What a wicked combo!

[Gary Benson]

After 4 years of constantly finding the latest power tool work around, I decided it was time to get some instruction on hand tools. I signed up for several intensive work shops at Red Rocks Community College here in Denver. I dilligently went about gathering the required tools, and our first several classes dealt with sharpening only. The actual hand tool intensive was cancelled due to few people signing up, but after reading lots of internet stuff, most good, some ok, some bad, I have my smooth plane with LN replacement iron, jointer with LN iron, new LV shoulder plane, new LN low angle block plane working very well. I also cut a set of dovetails after watching Rob Cosman's DVD. I still plan to use my table saw, planer, router, etc, but for joinery and trimming pieces to fit, these hand tools can't be beat. I loved being able to flush the edge banding I glued to some cherry veneer plywood, with no damage to the veneer, even though some got planed. The low angle block works so well for timming end grain, especially on pieces already assembled so tear out is minimized. Like all new useful tools, I do not know how I got by without them. I have one more session scheduled at Red Rocks, and I can't wait to learn a few more techniques.:)

[Bill Houghton]

You may find, over time, that you discover other ways that hand tools are more efficient than power tools, or just as fast and more fun. Many of us are "hybrid" users, using power and hand tools - probably most (though the folks who use hand tools only learn a lot and earn proper respect); everyone who does has a different, often moving, balance point of power vs. hand.

[Sue Wise]

Hi Gary,
I am in the Red Rocks Woodworking program and I love it. Good instruction for a great price. Do come and take the Hand Tool Intensive II workshop. I checked the enrollement and it has enough people to go. I will be in the class as well.

I usually take one or two of the regular woodworking classes each semester.

-Sue