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Thread: Introduction

  1. #1
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    Sep 2014
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    Introduction

    Hello I am new to the forum. I am a Paramedic and married father of two. I have done some basic projects with power tools but have fallen for working with hand tools. I am currently working on getting some basic tools in fact I'm waiting on a box from lee valley that will arrive today. I am looking forward to getting a nice collection of tools going. I'm almost at the point where I can try to tackle a beginner project just not sure what I'm going to try to make yet. Look forward to learning more from the members of the forum.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
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    Chevy Chase, Maryland
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    2,484
    Welcome, Vinnie. I suggest that you make a box of some sort as boxes are a huge part of furniture making - drawers are boxes without tops, hanging cabinets are boxes with doors, dressers are boxes in a larger box, chests are boxes with a top that opens, etc.
    ~ Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the men of old; seek what they sought.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
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    I need a dovetail saw I wanted to get the veritas but they are out of stock till November. I have some scraps that I want to practice dovetails on but no saw yet.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
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    Enchanted land of beer, cheese & brats
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    Welcome to the creek. I used a 12" back saw when first doing dovetails. Maybe shop furniture/fixtures- a saw bench, bench hooks, shooting board, shelves, simple picture frame, etc.
    I got cash in my pocket. I got desire in my heart....

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Houston TX
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    Vinnie, if there is a Woodcraft near you, give them a call. Some Woodcraft stores stock Veritas saws.

  6. #6
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    Sep 2014
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    There used to be one near me but it closed. There are stores a few hours north of me so if they have it I can order online

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Brewton, AL
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    I started off with a Japanese dovetail saw and it seemed to me like a smaller learning curve. I got it for around 50 bucks from Highland. Lately I've been really wanting to try the Glen-Drake joinery saw. Just throwing out a couple of other options to confuse you.
    Harmony is the strength and support of all institutions, especially this of ours.

  8. #8
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    lol add to my confusion thanks!
    Last edited by Vinnie Lopez; 09-09-2014 at 10:40 AM.

  9. #9
    Welcome. Build anything you'd like for your first project. It's a lot easier to identify what troubles you after you've done a few things, so don't sweat much (speed, results, etc), just have fun. Only suggestion I have is to find some nice wood that works well. The first thing I ever dovetailed was a 4/4 red oak chisel rack. It was a terrible idea. Good quality pine, cherry or walnut would've been a better idea.

  10. #10
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    Sep 2014
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    Ft Lauderdale
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    Yes red oak is like working with stone

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
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    Longview WA
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    Welcome again Vinnie. I guess you would have a difficult time being on the same continent and getting much further from the Pacific Northwest.

    At least you should be able to get some Southern Yellow Pine in your neck of the woods. Wish we could get that up here.

    I have used lots of saws to cut dovetails. It is easier with one made for the job but can be done with something else.

    I don't have any idea how the rust hunting is in Florida, but it might be worth a try.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  12. #12
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    rust hunting down here is pretty bad I have been on the hunt and nothing has come up. Ebay seems to be my best bet for getting the rest of my planes. The saws I will probably get new I have been looking at the veritas saw. If I get the veritas I can probably pick up a second tool at the same time. If I get a LN saw then it will just be that until the wife allows me to spend some more money. Looks like every two weeks I will get another tool or two

  13. #13
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    If I get a LN saw then it will just be that until the wife allows me to spend some more money. Looks like every two weeks I will get another tool or two
    One useful trick is to find something she would like and make it for her. On the other side of that is hope she asks you to make something and mention that you have been wanting to make one but you don't have the proper saw, chisels, plane or whatever your tool lust has you wanting to make the project properly.

    It is fairly easy for me. My wife loves acorns. So when ever I have a little spare wood on the lathe I turn an acorn. We now have acorns of various woods for knobs on our kitchen cabinets and my wife lets everyone know about it when the look at a couple of my acorns at the farmers market.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Vinnie Lopez View Post
    rust hunting down here is pretty bad I have been on the hunt and nothing has come up. Ebay seems to be my best bet for getting the rest of my planes. The saws I will probably get new I have been looking at the veritas saw. If I get the veritas I can probably pick up a second tool at the same time. If I get a LN saw then it will just be that until the wife allows me to spend some more money. Looks like every two weeks I will get another tool or two
    Vinnie, first, welcome to the Creek! Second, you should consider paying the $6 to become a contributor to SMC, then you'd have access to the classifieds section. There are often saws, planes, etc. for sale there.

    Also, there are plenty of vintage tool web sites that you might have luck with, such as Brass City, Bob Kaune, Patrick Leach, etc. For research, there are sites such as Disstonian Institute, Patrick's Blood and Gore, and The Stanley Bench Plane Page that could be of use.


    Regards,

    daniel

    P.S. Links stolen shamelessly from James Ogle's post back in '10.
    Not all chemicals are bad. Without hydrogen or oxygen, for example, there would be no way to make water, a vital ingredient in beer.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Austin Texas
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    1,957
    I will echo a couple of answers from above - make some work aids such as bench hooks, shootings board, marking gauges, straight edge, winding sticks, etc that you will use in the future and some boxes to put the tools in as you get them. You can use pretty much any kind of smaller/finer cutting saw for dovetails, even a hacksaw works. Some of the woodworking gurus that offer hand woodworking books, DVDs or You Tube video lessons have some good projects for beginners that teach the basic hand tool skills for using chisels, saws and planes, plus the sharpening of the same. Have you addressed the chisel/plane sharpening issue?
    David

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