Just starting out

[Kyle Foster]

Hello everyone. After 3 years of being lost, I have found my way back to the shop. I lost the majority of my power tools in this time so I have decided to restart as a handtools only guy. I previously have no experience in hand tools other than a hammer and a nail and was wondering where to start. After cruising around the web, I found Shannon Rogers and The Hand Tool School and was wondering if anyone had been through his course and if they would reccomend it.

Thanks
Kyle

[Bill Houghton]

Start with your friendly local library - books or videos, or both, depending on your learning style. You've already paid for them through your taxes; might as well make use of them.

[lowell holmes]

Where are you? When I started out, I went to Paul Sellers classes at Homestead Heritage in Waco Texas.
Are there woodworking clubs in your area? Is there a cabinet shop nearby to visit? Does a neighbor have a shop?
Most woodworkers are friendly and will be more than happy to share their knowledge.
If there is any construction near, pay them a visit and tell them you are looking for knowledge.

[Kyle Foster]

I am located in Canton, NY. The closest cabinet shop to me is about 30 minutes away and they're a CNC it out of particle slap some laminate on it and call it good type of shop. Not really a wood shop. As for woodworking clubs I would definitely join one, but I havent been able to find one. Any suggestions?

[Kyle Foster]

Start with your friendly local library - books or videos, or both, depending on your learning style. You've already paid for them through your taxes; might as well make use of them.

While books and videos are good, I was kind of looking for hands on training but since I wasn't able to find that I assumed the online courses were a viable option.
I will check out the library. Is there anything that you would reccomend that I start with? I am a 100% novice with hand tools.

[steven c newman]

Roy Underhill...has at least 6 books out, plus a show on pbs...The Woodwright's Shop....100% hand tool.

See IF the local school districts have a Joint Vocational School....the one near me even has Adult Classes. Might see IF they have an Adult Carpentry Program..

[Jim Koepke]

Hi Kyle, A good place to start it to decide what you would like to make.

My start in woodworking was from wanting to have some decent lawn chairs. My search in the library's card catalog for Adirondack chair led to a book by William W. Klenke published in 1938. It had working drawings of many items. My first few Adirondack chairs were made from wood salvaged from pallets. My tools were a handsaw and a hammer. That hooked me into wanting to do more woodworking.

Is there a Woodcraft or Rockler store near you? They often have classes you can sign up to attend.

Most of learning to do something in woodworking is just getting up and doing it. Do not be afraid to do something, it it doesn't work, there is more wood available.

Most of my learning was done on my own from reading, especially online and here at SMC.

Many posts of build projects here on SMC show variations on how to do a particular joint. There are lots of different projects with explanations of how to cut a dovetail. Many showing how to make a mortise & tenon joint.

jtk

[ken hatch]

Hello everyone. After 3 years of being lost, I have found my way back to the shop. I lost the majority of my power tools in this time so I have decided to restart as a handtools only guy. I previously have no experience in hand tools other than a hammer and a nail and was wondering where to start. After cruising around the web, I found Shannon Rogers and The Hand Tool School and was wondering if anyone had been through his course and if they would reccomend it.

Thanks
Kyle

Kyle,

Lots of good advice to help you start. Of the video "instructors" the best I've seen, and I've sampled most of 'em at one time or another, is Richard Magure at https://www.theenglishwoodworker.com/ . You do not have to sign up for recurring costs just buy the projects you are interested in. I have to admit to buying most of the projects, not because I want to build the project but I almost always pick up something I can use on any project. That and he is a hoot to watch.

BTW, Richard build high end workbenches using hand tools before he started making instructional videos. As a guy that makes workbenches, mostly with hand tools, his benches were impressive. He not only talks the talk he walks the walk.

ken

[Nicholas Lawrence]

My advice is to use the tools you have. Watching videos can be helpful (I have watched plenty of Roy Underhill’s show over the years), but ultimately you need to use them to learn. A good book I continue to go back to is the Complete Woodworker, by Bernard Jones. You can likely get a used copy for under $10. It has good descriptions of most hand tools an how to use them as well as detailed drawing of a huge number of joints.

[chris carter]

I started with only a No. 4 hand plane and a set of horrible big box store carpenter's chisels. That and youtube. Lots of youtube. LOTS of youtube. Paul Sellers, Wood by Wright, and Shannon Rogers mostly with a few less prolific youtubers as well. This education cost me zero and I learned at my own speed.

[Prashun Patel]

I have not taken Shannon's hand tool school courses mainly because I stumbled upon him/them too late.

I am an avid follower of his. I suggest you watch some of his 'free' videos (Renaissance Woodworker) first to get a flavor for his style and quality.

But from what I know, I would recommend his courses. The reason is that he has been doing this for a while, so he has a great deal of content, and has honed the format. From what I gather, he gives a good deal of personal attention and his projects and progression are logical and well thought out.

[Kyle Foster]

I started with only a No. 4 hand plane and a set of horrible big box store carpenter's chisels. That and youtube. Lots of youtube. LOTS of youtube. Paul Sellers, Wood by Wright, and Shannon Rogers mostly with a few less prolific youtubers as well. This education cost me zero and I learned at my own speed.

I have a box of miscellaneous tools and that is it. I dont even have a workbench to start out on. Are there videos out there that show you how to start from the ground up?

[Kyle Foster]

I have not taken Shannon's hand tool school courses mainly because I stumbled upon him/them too late.

I am an avid follower of his. I suggest you watch some of his 'free' videos (Renaissance Woodworker) first to get a flavor for his style and quality.

But from what I know, I would recommend his courses. The reason is that he has been doing this for a while, so he has a great deal of content, and has honed the format. From what I gather, he gives a good deal of personal attention and his projects and progression are logical and well thought out.

The primary reason I was thinking and asked for other thoughts on Shannon's school was because I am starting out from basically the ground up, which is right where his orientation course starts. I am also doing this as a hobby, something to keep me out of the wife's hair, so cost of the course isn't really an issue.
So, thank you for your thoughts on the course.

[David Bassett]

I have a box of miscellaneous tools and that is it. I dont even have a workbench to start out on. Are there videos out there that show you how to start from the ground up?

There is a video that addresses exactly that. Mike Siemsen did a video "The Naked Woodworker" that targets beginners. (That's naked in the sense of untooled, not unclothed.) The DVD seems to be out of print, but the video is still available as a download from LAP. He starts at the beginning with selecting and refurbishing used tools and then bootstraps a workshop by building a pair of saw benches and using them to build a basic Nicholson-style workbench.

If you visit LAP's site, also check out "The Joiner & Cabinet Maker". It's part history, part inspirational, and part introductory handtool woodworking. At it's core, it's a reprint of a children's book intended for recruiting to the joiner's trade. But it's been augmented with background and historic details by Joel Moskowitz and detailed project build instructions by Christopher Schwarz.

[Kyle Foster]

There is a video that addresses exactly that. Mike Siemsen did a video "The Naked Woodworker" that targets beginners. (That's naked in the sense of untooled, not unclothed.) The DVD seems to be out of print, but the video is still available as a download from LAP. He starts at the beginning with selecting and refurbishing used tools and then bootstraps a workshop by building a pair of saw benches and using them to build a basic Nicholson-style workbench.

If you visit LAP's site, also check out "The Joiner & Cabinet Maker". It's part history, part inspirational, and part introductory handtool woodworking. At it's core, it's a reprint of a children's book intended for recruiting to the joiner's trade. But it's been augmented with background and historic details by Joel Moskowitz and detailed project build instructions by Christopher Schwarz.

Thank you so very much! That video is exactly what I need right now I think. I have been going to the thrift store down the road and picking through their tools for ones that dont look too horrible, but when you dont really know what you're doing, you're shooting in the dark. The book is now added to my Christmas wish list also.