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Thread: Thinking of making the switch from power to hand tool WW

  1. #16
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
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    Atlanta, GA
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    1,356
    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.
    David
    Confidence: That feeling you get before fully understanding a situation (Anonymous)

  2. #17
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
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    Longview WA
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    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
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  3. #18
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    LA & SC neither one is Cali
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    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.
    Of all the laws Brandolini's may be the most universally true.

    Deep thought for the day:

    Your bandsaw weighs more when you leave the spring compressed instead of relieving the tension.

  4. #19
    Join Date
    May 2013
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    Johannesburg, South Africa
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    Quote Originally Posted by Van Huskey View Post
    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.
    "If you have all your fingers, you can convert to Metric"

  5. #20
    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.

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Charlotte, MI
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    1,523
    The only powered tool I ever miss is a good bandsaw.
    Your endgrain is like your bellybutton. Yes, I know you have it. No, I don't want to see it.

  7. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by Robert Engel View Post
    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.

  8. #23
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
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    Clarks Summit PA
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    Quote Originally Posted by Warren Mickley View Post
    . 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!

  9. #24
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Forest Lake MN
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    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.

  10. #25
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Inkerman, Ontario, Canada
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    1,389
    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.

  11. #26
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Perth, Australia
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Hennebury View Post
    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.


    Regards from Perth

    Derek

  12. #27
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
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    twomiles from the "peak of Ohio
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    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...

  13. #28
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Michigan
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    2,758
    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.

  14. #29
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Location
    Raleigh, NC
    Posts
    210
    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...

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