Help me spend $800-1000 on hand tools

[Jared Walters]

I'm actually a beginner. For years now I have been interested in furniture making, and now I allocated some money to get started. I have crazy noise restriction, so I can only use hand tools. This is fine because its what really interests me anyway.

So what tools should I buy to get started with my $800-1000. I only want excellent quality tools, even if that means just buying a few at first and adding some more every couple paychecks.

From what I gathered I need some good measuring tools and good chisels. I know top quality planes are expensive, so is there any exceptionally versatile one I could buy that would be adequate as my only one? I already have a basic workbench, but no vise. Unfortunately that is all I have, so I need everything you can think of haha.

I look forward to advice from experienced woodworkers. Please be specific, I'm overwhelmed.

[Charles McKinley]

I would start at the Library. There are threads here that give list of books to look for. The second thing I would do is go to a couple of classes where you get to try out some different tools.

Going new and high quality it comes down to what fits you hands better and what you want to do. Excellent quality does not have to mean new. A new egg beater drill is much more expensive than a good vintage Stanley or Miller Falls and the quality will not be necessarily higher. As Chris recommends use a reputable dealer until you have a better idea of what you are looking for.

What type of furniture do you want to build?

I received "The Anarchist Tool Chest" book and DVD by Chris Schwartz from Lost Art Press. There are some other books that describe the tools and how to use them.

Do you know how to sharpen?

I really can't emphasize enough how important it is to actually use some of the tools and make a decision on what you like and works for you.

Sorry for more questions than answers but more information would be helpful. A Lee Valley catalog is a good place to start and Lie-Nielsen web site (if they have a hard copy catalog I would get it too.)

Get some wood, build something and decide based on what it needed for the project. There are many ways to do the same thing in wood working so you don't need a gadget for each operation.

You don't say where you are. You may be able to visit a Creeker and try some things out.

[Brian Kent]

1 plane - a Lee Valley Low Angle Jack. $225.
Lee Valley carcass saw - cross cut. $76.
If these are too expensive, ask right here about rehabbed saw and #5 plane.
I like my 2 cherries chisels but others prefer Narex for the cost or Lee Valley or other premium chisels.
Stanley combination square. Exacto knife for cost, make a prettier marking knife later.

Oh, and welcome, Jared.
Brian

ps. We really like spending other people's money and we will think you said $800 plus $1000 instead of $800 to $1000

[paul cottingham]

First off, welcome.
Secondly....
you need to be able to sharpen. get a combo stone 1000/4000, i would add an 8000 as well, but many would argue agains that. get an eclipse guide or the veritas one. practice.
if you only buy one plane, get the veritas LA jack.it is a great all around, multipurpose plane. you can add higher angle blades to your kit later.
the LV carcass saws are fantastic for the money, as are the narex chisels. get the small set.
measuring and marking tools are essential. get some decent rulers, a marking knife, and a marking guage. I like the wheel marking ones from LV.
get a good combo square as well. spend good money on this.
drills and drill bits. i'm lazy, so i like cordless drills. a decent eggbeater is a good choice as well.
get a decent hammer.
get some scrapers, and a good burnisher. learn to turn a hook.
and buy clamps. then buy more clamps.
i've missed something, im sure.....
oh, and buy the anarchists tool chest. as good a tome on hand tool woodworking as i've read, mind you, i'm no expert.

[Jared Walters]

I live in Phoenix. I want to start with small pieces like end tables and coffee tables. I have been doing lots of Internet research. I honestly am reluctant to visit a store and talk to professionals. I have found that small stores, especially the ones that cater to hobbies, are not very welcoming to young people. I don't enjoy going into a shop, asking questions, and being treated like I'm stupid while getting the impression that the owner feels like I'm wasting their time. Also I don't want to be handed a plane and just kind of hold it and look at it without really knowing what makes it so great. Sure the shopkeeper could tell me, but that's a biased source. That's why I prefer to ask on forums.

I just kind of want to get some tools and get started and practice basic techniques? I don't want to dig through ebay for vintage planes to restore. I even read something from Chris Schwartz that advised against it. it was something along the lines of "do you want to spend your time woodworking or repairing tools?". I know that the choice is endless and everyone has different needs as their talents develop. But surely there are some must haves in a woodworkers tool collection that I will always have use for that can get me started. And if I buy these new and high quality, then I won't have to rebuy them later.

Let me just say that this is not some hobby I will try and get bored of. My whole life I have admired high quality furniture and the people who build it. Something about the feel and the appearance of beautiful wood is captivating to me. When I designed and successfully built my simple workbench out of plywood and 2x4s it gave me an incredible sense of pride. I can only imagine how great it would be to make something that's actually nice and use only hand tools to do it. Basically what I'm saying is that I'm done researching, I'm sure I want to invest in this hobby, I don't need to dip a toe in. I will buy some books to help me with design and techniques, but I want to read them while I work... I'm hands on that way.

Moving on... I hear wonderful things about Veritas, even more than Lie-Nielsen recently it seems. Mainly because their practices in innovation. I really wanted to buy American made products (I always try to whenever possible), but I'm okay with Canadian I guess. I also heard that Starrett is unrivaled in measuring equipment, so I was thinking I might want to buy one of their 12" combination squares.

What specifically might you recommend for other tools? Maybe a chisel set, dovetail saw, rip and crosscut saws? What type of plane should be my first?

Also should I sharpen with water stones? I was thinking I could also use sandpaper stretched over a granite floor tile?

[Charles McKinley]

Forgot: WELCOME TO THE CREEK! it is filled with really nice people and a depth of knowledge.

Spending your money:
Carcass saw
Jack pane with 3 blades (one to hog off wood, smooth, shooting board)
Low angle block plane
1/2 inch chisel
Veritas marking gage
large coarse diamond plate, 1000, 4000, 8000 water stones
4 in hand rasp/file
sliding bevel
hand-stitched rasp
spoke shave
draw knife
12" combination square (Starrett or Brown and Sharp used)
hold fast
card scraper
clamps

These are suggestions.

Start building and buy as needed.

Make saw benches, bench hook, winding sticks, shooting board

[John Dykes]

Hmmmm…

Buying tools is (comparatively) easy. Sharpening them is a bit tougher, tuning them a bit more so – using them effectively is the real challenge – and, if you want to build furniture, your actual goal. It is easy to get side-tracked with the love we men have for tools - and never do anything with them.... Or at least it is for me! So just buying quality tools isn’t going to get you as far down that path as you might think. You’ll end up buying a $300 plane, $300 chisel set, $300 saw or two – and you’ll look at the boxes beaming with pride (as we all do!). Then you’ll step back and say, “Uh – now what?” – and you’ll be no closer to building furniture than when you first started (Trust me, been there…). I think you need a better plan….

If you allow me, I’d recommend you change your whole approach – perhaps considerably. Though you didn’t state it, if you are only looking at new quality tools, $1000 isn’t going to go too far. I think you should find a class, online course, or book that has basic projects that utilize very few tools – and buy what you need for that particular skill or project.

I’d suggest you look at Paul Sellers' online hand tool school ($15/month). The first project is quite elementary – it’s a tool carrying tote with housing dados. Off the top of my head, you need a plane, a saw or two, a square, a chisel or two. His second project builds on those skills (and I THINK) the same tools (or very close to it – maybe adds a plow plane) and builds a hanging wall clock. Yes, a hanging wall clock…. how 'bout that!

The important distinction between your post and this approach is the focus on SKILL and not tools. And the reward that comes from actually building a project as you learn. Again, I was (am?) a “Buy a tool first” kinda guy – and many years later, still feel like a hack. Your skills, your muscle memory, your confidence will outgrow your tool collection – and that’s a very good thing.

Another thing to think about is the training and skill that goes into tuning each tool. You’ll hear that you can buy a $400 plane and it’ll “work right out of the box.” While it’s true, it’s also very, very misleading.

Story Time: There was once a man named John…. He’d read that planes could take mill marks off of machined boards. He thought that’d be awesome. So John, who had been woodworking for years (3HP Unisaw, PM jointer, steel top router table, etc), researched and studied and toiled and prayed over buying a hand plane. He read that a company called Lie-Nielsen sold the best hand planes and they worked “right out of the box.” So he bought one – and man, he opened the box and beamed with pride…. He pulled it out, wiggled knobs, twisted levers, etc – and put it to wood. It gouged the wood, was impossible to push, dug in the corners, ripped the grain, tore our chunks…. John cursed the plane and put it back in the box for several years. John, not a bright boy, found out that just buying a top quality hand tool is a very small part of actually using one effectively.

Point being, each tool you buy has a whole learning curve. Learning each tool should be a project in itself. If you buy a plane, you need to figure out how to sharpen, tune, and use it for its various operations. If you are a truly a hand tool neophyte, like our ignorant hero John, this takes some time – and should be planned for. Learning sharpening cannot be skipped…. And should be your primary focus till you get it right.

So, to make a short story longer, here is what I would do:

Subscribe to the Paul Sellers online school - $15
Watch the 2 30 minute videos for the first project. See what tools he uses, and buy them…. For the first project, this is what I came up with:
LV LA Jack - $225 (Regardless of what CS may say, buying a $20 used tool and rehabbing it taught me how to use my fancy $400 LN #4 smoother)
LV Router Plane -$140 (Useful for the first 2 Paul Sellers projects. But he shows you how to do a "poor man's router" with a block of wood and chisel)
2 LV Chisels (not Hirsch) – say $50 (Narex maybe? Dunno - sound good, but I've never touched one)
Starett square - $80 (Quality that you'll used even if you get out of woodworking. Sellers touches it every 3 minutes in these projects)
Marking gauge - $30 (Mark the depth of your housing dados)
Marking knife - $20 (Eh, just about anything will do, but best to have one flat side to register against the ruler, and the other beveled to cut)
Veritas honing guide w/ cambered roller - $90 (Charlesworth uses the cheap "vise type" for $10.)
Set of water stones - $150? (Must have... whole other topic....)
Rip and Crosscut saws – you’re on your own…. (New or used that are tuned to use day 1 aren't cheap. Vintage, you'd have to learn to sharpen your own)
David Charlesworth DVDs (plane\chisel use and sharpening) - $100 (This is the single most important purchase I ever made. Sharp tools are everything)

There goes your $1000 and then some…. For the very basics. Again, vintage planes are great. If you are interested in restoring vintage planes, there is a pretty large learning curve with that too (what to look for, what to avoid, etc). But it will save you money, and I think is a pretty useful skill in understanding planes a bit better overall. Also, with bevel-up planes (like the LV jack above), you have a bit more of an issue trying to get a cambered blade - which I think is pretty important for many operations. Again, a whole 'nother can of worms....

Next, learn your tools. Fool around w. them, sharpen them. Sharpen them again. Cut more wood. Then make Paul Sellers' first project. Next month, buy a LV Plow Plane. Make the clock... Next month, buy the LV dovetail saw - make the dovetail boxes.

In short, don't just buy tools. Worry about skill - not tools. Build something....

And ask lots of questions!

- John (may or may not be the same John in the story)

[William Adams]

Surprised that the Lee Valley small plow plane wasn't suggested,

My suggestion would be to start w/ a small, specific project, get the tools for that (and sharpening gear), build it, repeat.

A small tool tote is a classic first project and would need:

- small (combination) square
- saw
- jack plane --- the source of the phrase, ``jack of all trades'' --- carefully sharpened and tuned it can handle any general planing task
- two-sided oilstone (medium and fine) and 3-in-1 oil
- hammer and nails
- yankee drill, screwdriver bit and some screws and a pair of angle brackets to attach the hardware
- a couple of clamps and a portable / folding workbench (buy more / build a better one later)

(dovetail saw, chisels, rasps, files and brace and bits and the router plane and the small plow mentioned above would be my next choices (and a large frame saw) --- once you can cut a dovetail, grooves, dado, and mortise and tenon joint you can build pretty much anything)

Don't buy a plan --- draw it out yourself. Too many people get stuck on only building from plans.

Towards that, a book I suggest:

- The Joint Book

There're a number of tool lists on the internet --- look through them, read through threads here and post back.

Here's one which I think is quite good:

http://www.geoffswoodwork.co.uk/basic_tool_kit.htm

[Jim Foster]

Several thoughts on getting started. I'm fairly recent at getting back into the hobby, and would call myself tool collector for many years in hindsight even though I thought I was a woodworker.

Sharpening is the first and most critical skill, if you want to use your tools and enjoy the hobby.

It's pretty easy to get into acquisition mode when it comes tools, we all do it to some degree , but acquiring the basic skills to sharpen and use a plane, saw and chisel are what clears the way to really enjoy making things. To acquire and practice these skills and complete some projects only takes a few tools. Always keep in mind there are tools you NEED and tools you WANT. If you let the need drive you, you'll get your skills where you want them sooner, have more money, more shop space, more time to work, etc...

Some of the blogs that I find to be runways for beginners and re-starts like me are Logan Cabinet Shoppe, and Chris Schwarz.

[Charlie Stanford]

I'm actually a beginner. For years now I have been interested in furniture making, and now I allocated some money to get started. I have crazy noise restriction, so I can only use hand tools. This is fine because its what really interests me anyway.

So what tools should I buy to get started with my $800-1000. I only want excellent quality tools, even if that means just buying a few at first and adding some more every couple paychecks.

From what I gathered I need some good measuring tools and good chisels. I know top quality planes are expensive, so is there any exceptionally versatile one I could buy that would be adequate as my only one? I already have a basic workbench, but no vise. Unfortunately that is all I have, so I need everything you can think of haha.

I look forward to advice from experienced woodworkers. Please be specific, I'm overwhelmed.

Western vs. Eastern, different steels, all the different sharpening gear -- waterstones vs. oilstones vs. lapping films, jigged honing vs. freehand honing, favorite suppliers, etc.

I predict more confusion for you, not less. These sorts of threads have a poor internet history.

[Chris Griggs]

Veritas Low angle jack plane = $225

Pair of Veritas Carcass Saws = $139 (+$225 = $364)

A few Chisels - maybe 1/4, 3/8, 5/8 (or 1/2 or 3/4), and 1 1/2 = ~$50 (+364 = 414)

A basic sharpening setup = $100 (+414=$514)

A decent combo square = $80 (+514=$594)

Any tape measure = $10 to $15 (+$594=$609)

An inexpensive marking knife = $10 ($609=$619)

A basic marking gauge = $32 (+$619 = $651)

Find a couple decent 26" saws one cross cut and one rip and pay someone to resharpen them - This price could range a lot but lets for now say that total for saws and rehab will be $100 (+651=$751)

A vise screw to make a leg vise = $38 +751= $789

Lets round that up to $800 (sure adds up fast don't it!) and leave you with $200 dollars for some wood.

As you continue to delve in, a block plane will be nice at some point, and I recommend a router plane as your first specialty plane. But once you get even just a few basics out of the way let your projects guide your tool purchases.

Welcome!

Chris

[Zach Dillinger]

The question that needs to be asked is what do you want to build? There's lots of things under the woodworking sun, and recommendations can only be good if we know what you want to do. The tools needed to do carving are different from turning, which are different from box making, which are different from case work, etc.

One way to look at this is to pick a specific project, then buy the things you need to accomplish that project. Buy the best you can afford. If you don't need it for that project, don't buy it yet, as you may never need it. Then, as you do more projects, buy the tooling necessary to accomplish each one in turn, always buying the best you can get. This will give you an excellent base of good quality tools to work with that can be expanded from there.

Don't get too caught up in buying everything you need. I've been doing hand-tool woodworking for a long time now (not as long as some) and I still find things that I need to buy every now and then. Usually, its a "want to buy" situation, but rarely I do actually need something.

My recommendation for an absolute beginner, if you must have one. Get a good quality jack plane that has been tuned up by someone who knows what they are doing, or buy a premium plane for a whole lot more. Buy a good backsaw (again, tuned vintage or premium), a folding rule, a marking gauge (any will be fine) and 1/4, 3/8, 1/2 chisels (much easier to buy new premium, at least in my neck of the woods). Pick a sharpening system (I use oilstones) and buy a course, medium and fine stone in that system. Make yourself a bench hook. Then start making your layout tools. Start by making yourself a wooden square, which if done carefully is all you ever need for woodworking. Then teach yourself to joint long edges by making yourself a straightedge (again, a wooden one is all you ever need). Once you've done these things, you will have a good start at mastering the basic operations. Then, focus on building yourself a decent quality workbench. All of the above projects can be done just about anywhere.

[David Weaver]

. These sorts of threads have a poor internet history.

If one of the methods didn't work, it'd be easier (sharpening, tool types, etc).

I'd spend the money at the outset on a good jointer, and spend $100 total on a good quality vintage fore and smoother plane. Import chisels (like narex, you can't even find good vintage chisels for as cheap, at least not quickly).

Two stones - bester 1200, kitayama 8000, should be about $100, flatten them with wet and dry sandpaper held on a flat square block. Or to save money, you could get just the bester 1200 and use autosol on MDF to polish an edge - it works awfully well and a tube of it and MDF would get you by for a year without fiddling with sandpaper, which is just an awful way to sharpen.

A wheel gauge, a cheap marking knife, and a decent quality vintage combination square.

What do you say charlie, you think that would work? You're the king of cheap.

Still no saws, but that's a can of worms, and will take a little time to find good used ones cheap. The jones can be satisfied initially with one of those 12 tpi impulse hardened carpenters saws from HD, and one of the pull saws that rips and crosscuts. A lot is made of pushing and pulling saws and about how hard it is to do both, but it's not that big of a deal. If you really don't want to pull saws, you can order one of the rip carcass saws from LV (if they have such a thing) and use that for dovetails and crosscuts until you find a proper crosscut saw.

[Jacob Nothstine]

Save as much money as you can for wood, if your in a place that you can't make a lot of noise then you are going to have to buy wood that is already clean and sized to what you need. You can clean up rough wood by hand but it will take time and energy not a lot of fun IMO. Wood that is finished is expensive.

Tools these are the tools I use the most.
Cherry chisels 1/4, 1/2, 3/8,
LV carcass saws and dovetail gauge
LN Block Plane
2 Stanley No#5 one fine work one for removing stock fast.
Panel Saw 8 TPI for breaking down wood.
Sargent #7 I like a big plane for jointing
Make a shooting board, saw horse, and bench hook
Sharping Worksharp save a lot of time

I would not shy away from older tools, If an old plane is in fair shape no rust you can clean and tune it up in about 1 hr save you a lot of money. You just have to be picky when you buy.

[Prashun Patel]

Jared,

Welcome to the Creek!!!

I relate to the feelings you had when you built your bench. I agree that the Internet is a great place to learn. It's how I learned everything (which isn't that much...). If you 'don't know what you don't know', being in front of people can be intimidating.

I am surprised however, that nobody has asked the question: "Why only hand tools?" It's a harder - and not necessarily cheaper - way to go than acquiring power tools. A lot of people start powered and then progress to Neander. I humbly suggest that you consider some corded tools as well.

I agree with Zach's suggestion to start with a project first. Then you can acquire the tools to do that. For me, part of the fun has been figuring out whether I can accomplish each project with the arsenal I have or whether I can justify adding a new tool to it.

If I were a beginner, I think I'd acquire the following "hybrid" set:

Circular saw
Router
cordless drill
jig saw
Random Orbital Sander
Jessem Dowel Jig or Kreg Pocket Screw jig

Jumping right into high end joinery is a hard thing. There's a lot to first learn about flat, straight and smooth first (hope that doesn't come off glib.)

If you have left over $$, the Neander tools I'd start with are:
60 1/2 block from Lie Nielsen.
Good set of bench chisels (I have the Narex from Lee Valley, which are decent value)
Worksharp 2000 with above-table sharpener
Veritas MKII honing guide

I say to start with a power sharpening system. It's the easiest way to get good results. You can progress to stones later if you want.