Thinking of making the switch from power to hand tool WW

[Carl Garner]

Hello, all.
I have the usual shop power tools, but I'm thinking of selling most, if not all, and just work with hand tools.
Could I ask you fellows and gals a question or two? What one or two large power tools would you consider keeping, if any, if you were going to pare down your shop. I currently have a 2hp TS, small benchtop TS, planer, jointer, drill press, band saw, and 1 hp dust collector.
I don't think I'll be doing any large projects...just want to work more with my hands on small projects, learning hand-tool sharpening and hand tool technique, etc. However, I would hate to sell all my power tools only to regret later for not keeping one or more.
I'd appreciate any suggestions.
Carl

[Van Huskey]

IME a bandsaw (the larger the better) is the most useful machine in an otherwise unplugged shop.

[steven c newman]

Bandsaw AND a drill press.......and a grinder.

[David Eisenhauer]

Van and Steven C pretty much nailed it if you want to go 99% hand only. One way to try the transition, without fully committing, is to start working on M&T construction using hand tools only. Use chisels and back saws to chop mortises and cut tenons without resorting to using routers, miter saws, biscuit joiners, Domino, etc. Use back saws to do smaller cutoff and ripping work. Use a smoothing plane to do the final smoothing or face fit up only. Lots of folks have both power tool machinery and hand tools and work with a hybrid approach to the work by using hand tools for the joinery and finishing work only and the power equipment for the preliminary or main mill work.

[Christopher Charles]

bandsaw, planer

[Mike Henderson]

The grunt labor in hand tool work is in stock preparation - getting stock straight and to proper thickness. I'd keep my jointer, planer and table saw to do stock preparation and then do the rest with hand tools.

Mike

[Derek Cohen]

The grunt labor in hand tool work is in stock preparation - getting stock straight and to proper thickness. I'd keep my jointer, planer and table saw to do stock preparation and then do the rest with hand tools.

Mike

Agreed ... if making furniture. If small items, such as boxes, then bandsaw for resawing is the major tool. All the rest can be done with hand tools. Whether you want to is another matter.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Hilton Ralphs]

One way is just to start using hand tools and see which power tools you rarely use. I'd keep the bandsaw over the table saw as it's infinitely more useful. WRT the jointer, if you purchase your stock pre-planed then you could sacrifice this and maybe even the thicknessor.

Don't think of being a hand tool user as having no power tools. If you have all the time in the world and you're pretty fit then spend all day with a scrub plane and rip hand saw or just use the appropriate power tool to advance the process to a point where you get to use chisels and dovetail saws and hand planes etc.

[Michelle Rich]

I'm a hybrid woodworker. I use machinery to do the heavy work, and handtools to do the fine work. I like the quiet time without the 3hsp dust collector running, or a screaming Dewalt 735 ...handtool work for me is meditative. Keep your machinery for now, and get some good handtools, and see what you gravitate to down the road.

[Oskar Sedell]

I don´t have any power tools except for a cordless drill.

If I had the space, I´d love to have a band saw for ripping and resawing. Long ripping sessions start all of my projects, and I´d save a lot of time with a band saw.

For making and restoring tools I´d like a bench grinder or belt sander. Grinding away steel in large quantities by hand is the other thing that costs me a lot of time.

In the beginning I really wished I had a drill press, but not having one has payed off, since I´ve become pretty good at drilling plumb free hand now. Now I rarely miss having a drill press.

Good luck in going towards more hand tools in your shop!

[James Pallas]

Carl, Keep the power tools until you are sure. Pick yourself a project of medium size like a side table. Commit to all hand tool work. Make sure the project has all of the basics, stock prep from rough, ripping, resawing, m&t, dovetails, etc. etc. when you complete that you will have a good idea of how far down the "hand tool only" rabbit hole you want to go before you have to climb back out.
Jim

[Pat Barry]

Everyone has their opinion and all are valid for them. For you? Why sell any of them now (except the small tablesaw)? If you need the space then move them to create some room. I'll bet you find plenty of reasons to continue using them all regardless of your handtool woodworking.

[David Myers]

Bandsaw and planer would be at the top of the keep list.

The advice above is excellent. Keep things as they are, do some projects, and keep track of what power tools you've used.

On a related note, if you're building from plans (magazines, books etc) choose projects that lend themselves to a hand tool approach.

And if something is getting tedious and can be done efficiently by one of your election-eaters, then put them to work.

[Carl Garner]

Wow, I am so impressed with all your answers. Good advice and well taken.
I must confess that I wouldn't even consider selling any of my power tools except for 1) my workshop is in my garage, and even though I have all of my large power tools on mobile bases, it is just so crowded now that it's hard enough to get one vehicle in, let alone two, and 2) in the past 2 years or so, I have not done any large project woodworking.
I miss woodworking, but it's a hassle to go out in my garage/shop and try moving all the equipment around, so I surmised that I would more than likely do smaller, hand tool type projects if I didn't have the aforementioned problem.
Thank you so much for your advice. If I do sell some of my machines, I probably will keep the BS and possibly the drill press. They don't take up so much room that it would bother me a lot.
Carl

[Frederick Skelly]

Bandsaw AND a drill press.......and a grinder.

+1. I'd also consider keeping the jointer.

[David Ragan]

As has been said, power is great for rough dimensioning....purchase lots of BF, then use sparingly.

That 735 sure does scream, but I don't miss the work.....however, have not yet put my #7 & 8 up in classifieds.

The quiet of handtool working is indeed trance-like. Love it.

[Jim Koepke]

my workshop is in my garage, and even though I have all of my large power tools on mobile bases, it is just so crowded now that it's hard enough to get one vehicle in, let alone two

My solution to this was to leave both vehicles outside.

On the subject of what power tools to keep, my bandsaw has spoiled me on long rips and curved cutting. Though it is limited on cross cuts.

You may want to keep your lathe if you have one. They come in handy if you want to make handles for chisels. This may be more of a consideration for folks who purchase second hand tools.

jtk

[Van Huskey]

The interesting thing to me is when the thread is taken as a whole there have been votes to keep every machine the OP has.

[Hilton Ralphs]

The interesting thing to me is when the thread is taken as a whole there have been votes to keep every machine the OP has.

Which just proves there's no single correct option. Everyone has a different situation.

[Robert Engel]

I would not sell them, but instead put them in mothballs (literally). If you change your mind the replacement costs are not cheap.

My suggestion is proceed with your hand tool conversion and give it a year.

Do you not use any hand tools? Machines and hand tools are not mutually exclusive, in fact, hand tools are still a must. Sounds like you must have been all machine work.

I take a hybrid approach, realizing the time saved on jointing a board far outweighs the "cache" of doing it by hand.

[Zach Dillinger]

The only powered tool I ever miss is a good bandsaw.

[Warren Mickley]

I would not sell them, but instead put them in mothballs (literally). If you change your mind the replacement costs are not cheap.

My suggestion is proceed with your hand tool conversion and give it a year.

I have used hand tools professionally for four decades and have never owned a power tool. However, I agree with Robert to delay selling if possible. I would think it a lot of trouble to dispose of the machines and then want to reacquire. Working efficiently with hand tools takes quite a lot of experience and devotion to learn.

[Mark Rainey]

. Working efficiently with hand tools takes quite a lot of experience and devotion to learn.
I agree Warren. That's why I appreciate your expertise in the Neanderthal forum!

[Brandon Speaks]

I use my bandsaw the most. I would give up my table saw before my drill press, but honestly my table saw sees a bunch of use still too. I dont feel any real desire for a planer or jointer, but if I had money and room would not turn them down.

My router table and sliding compound miter are up on a shelf and while occasionally I think (that would be nice to use for this or that) it is rarely enough to make me pull them down.

I still spend probably 90% of my time using hand tools but some rough prep with the BS and TS save me time to do the type of hand work I like. I dont recall using the drill press on wood work projects so much its more of just general utility, it drills metal as often as it drills wood.

Ive got a love hate relationship with my lathe, I wont use it for a year, then might do 15 bowls in a month. I wish I could more easily put it up in storage when not using it. It might loose its big wooden stand for a jaw horse stand so I can put it away and get its floor space back, and also use it outside when I want.

[Mark Hennebury]

Sell the cars,

keep the power tools.

Walk, call Uber, get a bicycle, become a hermit.

If you are not convinced yet, order up a few hundred board foot of rough maple and dress to size with your handplane. See how relaxing and peaceful that is.

[Derek Cohen]

Sell the cars,

keep the power tools.

Walk, call Uber, get a bicycle, become a hermit.

If you are not convinced yet, order up a few hundred board foot of rough maple and dress to size with your handplane. See how relaxing and peaceful that is.

:D

Regards from Perth

Derek

[steven c newman]

The biggest reason I went from all power tools to 75% hand tools? I had to go from a LARGE pole barn shop..to the small basement shop I have now....some machines just couldn't fit...

[Tom Bender]

Ok now we see that the issue is space.

One of the TS's has to go. Can you scrap the indeed and outfield tables and right wing of your big saw? And saw off some of the fence rails? Then slide it to the right until it hits the wall. Leave it there. That may make it into a keeper. Otherwise maybe keep the small one.

Loose the dust collector and all that ductwork, and get a good dust mask.

The jointer can go.

[Steven Mikes]

Bandsaw for sure. I started with nothing and decided to go the hand tools route. Got tired of making long rip cuts by hand pretty quickly. If I had the space and money a table saw might be nice for preparing rougher stock like the reclaimed white oak I'm working with right now.. kind of a bear to do by hand with scrub and jack plane, but good exercise I guess. Wish it wasn't so humid in the garage though...