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Anyone else a fan of old school tools? From back when tools were built to last and a little over engineered.
Picked this up on ebay a while back:
https://3udd2g.dm.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none
A little TLC and I have this:
https://3udc2g.dm.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none
It's rather good, it sharpened up a treat. Cost as much as a bargain basement plane off Amazon but so much better.
I've got a few chisels and saws to sort out as well when I get time.
yes me,,,, me :)
//jumps up and down...
me... me!!
dad has about 42 old wood planes in the shed, all rusted to hell. He has plenty of other old manual tools like hand drills. There is also nothing like using a ball peen and whacking the bejesus out of a rivet
Brilliant. My kinds job that :)
you are un-officially our tool restorer now... welcome to your new thread... get cleaning please :)
That plane is a Record no.4 smoothing plane circa early 50s from what I can tell. In pretty good nick really. I'll grab a few more pics tonight.
Restoration was straightforward if tedious. Sandpaper + scotch brite + wire wool for the rust. A bit of buffing of some stuff with polishing compound. And a good sharpen on diamond stones.
The handles I scraped clean and then coated with garnet shellac.
I also have a Stanley no.4 plane (mostly restored), a Record no.5 plane, a plough plane, a rebate plane, a router plane, and about 10 chisels of various makes, mostly old Sheffield forged stuff.
I'll take any spare planes off your hands. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by PC-LAD
On the other hand while I'm generally a fan of hand tools, for drilling I'm all about electricity. :p
Most of my woodwork tools are old, many pre-war I think.
No 4, No 5, No 4½, various Marples chisels and a few other makes (Ward, Sorby, etc). Record combination plane, marking gauges, dovetail and tenon saws as old as 1880, Record 53 vice, spokeshave... Much of that ilk.
I don't have much in the way of things like wooden planes, but I am considering giving them a try.
Hang on to that router plane, though - Certain YouTubers have pushed the price of them way up. Used to be £20, but you're lucky if they're under £100 now and even modern brands like Veritas are usually sold out.
Few more pics.
https://3udb2g.dm.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none
https://3udh2g.dm.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none
https://3udg2g.dm.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none
And one of the Stanley, its had a bit of recent use and just had a new rear handle as the old one split.
https://3udi2g.dm.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none
Yup, another fan here.
Don't get me wrong - I like modern, good quality power tools too. They are great at getting a job done, quickly and easily though with many, it's also easy to mess up .... even more quickly.
But there's something relaxing about old hand tools. I have saws, planes, chisels, drills, you-name-it.
The way I see it is power tools are utilitarian and get a chore done quickly. But for a 'project', a labour of love, hand tools slow you down and then you can enjoy the craft, the skill. My favourite - shaping a square-edged bit of wood into something curved and elegant. It's doing it slowly that forces it to be done with thought and care.
It's simply kinda ..... Zen.
I think my dad has an ancient hand cranked pillar drill which might change your mind on that :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Butcher
So you can get spare handles, or did you have to make one with your various restored woodworking tools?Quote:
Originally Posted by Butcher
Bought a spare off ebay. In theory you could carve one, but I don't have a spokeshave or the like for that. I assume you could also turn one on a lathe.Quote:
Originally Posted by DanceswithUnix
The main failings I find in power tools, aside from those you've mentioned, are the noise and requirement for dust extraction, the tendency for people to cheap out on the bits and blades, and how long they actually take with all the setup of fences and guides and things... and that's not including those for which you need to build jigs first!Quote:
Originally Posted by Saracen999
Half the time I've cracked out the hand tools, done the job, resharpened afterward, and had my tea all before the power tool has been ready to turn on! :p
You need to watch some Paul Sellers videos... I think you'd enjoy his work!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Saracen999
For the rear tote handle, you could do pretty well with saws, chisels and rasps. Several videos showing this, my favourite so far being WoodByWright.Quote:
Originally Posted by Butcher
It'd be harder, but you could do the same for a front knob. Start with a No 4 and plane a block into a cylinder, then chisel to rough shape, final form it with a rasp and sand it smooth before applying finish.
Can see the links when quoting your post but can't access the pictures :| (could be they're blocked, I'm at work right now)Quote:
Originally Posted by Butcher
I thought this was going to be another thread about MPs.
Don't forget space. All my hand tools fit on a couple of shelves. Power tools tend to take a huge amount of space for their large tables and motors.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ttaskmaster
He is rather good. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Ttaskmaster
Odd. They're shared off OneDrive, that might be blocked?Quote:
Originally Posted by Bonebreaker777
If you have things like tables and feed trays, you're beyond power tools and now into proper machinery... but they're a fantastic excuse for getting a bigger workshop, so there are advantages there!Quote:
Originally Posted by Butcher
I only have a bandsaw, but that's meant the entire garage has now become my workshop! :D
I'm in love with hand drills.....
I have my grandfathers Brace and a some bits.. and my wife has just come to start using some of these older pieces.
There's a great use for power drills and I have several but I admit to loving a hand drill and a brace and bit :)
I'll have to give those Sellers vids a try. Sounds interesting. Thanks.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ttaskmaster
As for "cheaping out" .... been there, done that, learned my lesson.
My analogy would be kitchen knives. Buy quality, buy once .... provided you maintain them. Buy a good quality knife, kept really sharp, is a dream to use.
Pretty good analogy, actually.Quote:
Originally Posted by Saracen999
Quality doesn't always mean expensive, either (Aldi chisels!), but it does mean good enough to do the job with the precision and safety you need... ie sharp cheap knife being far better than a blunt top-end one.
Not gotten around to buying my own brace or auger bits yet, but they are wicked fun and, in the case of some, faster than power drills. Pretty amazing, really!
My workshop is the spare room, it's not big enough for machinery. The garage is my other workshop though, so maybe I can squeeze in a bandsaw. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Ttaskmaster
I haven't yet convinced the wife thst really sharp knives are safer ... though they are, provided you know how to handle them and treat them with respect. Ditto, tools.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ttaskmaster
A really sharp knife requires far less pressure. In fact, mostly it's the slicing motion doing the work. So you're less likely to slip. But if you do ..... :(
That said, I\'ve seen a few people handling circular saws in a way that made me cringe and want to hide behind a tree, and one idiot approach a lathe with a wood chisel that, well, somewhere between me yelling NOOOOO and the chisel burying itself about 3 inches into a nearby breezeblock wall, I apparently dived for cover. Fortunately.
And don\'t even get me started on amateurs and chainsaws.
Mine doesn't get a say in the matter. I sharpen them and that's the end of it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Saracen999
I suggest you avoid any videos with Americans using table saws, unless you can see that they have the riving knife and crown guard in place!Quote:
Originally Posted by Saracen999
Bandsaw is way more useful than I ever realised.. and now it's broken (was very old when I got it) I miss it even more!Quote:
Originally Posted by Butcher
My work shop is nearly complete.. but that's another discussion for another month.
Speaking of bandsaws, opinions on getting a new one vs a second hand ebay one? Budget around £300.
Do you know what you're doing with regards to setting up, maintaining and fettling one, particularly if it's not in pristine condition?Quote:
Originally Posted by Butcher
If so, grab a decent second hand one off eBay. Something like a Startrite, single phase (again, unless you know what you're doing on that front), 1Kw about 16", give or take.
If not, get a new one. But bear in mind you'll still want a 16" (wheel diameter) one, unless you're cutting stock no bigger than 2". You'll also want to save a lot more pennies than £300... probably about twice that!
Once you have your bandsaw, watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxVyKsbuwZQ
And this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGbZqWac0jU
Once you're ready to rock, these two are highly regarded, for all manner of methods, tips, hints, guides and stuff:
https://www.youtube.com/user/stevemaskery
https://www.youtube.com/user/peterseftonfurniture
I have an Axminster 310, which is a 12" floor-standing model and it's pretty gutless, to be honest, but it was a birthday present and beggars cannot be choosers.
It's about 550w, I think, cuts 180mm high and 300mm wide, does the job for the most part, but really is a Made In China special.
Record Power are ever so slightly better on the build quality, but their customer service can often suck... Axminster will at least bend over backwards to make sure everything is right with your world.
Whatever else you do, be sure to buy TuffSaws blades for it! There's nowt better on the market and using anything else is just piddling in the wind, these days.
I was considering the newer version of your Axminster: https://www.axminster.co.uk/axminste...bandsaw-105093
Gutless isn't great though, might be worth waiting a little and getting a better model.
Not much in the way of single phase bandsaws on ebay, other than the Chinese junk.
That's actually the one below mine.Quote:
Originally Posted by Butcher
This is the current equivalent to mine: https://www.axminster.co.uk/axminste...bandsaw-105094
However, if it were my choice, I'd look no smaller than this, really: https://www.axminster.co.uk/axminste...bandsaw-105095
If money were no object, I'd go well into the Trade series, or get a full-on old professional one off Ebay.
Alas prices have jumped up in recent years and these things do cost.Quote:
Originally Posted by Butcher
DIY was always a bit of a rip-off hobby compared to semi-pro kit
I just spent five (actually four and a bit) minutes on eBay... and you have a PM!Quote:
Originally Posted by Butcher
No idea if they suit your needs, but I thought they'd be worth looking closer at...
I think I'll just have to keep an eye on Ebay and hope one comes up locally as these things aren't cheap to send.
Also, dust extraction seems to be a necessity which adds some cost.
Time for some tools. An Spear and Jackson saw I picked up on ebay:
Before
https://4edc2g.dm.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none
https://4edb2g.dm.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none
After
https://3udl2g.dm.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none
https://4ede2g.dm.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none
https://4edd2g.dm.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none
Cleaned up nicely and seems decent now I have sharpened it up a bit.
Well no, they weigh upwards of 80kg...!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Butcher
You can get a decent wet & dry vacuum for £30... Aldi periodically have a nice one for about £45 in their deals. I even have a source for spare bags, if you like.Quote:
Originally Posted by Butcher
Also, it may be of considerable benefit, but you can get by just opening the panels and sweeping the sawdust out. I did that for ages.
I have a wet and dry vac. Just reading the net suggests that's not really adequate for a bandsaw.
Depends on the bandsaw and the vacuum specs.Quote:
Originally Posted by Butcher
Some people do get the big professional shop vac extraction systems, but they're serious overkill is you only have a bandsaw. Those are more for full-on workshops with a good half-dozen machines, where you actually need 100mm ducting all around!
Most hobby and DIY level bandsaws have abysmal dust extraction placement that suggests connecting it to the air intake of an F-16 at least... and yet they're all deemed fine with something like a Numatic vacuum.
However, there are tips, tricks and simple mods that drastically improve the extraction.
The best one IMO is boxing in the lower feed rollers and extracting directly from there. Only needs a bit of scrap/plywood, works a charm, can even be made the bandsaw itself.
A great example of old tools is a hand drill and a two-handed saw. My always used them and every time I had to repair something, I had to sweat a lot!
Latest Ebay purchase:
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/W7kAA...um/s-l1600.jpg
I fanced something a bit longer for jointing long boards (currently building some shelves in inch thick oak). Long metal planes are well over £100 for anything that's not a pile of rust. Picked this up for £30.
It's in great condition; the mouth and horn of the handle have been repaired at some point, with a decent match on the wood. Blade has plenty of meat and came in good condition without nicks or weird camber.
I gave it a couple of licks on a piece of whitewood and managed a pretty much spot on straight edge with minimal effort.
thats very nice.
I've been using my old Stanley plane a lot recently and not just for planing.
Dunno if people know but the cast steel has a perfect 90 degree edge, so I use it for aligning saw blades.
Indeed - The usual trick is using the plane to lay one board face atop another's edge, to align everything for marking out dovetails. Not sure I'd want a saw blade rubbing along the side of my plane, though... might damage it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Zak33
I make furniture in the woods from old school hand tools, my favourite tool has to be the pencil sharpener as I call it (chair makers rounding tool)
This is the first chair I made.
https://i.imgur.com/wVB5p6U.jpg
I then moved on to a much bigger project and this is what materialised.
https://i.imgur.com/BlwWH31.jpg
Incidentally I ended up with a cheap Scheppach bandsaw and I'm actually very happy with it. Yes it can only do a 100mm depth of cut so it's a bit limited for resawing but it covers the majority of my uses.