More moves Towards Hand Tools
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- This topic has 11 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 10 years, 2 months ago by Sandy.
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19 February 2014 at 2:01 am #28046
I gave all my power tools away except for a drill press, small planer and a band saw. I do not use the band saw very much, but I think I will keep it. I had a lot of power tools. Had mad a lot of furniture. I enjoy woodworking a lot more now. Others have different views.
I’m with you Ron. i have a few power tools and I’ll probably keep them for the times when I need to do quicky work. But I’ve found that most of the time I can get things done faster with hand tools than I can with power. Even though I’d prefer the no dust, no noise, better control of hand tools there is still application for the power tools on occasion. I’ve even heard Paul mention using the chop saw a couple of times. I’d much rather listen to the radio and think about my work and who I am making things for than to spend my time worrying about dust collection and keeping my fingers out of the cutting tools…
[quote quote=28030]I’ve noticed, not just here, but in a lot of wood working literature that more are moving towards using hand tools.[/quote]
I agree, its good that the woodworking market is reflecting the renewed interest in hand tools. Are you going to make the shooting board?
22 February 2014 at 2:16 am #28170I sold all my big power tools too, including a big band saw. Now all I have is hand tools and a festool saw. But to be honest, sometimes I really do miss my bandsaw, especially since I mostly have rough-sawn stock now and it’s a lot of work to get it foursquare. But I am getting faster with my planes, and since I draw and paint in the same small space, I no longer have to deal with airborne dust. And that to me is the biggest reason to use hand tools: no dust!
Oh, and Sandy, to me the Paul Sellers’ shooting board is a Cadillac! I’m now too ashamed to show you what I use!
I think Shop Notes occasionally trots out a hand tool related article. My only issue does show how to make a backsaw, but the next article is how to build a very complicated mechanical saw filer so you can sharpen the saw you just made. Heheh…
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Four years ago I came into WW thinking that I would get all the machines and somehow find the space to set them up. I quickly discovered how bulky, expensive and complicated it seemed to set up a machine shop with all the jigs, accessories, cutters and dust collection and safety equipment. Such costs are hard to justify when you do not even know how long the love affair will last.
I decided right then that hand tools may be the compact, inexpensive inroad. I then started to buy ALL the tools I thought I would need, and bought many that I didn’t. I wish I had Paul’s tutelage back then…I probably would have bought half the number of tools to start.
Today I am primarily hand tools, but I do have two machines that I find useful: a combo jointer/planer for stock prep, and a second hand Rockwell 14″ bandsaw. The only other machine I can imagine getting would be a wood lathe.
Scott, I bought several power tools and I keep them around just in case. I do use my table saw and the band saw. I can’t tell my wife but the really nice router she bought me about a year ago hasn’t been taken out of the box… It is so much quicker to do it by hand. I’ve bought a few hand tools but I am very cautious about buying tools I don’t need. The basic tools get me there! At least for the kind of work I do..
23 February 2014 at 2:30 am #28189I really would’ve kept my bandsaw if I had the space, but my shop’s a shipping container I converted and so I have 150 square feet to work with. The one tool I was happier as hell to get rid of was the router- that squealing pig never made me comfortable. I once was doing some edge profiling and noticed that the profile seemed to be changing as I was working. So I turned off the router and looked at the bit as it was winding down- it was slipping in its collar! Man was I lucky that it didn’t come all the way out; I still shudder thinking about where that carbide bullet would’ve ended up.
I like keepin’ it basic too, and that’s why I truly appreciate what Paul’s peddling. Good, simple tools that will do the job day in day out. And I stopped buying woodworking magazines because even though they’re putting a teensy bit more emphasis on hand tools, they’re still just there to sell you something. No thanks.
Yeah, the power router will most likely never find its way into my shop. I used a borrowed one once. I was terrified of that thing…and like you said Jonathan – it really does scream.
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[quote quote=28030]I’ve noticed, not just here, but in a lot of wood working literature that more are moving towards using hand tools.[/quote]
Thinking more about this…
I believe that the advent of the web, particularly in the form of forums (sharing ideas), blogging (pictorial essays) and streaming video have made it much easier to discuss – and more importantly – effectively demonstrate the use of hand tools. Paul’s WWMC is a testament to that reality.
I’m a journeyman Machinist so power tools don’t scare me but the noise and the dust are two things I can live without. The piece and quite of the shop is wonderful and when leaving the shop there’s no need to grab the air hose to get the dust off.
Jonathan, Yes magazines do advertise a lot and it is their income more than the price of the magazine. And the projects can be built by hand and even modified to include some of the nice joinery that we are learning here to make them strong and more durable.
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