Woodworking by hand?

[GunnerMax]

Ok, my wife and I are considering buying a cheap (130k and under) house with just a lil bit of land. nothing special for our starter house. This means, I will have a shed and/or a garage that will not be used.

I have been given the go-ahead to do woodworking. I want to be completely energy independent at this. This means, hand tools only. handsaws, hand drills, hammers, chisels. I used to piddle with wood when I was younger, and I really enjoyed it, but always lacked serious tools.

So, Do you guys have any tools of a particular brand or type of tool that you would suggest? Please don't suggest a $50 drill bit, or a $500 handsaw. I have to be reasonable on my purchases. However, I am NOT going to the local Dollar Tree to buy my tools.

The reason for woodworking, besides enjoyment and time consumption, would to be able to cut down a Tree, whether pine, oak, or the like, and turn it into something useful, from a workbench to a chair. A treestand to a Feed bench. A rabbit cage to a sandbox. I hope you get my view.

I am welcome to any suggestions and comments, experiences and thoughts.

Cheers,
Max

[Sniper-T]

Definately higher end, but I've had some of their chisels and gouges for over 20 years. sometimes quality is worth it.

Lee Valley Tools (http://leevalley.com/)

[rice paddy daddy]

By energy independant, you mean non electric? If so, then I have always had good luck with Diston handsaws. I've had mine for almost 40 years now. Remember, with hand saws you will need two - one cross cut, one rip.
I have Stanley planes, as well; and in my opinion Estwing makes the hammers. My chisels are Buck Brothers.
All my hand tools are of the age where they were made in America. If that's no longer readily available at Lowes/Home Depot/Ace/Tru Value check pawn shops - there are a whole lot of tradesmen out of work.

[nepreneaux]

All my shop stuff, and it is numerous, is electric. However, I am finished with my forge and I bought a hand cranked blower, I've started welding with oxy-acetylene as much as I can, and I also had a new well dug and put a windmill on it for power as well as an old hand pump. If I lose the power to the house, I can forge and I can drink, its a start.

[Sniper-T]

Also watch for garage/estate/auction sales. a lot of quality tools get sold for a pittance

[realist]

Well you are going to need a good brace and some bits. I recommend that you consider checking out some antique stores, you would be surprised at what you would find. Below are a couple of sources that you might take a look at.

Lee Valley Tools - Woodworking Newsletter Vol. 3, Issue 3 (http://www.leevalley.com/newsletters/Woodworking/3/3/article2-2.htm)

Tools/Farm | Hand Tools - Lehmans.com (http://www.lehmans.com/store/Tools_Farm___Hand_Tools?Args=)

Woodworking Projects, Plans, Techniques | Popular Woodworking Magazine (http://www.popularwoodworking.com/)

[GunnerMax]

great links guys. I will check this out upon return to my wife's loving arms. :)

Im going to compile a list of things that I will need.

When i say energy independent, I mean hand tools. sturdy, reliable, dependable hand tools

[bacpacker]

Lee Valley is a great source. Also antique stores, and estate sales, espcially farm sales, are great places to fins good old tools.
Some things I've gotten over the years and used a lot of them. A set of Freud chisels, many drills bit, both brad point and forstner bits. Mallets, drawknives, brace and bits, levels, framing squares, handsaws, actually saws of all kinds, files, planes, & marking and measuring tools. There are many others.

[Taz Baby]

I too am on the search for old hand woodworking tools, as I am making our stump dining table. I just bought the book ... Rustic Furniture Workshop by Daniel Mack. A very good book if you like rustic things. My main tool that I need is a tenon set and drawing knives but they are exspensive. Even at Lee Vally.

[Sniper-T]

I have a set of |Lee Valley draw knives... and yes, they were expensive... I cannot tout their quality enough. I grew up on cheap shit, make it, or make it work crap! I have not wanted for another set of draw knives since I bought these. (15 years)


no, I am not affiliated, they just take a portion of every paycheck! lol

[Taz Baby]

decided to try using hole saws to make tenons and I found the long ones in the right size with the chucks at a flea market. Works great, larger for tenon and one size under for the mortes. Made a bench table frame to practice on so far. Have to put top on and will get pics up soon. Doing it in cedar.

[Katrina]

Try farm and estate sales not auctions for some of the older tools. My grandfather swore by his old craftsman planes. Said his Blades kept a real good edge and didn't warp, what ever that means.

[rice paddy daddy]

Does anyone else ever watch The Woodwright's Shop on public TV? The show has been on for years and he builds stuff using the old methods with old tools.
Taz - he would do mortice and tenons with handsaw and chisel.
Cool show.

[bacpacker]

Your right RPD. I love watchin that show and have for many years. To me he was so much better than Norm Abrams. Roy Underhill is the man.

[Optimist]

Try farm and estate sales not auctions for some of the older tools. My grandfather swore by his old craftsman planes. Said his Blades kept a real good edge and didn't warp, what ever that means.

When you remove metal (as in sharpening) any stresses that are out of balance will come out, and the edge of the blade can wrinkle when you do that. Craftsman planes were good about not having unbalanced stresses in the steel blades. Some of the other brands were not....

[Katrina]

Thanks Optimist Didn't realize that's what Grandpa was talking about. I got it now.

[digdug18]

Don't forget that you can easily make a foot operated lathe, that while might be slower then a conventional lathe, works just as well, with just as much detail.

One example, on bow lathes, this guy seems to have a treadle lathe as well, could be some good information.

Bow lathes by Gale Wollenberg (http://sandal-woodsblog.com/2010/09/27/bow-lathes-by-gale-wollenberg/)

Also you might hit up williamsburg va, they have a woodworker/cabinet maker there that has been there for 6 or so years now, he does all his work by hand and they fetch a ton of money. I'm sure if you go he could give you some pointers.

Not just tools, but you should get some excellent quality sharpeners as well.

[Optimist]

Basic rules to any hand-work, wood or metal, is get the best tools you can find, keep as fine an edge on 'em as you can get, and DON"T ** GET ** IN ** A** HURRY!.

[izzyscout21]

I've never really done any kind of woodowrking/ carpentry/ etc............when I start building the chicken coop soon, I may lose a limb

[LUNCHBOX]

I can put a hammer to a nail but I'm no carpenter by any means. I have seen quit a few hand tools at pawn shops and farm/yard sales. I will say that I've heard it said that you can't rush working with wood. "Measure twice, cut once" "Wood gives, it just doesn't give back" As always the members have came through with some good links and info.

[GunnerMax]

Indeed they did LB. Now all I have to do is wait until I can hit up pawn shops/flea markets, estate/yard sales, and if money permits, products online

thanks guys/gals

[ladyhk13]

Being you are in VA you should have no problem with going to the antique/"junk" stores to find great old stuff that works like new. We have the best shops in our area for those kinds of things. We bought my BIL the most beautiful hand planer for I think between $30-$40 (might have been less). We go to one place I call the "Man-tiques" shop because it has tons of guy stuff. A favorite antique shop of my dh. Be patient and search...it's half the fun.

[Taz Baby]

I have found that pawn shops want high dollor for their stuff. The last two weeks I have found my stuff at flea markets and yardsales or the Habitat store

[Taz Baby]

here are some pics of what I have been doing. I am practicing on making a rustic side table to see if I can make our stump dining table. Also I make walking sticks.
http://i1049.photobucket.com/albums/s395/Taz-Baby/Picture085.jpg

http://i1049.photobucket.com/albums/s395/Taz-Baby/Picture048-1.jpg

http://i1049.photobucket.com/albums/s395/Taz-Baby/Picture043.jpg

[Evolver]

Nice work Taz!!! I like the twists that you carved into the stick on the left.

[Stg1swret]

If there are any Amish communities near by, you may just want to befriend them a bit, and find out where they get their tools.

[Taz Baby]

I found a place that I bought hand carving tools and drawing knifes. I don't do anything to the sticks that I gather for walking sticks except strip the bark off, sand them smooth and shellack them. Other than that they are all natural. The twist is made from a vine that wraps itself around small trees and the tree grows around the vine. Thanks.

[Taz Baby]

Those are the only tools I use to make the tenons. I tried to use a hole saw and it worked, but Then thought better of it as it would not really be hand tooled.

[Optimist]

Any of you ever steam and bend wood? It's the handy way to make rockers....

[Taz Baby]

No I haven't but I will have a wrp around porch, so I can make some rockers. But I would have to research how to do that.

[Optimist]

Well, you start with a big pot full of water, and a tight fitting lid that you can plumb for a metal faucet. To this you attach a piece of metal conduit, and you light a fire under the pot. Put the wood to be steamed under a 55 gallon drum, and poke the nozzle end of the conduit under there with it. Let it steam for a couple of hours while you get your bending jigs ready, then pull 'em, bend 'em and tie 'em.

Our forefathers used to use the method to bend boat timbers, but they used a "really big" pot, and a retort several times bigger than a 55 gallon drum....