You're on a deserted island...

[Stuart Welsh]

You're on a deserted island. Which 5 hand tools do you take?


Seriously though, I'm starting from scratch where real woodworkers hand tools are concerned. I'm pretty well set with stationary power tools and my Festool collection has grown nicely in the last 10 months. But as completion of my shop nears and I start making sawdust I'd like to know which are the most used, most useful hand tools, measuring tools included. Initially I'll be cabinet making if that helps steer the responses.


Disclaimer. I do have a Woodpecker 1218 Square and 24" T square. No planes, chisels or anything else used to cut wood that doesn't plug in.


Thanks!

[Kyle Iwamoto]

1 "real" pencil
2 pencil sharpener
3 speed square
4 block plane
5 1/2" chisel

[Kelly Cleveland]

block plane
square
1/2" chisel
3/8" chisel
carcass saw
Then I would use these to make a mallet.

[Kevin Bourque]

1) Machete
2) File for sharpening machete
3) Brush for cleaning file
4) Leather belt mounted carrying pouch for file & brush.
5) Belt

[John Coloccia]

Chainsaw
Bandsaw mill
Circular saw
Draw knife
Sewing machine

'cause I'm building me a boat and getting off the island.

[John TenEyck]

Low angle block plane, set of chisels, #4 or #5 plane, rabbet plane, Japanese Ryoba saw.

John

[Peter Quinn]

Uh...are you going unplugged? Cause thats a whole different thing. On a real dessert island, your going to need to rip and cross cut to dimension by hand...so a couple of saws are your best friend . In a real shop...er...with electricity....my band saw will kick your bow saws butt every time.

If the question were which 5 hand tools does a guy with a power tool shop find the most indispensable........


Block plane
card scraper
dovetail saw...mine is from Vertitas
#4 smoother
bench chisels.....set...I know its more than one, but its in one box, does that count? If I had to have just one, it would be a 1 1/4".....and a 1/4"...and a 3/8".....I need more than one. get a set.

[Joe A Faulkner]

1) Workbench with face and end vise, a pair of hold fasts, dog holes (yes one tool with a few accessories)
2) Waterstones (one plane maker suggests you can bet buy with a 800 and 8000 stone. I note that King has 1000/6000 combo stone which might be a compromise if you really on get one stone.
3) Bench Chisels (no point in buying just one - you may as well get a set).
4) #5 Jack Plane
5) Combination Square

+1 on making a mallet

[Bill Orbine]

1) Machete
2) File for sharpening machete
3) Brush for cleaning file
4) Leather belt mounted carrying pouch for file & brush.
5) Belt

Doesn't take me much to imagine you're chopping down trees..... either you're building a raft or a tiki bar. I had myself an axe. Maybe a knife. Rocks on the island will be my sharpening stones. Hand brace and finally augers would be helpful. The brace would do nicely for rope and twines, too!

[Rich Engelhardt]

Cabinet making - - - pinch sticks, sanding block, card scraper, 4 foot straight edge and Rockler silicone glue brush (http://www.rockler.com/search/go?w=rockler+glue+brush&Search.x=0&Search.y=0&sid=v9100&gclid=Cj0KEQjwiJiiBRDh3Z-ctPfS5MgBEiQAAlkbQhxThJZE7lCo_2VQI-uBt2my1iE-ybMfylKPUfhr5LYaApHp8P8HAQ) (best thing since sliced bread or Bench Cookies to come down the pike in a long time)

[Pat Barry]

1) Big, bad Bowie hunting knife
2) mid size hatchet
3) folding camp saw
4) 100 ft of 3/8" nylon rope
5) flint and steel fire starter

[Kevin Bourque]

I forgot 1 item:

I'm also going to need a coconut radio like the one the Professor made.

[ray hampton]

I will need a machete
axe
gun
ammo
four women to do the work

[David Eisenhauer]

Ginger and Marry Ann, plus whatever three tools they want.

[Bill Orbine]

Ginger and Marry Ann, plus whatever three tools they want.

Not your tools!!:D

[David Weaver]

Jointer Plane
Smoother Plane (India/Soft Ark Combination Stone to go with those)
10 pt crosscut saw, panel saw size with limited fleam
7 point rip saw
Chisels

Set the mouth open on the smoother plane and take an extra cambered blade for heavy work

You can use the smooth plane anywhere you'd use a block, and you can use the crosscut saw to cut dovetails, shoulders and tenons.

[Prashun Patel]

Lie-Nielsen has a "Joinery Set" under the planes section of their website. I'm not suggesting you get all LN tools, but I think you'd be able to do a lot of wonderful work with those tools.

If you had to limit it to 5, for me:

LA Block plane,
engineer's square
3/8" chisel
#5 jack (LA or otherwise)
Bandsaw (the island has AC power, right?)

edit: Darn: just read David's post. Need something to sharpen with first.

[rudy de haas]

1) satelite phone with spare batteries

2) None of the lists above include the two most useful hand tools I own: a veritas 37" steel straight edge; and the lock keeping the
12 year old out.. In all seriousness the straight edge is a sanity saver and a good, safe, place to keep your tools is something you'll never regert having bought or built.

[Jim Matthews]

1) satelite phone with spare batteries

2) None of the lists above include the two most useful hand tools I own: a veritas 37" steel straight edge; and the lock keeping the
12 year old out.. In all seriousness the straight edge is a sanity saver and a good, safe, place to keep your tools is something you'll never regert having bought or built.

I'm still laughing at this.

I was once asked why I didn't take my kids into the shop with me.

The implication was that at 65 hours a week, I wasn't seeing enough of them, already.

My response was, "Why is there a lock on your home office door?"

[Rich Engelhardt]

2) None of the lists above include the two most useful hand tools I own: a veritas 37" steel straight edge; and the lock keeping the
Slide on up to post #10....

[Scott T Smith]

If I'm on a desert island the first thing that I will want to do is to harvest trees for shelter and firewood. I'll need a strong cross-cut saw. With that saw I can make some wedges to keep from pinching the saw in the cut.

Next, I'll need a good hammer.

Next, I will want a good chisel - probably around 1" wide.

Next, I will want a file suitable for sharpening the saw and the chisel.

Finally, I will want a very good knife.

[Frank Drew]

Shovel
Large container to catch/store rainwater
pot for cooking
flint striker for firestarting
stout saw

[John Sanford]

For Desert Island:

Satellite Phone.

For Post-Apocalyptic Deserted Island:

Axe
Turning Chisels
Japanese Ryoba
Good combination square
Sharpening Solution

For Starting Into Handwork:
Sharpening Solution
Bench Chisels
Japanese Ryoba
Low Angle Adjustable Mouth Block Plane
Low Angle/Bevel Down Jack Plane w/ multiple blades

[Kent A Bathurst]

Chainsaw
Bandsaw mill
Circular saw
Draw knife
Sewing machine

'cause I'm building me a boat and getting off the island.

War & Peace - never read it
Case of Pinot Noir
Corkscrew
Lounge chair
Compass

I'm going to sit there, watching John build the boat, reading and drinking my wine, and then get on the boat with him and use the compass to give him some supervision on the ride home.

[Richard Moran]

Assuming that said island has usable trees, water and a food source: I would keep it old school with a draw knife, axe, adz, and a chisel. I can make a mallet, square and most anything else with these tools. You can sharpen them with a stone. You can build a boat or house, make planks, mortise and tenons, kill animals, and carve vessels and of course, make a still.

[John Coloccia]

War & Peace - never read it
Case of Pinot Noir
Corkscrew
Lounge chair
Compass

I'm going to sit there, watching John build the boat, reading and drinking my wine, and then get on the boat with him and use the compass to give him some supervision on the ride home.

Have you been taking lessons from my wife?

[Moses Yoder]

Well, basic survival on a deserted island you would want an axe, a swiss army knife, and a leatherman multi tool. With those three tools you could build a shopping mall.

Most used hand tools is a different story altogether. Definitely a low angle block plane, a smoothing plane, a cross cut saw (I use power to rip), a 3/4" chisel, and a tape measure.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Have you been taking lessons from my wife?

No. Mine.