JimB1 Posted January 30, 2011 Report Share Posted January 30, 2011 I've been woodworking for a while but mainly power tool woodworking with occasional use of my block plane or chisels for things like hinge mortises. I think I want to start doing more hand tool work but unfortunately there's no place really in NJ to learn how. I have taken some classes at Woodcraft in PA and VA but it's sort of a hassle and gets expensive to have to get a hotel room for two days to take a weekend class and a lot of their classes are two or three evenings a week so that's pretty much impossible to do. Anyone have any favorite hand tool DVD's you can recommend I look into? I've been checking out Lie-Nielsen's Youtube channel and there's lots of good stuff there (and other youtube videos as well) but sometimes it's better to have something that's more methodical on presenting the tools and their usage maybe within the context of a running project. Basically I'd like to be able to build some of the stuff I currently build with power tools but better - with hand tools Any recommendations? Thanks -Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Anderson Posted January 30, 2011 Report Share Posted January 30, 2011 you would like the Shannon Rogers Hand Tool School. check it out here http://www.renaissancewoodworker.com/hand-tool-school-intro/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Rozaieski Posted January 30, 2011 Report Share Posted January 30, 2011 I've been woodworking for a while but mainly power tool woodworking with occasional use of my block plane or chisels for things like hinge mortises. I think I want to start doing more hand tool work but unfortunately there's no place really in NJ to learn how. I have taken some classes at Woodcraft in PA and VA but it's sort of a hassle and gets expensive to have to get a hotel room for two days to take a weekend class and a lot of their classes are two or three evenings a week so that's pretty much impossible to do. Anyone have any favorite hand tool DVD's you can recommend I look into? I've been checking out Lie-Nielsen's Youtube channel and there's lots of good stuff there (and other youtube videos as well) but sometimes it's better to have something that's more methodical on presenting the tools and their usage maybe within the context of a running project. Basically I'd like to be able to build some of the stuff I currently build with power tools but better - with hand tools Any recommendations? Thanks -Jim Jim, Not sure where in NJ you are, but might I recommend checking out the Central Jersey Woodworker's Association (CJWA.org). Wilbur Pan (a member here) is the Secretary of the club and got me involved recently. A great bunch of guys. I'm also in NJ. I have a hand tool only podcast as well that you might find of interest. There are individual episodes on tools and techniques, as well as full project series. All the videos can be found at the link below for free at any time. In addition, I'm always looking for ideas of topics that folks want to see, so if there's something specific you are interested in that you don't see, just ask, and I'll see about getting it on the show. Logan Cabinet Shoppe Hand Tools & Techniques Podcast Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilburpan Posted January 30, 2011 Report Share Posted January 30, 2011 Bob beat me to it as far as plugging CJWA. There's an incredible amount of talented woodworkers in our group. I haven't posted this on our website yet, but next month we are having a beginner's round robin night, where we will have four workstations covering topics that beginning woodworkers will (we hope) find useful: how to buy hardwood at the lumber yard, router basics, setting up a shop, and sharpening tools. Hope you can make it. In addition, the guys in the club are always willing to help out each other between meetings. Bob's video podcasts cover a huge range of topics on hand tool use. I can't recommend them highly enough. They are really excellent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhl.verona Posted January 30, 2011 Report Share Posted January 30, 2011 Both Bob and Shannon have put an awful lot of work into their blogs, providing freely available videos "for the rest of us". I'm very tempted to join Shannon's Hand Tool School, and I saw the free 'first lesson' but I'm too far behind on tools at the moment. Though it's fun to watch, I'd rather 'play along'. Very useful tool list by the way. They both have sections on technique and (over several episodes) do project builds. Personally I like the 'rough edges', the mistakes, and how they get out of them. When things are a bit too polished, it doesn't feel quite right - after all things do go wrong, so that just adds the human touch. If you prefer an hour or more of DVD, instead of Bob and Shannon's shorter episodes, over on the UK workshop forum there are a few reviews of DVDs by David Charlesworth and Rob Cosman that might help you choose. They're certainly 'the next best thing' to going on a course, I just have to remind myself to take notes, it can be too easy to just nod your head, then when you're face to face with the wood, it's another story . John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RenaissanceWW Posted January 30, 2011 Report Share Posted January 30, 2011 Jim, Welcome to the hand tool addiction! It will keep you challenged for a long time to come. I also heartily recommend Bob's podcasts. He covers a lot of stuff very thoroughly. Thanks to Ando for recommending the school, we are having a lot of fun in there too. If you are looking for some DVD type instruction, you might look at any of Rob Cosman's selections. His dovetail and mortise and tenon videos are very thorough. I like a lot of his style and his precision. I will warn you that you will come away thinking that you have to have all Lie Nielsen tools and that is a bit misleading. Not that I would stop you from getting them, but I think there is a middle ground. David Charlesworth's DVDs are also very good and I like his chisel technique video. The problem with all of these is there is not applied project to help you cement the techniques (this is why I developed the hand tool school). There is a lot of info in blogs scattered around the internet as well but it sounds like you are looking for video content which is usually a lot easier to learn from. I'm very jealous of the CJWA group Wilbur and Bob belong too and I wish we had something like that down my way, but I'll have to keep hoping I guess. Good luck and please ask any questions here, there are some amazing galoots hanging out in here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilburpan Posted January 30, 2011 Report Share Posted January 30, 2011 Forgot to plug Shannon's blog and Hand Tool School. Sorry. Check that out, too. I'm very jealous of the CJWA group Wilbur and Bob belong too and I wish we had something like that down my way, but I'll have to keep hoping I guess. According to Google Maps, it's only a 2-1/2 hour drive from where you are to our meeting place. The meetings end at 10 PM, so you'll get home by 12:30 AM. So come on by! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoboMonk Posted January 30, 2011 Report Share Posted January 30, 2011 See Frank Klausz DVDs from The Taunton Press. I recommend this to my students. See also Hand Planes in the Workshop DVD with Mario Rodriguez from The Taunton Press. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlehikoinen Posted January 30, 2011 Report Share Posted January 30, 2011 I have one of Chris Schwarz's DVD's - Hand Plane Essentials. It really opened my eyes and opened the door to all sorts of possibilities. But the other podcasts above and the Hand Tool School are very worthwhile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulMarcel Posted January 31, 2011 Report Share Posted January 31, 2011 See Frank Klausz DVDs from The Taunton Press. I recommend this to my students. See also Hand Planes in the Workshop DVD with Mario Rodriguez from The Taunton Press. Frank's DVD on dovetailing a drawer is a treasure. I've watched mine a few times and every time, the good guy wins! ...but I haven't seen his other DVDs. Other than the dovetail DVD, which would you recommend (and I'm pretty certain that 'all' is very valid with Frank involved). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimB1 Posted February 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 Thanks for all the great ideas. I actually have had the CJWA meetings on my calendar since the NJ woodworking show last year and I keep meaning to take the drive down but I usually work until 6PM and stuff always seems to come up that day. It's like a conspiracy to keep me from making sawdust I'll really try and get there for Feb. I had a gift card to Barnes and Nobel and stopped by there tonight. I found a book by David Charlesworth "A Guide to Hand Tools and Methods" looked like a good reference and place to get some info along with all the podcasts and web sites you all posted. Now I have enough material to confuse me for months -Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilburpan Posted February 1, 2011 Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 I actually have had the CJWA meetings on my calendar since the NJ woodworking show last year and I keep meaning to take the drive down but I usually work until 6PM and stuff always seems to come up that day. It's like a conspiracy to keep me from making sawdust I'll really try and get there for Feb. We won't mind if you're late. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Rozaieski Posted February 1, 2011 Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 Now I have enough material to confuse me for months I know you meant this as a joke, but seriously try not to let the information overload intimidate you and prevent you from ever getting started. The thing with hand tools is that there are so many different ways to get from point A to point B that if you try to learn them all at once, your head will spin. Just go to any forum and search for threads on sharpening to see what I mean. And that's just one very small (but very important) topic related to hand work. There are plenty of other topics who's discussions follow suit, because there are lots of different ways that work for different people. By all means, read everything you can and watch the DVDs and podcasts, but more importantly, just make something. The best teachers are the tools and wood. Even if all you have are a small hand saw, a couple chisels and a block plane, go out into the shop and make something. Shannon's Hand Tool School first semester is a good example. I believe his first project is a saw bench (haven't seen all of the videos as I'm not one of his students). This is a great first hand tool project that can be built with a bare minimum of tools. Plus, if it doesn't come out perfect, it's ok. It's a shop appliance that will be invaluable as your skills improve. The important thing is to not let the perceived lack of tools or knowledge of all the ins and outs stop you from cutting wood. The tools and the wood will teach you more than any book or video. Working with hand tools is all about feel and feedback from the tools and wood. When you use planes and chisels and hand saws, you feel and hear things that let you know what is going on. I'm not talking about some kind of spiritual, zen thing. I'm talking about real, tangible results. For example, when I'm jointing a board's edge straight and square, I can feel and hear when I'm done, even before I confirm my results with a square and straight edge. It's the tool (long jointer plane) that makes this possible. With a properly set up long jointer plane, jointing an edge straight by feel and sound is something you can do the very first time you pick up the plane. If you pay attention to what is happening, you begin to understand how you can control the results with your actions and the tool you choose. Feeling that an edge is square takes a little more time and muscle memory to master, but it only comes with practice. You won't get there by reading and watching videos. You need to work with the wood and let it teach you. Sorry to sound like some kind of evangelist. That's really not my intent. I just want to be clear that while you can learn to use machines from a book or video, learning to work with hand tools requires more. You really need to do the work to learn it. So read and watch, but then go out and DO. It's the doing that will teach you the most. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChetlovesMer Posted February 1, 2011 Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 I agree with Bob's post above. But in case you still want some DVD's, Fine Woodworking puts out a series. There is one called "Hand Tools; Tuning and Using Chisels, Planes and Saws". It is with Frank Klausz. It's not bad. I like the DVD's because I often have to travel for work and it gives me something to watch late nights in a hotel room. I watch those and Golf Instructional DVD's. Interesteingly, Golf like woodworking cannot be learned from a DVD. It has to be learned by doing. But, you can pick up a tip here and there, plus as long as your mind is on it anyway.... Better than hanging out in the hotel bar. (Besides, I am happily married and devoted to my wife and I'm getting to the age now where I just seem creepy in a bar anyhow.) Oops, possible over-share alert. Anyway, Jim. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon003 Posted February 1, 2011 Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 Some of my favorites: Beginner Level: Coarse, Medium and Fine by Chris Schwarz Sawing Fundamentals by Chris Schwarz Dovetail a Drawer with Frank Klausz (Building Furniture with Hand Planes by Chris Schwarz is also good, but a little bit duplicated if you get C,M,F.) Several people also swear by the Rob Cosman videos. I have no experience to relate. Intermediate and beyond: Forgotten Hand Tools by Chris Schwarz Fundamentals of Inlay: Stringing, Line & Berry by Steve Latta Fundamentals of Inlay: Making Ornamental Bandings by Steve Latta Fundamentals of Inlay: Federal Table Leg by Steve Latta 17th Century New England Carving by Peter Follansbee Although I do not yet have any, I have heard great thing about the David Charlesworth DVDs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuilderBill Posted February 2, 2011 Report Share Posted February 2, 2011 If you really want to learn the basics about sharpening and the use of planes and chisels you'd be hard-pressed to beat the David Charlesworth DVDs from Lie-Nielsen. The instruction is methodical, complete and thorough although you might doze off here and there... Just reverse and watch that part again. Personally, my brain hurts after watching Swarz or Cosman. Both are great at getting across the big picture(and both remind me of speed-freaks I've known in days gone past) but the Devil is in the details and that's where Mr. Cosworth really shines. It's easy to tell he's not only a woodworker but an educator by profession and that makes a big difference. Swarz's Course, Medium and Fine is a great intro into basic plane usage and should definitely be included in your collection. But it's a Big Picture thing and you're not going to get far if you don't know the basics of how to sharpen, hold and apply pressure to the tool. Just my $.02 worth... HTH, Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RenaissanceWW Posted February 3, 2011 Report Share Posted February 3, 2011 EXCELLENT points Bob. Let the wood be your teacher. Even in my school videos I feel like I am leaving stuff out because my explanation sometimes is, "it just feels square." Working by hand is so sensory, we just need to tune out all the advice and let the wood whisper to us. Sorry bout that last one, had to pay homage to the forum owner y'know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godet Posted February 4, 2011 Report Share Posted February 4, 2011 I'll add another plug for the Hand Tool School...for the price of a few DVDs, you get soup to nuts instruction, how-to's on bench appliances, sharpening, etc. Plus, Shannon answers your emails on your questions when you're working your way through a lesson or trying to figure out what tool to buy. You can't beat the price, plus you get the "virtual" school feel...live sessions, "classmates" and even homework assignments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulMarcel Posted February 4, 2011 Report Share Posted February 4, 2011 I'll add another plug for the Hand Tool School...for the price of a few DVDs, you get soup to nuts instruction, how-to's on bench appliances, sharpening, etc. Plus, Shannon answers your emails on your questions when you're working your way through a lesson or trying to figure out what tool to buy. You can't beat the price, plus you get the "virtual" school feel...live sessions, "classmates" and even homework assignments. Hopefully the dry wads of gum under your chair are also virtual!! Check out Shannon's teaser video. It's an hour long. Even if you have no interest in walking up-hill, both ways, in virtual snow to the virtual school every day, there's a lot in that teaser episode. I just kinda wish Shannon would add a little color to his shirts. Just sayin'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimB1 Posted February 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2011 Hmm, checking out the hand tool school tool list, seems I'll have to do some shopping before even thinking about going that route. Thanks for all the choices guys... now I just need that winning lottery ticket -Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Rozaieski Posted February 4, 2011 Report Share Posted February 4, 2011 Hmm, checking out the hand tool school tool list, seems I'll have to do some shopping before even thinking about going that route. Thanks for all the choices guys... now I just need that winning lottery ticket -Jim If you buy all brand new premium tools, sure. Not that there's anything wrong with that route. If you can afford to do so, it's a very fast way to get started with minimal investment of effort. The other option is to feed from the bottom and instead of investing cash, invest time. If you buy a few old tools, clean and tune them up yourself, you can get started for very little money. It's all a matter of priority and personal preference. I'm guessing it would take $250 or less to get the bare essentials going the old tool route. You're not going to get mint condition #2s with Hock irons that inexpensively, but there are low cost alternatives that can get you started if you are willing to put in some time and elbow grease. It all comes down to how much time you want to put into tuning old tools vs. how much money you are willing to spend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimB1 Posted February 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2011 If you buy all brand new premium tools, sure. Not that there's anything wrong with that route. If you can afford to do so, it's a very fast way to get started with minimal investment of effort. The other option is to feed from the bottom and instead of investing cash, invest time. If you buy a few old tools, clean and tune them up yourself, you can get started for very little money. It's all a matter of priority and personal preference. I'm guessing it would take $250 or less to get the bare essentials going the old tool route. You're not going to get mint condition #2s with Hock irons that inexpensively, but there are low cost alternatives that can get you started if you are willing to put in some time and elbow grease. It all comes down to how much time you want to put into tuning old tools vs. how much money you are willing to spend. Well, I have about a third of the stuff already (in varying qualities of tool) but here's the thing, to find and buy older stuff and fix it up probably will take the same amount of time as saving up and buying new (definitely costs less in cash though) I suppose I could do both and buy used where I can while saving for certain pieces to buy new. I hate being cheap on tools, it always ends up burning me in the end and then I end up spending for the cheap tool then buying the good one anyway. I guess that happens to all of us I'll have to think about how to shuffle funds and time... Thanks -Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandvike Posted February 11, 2011 Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 I'd like to plug Rob Millard's Shaker Side Table with Hand Tools DVD. Its a 100% electron free build. Bob's podcast is excellent as well and fills in a ton of gaps. Last but not least what i'm finding out more and more is nothing beats just doing something. Pick a project buy some clear pine or poplar if you don't want to spend a ton of money on wood and make something. At a certain point you'll learn more from doing and figuring out where YOU make mistakes. You'll also get more out of the videos after you've done something and know what to look for in the videos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texfire Posted February 22, 2011 Report Share Posted February 22, 2011 The important thing is to not let the perceived lack of tools or knowledge of all the ins and outs stop you from cutting wood. The tools and the wood will teach you more than any book or video. Working with hand tools is all about feel and feedback from the tools and wood. When you use planes and chisels and hand saws, you feel and hear things that let you know what is going on. I'm not talking about some kind of spiritual, zen thing. I'm talking about real, tangible results. Sorry to sound like some kind of evangelist. That's really not my intent. I just want to be clear that while you can learn to use machines from a book or video, learning to work with hand tools requires more. You really need to do the work to learn it. So read and watch, but then go out and DO. It's the doing that will teach you the most. Reading this hit me like a bolt out of the blue. I'm guilty of reading too much, and making too little. There will never be a time when I've learned everything, or gotten all the tools I think I need. Thanks for putting it so clearly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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