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Working with rasps is one of my favourite tasks. Delightful tools. I like how aggressive and yet how subtle they are. I really must get some high quality rasps such as those in the video some day!

Coincidentally, I just wrote a post about this on my brand new blog, here: http://tinkerscave.blogspot.com

To summarise, it began out of necessity but these days I stick with it simply because I...

Thanks for the nice comments :) I hope this thread serves to get more fencesitters a little nudge to try this themselves! The core of the work took maybe 5 hours, then add a few for sanding. You...

Thanks Klaus! That means a lot coming from you :) It is indeed my first attempt.


He sure does! I'm very impressed with this saw plate. I toyed with making my own for a while but didn't attempt...

And for fun - this is how it makes my sawtill look:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-BaKCW0uML2Q/TpygHCn1RmI/AAAAAAAAAcE/mCdSHWz31qA/s640/IMG_6444.JPG
Kinda dwarfs the others there. Many saws...

I'm a big fellow at 6'6", so I've got a long arm stroke to match, and I don't have a bandsaw so all stock prep is done by hand. For years I've kept an eye on ebay and local flea markets for a nice...

It is surprisingly quick to make a saw handle. I started my first custom handle for a big 29" thumbhole ripsaw today, I went for quite an elaborate design with lamb's tongue and lots of other...

Stunning saw Klaus - since I lack a bandsaw I'd love to have a big ripper like that in my shop! Given the difficulty of manufacture are you planning to make more of them?

I'm a big guy so take this with a grain of salt, but I love my QS #6 for this job. With some wax on the sole, a cambered blade and the mouth opened up a bit the weight is fantastic to help pull...

I use a Mujingfang wooden spokeshave, and find it quite delightful in use. Carving a neck with it is very therapeutic.

Seconded! I'd love to see pictures of your luthiery tools & output, George.

I would love to find out more about binding with hand tools - I'd like to try that on my next build but almost all of the information on the internet is devoted to various forms of router jigs, which...

I've now built three solid bodied guitars entirely with hand tools, and enjoyed the builds immensely. A bandsaw would definitely be nice for stock prep, but I've never had space for one so I just...

I'm 6'6" and my current bench is about 35.5". I followed Chris's knuckle based sizing method, and I quite like the resultant height - I haven't felt any desire for it to be higher or lower.

Great thread, and very timely! Just last week I pored over Landis and Underhill's diagrams and texts and drew up a sketch of something very very similar to what you describe. I plan to try this...

I invested in a full set of DMT DiaSharp 8x3" stones - the metal ones, not the plastic ones. I'm very pleased with them - mess is minimal, and they cut FAST. I think I might get a superfine ceramic...

I had a nice winfall too this Christmas, and spent it by splurging on the full set of DMT DiaSharp 8*3 stones, the ones with the continuous diamond surface. They're pretty awesome - the XX Coarse and...

For me its simple: My shop is my balcony. I live on the 8th floor of an apartment building, and there are strong restrictions on noise. One upside - the view from my "shop" is pretty damn hard to...

John - get that iron really really sharp from all the great advice above, then grab a candle or a lump of paraffin wax and scribble on the sole of your plane with it. It doesn't need much, just a...

Bah! Just my luck. I'm honeymooning in the US soon - we get to LA on the 13th and to Honolulu on the 1st of Nov, so I miss the Lie-Nielsen event in LA by a week and now this by a week...

Enjoy :)

Keep it up George, you're but a spring chicken! My grandfather passed away at 90 and he was still working in his shop up until 88 or so. He only gave up working at the lathe when his eyesight started...

Great idea George! I've been meaning to make a bow saw..

Sadly I have no access to a sheet metal shear. Any ideas of other ways to get it cut and still have a usable temper on the toothline after?...

Cheers for the tips guys :)

Spent a few hours with some sandpaper on the bottom left D-8 from the group picture and that reinforced handle saw:...

George, if you were to start writing books then I would buy every single one on release day. I think its a fantastic idea!

It is also possible these days to write a book and self-publish using...

I've been hunting high and low for some big handsaws for a long time now, and just recently scored bigtime on ebay. Here's the gloat part: I scored 9 saws for $20:
...