Goodness it's expensive!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I will never be a complete neander but I will admit over the last 2 years I have begun purchasing and using more hand tools.

A couple years ago I took a hand plane restoration class taught by Rob Cosman in the Spokane WoodCraft store. If I learned nothing else in that class, it was the value of sharpening hand planes and of course, chisels. I have been using a set of Craftsman chisels for that I bought over 40 years ago in a Chicago area Sears store and frankly the steel is just too soft. Yes, they sharpen easily and no they don't last too long when in use. Until now, the only sharpening I did was on my WorkSharp 3000.

2 years ago I posted maybe my first post in the Neander forum requesting recommendations for chisels. I finally decided on a Veritas 1" PM-11 chisel and it's been a fine tool. However, as a meer amateur woodworker learning daily, I can't justify that expense for every chisel. Thus, I have been researching high and low and today I ordered a 4 chisel set of Narex Richter chisels from Leigh Valley along with a deluxe Veritas honing guide kit, a leather tool roll, and a magnifying LED bench lamp.

From other sources I ordered a DMT DiaFlat 95 lapping stone, a bench leather strop, stropping compound, a 1000 grit, 4,000 grit and 8,000 grit Shapton glass stone, a stone holder and a silicon dog bowl mat.

If I have forgotten or left out any necessary items, please tell me but be advised I don't know if I'll be able to afford it in 2021. :eek::rolleyes:;)

[Ron Kanter]

A small spray bottle to wet the stones.
A small bucket to wash the slurry off the stones.
Lots of old t-shirts or other rags to wipe off the chisels
And the good news - They are all free (or close to free)

[Andrew Pitonyak]

I have heard nothing but good things about those chisels.

What else do you need to sharpen? Touch question, but it looks like you nailed most of the things.

I might have suggested that you start first with sand paper just because it is cheaper up front, but those are nice stones.

You ordered Glass stones. I assume that you did NOT order the High Carbon versions.

1000 - Excellent for everything but not recommended for Scissors or Straight Razors.

4000 - Listed as Excellent or Good for pretty much everything!

8000 - Listed as Excellent or Good for pretty much everything!

I use a 16000 but I do not strop usually. Do you have a strop?

Consider at least reading about the Unicorn method.

[David Bassett]

... If I have forgotten or left out any necessary items, ....

You've picked good stuff that is good value and should serve you well. We could quibble over details and discuss whether you could have found more value, but it'd be picking nits and probably wouldn't have changed your total much.

As far as other stuff, it depends on what you're going to be doing. Ron has some good suggestions, though I'd argue you don't even need a spray bottle I find a squeeze bottle (like the catsup / mustard bottles at a diner) works fine and might be cheaper and more compact.

Also some oil or grease to keep rust at bay is helpful. I find Jojoba oil works very well, though it's gotten trendy and the price has gone up (around here at least.) Last I checked the big bottle from Lie-Nielsen was the cheapest per ounce, though smaller bottles to try aren't too bad and seem to be in the organic beauty products aisle, Trader Joe's being cheaper than Whole Foods around here. It's said other medium weight oils work too, though I don't have experience. I guess Mutton Tallow is traditional, but imagining the smell makes me unwilling to try it. To apply the oil/grease there seems to be two camps. The rag, (dubbed the "Super Woobie" by Christopher Schwarz), with a micro-fiber cloth working well, or the oil pot, (a Japanese tradition, described here by Stan Covington and others,) or grease pot (more English tradition, described here too.) I'm sure any works well, but the oil soaked rag is very simple, easy, and effective.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I have heard nothing but good things about those chisels.

What else do you need to sharpen? Touch question, but it looks like you nailed most of the things.

I might have suggested that you start first with sand paper just because it is cheaper up front, but those are nice stones.

You ordered Glass stones. I assume that you did NOT order the High Carbon versions.

1000 - Excellent for everything but not recommended for Scissors or Straight Razors.

4000 - Listed as Excellent or Good for pretty much everything!

8000 - Listed as Excellent or Good for pretty much everything!

I use a 16000 but I do not strop usually. Do you have a strop?

Consider at least reading about the Unicorn method.

I ordered a bench strop from Sharpening Supplies.

[Bill Carey]

Ken - all of the chisels I use are Narex: bench, mortise and skewed. On the whole, I'm happy with them, but they seem to need touching up often, but then I'm usually pounding them into quarter sawn white oak, which I guess would take a toll on any chisel. I use diamond stones and a quick rub on them takes about a minute and I'm back at it. For the price they are excellent IMHO. Hope you like them.

[Jim Matthews]

I will never be a complete neander but I will admit over the last 2 years I have begun purchasing and using more hand tools.

A couple years ago I took a hand plane restoration class taught by Rob Cosman in the Spokane WoodCraft store. If I learned nothing else in that class, it was the value of sharpening hand planes and of course, chisels. I have been using a set of Craftsman chisels for that I bought over 40 years ago in a Chicago area Sears store and frankly the steel is just too soft. Yes, they sharpen easily and no they don't last too long when in use. Until now, the only sharpening I did was on my WorkSharp 3000.

2 years ago I posted maybe my first post in the Neander forum requesting recommendations for chisels. I finally decided on a Veritas 1" PM-11 chisel and it's been a fine tool. However, as a mere amateur woodworker learning daily, I can't justify that expense for every chisel. Thus, I have been researching high and low and today I ordered a 4 chisel set of Narex Richter chisels from Leigh Valley along with a deluxe Veritas honing guide kit, a leather tool roll, and a magnifying LED bench lamp.

From other sources I ordered a DMT DiaFlat 95 lapping stone, a bench leather strop, stropping compound, a 1000 grit, 4,000 grit and 8,000 grit Shapton glass stone, a stone holder and a silicon dog bowl mat.

If I have forgotten or left out any necessary items, please tell me but be advised I don't know if I'll be able to afford it in 2021. :eek::rolleyes:;)
Send me your "Wish list" I'm thinning the herd.

[Jim Koepke]

If I have forgotten or left out any necessary items, please tell me but be advised I don't know if I'll be able to afford it in 2021. :eek::rolleyes:;)

You might consider an automotive floor mat to help contain the mess on the surface used.

451098

These can be had cheap. Mine is rubber and has a ribbed surface to contain the excess water.

jtk

[Ken Fitzgerald]

You might consider an automotive floor mat to help contain the mess on the surface used.

451098

These can be had cheap. Mine is rubber and has a ribbed surface to contain the excess water.





Jim, I ordered this silicon dog food mat.
https://www.amazon.com/Eterish-Silicone-Waterproof-Slip-Resistant-Dishwasher/dp/B08H1YTX2Q/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=3D2GH1FRG0Z40&dchild=1&keywords=dog+food+mats+for+floors+waterproof&qid=1612300572&sprefix=dog+food+mat%2Caps%2C245&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyVkhLOUMxT0JQRUlYJ mVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMTI1Mjk2NFFUVkNOSVVIRE05JmVuY3J 5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA2MjIyMDkxT1dXTTFNTzQxUlgxJndpZGdld E5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm9 0TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

[Mike Henderson]

I use half of an old yoga mat that someone threw away.

Just a comment about woodworking being expensive. That's what I encountered when I first got started in woodworking. There was so much to buy and it was expensive. Lie Nielsen hand planes were just way outside my financial means.

Now, almost 20 years later, I've accumulated the tools that I need and use. I made some mistakes in my early purchases but sold them off and moved on. Just go slowly and buy only what you need and will use. Eventually you'll get a full kit.

Mike

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I have heard nothing but good things about those chisels.

What else do you need to sharpen? Touch question, but it looks like you nailed most of the things.

I might have suggested that you start first with sand paper just because it is cheaper up front, but those are nice stones.

You ordered Glass stones. I assume that you did NOT order the High Carbon versions.

1000 - Excellent for everything but not recommended for Scissors or Straight Razors.

4000 - Listed as Excellent or Good for pretty much everything!

8000 - Listed as Excellent or Good for pretty much everything!

I use a 16000 but I do not strop usually. Do you have a strop?

Consider at least reading about the Unicorn method.

I ordered the HR version not meant for high carbon.

I will read about the Unicorn method but traditionally I go without for extended periods of time while I pick the brains of others until I have gleaned enough knowledge to make a decision. Then when I have an idea of what I need to go about something in a practical fashion, I buy what I need. Nothing irritates me more than to get into something and have to stop or not be able to finish a process or project finding I didn't have everything I needed. Before retiring my profession required I plan thoroughly a project, ordering all the special tools and test equipment into a location before beginning a planned event or recovering from an unplanned disaster.

That being said, I will read about the Unicorn method.

[Nathan Johnson]

I have a dedicated screwdriver for use with plane iron/chipbrekaker screws and my honing guide. It sits next to the sharpening station.
And a cleaning brush and Barkeepers Friend for the flattening plate.
And a whole lot of blue shop towels.

[Winston Chang]

About the Unicorn method, it will make your sharpening much easier and faster, and the edges more durable. Here's a video I made about it: https://vimeo.com/444232624

The buffing wheel kit I used in the video costs $10 from Home Depot, and you can mount it on a drill.

The latest issue of Popular Woodworking has an article about the method which David Weaver, Bill Tindall, and I wrote.

Derek Cohen has also written about it:
http://inthewoodshop.com/WoodworkTechniques/TheUnicornMethod.html

And here's a much more in-depth article written by David:
http://www.woodcentral.com/cgi-bin/readarticle.pl?dir=newarticles&file=articles_958.shtml

[Curt Putnam]

About the Unicorn method, it will make your sharpening much easier and faster, and the edges more durable. Here's a video I made about it: https://vimeo.com/444232624

The buffing wheel kit I used in the video costs $10 from Home Depot, and you can mount it on a drill.

The latest issue of Popular Woodworking has an article about the method which David Weaver, Bill Tindall, and I wrote.

Derek Cohen has also written about it:
http://inthewoodshop.com/WoodworkTechniques/TheUnicornMethod.html

And here's a much more in-depth article written by David:
http://www.woodcentral.com/cgi-bin/readarticle.pl?dir=newarticles&file=articles_958.shtml

Hadn't seen that video Winston - it is excellent. Thank you.

[Scott Winners]

I encourage folks to put WTB (wanted to buy threads) in the for sale section. I am not the only user here who has some tools I use, umm, significantly less often then others. I am not a hoarder, but I have some tool steel sitting around too nice to donate to my local blacksmith.

I also keep a close eye on the for sale section, I am far enough into the rabbit hole the things I still want usually get snapped up in two hours or less in that area, but I read all the wanteds when I have time to do so.

I have one Narex thing, very happy with it for the price. A marking knife.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Great video Winston. I will give this philosophy a try!

[Barney Markunas]

Remember sharpening is a bottomless pit of options. Use what you have now and spend some time getting good at sharpening your tools well and efficiently - lots of spectacular furniture has been made with a less comprehensive sharpening kit than what you currently have ready to go. Don't let perfection get in the way of good enough.

What you need depends on what you are building. Do some building and let your projects guide you on your next acquisitions. Every time the Lee Valley tool catalog comes i see all sorts of things that I "need" and then I step back and try to say, "will this tool really solve a problem that I cannot get past with what I have currently?" Well honestly, that is usually my wife talking but regardless, sometimes the answer is "no" and Rob Lee gets my money any way, but generally I am more disciplined than I used to be.

Do you have good marking and measuring tools? They are part and parcel of hand tool work so if you have an itch you absolutely need to scratch, that is where I would go next, followed by a trip down the hand plane rabbit hole.

But all that being said, I'd suggest holding off on more tools for now and go buy some nice lumber. Some really beautiful wood may be the incentive you need to step up your game. Enjoy!

[Jim Koepke]

Jim, I ordered this silicon dog food mat.


Oops, missed that.

jtk