Hand Tools

My next plane will probably be a smoothing plane, not right away, but hopefully not too far in the future. I was looking at the Lie-Nielsen web site, and I noticed that their No. 4 Smoothing Plane is offered in both a bronze and an iron body version. The bronze was $50 more. So is there any advantage to bronze? And if so, is that advantage of any significance to a hobbyist like me?

Hi there! I basically consider myself still having a lot to learn about hand tool woodworking. I've been building with them for a bout 7 or 8 years now, although I have been building guitars for over 12, mostly electrics using power tools. I don't have a shop, so work out back on an outdoor bench I built for the purpose. In that time I cannot count the number of trips back and forth to get this tool or that tool I forgot or did not realize I was going to need until i reached the point of realisation, in the middle of it all. So my intentions are now to build a toolbox to house all of my essential tools. One light enough, hopefully, to tote out back. I…

Over the past several weeks I have been slowly working on a new workbench for hand tool woodworking. This is a learning project for me and I am learning a lot. At the heart of things I am finding that I really enjoy hand tool woodworking. I am also finding out that I am not particularly good at it which doesn’t surprise me much as I have never really dedicated any time to it or learned the proper ways to do things with hand tools. My saw skills definitely need work as I have never done anything with hand saws but rough carpentry and this is a whole new ball of wax. That said, progress is being made and I was able to dry fit the left and right leg ass…

I don't work there (well, i apparently don't work anywhere), but I was recently at an Ollie's store and they had some NOS (new old stock) out and it included made in USA phillips #2, a 6" side cutter, a 3-pack plier set. There were also some made somewhere else sockets and linesman pliers. Not sure if they all got them or not or if only local warehouses?

One of last year's find at the Covered Bridge Festival yielded one of my prized push drills now that I have it operational. A Millers-Falls, Model 100 (aka Buck Rogers). Found it in a pile of stuff but no price. I finally found the vendor and asked how much for this...He replied "I don't even know what that is...how about $3.75?" I couldn't get my money clip out fast enough...I didn't know how many bits were trapped inside, but it had an original tube which contained several I could tell. Mom's illness came shortly thereafter, then all the trips & time to the hospital, the nursing home, then eventually her passing, many things were placed on the back burne…

Folks, I am looking for a tenon cutter along the lines of these, I could purchase one from Mr. Elia, and I just may, I could make one but reality is, I don't feel like it. Though I may. Do you know of any other retailers who sell tenon cutters. I would prefer a 5/8". Or, plans, I may make one too. But, I would prefer to purchase if the price was reasonable. Thanks folks.

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I thought that I would do a general tutorial on how to refurbish a hand plane. However, before I start, I would like to thank @HandyDan for providing me with this outstanding Stanley Bailey #5-1/2, Type 11 hand plane. Dan recognized that I didn’t possess a #5-1/2 and graciously offered it to me. So, I thought that as long as I was going to clean the plane up TO USE, that, I would take you folks through my process(es), step by step. Before I start, I understand that some of you are probably familiar with how to do this, but there are others who are not and may like to clean up grandpa’s plane or that garage sale find, but don’t know where to start. I want to see input…

I've mentioned that I could use a router plane. Funds ain't gonna allow the purchase of one, so guess what that leaves? I'm makin this up as I go along; might be ugly, but if it works I do not care. I have some Black Walnut from an old barn. Not really enough to build much of anything, but I think it'll be enough for this. But it needs paint removal and flattening, etc. So after clamping a makeshift stop, I get busy. Snow is going away, and I could not be happier to watch it leave. Dealing with some cup and bow. Making progress.

Well I did it. I finally pulled the trigger and landed me one of my dreams, one of my bucket list purchases. Yes, this is a tool gloat, and I am anxiously awaiting my new LN No. 51 Shoot Board Plane to arrive in the mail this Tuesday. I was going to wait till I got her in my hands, then gloat, but my gloating is pushing through my brain right now and I need to let is loose or I'll explode. A few years ago I saw and used a beautiful example of a Stanely No. 51 Shooting Board Plane and I have wanted one ever since. The main drawback of course is the price of the old Stanely Shooting Planes range from 800 bucks on up depending on the condition. I have some p…

Over at the Neanderthal Haven site, there is currently a thread going on about sharpening... Your Ice Scrapers Yep. Posts include the usual about back bevels, flattenning the backs, Bevel up or bevel down. One poster even uses a block plane to refresh the bevel. Others worrying about how sandpaper on a flat board would leave grit inbedded in the scraper's surface, and scratch the glass.. Yep, normal sharpening thread over there...

If anyone has a froe they'd like to sell, or trade for something, let me know, been looking around the web and not finding much in my price range, over priced or cheaply forged, please leave image of your froe you'd like to give up. Thanks!

Okay everyone time to test your router knowledge. As some of you may know I do a lot of woodworking projects for for the foundation that gave me my service dog Paws4vets for free. Yesterday during a video conference the head huncho told me that because of the years i have done this they have decided to buy me a router setup and look forward to seeing more creative projects. Back story here is that they have other wood workers but when it comes to outside the box projects (i didnt know this) i was the only one who stepped up for them. (feels) I do enjoy creative thinking. anywhoo I know nothing about routers so i will be doing some homework on my own but would love to know…

Had a little fun, a nice break from my chair build and finally did something to benefit the shop, I just happened on a simple hand saw till by Lee Valley and on a whim I decided, what the heck, I have some scrap, and a little time, and a few saws that are currently hanging on nails on my wall. They need a home, and I liked the idea that it sits on french cleats and I can remove it and have it nearby where I am working, if needed, I seriously doubt it, my shop is small enough that a little 10 walk to the wall where the till is hanging, aint gonna kill me. Anyway, I had some scrap prefinished maple ply from a project I did last summer for my day job. You can see…

Four Ridgid batteries died, and Ebay has 2.0 amps and 4.0 amps. Should I pay the small difference to get the 4.0? Don't know what that designates.

Picked this up at the Restore the other day. Already have a new cord on order. 3178 - 330 watts And no, i'm not going to do woodburning with it.

This is my first shot at "picking". Since I picked these up at the local Restore, it may not qualify as legitimate picking, but you get the idea. The brace was $10.00, and the saw was $5.00. The saw looked pretty good, needing only some cleaning. The website Common Woodworking has a guide on sharpening and setting the teeth, so I may be referring to that if needed. My main concern is with the knob on the brace. It spins freely enough, but seems to be very loose and wobbly. Is this normal, or are there some parts, bearings or such, that I need to be looking at? As for bits, if I start looking at used bits at yard sales, etc., once I get past the obvious defects lik…

So a friend of mine finally found his inherited Stanley 55 in his cellar, complete with 4 boxes of cutters. I volunteered to clean it up for him as it is grubby and caked with dirt and some surface rust on the rods, screws, etc.... Yeah, yeah..I want to play with it after I'm done...okay...I admit it... (1) I'm having a bit of trouble taking apart the adjusting screw (27 and 28 on diagram)...has a pin at the bottom that goes into the cutter and a knurl knob that makes the adjustment. I'm thinking I don't want to take the pin out...mainly cuz I'll probably lose it...but it doesn't look like it will come apart without doing that. Any of you 55 owners find …

that I'll ask here among friends. I was just perusing a for sale ad on another site that described the plane as "crispy". I've seen that description many times referring to hand tools (usually planes) but still I do nor know exactly what it means. Someone want to enlighten me? Sorry for being dense.

One of my sons-in-law has asked for "a good hammer" for a Christmas present. He does a lot of home remodeling and carpentry project (not so much cabinetmaking). I don't want to be spending $100+ for a titanium luxury hammer. "Something to hammer in and pull out nails," was his request. Force = mass x acceleration, you know. Most of my hammers I've had for 30 or 40 years and many of them are older than that, so I'm not current on the market. Any likes or dislikes with the brands out there? I have a 16 oz leather handle Estwing that I like but heard once some carpentry foremen won't allow them on the job (why, I don't know). I have a coup…