What are your favorite hand tools?

[Don]

Hey, Guys. What hand tools do you feel you use the best?

I've known guys with the best tools that money can buy, either they are never used or the results just aren't that great. On the other hand I've seen guys with the bargain tools that would just blow you away with their craftsmanship or imagination. Where do you fall?

I've always felt that it's the craftsman, not the tool (as long as the tool is capable anyway), what do you think?

I fall somewhere in the middle, I like to have a nice tool here and there, but I'd rather have more tools available and use them with precision, the only way that I can do that is making some "bargain" purchases here and there.

All the best, Don

Welcome to WoodworkingBuzz.com, the newest Woodworking forum and community. Use this area of the discussion forum to post about hand tools and portable tools.

[Terry Mac]

Middle of the road guy too. I find myself at flea markets and swap meets more often than Sears or speciality tool places. Also spend some time looking in the local classifieds for tools. I'd rather rebuild an old machine made of iron than buy something made of plastic. More tools the better.

[Don]

They certainly don't make 'em as heavy as they used to. Of course not many of us could afford to have a planer in the shop until the last ten years or so either. I still don't have one.

dawjr

[Dagster]

I have a fascination with hand planes, don't use them much yet but have several old ones that need refurbishing... I'm really looking forward to fixing them up so I can put them to work.

[Don]

Dagster, I don't know what the addiction to hand planes is. I've got it too. Maybe getting the thing set up perfectly and peeling a long shaving from the edge of a peice of mahogany is some sort of reward.

dawjr

[Jon A.]

I am also a big fan of the hand plane. I have several and enjoy refurbishing them and using them.

-Jon A.

[Jerry]

I'm more like Tim Allen and need Power. Well not always. My favorite layout tool is a 12" machinist square. You need to respect the sharp edges as they can scratch your work. I just feel I can lay my lines mire accurately.

I also have some middle of the road chisels. They take a good edge but I wish they'd hold it a bit longer.

[Don]

I've got a little machinist square about four inches long, when I want to use it I'll search for hours to find it. There's nothing like one for accuracy.

dawjr

[Zulu]

As I started out working with my hands for a living I always bought only the best , mostly German tools , then slowly I learned that there are other options.

During the Cobra build I bought for the first time tools that were bought for one time use only, from the infamous Horror Freight :). < But during that same time I also realized that Northern Tool had Chinese tools with Lifetime warranty too, and added some items that have surprized me with their quality.

My Stanley chisels have been used for well over 20 years now , and still hold a good edge once I learned how to sharpen correctly - and that took awhile.

I too have a bunch of hand planes, and use then occasionally , but am certainly not proficient.

But my favorite is my spoke shave , I was serious yachtsman for many years and shaped all my own rudders and centerboards. Great tool for freeform shaping with the grain, even better than a surform plane which works best across grain.

[Clark B]

1. Japanese chisels
2. Hand planes

[mmwood_1]

I can say that my most used tool is my combo square from Bridge City Tool Works. Who would've thought that a more accurate ruler would enable me to cut more precise joints? DUH! I bought it for half price due to cosmetic blemishes, and although it was still a chunk of change for a combo square, it has a lifetime guarantee for squareness. For a $5 shipping fee, you can send it in and have it resquared. I've done so twice in the 10 years I've owned it. Took about a week. After having gone through 3 Stanley squares in my first 3 years, it paid for itself.

My japanese saws are right up there also, which I buy from Tashiro's in Seattle. Many of my tools are begged, borrowed, and bought cheap(auctions and yard sales). I don't own my table saw. I've been 'storing it' for a friend for the past 13 years. It's a Delta contractor's saw, basic and reliable. I have an old 4" cast iron jointer made by Rockwell/Homecraft which belonged to a friend's grandfather. It was in his garage sale and when I asked him what he wanted for it, he gave it to me. I have a Makita #2040 planer, 16", which I got for 25% of the new price when a local high school closed its shop program and auctioned off the tools. And on and on. you don't need the best and biggest to do good work. Mainly patience, perseverance, and practise.

[Dagster]

I also find that I use my hand scrapers quite a bit...just the plain ole steel plates you file and burnish to get a nice smooth finish. I find I use them more than I had thought I would.

[Terry Mac]

I have an old 4" cast iron jointer made by Rockwell/Homecraft which belonged to a friend's grandfather. It was in his garage sale and when I asked him what he wanted for it, he gave it to me.


Hey Mark, does your jointer look something like this one?


http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s233/sh20w/00015-1c.jpg

[woodman43]

I don't know that I really have a favorite hand tool, I love all my tools.
Probably the most used hand tool would probably be my speed squares.

[Pat]

Plane junky here also. I hope some day to own a Norris, or at least the Lie-Neilsen low-angle jack.

Don, I think that the quality of the hand tools does matter a good bit. Obviously given a journey-man level proficiency by the operator. It's flat out amazing how few professional carpenters can hone a plane-blade, for example.

[JasonB]

plane junkie here too!!! when Missys out yardsaling she knows to call me when she comes across a good deal. Many of my planes she picked up for $5-$10 I even use a couple at work. I think most of my tools that I have Missy got at yardsales! a couple years ago she got me a radial arm saw for thirtyfive dollars! With the saw came a couple boxes containg an old but in very excelent (by excelent I mean mint!) condition router, I think its a Rockwell, can't remember right now, two stanley rabbet planes, a Stanley block plane (one of the good ones, not the cheap ones) and many other cool woodworking treasures! that was an awsome night.....


favorite hand tool? my Lie-Neilson spokeshave!

[dpmcreations]

Hand tools!! hand tools... To tell you the truth, Immediately after my divorce, I was forced to use some of them.. Honestly, I have always used them to some extent... But, I will tell you, I did some awesome built ins up North with literally nothing but a Cordless tools, a Ryobi ROS, clamps, and some hand planes... The people just loved them when I was done... I still to this day use a hand plane alot and love to use them on things.. Especially when I am doing an install in a house... People love that I don't throw shavings all over the place...

Now all that said.. I would never trade my power tools in for all hand tools... Love the feel, but I have got schedules and oh yeah... Those darn bills... They keep coming...

[Pat]

I guess my favorite plane is probably the Stanley 1896 jack-rabbet. That and the Stanley #4.5 I use the most.

[AMF]

The first thing I ever made was a small trinket box with very fine (1/4") through dovetail. All cut by hand with no guide. I like having a good saw and and good sharpe chisles and planes. Theres nothing like taking a shave of maple off thin enough to see through. As for quality I like used handplanes, I've amassed quite a collection of wooden "routers".