The more I watch power tool shows...

[Tony Wilkins]

...the more I like hand tools. No offense meant to those who use power tools but the idea of carrying wood from one large machine to the next that all make the same loud whirring sound leaves me cold.

I watched the one tonight because it started out talking about 'using a lot of hand planes'. Well there was a brief bit on hand planes that went from "I'm using a #3 smoother taking a very fine cut" to "Using this plane you can take it down to any thickness you want" to finally "Well, after 2 hours of hard work planing I'm ready for the table saw." LOL!

It then went on to a cacophony of pocket screws, sanders, and what not. I had to go downstairs and use a hand saw :cool:

[george wilson]

I find a smooth whirring sound,or a rhythmic hum or loud purr to be quite satisfactory. Really,I do,from a properly maintained and adjusted machine OR tool. Obviously,I have done a ton of work that can only be done with hand tools,but at my age,I'm not into hand thickness planing big pieces of lumber,or ripping long pieces. Any tool or machine has to be understood properly learned and respected. Then,you get used to the sound and aren't afraid or put off by it. Just takes experience and proper training,and always respect. They can,and will bite you otherwise.

The hissing of a properly sharpened and adjusted hand plane is very satisfying,too,as we all know and delight in.

[Don Dorn]

My rule is simple - if it's too much work, or a task I wouldn't enjoy using hand tools, I'll use a whiring beast. Primarily, I dimension stock with power, but joint, smooth, profile, drill, join, and final fit it with hand tools, because for me, that's the fun part.

[Bob Jones]

That is one reason why I like YouTube and podcasts. More options. If I see one more repeat shop tip or router table show I may lose my mind :)
Check out the Logan cabinet shoppe. Excellent podcast programming at a pace I can learn from.

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

Although some of them bug me - (I always snicker when I see a pocket screws and but joints used on a piece that's trying to be a replica), the ones that drive me the nuts the most aren't the powertool-centric woodworking shows but the home makeover shows where they build a piece of "furniture" with a tacky finish in an afternoon using MDF or construction ply and butt joints. I'm all for building something quick and dirty when quick and dirty is appropriate, but some of the stuff they build on those shows makes IKEA look like fine craftsmanship, and I wonder why you'd expend all the time and effort they put into redoing a room only to top it off with ugly, poorly built pieces that aren't going to take the strains put on them in normal use, with an ugly finish.

The thing that really strikes me about power tool woodworking shows is how many of them seem to assume we have access to a fairly well equipped shop. That's one thing I like a lot about handtools - it might be slow going, and I'd prefer a powertool I don't have for a lot of the grunt work, but there's not much I can't figure out a way to do by hand if I have to, using a relatively small set of tools I've put together fairly cheaply. I think that was the thing that kept me from trying woodworking for so long - living in tiny spaces, and watching some of those shows, I figured I'd never be able to build something worth while until I had a garage, and a half dozen stationary tools.

The lack of making an extra something to test every set up also means I can get right to screwing up the actual project a lot quicker, too. ;)

I think the TV shows are still better than the magazines in some ways though - I might like the pieces better in the magazines in general, and might disagree with the decisions on construction in something that was built in a TV show, but I've don't see nearly as many of the ridiculous jigs to do something crazy with a tablesaw that could better be accomplished with a spokeshave or something by hand, or devices to make a router do everything that I see in the magazines from time to time.

[James Taglienti]

I love the hum of a good jointer, like a 12 or 16 inch. I used to know a patternmaker who had one, it was such a nice sound, and the wood would just make this quiet little zip sound as it went across, even if you were taking 1/4 inch off it just floated right across it was really cool.

[Tony Shea]

The pocket screw part of these shows and many of the woodworking magazines is what gets me turned off in a hurry. Sometimes I'll browse the local bookstore and check out some of the mag's I don't have subscriptions for and I'll see a real nice project. I'll take a look inside and check out how they put it together and sure enough, butt joints with pocket screws on a beautiful curly maple side table. Just reminds me why I don't subscribe to these magazines. As most have stated, power tools do not bother me at all, and a power jointer, planer and bandsaw really earn their keep in a hand tool friendly shop. I personally don't own a bandsaw but dream about it on a regular basis, and dream about it sitting right next to my 12" power jointer that I don't own. But the day I go out and buy myself a pocket hole jig is the day I will probably give this hobby up. Which hopefully is never.

[Jim Matthews]

I got turned off to woodworking, as a kid, when everyone had to have the next latest and greatest gizmo to make two smaller boards from one big one.

It was as if they were adapting an industrial approach to building bookshelves; it made sense to work that way to make a thousand iterations, none to do so for one.
When I read Anthony Guidice's deservedly unpopular book, I began to wonder. When I got my copy of Tom Fidgen's "Made by hand" I was pretty sure.

When I saw a cost break down on Norm Abram's shop, the math made no sense - why spend $180,000 to make a hall table?

When I slogged through a week of machine tool methods at NBSS, I was certain.

I would rather have garage space for cars and kid crap than a combination machine the size of a battleship.
I would prefer to flatten a board on six sides by hand than deal with setting up my jointer.

It takes about the same amount of time - either way.

[Tony Wilkins]

I got turned off to woodworking, as a kid, when everyone had to have the next latest and greatest gizmo to make two smaller boards from one big one.
When I saw a cost break down on Norm Abram's shop, the math made no sense - why spend $180,000 to make a hall table?



Not to insult any Normites here but Norm Abrams has kept me out of woodworking for at least 20 years. Obviously not him personally but I watched his show (guess it came out when I was in HS or College) and liked it; but I was totally intimidated by his shop and the NASA control room full of tools (and this was decades ago). If I had watched more Roy Underhill I probably would have tried this a lot sooner - I wanted to but just didn't.

[Curt Harms]

You have to remember that Norm's shop was a sales tool. It worked too. I recall being in Woodworker's Warehouse (remember them?) in Revere, MA. The staff there were chuckling about how Norm would show a geegaw on Saturday afternoon and that same geegaw would fly off the shelf the next week. I think muscles and electrons each have their place.

[John Coloccia]

I think you're all remember Norm's shop quite differently than it really was. He had a small jointer, a small benchtop planer, a drill press, a table saw, a radial arm saw, a band saw and a spindle sander. He also had a router and a drill. He didn't even add a hollow chisel mortiser until the very end. These tools were far less accessible 20 years ago than they are today, and that leaves an impression of some super shop, but his actual shop was quite modest and simple by pro-woodworker standards, and by many hobby woodworker standards.

[Chris Griggs]

I work almost entirely by hand..from dimensioning to joinery to finishing. I'm glad this is how I've learned to woodwork and I'm glad that I've invested in the tools necessary to work entirely by hand. I have a small dewalt tablesaw that I almost never use and a small router/router table that I only use for moldings. I do and likely always will consider my self to be a predominantly hand tool woodworker. That said, I long for the BIG bandsaw on just about every project I do... I have frequently found myself wishing for a drill press... and on many occasions have found myself wishing for a thickness planer. I could do w/o a table saw (and haven't mine in over year) and I have never wished or a jointer, but those 3 power tools, bandsaw, planer, drill press, would speed up my work significantly and allow me to focus on the more enjoyable parts of handtool woodworking. When/if I get them, I'm sure I will still do many projects entirely by hand, but for a lot of things they sure would be nice to have.

Anyway, I think its great that you starting your woodworking education with handtools. This will allow you to pick and choose what power tools, if any, you will find beneficial to your woodworking, and its unlikely you'll find yourself needing to spend a bunch of time building a jig for a one time/one off build.

[Paul McGaha]

I think you're all remember Norm's shop quite differently than it really was. He had a small jointer, a small benchtop planer, a drill press, a table saw, a radial arm saw, a band saw and a spindle sander. He also had a router and a drill. He didn't even add a hollow chisel mortiser until the very end. These tools were far less accessible 20 years ago than they are today, and that leaves an impression of some super shop, but his actual shop was quite modest and simple by pro-woodworker standards, and by many hobby woodworker standards.

I think his tools changed over the years. In the end he had an 8" joiner, 15" planer, Unisaw w 52" Biesmeyer fence, 14' Band Saw, Resaw Bandsaw, Lots of others

With the exception of that big double drum sander I think the intent of his shop was something a hobbyist could put together. If they had the space and the funds.

I've seen shop tours here on the creek that seemed to me were a lot like Norm's shop.

Other than New Yankee Workshop reruns once in a while I dont think I've seen him on TV since the show stopped. Miss him.

PHM

[Jim Rimmer]

I think you're all remember Norm's shop quite differently than it really was. He had a small jointer, a small benchtop planer, a drill press, a table saw, a radial arm saw, a band saw and a spindle sander. He also had a router and a drill. He didn't even add a hollow chisel mortiser until the very end. These tools were far less accessible 20 years ago than they are today, and that leaves an impression of some super shop, but his actual shop was quite modest and simple by pro-woodworker standards, and by many hobby woodworker standards.

Without searching for videos to prove my point, I'll have to respectfully disagree with you. When he started, the shop was very much as you describe but as the show gained popularity (and sponsors) the equipment got much better. At the end he had a huge drum sander, a band saw with a 3 or 4" wide blade and his table saw had improved as well. There was other equipment that didn't fit my budget and I already had a hobby shop when I started watching Norm.

As to other posts about pocket screws, I don't hate them and even use them sometimes - they have their place. I think the reason you see them more and more on the TV how-to shows is because Kreg has (it seems to me) really stepped up in sponsorships.

[george wilson]

It isn't good to discriminate against any class of tools. They are all just tools with no mind of their own. The craftsman's talent determines the outcome of their use. I have seen awful things made with both hand tools,and great things made with them. The same for machine tools. All have their use.

[Tony Wilkins]

Didn't start this to provoke a hand versus power debate. And I certainly didn't mean to bash Norm. I really enjoyed the show as a prospective tool worker but whatever was in the shop it really intimidated me at the time.

My main point was that I enjoy hand tools - the sounds, the feel, and the beauty (to me) of the tools. Watching the shows with power tools reinforces what I love about hand tools. I'm sure as I grow in my ambition in project I may very well long for a band saw whilst ripping away at long boards.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it :)

[Mark Roderick]

I got into woodworking via my grandfather, but Norm helped by showing that the average guy could produce nice furniture. At least that's the lesson I took.

I started with a few power tools and then got into handplanes, but never one to the exclusion of the other. Having jointed my share of boards by hand, my next purchase will be a wide jointer!

I've never stopped enjoying Norm's show.

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

Hear hear! to George Wilson's point. I've seen some real junk come of fancy machinery, and I've seen some guys who I'm sure could build a highboy with a pocketknife and a sharpened spoon.

As far as the cost of the New Yankee shop, even if each of those tools in Norm's shop only cost $100 each, that would still have been intimidating to me, when I was learning. Not even regarding the fact that I would have no where to put the darn things. That was what kept me from trying some of the wood working projects I wanted to try. The "modest hobbyist" shops I see in magazines and peoples pics online seem crazy rich compared to whatever I could spend. That's not to belittle them or say those folks are extravagant, simply that I have been less than rich. The realization of how much I could do with junk from the flea market was ridiculous.

I still want a bandsaw, thickness planer and a big boy drill press, too, Chris. (And somewhere to put 'em.)

[Gabe Shackle]

I think there's a time and place for any method of woodworking. I do get a kick out of Norm's show when he occasionally will make a comment about something particularly painful to make by hand (several large mortises was one I recall) and he would just say, "I sure wouldn't want to do those by hand."

[Carl Beckett]

It isn't good to discriminate against any class of tools. They are all just tools with no mind of their own. The craftsman's talent determines the outcome of their use. I have seen awful things made with both hand tools,and great things made with them. The same for machine tools. All have their use.

+1

I know I have made some awful things....... :D

[David Posey]

I agree that good craftsmanship can come from different styles of woodworking and tools, and to some extent even different materials. I do think that it is possible to reach the point where automation of the process does detract from the final product even if the results produced are very similar.

There is one particular show that I stopped watching because it opened with the promise of a beautiful carved element. When it was time to make this part of the project, the host introduced a CNC machine the size of a large inkjet printer. Granted, there is a degree of skill involved in setting up a CNC machine to do such work, but it is not in the area of working wood and programming skill is not what I want to hear about when I watch a woodworking show. Perhaps it is because that episode failed to meet my expectations of what a woodworking show should be, but I think what really turned me off is that it seemed to jump the shark on technology.

I think what makes a show more or less interesting is how well the piece being made is presented in terms of history, design, and joinery. I do not care to see a billion ways to use a router any more that I care to see how to make curly shavings with a bench plane. I think many woodworkers and woodworking shows tend to get too fixated on the basics, which is part of the reason we see forums with thousands of posts on tools and relatively few on making things with them.

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

If the show david references is the same one I'm thinking of, the finished panel wasn't even that good looking, although I suppose a little follow up cleaning with carving tools could have made it look much nicer. Although it's been a long while since I saw it, I could be totally remembering it wrong.

[Chris Griggs]

Hear hear! to George Wilson's point. I've seen some real junk come of fancy machinery, and I've seen some guys who I'm sure could build a highboy with a pocketknife and a sharpened spoon.

As far as the cost of the New Yankee shop, even if each of those tools in Norm's shop only cost $100 each, that would still have been intimidating to me, when I was learning. Not even regarding the fact that I would have no where to put the darn things. That was what kept me from trying some of the wood working projects I wanted to try. The "modest hobbyist" shops I see in magazines and peoples pics online seem crazy rich compared to whatever I could spend. That's not to belittle them or say those folks are extravagant, simply that I have been less than rich. The realization of how much I could do with junk from the flea market was ridiculous.

I still want a bandsaw, thickness planer and a big boy drill press, too, Chris. (And somewhere to put 'em.)

Yeah space is the big issue. But also when and if I invest in those things I don't want to skimp. It will be tempting for me not to spend as much when/if I buy those things, but I know I'll be better off if I buy once and buy right. This means that even when I have the space I'll likely need to spend some time saving before I invest in them. Someday though, I plan to have a bandsaw that can effortlessly resaw a 12" board ( and cause me to grunt like Tim Allen everytime I use it).

[glenn bradley]

I use power tools to make the tasks I don't enjoy go faster. I use hand tools for the tasks I do enjoy and mostly all my surface finish prep. If I have to rip 65" along a board, a handsaw will not be my go-to tool. If I am fitting miters, a pullsaw and a shooting board are just what the doctor ordered.

[george wilson]

As I have mentioned,there is just no substitute for hand tools for certain processes. Carving is one of them.