What led to your neandering ways

[David Keller NC]

Something no one else has mentioned yet (though Russell alluded to it): For the kinds of things that I build the most of (Colonial American furniture), making one with power tools ensures that the result is a modern representation instead of a reproduction. Since I'm interested in making these pieces so that in 100 years they cannot be distinguished from the originals, the only route is hand tools.

Besides, I hate sanding and sandpaper with a passion....

[Mark Baldwin III]

I'm an aircraft mechanic by day, and my primary hobby is building bikes. Both are loud, both are messy. Quiet, neander woodworking is a relaxing way to let off a little steam and use some of that creative energy. My house is also quite tiny, and in a tightly fit city neighborhood. I have a powered miter saw, which is only used for big cuts. The only power tool I plan to have besides that is a new drill. I don't like the noise and dust of powertools (at all). They're right up their with air compressors.
Since discovering the magic of the scraper, I realized that I don't like sand paper much either!
If I need a power tool, I take the drive out to my dad's house.

[miguel bernardo]

i´m just starting apprenticeship with a local luthier, and he just uses handtools, so that´s what i´ll have.

but i´m finding i really like to see a thin shaving appear out of a plane.

[Andrew Gibson]

I have moved much more to the neander side over the last 14 months or so. I have completed 1 100% neander Build and many projects that I would say are in the 70 to 80% neander range. I enjoy cutting joinery by hand and plaining and scraping surfaces rather then sanding... all that being said I have a new bandsaw that I will never give up, a table saw and a jointer that I use on almost all projects. I also am planning to add a plainer shortly... (anyone in the area know where I might find a good deal?)

I am not a fan of electric routers.

For me learning to do things with hand tools has greatly improved my abilities and freed me up to do things that I would otherwise not be able to with only power tools. I would always think to myself this does not seem like a good idea when working with small pieces and power tools, but with hand saws and a shooting board and chisels, I rarely think to myself "this is a bad idea"... just keep my hand out of the way of the chisel push.

[Bob Jones]

I needed to flatten a 7 inch wide board and only had a 6 in jointer. A local woodworker (creeker Scott Banbury) that sold me the wood suggested I try a plane. Really? I said. "Yep, it eliminates your limitations. There is nothing you can't build with a few planes, saws, and chisels". BAM! He showed me the first plane I had ever seen and it just made sense for me. About 6 months later I had a few stanleys that were sharp and I flattened that board (and every other blade since). thanks Scott!!!!!

FYI I sold the 6in jointer.

[Curt Putnam]

I have no desire to use hand tools 100% of the time. A long rip cut is just too much like work and hobbies are supposed to be fun. For me, sometimes it is more about the journey than the destination and sometimes the destination is important. I only have a 13" planer so I need hand planes to deal with my 24" panels. I bought some DT saws because you really can't call yourself a woodworker unless you can cut to a line. Small cuts are easier by hand, both rip and xcut. I'm a sucker for edged tools so I naturally like chisels and knives. I like paring with and banging on chisels, but not all day. I love running a plane but about more than 2 hours of it and I'm pooped. Mostly I try to acquire the skills as I can even if I don't want to use them all day long.

[john brenton]

Other than the lathe I suppose I usually do 100 percent by hand. I have always been drawn to hand tools becuase they are awesome, and because I learned early that people that used machines were often times helpless without them...that's not an insult or anything, its just fact. When I was in the trades I always had the emergency hand tools: sledge hammers if the jackhammer busted, hand dies when the pipe threader was impractical or broken or all I needed was a few pipes, hand drill, hand saws, etc. Etc.

I am embarrassed to admit it, but with woodworking I do enjoy the "olde tymeness" of hand tool work, and I do suffer from the "purist" disease. Buying an electric lathe was a hard decision for me.

Miguelito, I'm insanely jealous.

i´m just starting apprenticeship with a local luthier, and he just uses handtools, so that´s what i´ll have.

[Steve Branam]

For me, Don Weber's cover article in April 2004 Popular Woodworking hit me in the back of the head like a 2x4 (and you know how that feels!). Then once I got started and had some success, things kept building on each other. If I can do this with hand tools, let's see if I can do that. It all took on a whole new level of satisfaction. I enjoyed the challenge of each new skill. And suddenly, except for really repetitive stuff, the power tools were more of a nuisance, when I could pick up the hand tools and just do it.

[Harlan Barnhart]

I started with hand tools because I had no shop, no space and little money. I worked (still do) in my kitchen. I started with two chisels, a saw and two planes. My tool arsenal (collection) has grown a bit since but if you are motived you can make nice stuff with very little.

[george wilson]

Lack of money!!!! Also,making stringed instruments is by nature mostly hand work. I am not a purist either,especially now that I have gotten old. But there are just some things that have to be done by hand.

[Leigh Betsch]

I'm far from a neander, but I do like using hand tools. I was at home minding my own buisness when a felow creeker showed up and I gave him a tour of my shop. (Ok he was buying my Oliver lathe). After I showed him all my wiz bang Mini Max stationary tools and he told me about his Felder tools he says "You ain't got no hand planes". So I traded him for a couple. Then I learned that I could make my own. Now I just like to make my own hand tools and use them where I can.

[Eric Brown]

When I build something with hand tools I have an emotional bond with it. I just saw the taboret I built for my sister last year. She is very happy with it and seeing it again brought a smile to my face. Lots of handwork in it. If I had only used power tools it would not have certain features nor would it have as deep an emotional bond.

Hand tools give me more design freedom and the joy of working by hand is relaxing. Quiet.
Clean. Precise. No stress. In addition my appreciation for older things made by hand and older handtools, seems to be growing.

One thing though, it's addicting. I doubt I could ever quit using hand tools now.
I never seem to have enough. I'll continue to use my bandsaw, but haven't used my tablesaw in years. Think I used a powered router once last year. Perhaps never again?

We'll see. Right now I'm considering making a set of Maloof low-back chairs (with Charles Brock plans). Mostly hand tools if I can. Should be challenging.

Eric

[Jim Matthews]

The first time I ripped a four footer to width with my bowsaw and was close to the line.
That was a revelation.

Being successful, jointing two boards with my own hands, that was addictive.

Knowing that I can walk between ages (before and after Edison) is comforting.

When I finish a session, and the only sound in my ears is music, that's when the galoot in me is happiest.

[Kees Heiden]

For me it was lack of money too. I started with some cheap chisels, a saw from the borg and a rather new Stanley #4. I was looking on the internet how other hobbyists made wooden objects and became quickly disheartened, because I only saw huge workshops full of expensive machines. Somehow I stumbled on one of the handtool forums and was very enlightened.

Now I have a crappy planer/jointer combo and a crappy contrators saw. They are great to take the drudgery out of wood preparation, but leave plenty of work for my handtools. I really like the challenge of handtools, each day in the shop is another new adventure. And I am intrigued by the history of these tools.

[Archie England]

Like so many above, I'm not purely a hand tools user. But the moment I became one is quite definable: I had bought my second Dewalt sander (think massive) along with my third finishing sander, only to discover that my functional laundry room cabinet was spotted with dips and waves (no, not the wood grain). A friend at church was laughing at my frustrated plight and brought me a #4 Cosair (=Stanley #4), and it had a really sharp blade. With no prior knowledge and armed only with his scant instruction, I watched in amazement as that hand plane lifted paper thin strands from the cabinet and left a smoother edge than all of prior hours of power sanders/finishers had accomplished. That was the moment. When my wife wanted the cabinet painted, I saw the stark contrast between the last side (handplane) and the rest of the cabinet (power sanding). There's been no going back for me. I've virtually replaced my table saw, miter saw, router, and jointer with handtools--only using these to correct my work (or make quick work of repetitious tasks). My bandsaw and drill press, on the other hand, now you can't have those: they remain the best of my power tool purchases.

Really wish hand tools were cheaper--but they're not. You spend a bunch on sharpening and multiples (planes, saws, stones, hand drills, braces, bits, etc.). Oh, and the old tool bug kinda gets you, too. BUT I AM NOT A COLLECTOR! Really!!!!