SMC Hand Tool Mentoring Program and List

SMC has a mentoring list for all woodworking forums started by Keith Outten several years ago but it is hard to find and is not up to date.

Setting up, sharpening, and using hand tools is something that is far more difficult to describe in writing than the relatively standard processes related to power tools. First of all there are far more types of tools, and if you include the multitude of brands made over the last 200 years which are still available to many of us, the task becomes almost impossible. However, most hand tools still share many common traits and an experienced user often knows how to adapt their personal knowledge to different situations.

We are fortunate to have many experienced users on this forum and many of them are willing to share their knowledge and expertise. Forum posts are OK to transfer knowledge and videos are even better, but nothing beats hand on mentoring. The immediate feedback of having someone instruct you, watch you while you practice, and correct your mistakes in real time jsut can't be beat.

Here is how I propose we run this program.

1) This thread will be maintained on the first page of the Neanderthal Forum as a "sticky" so that it is always visible.

2) Members and Contributors who are willing to mentor people will post their name and the topics they are willing to help with here on this thread.

3) Mentors will please give their location. State and town should be sufficient.

4) Members and Contributors who are seeking assistance will be responsible for making contact with a mentor. This should be done either by using a PM (Private Message) or by going to the mentor's profile and clicking on "send______ an email". Do not post requests for mentoring in this thread.

5) All arrangements are strictly between the mentor and the person seeking assistance and must be non-commercial in nature. We are not setting up a program for instructors to advertise and sell their services.

6) Since it is not possible to edit your posts offering your assistance after 48 hours, please PM me (Dave Anderson NH) if you need to do any of the following: remove your offer, change your location, add or remove things you are willing to help teach.

7) Please post any suggestions or questions in this thread that you may have about this program.

I am willing to mentor anyone who is willing to drive to Chester New Hampshire on the following topics:

1) Handplane restoration
2) Handplane setup and sharpening
3) Handplane usage: bench planes, joinery planes, router planes, wooden planes
4) Bench building, bench appliances
5) Spokeshaves: setup, sharpening, use, and building your own
6) Making your own: spokeshaves, marking tools, bench appliances
7) Chisel restoration, sharpening, anand modification

People are welcome to visit my shop for help with hand plane restoration, set up and use.

My help is also available to people who want to learn how to sharpen auger bits, chisels, gouges and plane blades.

My experience also includes a little that can be shared concerning hand saw sharpening and usage.

My shop is near Longview, Washington, about 60 miles from Portland, Oregon.

If you are considering the purchase of a new plane and do not know what size may be suitable for you, there is a full representation of bench planes in the sizes you would most likely be considering. They are not Lie-Nielsen of Veritas, but a person can get an idea of the sizes for personal fit.

Occasionally I do venture to Portland or Astoria, Oregon.

jim

I am willing to mentor on handplanes, handsaws and dovetail joints, cabriole legs and claw and ball feet.
I am located in the Mt Clemens, Michigan area (16 and Garfield).

Attachment 145861

Attachment 145862

Attachment 145864

Attachment 145865

I'm in Streator, IL. I would be willing to teach someone the basics of hand tool use, restoration, sharpening, etc. I have a small shop packed to the gills with vintage tools all tuned and ready to go. During the week is best as I do work out of the shop, and weekends are almost entirely family time.

Looking for someone near Columbia, SC to mentor me on handplane (sharpening, use, restoration).

Thanks,
BCM

A big thank you to Jim Koepke for letting me impose upon his shop and his hospitality for half a day of fettling. He was kind enough to provide me with sharpening help, plane education, and the sort of tidbits of wisdom that are only likely to come from working face to face. If any of you have been considering a mentoring session but haven't made the time for it, I can whole-heartedly recommend doing so.

Jared

For anyone near Indianapolis, In I would be willing to help with most hand tool use. For many of the things I don't know, we can learn together!

Is there anyone near Bainbridge Island, WA (Kitsap peninsula) who would be willing to mentor me in hand plane and spokeshave sharpening and restoration? Thanks!

Noah

I'm in Plano TX, as the location on my ID implies. I am by no means qualified to mentor anyone. But I dabble with neander tools so I can tell you about all the mistakes I made ;-). I've made several Krenov style hand planes and have plans to make more, so I'm pretty comfortable doing that. Also hand sharpen my own saws. I'd love to hook up with local WWers with neanderthal inclinations and just bounce ideas off of each other.

I'm fluent with most hand tools and hand joinery. My specialty has been keyboard instruments from the renaissance. I've also built a great deal of furniture over the years.

I'm in Mountain View, California.

I can help with most neander things except iron planes, I use transitional and woodies except for the specialized metal planes. #'s 45, 46, 55, 95.
I guess I am what they are starting to call a hybrid woodworker, I have and use a tablesaw I built many years ago, a bandsaw and various tailed sanders and handtools as well as a thickness planer.
I do have a complete mid 1800's shop in a cargo trailer that I occassionally give WWing demonstrations at Steam Shows and living history get togethers.
My wife and I are both disabled and my more modern shop is in my basement and I am available most anytime.

If you have the time, I will make time to help you all I can.

I live in the far southeast corner of Nebraska, 10 miles from Missouri and 4 miles from Kansas on Hiway 73.
They won't let me use my real name on here so local people will not know who you are talking about if you ask for Harry instead of Jr. (Junior).

would anyone be in ga or n. florida that would even be interested in hand plane discussion/improvement. carter choate tifton ga .located in s. w. ga.

Don Peterson is in Jacksonville, Don is a handtooler from Missouri, I have forwarded this url to him. Merry Christmas Carter and family

I'm in the Albany, NY area and I would be happy to share what little I know about plane rehab and sharpening. I'm retired and available most of the time.

I'm on the Eastern end of Long Island, NY. A boatbuilder by profession and use hand tools all the time. I'm willing to share.
Jim

I'll happily help anyone who wishes it.

Handplane restoration
Handplane usage
Sharpening
Joinery
Inlay
Furniture design
other things, ask...

Mandalay Shores, Ventura County, California