James W Prichard Posted February 10, 2015 Report Share Posted February 10, 2015 I have a 5 and 9 year old. They are helping with the workbench building and one of their first projects will be a japanese tool box. My son is a lefty and don't want him to get discouraged using tools that were built for righties. Is there a good resource or article already out there that can give me a good idea of what I need to search for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted February 10, 2015 Report Share Posted February 10, 2015 I've been a lefty all my life ! Never needed any special tools or instruction. What sort of issues do you have ? Several times my dad showed my lefty mom how to do something and she showed me. Screwdrivers, hammers ,chisels, saws, planes etc are all just the same for lefty or righty. He may need to stand on the other side or basically just reverse what a righty is doing. If you,come up with any specific question send me a PM and I will be glad to help. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Cancelleri Posted February 10, 2015 Report Share Posted February 10, 2015 I would think the only things that are righty favored are power tools such as circular saw, drill press, miter saw. Other than a scissor I can't think of any righty favored hand tools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted February 10, 2015 Report Share Posted February 10, 2015 I think most lefties can do more right handed than vice versa. Unless they have lefty scissors handy I just do it right handed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenaqua Posted February 10, 2015 Report Share Posted February 10, 2015 I'm a lefty and grew up that way and didn't notice any real disadvantage often. I do use righty scissors and eventually forced myself to use a computer mouse with the right hand. Sometimes it feels a little weird or off using some tools like a circular saw, tablesaw etc but after so many years you just make the adjustment naturally. There is a reason why left handed people die 7 years earlier than righties..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barron Posted February 10, 2015 Report Share Posted February 10, 2015 To quote Dave Barry, "lefties die earlier, but we aren't bitter." I have not had an issue with hand tools other than my marking gauge. My Tite-Mark tip will losen if I don't pay attention to how I draw it across the board, but that's about it. Power tools are a different story, especially circular saws. The bench might be an issue, I have worked on right-hand oriented benches and it never feels quite right. The world forces lefties to adjust, so we end up more capable than righties Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted February 10, 2015 Report Share Posted February 10, 2015 We're definitely more capable, smarter, funnier, better looking, fresher breath, well hung. Better at sports, better drivers, better musicians, better people. We're just better. But we get covered in filth when using a circular saw. So I bought a TS55. I'm somewhat ambidextrous so I do some things righty and some things lefty, but neither hand is limited by any tool that I can think of. Scissors are not difficult to use in my right hand so that's what I do. If you can't use your right hand to pull down on a drill press then you're just flat uncoordinated. My miter saw is a Kapex and the trigger is dead center so that's not an issue. I can't think of any hand tools that are righty or lefty only except rasps, and Auriou solves that problem by offering both. The only time lefties face a real challenge is with turning. But the conventional wisdom is that the best turners can use either hand. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
popper Posted February 10, 2015 Report Share Posted February 10, 2015 I'm a leftie and the only "left handed" tool I own is my plow plane. If you need or want videos to show him, Shannon Rogers over at The Hand Tool School and Renaissance woodworker is left handed too. Oh yeah, thanks Eric I forgot my rasps are left handed too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vyrolan Posted February 10, 2015 Report Share Posted February 10, 2015 We're definitely more capable, smarter, funnier, better looking, fresher breath, well hung. Better at sports, better drivers, better musicians, better people. We're just better. But we get covered in filth when using a circular saw. So I bought a TS55. Truer words have rarely been spoken...or uh written...or you know typed in a forum. Anyway. I'm with the rest...left-handed but do a lot of things right-handed... I actually use my circular saw right-handed and got a blade-left Bosch one for better visibility..so despite doing it with my right hand, I still get wrong-hand treatment in getting covered with dust. =( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James W Prichard Posted February 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2015 The rasps were what had me questioning this. I know some knives (kitchen) have bevels on one side favoring right handers but appreciate the help. I did pick up a tape measure that reads from both directions but wanted to see if there was anything I might be missing. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenaqua Posted February 10, 2015 Report Share Posted February 10, 2015 I didn't realize that rasps were lefty/righty. Now I know why I never liked using them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy_Sicignano Posted February 11, 2015 Report Share Posted February 11, 2015 Japanese chef knives are beveled on one side and are made for eighties unless you special order. I really love my lefty corkscrew. Haven't seen any lefty power tools except my Bosch circular saw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4square Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 Another south paw here. My mentor (my Dad) was a righty so much of the way that I learned to work both hand & handheld power tools was righty. I am able to swing a hammer use a plane, circular saw, hand saw etc. with either hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ponderingturtle Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 Japanese chef knives are beveled on one side and are made for eighties unless you special order. I really love my lefty corkscrew. Haven't seen any lefty power tools except my Bosch circular saw Do worm drive saws count as they are blade left instead of blade right. Of course I have a right handed coworker who like left bladed saws to better see the blade while cutting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ponderingturtle Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 I didn't realize that rasps were lefty/righty. Now I know why I never liked using them! I am at a loss to figure out how a tool that is straight is left or right handed. It might prefer a cutting motion that is to the left or right but that doesn't seem like it would be a huge deal with handedness. Or just get hand stitched and it is with out handedness at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 Or just get hand stitched and it is with out handedness at all. Wrong. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 I would love to know the difference. I played w an Auriou rasp at Highland once but didn't know they were " handed" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ponderingturtle Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 Wrong. Ok so how are they handed. The only asymmetry I can think of is in the angle of the rows of teeth, as the point to hand stitching was to break up the symmetry why are they still handed. Or is actually explaining what is wrong with my assumptions to difficult, and simple and uninformative one word answers are better? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skiback46 Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 The teeth are not pointing down the length of the rasp, but instead at an angle. This is perhaps most noticeable on hand-stitched rasps (the current Nicholson machine cut do not tend to have a preference). The benefit is that you end up with fewer gouges from individual teeth since you are now using almost a skewing motion. In my case I am right handed and grip the tip with my left hand , when I hold the tool perpendicular to the work, and push straight forward i am basically taking a "skew cut". From here: http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/auriou9x10cabinetrasp.aspx AngleEach rasp is stitched with the teeth at an angle to the handle so that it cuts comfortably in your natural cutting motion. As a result, each rasp is available in a right-hand and a left-hand version. Choose your rasp angle based on which hand you will use it in most.(i.e. Right-handed people would use a right-hand rasp.) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 ^^^ Yep, this is why there are left and right handed versions. Good explanation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ponderingturtle Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 The teeth are not pointing down the length of the rasp, but instead at an angle. This is perhaps most noticeable on hand-stitched rasps (the current Nicholson machine cut do not tend to have a preference). The benefit is that you end up with fewer gouges from individual teeth since you are now using almost a skewing motion. In my case I am right handed and grip the tip with my left hand , when I hold the tool perpendicular to the work, and push straight forward i am basically taking a "skew cut". From here: http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/auriou9x10cabinetrasp.aspx AngleEach rasp is stitched with the teeth at an angle to the handle so that it cuts comfortably in your natural cutting motion. As a result, each rasp is available in a right-hand and a left-hand version. Choose your rasp angle based on which hand you will use it in most.(i.e. Right-handed people would use a right-hand rasp.) Ah that makes sense. I had not seen hand stitched rasps and machine ones I have seen haven't had that asymmetry, so they wouldn't be handed while hand stitched ones would be. I have not seen any effect that handedness would make in the files and ferriers rasps I am more familiar with. I still am not as convinced that it makes as big a deal for handedness instead of where and what you are working on. Assuming a motion at an angle I don't fine forward and to the right to be much easier than forward and to the left. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendon_t Posted April 1, 2015 Report Share Posted April 1, 2015 Ok so how are they handed. The only asymmetry I can think of is in the angle of the rows of teeth, as the point to hand stitching was to break up the symmetry why are they still handed. Or is actually explaining what is wrong with my assumptions to difficult, and simple and uninformative one word answers are better? You don't need a lesson in rasp asymmetry, you need to take a chill pill. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ponderingturtle Posted April 1, 2015 Report Share Posted April 1, 2015 You don't need a lesson in rasp asymmetry, you need to take a chill pill. Wrong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blloyd Posted April 27, 2015 Report Share Posted April 27, 2015 Hey guys, New forum member here, and a lefty. As Barron mentioned, I too have tried using benches made for righties and it never felt quite right. So this past winter when I built a Roubo, I set it up for a lefty. Leg vise on the right end and tail vise on the left. Feels much more "natural". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G S Haydon Posted April 27, 2015 Report Share Posted April 27, 2015 Well if you are left handed for heaven sake go to the store and ask for left handed screwdrivers, left handed hammer and also see if there is some tartan paint and finally a long wait, love those! :-) Apart from moulding planes, plows, rabbet planes most of should be ok I think. Shannon Rogers is a leftie (I think) http://www.renaissancewoodworker.com/blog/he might have some intersting tips? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.