Waxing philosophical - hand planes

[steven c newman]

Biggest thing I've found out? That I do NOT need to spend $300 -$700 per tool, just to be called a woodworker...learned it was more about HOW to use the tools, than how much bling was on them...

[Kevin Perez]

What tool made a difference for me? It would have to be the properly-tuned handplane.

When I began woodworking about 20 years ago, I focused on power tools, and spent as little time as I could with hand tools because I was not good at using them, and did not have them tuned or sharpened properly (nor did I really understand the absolute need to do so). About ten years ago, I joined this site and started reading up on hand tool "exploits." A few years later, I began learning in earnest about how to use hand tools, learned the scary sharp sharpening method, and tuned up my "old" Stanley #4. When I started making gossamer thin curls of wood with it, the woodworking world changed for me (and required less use of earplugs and protective goggles). Simple tasks did not require tons of set up time, I wasn't making as much of a mess, and I started to pay more attention to the wood itself rather than machine specs. Fast forward to today, and I have a very modest collection of planes (#4, #62, #190, LV shoulder, and a #7 on the way) and a couple nice dovetail saws (LV crosscut, LN rip) and understand at least the basics of how to use them with decent results. Now I am looking for a nice set of bench chisels so I can relegate my back-beveled low end chisels to rough carpentry tasks.

[Archie England]

Biggest thing I've found out? That I do NOT need to spend $300 -$700 per tool, just to be called a woodworker...learned it was more about HOW to use the tools, than how much bling was on them...

Outstanding!!!! Well said.

[Jim Koepke]

What tool made the difference for you?

This had me thinking for a while trying to think of the woodworking tool that made a difference to me. Then it came to me, it wasn't a woodworking tool that started me on my path to working wood. It was my gardening tools. We had just cleaned up our back yard and had a small lawn and a few other niceties to make it an enjoyable place to be. We needed some chairs. To me, the plastic junk available in most stores at the time wasn't acceptable. A trip to the library turned up a book from 1938 by William W. Klenke. It had working drawings of many projects, one being an adirondack chair. My wood came from some old pallets. My wood working tools consisted of a hammer and a saw at that time with sandpaper to smooth things out.

The slope has been pretty slippery ever since.

jtk

[James Pallas]

A 10 oz maydol finish hammer, that now resides with daughter and SIL. A few nails and some wood scraps put in my hands by my Uncle. Something to keep a 6 year old busy. Little did he know it would stick for 64 more years and counting.
Jim

[Joe A Faulkner]

I feel like my game is still changing, but if I had to point to one tool that has added to my enjoyment and provided the most utility it is without a question my workbench. For the stuff I do, I could probably get by with a few hand planes, a few chisels and a few saws, but I would never want to go back to working without a solid bench.

[Frederick Skelly]

Lots of good thoughts here guys. Too many to reply to, but all of them worth noting. Thanks for your thoughts!
Fred

[Stew Denton]

Hi All,

For me, like Archie, being able to sharpen tools well has been the major thing. I am still not great at it, but I can produce good edges, at least, and sharp planes and chisels have made a major difference. Thus, for me it was a couple good waterstones and the jig to hold the tool at a good angle for sharpening.

Stew

[john zulu]

Learning to sharpen no doubt. Even when there is a gap of no woodworking I always use my stones for something.

The subject is very wide. Each tool has it's place so there is NO golden philosophy here.

[Jim Koepke]

Learning to sharpen no doubt. Even when there is a gap of no woodworking I always use my stones for something.

The subject is very wide. Each tool has it's place so there is NO golden philosophy here.

My sharpening skills were not anything great until after getting involved in woodworking. Maybe it was all the practice with woodworking tools that accounts for my improvement.

jtk