Look at these YouTube instructors. How many of these planes and chisels get used?

[Tom M King]

I have a Lot more molding planes than I've ever used. I do use molding planes, but when I need one working on an old house, it's not a good time to go to ebay and see if I can find the one I need. I bought a Lot back when they were cheap and plentiful on ebay, and shipping for a small packet from the UK was $7. Most cost less than $25 dollars total, including all my Hollows and Rounds.

I'm sure I have a couple of hundred molding planes. As an investment, I might have broken even on them by now, but they've been worth more than what they cost in the overall scheme of things.

I'm sure I've never used all the hollows and rounds, but when you need one you don't right off know which one you need. You certainly can't plan ahead that in six months I would a need a particular one to reproduce 6 feet of a particularly large Bed Molding.

I also have more bench planes than I use very often. I used my no.8 last Spring, and probably hadn't used it for 8 or 10 years.

I doubt there are many individuals that have more money invested in tools than I do. I do a lot more different jobs than woodworking. Woodworking is just one thing on a long list. Most of the tools I own were bought when I found a good deal on them, and simply bought because I might have a use for them some time in the future.

I don't do videos. I tried, but they slow me up too much from producing work. I get paid to produce work, and it's not fair to the people paying me to slow me up. I rarely ever sell a tool, but I did sell the video camera. I also have never watched a how-to video on woodworking. A couple were started, but I didn't get through the first minute. I don't have the patience. I don't mind watching someone work, but it's like time wasted to watch someone talk.

[Carl Beckett]

I rarely ever sell a tool, but I did sell the video camera.

A good chuckle from that one.... yep.

[Jim Koepke]

A good chuckle from that one.... yep.

Me 2

jtk

[Bryan Hall]

I have more than I need for sure. I went a little overboard as a new business owner and purchased a few that I thought I would need, and didn't. That being said, there's an "image" that youtubers have to create to achieve credibility with certain viewers.

I can also admit that I liked collecting tools for a while. Now though... I would love to have just the essentials around me. I value an empty shop of high quality necessities over a full shop of boutique once a year items.

[steven c newman]

Hmmm...good thing I have back-up...
Monday, wrong chip out .JPG
Some days are like that...usually on a Monday...

[Joel Gelman]

As I am on the waitlist for the Garrett Hack precision with hand tools workshop in August, I received the list of items to bring. As far as planes.... the info from Mr. Hack included...

Please bring:

· #4 Bench plane - You might like a heftier #4-1/2, a slightly longer #5, or a smaller #3, but get one good plane of this size. Lie Nielsen or Lee Valley are good choices, as is an older Stanley. For the Stanley, you might buy a replacement iron (Hock or Lie Nielsen). If you were to bring 2 planes, a #5 size would be useful. Both Lie Nielsen and Lee Valley make very nice low-angle planes in this size (LN #62).
· Block Plane - I think very highly of the Lie Nielsen #60-1/2 low-angle block plane. They also make a #102 that is nice. Lee Valley makes several, all good tools. Most of the older Stanleys or Records will work, but not as sweetly.
· Chisels - A range of sizes is nice. Most any will do if the steel is halfway decent and the handles suit you. Inexpensive and good are the Ashley Iles bench chisels; more expensive and very good are the LV and LN chisels. Flea market chisels are fine, and Japanese chisels are also worth trying if they interest you.
· 5/16” chisel (7 mm.) - will be very useful if you can find one. 1/4” will suffice.
· Mallet - round or square for driving your chisels or a brass hammer if you prefer.
· Square - A 6” or 12” is fine. If you are going to buy a good square only once, a Starrett is hard to beat.
· Bevel gauge - Most are okay, old or new, wood or iron. Older Stanleys and the Veritas (Lee Valley, with the lever lock) are good. A small bevel will work, but a 6” or longer blade is more useful. Most important is that the blade locks securely.
· Marking knife - Just a knife, and a pencil too.
· Mortising or marking gauge - Marking gauges have a single pin (best if honed to a tiny knife), mortising gauges two. Some gauges do both—the beam has two pins on one side (one adjustable) and one pin on the other. Brass wear plates or fancy rosewood aren’t as important as a gauge that feels good in your hand (balanced) with a fence that locks positively. CFC has plenty if you want to skip buying one.
· Shoulder rabbet plane - For refining tenons or small rabbets. You don’t need a very big plane for common furniture work. My favorite is the Clifton medium shoulder plane #410. Both LN and LV make some nice shoulder planes.
o A bullnose shoulder rabbet plane (such as the Stanley #90) with a very short sole ahead of the blade is a specialized tool and not the best choice for adjusting a tenon shoulder. The Lie-Nielsen rabbet block plane will also work, but not as well as a shoulder plane.
· Card scraper (or the #80 cabinet scraper if you prefer) - I like thicker scrapers over the very flexible thin ones. One should last nearly a lifetime. This is a tool you should know how to sharpen and use effectively.
· Fine toothed dovetail or small backsaw - There are so many saws to choose from, with different shapes of handle, # of teeth, etc. LN or LV make some nice ones. Buy a saw that feels good (balanced), that cuts smoothly and makes a fine kerf.
· Mill file and round chain saw file - We’ll use them to make scratch stocks. Any size is fine, but not worn-out.
· Sharpening Stones
o Bring what you use, whatever it is. There are some stones at the school for you to try or use too.
o Waterstones are what most of us are using today because they are effective, so many grits are available, and they are easy to maintain. You can get fairly inexpensive Norton stones, King, Shapton, and many other brands. In my experience they are all similar, although I love my Shaptons that come either as solid “colored” stones, or thinner stones laminated to plate glass (and less expensive too). I use 1500, 2000, 5000, and 8000.
o You need stones roughly in this range of grits:
§ a coarse stone 320-1000 grit (can be a diamond “stone”, useful for other sharpening as well)
§ a medium stone 1000 - 1500 grit
§ a fine stone 4000 grit
§ and a very fine stone 8000 grit or higher
o For flattening and maintaining any of your stones, buy an extra-coarse diamond plate (1/4” steel) from DMT or a similar quality manufacturer. These last a very long time and are flat. The “polka-dot” diamond stones are not flat, but will work in a pinch. Less expensive is to lay a sheet of wet and dry sandpaper (220) on a thick glass or granite surface and work your stones on that. Even better is PSA diamond sheet (metal and paper?), 400 grit, on plate glass. I found it on Alibaba. A fraction of the cost of flattening plates and lasts as long.

Optional items you might find helpful but not required:

· Longer Plane - This tool is useful for jointing long edges. It could be a #5, #6, #7, or #8. The school has several available for shared use.
· Smooth Plane - Eventually, if you are going to use planes a lot, you will want a dedicated smoothing plane. Some possibilities: Your #4 tuned as a smoother, a #4-1/2, a Lee Valley low angle smoother, an older wooden, coffin-shaped, smoother, or if you want to go really big time, a new smoother from a one-off maker.
· Spokeshave - I use many spokeshaves, mainly for shaping curves. The older Stanley #52 and #53 are my favorites. LN also makes some, as does Lee Valley. The heavier-bodied “Boggs” shaves are the best of these.
· Calipers - Machinist calipers or vernier calipers as some know them. They are useful for sizing parts. I often use an old Stanley rule with a caliper end.


Anyhow, I thought some of you may find that interesting.

[Jim Koepke]

Anyhow, I thought some of you may find that interesting.

That is a lot of tools for a beginner.

This is what I find interesting:

5/16” chisel (7 mm.) - will be very useful if you can find one. 1/4” will suffice.

So many people get the SAE to metric translation wrong. 5/16" is 8mm. This is easy to remember since:

inch Metric
5/64 2mm
5/32 4mm
5/16 8mm (7.9375mm is the actual inch to mm) All these sizes are close enough to be used interchangeably for automotive and electronics work.
5/8 16mm
5/4 32mm
(1-1/4")

On top of that, 5/128" is almost 1mm (0.992188mm) you aren't going to get much closer than that.

jtk

[Derek Cohen]

I imagine that Garrett was referring to mortice chisels when he mentioned the 5/16” and 1/4” sizes. These would be the most used with frames.

I am very envious of your opportunity, Joel. Garrett is at the top of my list.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Joel Gelman]

Well.... I am on a short waitlist but am told it is highly likely I will get in as they do not require a non refundable deposit for people to hold the position (although I would have paid non-refundable in full to reserve). Therefore very likely you would have this opportunity also if you signed up now. August. Yes it is far away for me and farther away for you.... but CAN DO!

https://woodschool.org/courses-progr...th-hand-tools/

[Derek Cohen]

Therefore very likely you would have this opportunity also if you signed up now.

Mmmm ... Joel, I live in Australia. Also, it is doubtful that I could get away from my practice for a few more years yet. So I just drool from afar. One day ...

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Joel Gelman]

Screenshot 2023-05-26 at 5.17.13 PM.png

That was a nice email!