool Chest as it has a list of the tools inside and why you want them. I've used it to create my own "wish list" of a set of hand tools.

[daddyman77802]

Thanks for the input. I really appreciate it! The Renaissance Woodworker site is great! I stayed up way to loate last night trying to absorb the pod cast information.

[skiback46]

Pushing the limits of your 100 mile circle, but there is a hand tool splinter group of the Woodworkers Club of Houston, that meets on the 4th Thursday of the month, in Sugar Land(the next meeting is the 26th).

Also, there are sometimes hand tool classes at Woodcraft(s).

And...There's the Homestead Heritage, which offers some really great classes in hand tool only woodworking. I personally haven't taken any, but have talked to many who have, and Frank Strazza and they look great.

I live in Katy, and have been getting more into hand tools recently, while I'm not at the level of Shannon et al. I would be happy to share what I've learned.

[daddyman77802]

Thanks Josh! Katy/Houston is an easy drive from Bryan. Where does this group meet? I would like to come check it out. I would also like to take you up on learning some things.

[aengland]

Basics for building, from a "researching intermediate" aspiring woodworker........

Workbench with appropriate vise. This is an absolute must have. If you cannot hold the work and have a secure basis for planing, chopping, sawing, etc., then fine furniture most likely won't get built.

Cutting tools: could be power or hand tools. So far, you've listed power tools (circ, jig, table). Sawing to the line is necessary! A Festool will include applications to make that happen (but it's pricey); others, well, you provide the set up. Hand saws cut slower, thereby allowing mistakes in slower motion. But hand saws also allow, with practice, a safer and more reliable ability to tailor each piece. Chisels--you get what you pay for. Low end ones work, but don't hold a sharp edge as well or as long.... Good ones are pricey!!! Marking knives---make your own from a 1/16th or so blade. Be sure to leave one side flat so as to have a registration side.With better chisels, you need a wood mallet for whacking. For chopping mortices, you need dedicated mortice chisels.

Sanding: I've long since abandoned power sanders in favor of hand planes. My sand paper is much more likely going to work metal or sharpening routines. Hand planes with really sharp blades are just the best for getting wood beyond 400 grit ready for staining! So, Here's the reason for getting at least a #3 or 4; 4 1/2 or 5 1/2 or 6; and either a 7 or 8. I use my #6 the most (that's a personal thing). #4s do all my finish smoothing; a 7 or 8, does all the jointing for glue ups, etc. Now, to buy vintage (and rehab) or to buy new (and expensive): How much time and natural talent do you have? It's taken me several years to "arrive" at getting the same level of service from a vintage Stanley, Millers Falls, or Sargent that you get right out of the box for a LN or LV. So, buying new is buying immediate readiness to get to work. Also, their blades are really sharp, so you'll know what to look for when resharpening.

Sharpening your tools: Well, grinders, sand paper, water stones, oil stones, etc. For ME (YMMV), grinders don't get the blade all that sharp--so consider them early stage shapers. That's important but not the final stage needed for really sharp tools. Sand paper works; but I really hated the method. Paper wore down unevenly; glue caused micro bumps; when no glue was used, stressed paper rolled, leaving dubbed edges; etc. You will need to shape an edge; and, you'll need to get to about 8000 grit to achieve that level of sharp that will leave superb edges on ALL grains. Now, straight grain can be worked with far less. So, the wood you work may require better sharping skills.

Jointing: Tablesaws and routers scare me! So, I'm using mine less and less. I'm using handsaws, planes, chisels, and old style hand tools (skew rebate, dados, dovetails, router, and plow) now. They are no less expensive in the end than your power tools but they're just as capable. Pick your style and enjoy!

Oh, and you'll need clamps and drills and bits, as well. There's just so much

[Texfire]

I live in Austin, so I'm on the outside of your 100 mile circle. I'd be happy to answer any questions you have, and if I have any tools that you're looking at you're welcome to come and test drive them in my shop. The Woodcraft store in Austin is a good source of employees with experience in woodworking to answer questions, but remember they'll tend to steer you towards something they have to sell if it's appropriate for what you want. They also have an okay selection of entry level hand tools, as well as entry level classes. The classes are skewed towards power tool use, but still good. I'm a newbie powertool woodworker who's starting to add hand tools to my bag of tricks, so I'm not sure I'm the best source for tricks and specific advice on hand tool selection and techniques, but am happy to answer the ones I can.

Shannon (Renaissance Woodworker) and his Hand Tool School is a great resource available to you. Matt (Matt's Basement Workshop) and Marc (The Wood Whisperer) are both hybrid woodworkers so they can answer questions about basic handtools as well.

I'd say the best question for you to ask is not which hand tools do I need, but what do I want to do, and what do I need to get it done? A secondary question is what is my budget and can I afford to do so? You've already started that process by identifying that you want to make furniture in Mission style. By identifying what tools you need to do that, you can figure out what to buy. There are general classes of tools you're going to need no matter what you decide on; a solid workbench to work on, clamps for holding pieces together, marking and layout tools for accurate construction. All of these will make your job easier, even if they're not as sexy as a good saw or plane.

Research now will save you time and money later. There is nothing quite as expensive as a cheap tool. I will second the books already suggested, Tolpin and Schwartz give a good rationale for which tools they suggest. The three podcasts I mentioned are excellent primers for furniture building techniques and workflow, and there are several websites you can get info from, Popular Woodworking and Fine Woodworking both run sites with articles that will be helpful.

Josh

[daddyman77802]

• Thanks Archie! I really like the idea of handtools. Since I am going in this for a hobby that will hopefull produce something worth holding on to for a long time (furniture and such) and it will allow me to give some really cool and unique Christmas/Birthday gifts, the ability to take my time, slow down and learn it correctly is in my favor. I am not looking to refurbish old hand tools, that can be a hobby all in its self, but at the same time, I do not want to shell out $3000 for the basic necissities from Lie-Nielson either. I put a list of "nned to start" tools together from one of the books recommended above, I believe it was The New Traditional Woodworker. I priced the list from Lei-Nielson and from Veritas. It included a jointer plane, jack plane, smoother plane, shoulder plane, block plane, tenon saw, 2 panel saws (crosscut, and rip), beveled chisels, mortis chisels, marking guages, sharpening supplies & cabinet scrapers. Lie-Nielson price was just shy of $3000 and Veritas was just over $1800.
  
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• I (and my friend who is a home builder) am currently working on the construction of a small storage building in my back yard so I can clean out the garage and turn it into a wood shop (It's cheaper to build a 8'x12' for storage and use the 2 car garage for a shop). I really want to build a Roubo style bench between now and Thanksgiving, absolutely no later than Christmas, In the mean time, I plan on purchasing jointery tools first then the rest a little at a time. That way I can practice things like cutting tenons, & chisling mortises, cutting dove tails, then when I get to -purchasing the planes, I can hone my planing skills and put it all together. There a few workshops I found that i would like to attend as well.
  

[daddyman77802]

Josh, I appreciate your response. While Austin is a little outside the circle, I ahve a bro-in-law in Round Rock we go to visit quite often. My gorwing excitment seems to be spreading to my wife. She is now wanting me to build a mission sofa, loveseat and chairs for the living room so she can make the cusions and pillows for it! She loves to sew, so the two pair up quite nicely. While I can;t say money is no object, I do understand the price of buying cheap.

[Texfire]

Well feel free to give me a shout when you're in the area, I'm in the midst of building my shop so it's a little disorganized, but you're welcome to take a look and ask questions.

[jHop]

I know you'll need more clamps. (everybody does, don't feel bad.) a pair of pipe clamps, a pair of 'k' body style clamps, and a pair of f clamps are my first recommendations - get more of what you need based off how you see these being used.

You didn't mention whether your Craftsman router has a plunge base or not: I'm assuming not. You can do mortises with these, but it takes a bit longer. (experience is not always a wonderful thing.) This means you can defer purchasing some tools while you get started... and make it easier to afford veritas.

Sharpening.... sheesh, where to start? Pick one and stay with it. I've gone the sandpaper/ scary sharp method for my personal style, which works on most of my stuff, but I'm losing my sharpening space. Which brings the next suggestion: sharpening station. Keeping it at hand, regardless of which one you pick, means you'll keep them sharp instead of "dealing with it a bit longer."

Definitely need to get that bent saw addressed. There's a thread here about it somewhere, which I need to revisit. (I had one saw with a bend, went "huh, check it out," and one of the Scouts said "I can get that straight for you." Now I am looking for another saw.)