Basic tools for beginners

[DavidB]

Hi. Can anyone advise a newbie on gathering some basic hand tools? I've no real experience but I've always wanted to have a go at woodworking and I'm keen to get started on some basic bits of furniture from the projects in DK's Woodwork manual. I'm in a flat so planning to stick with hand tools as far as possible.

I would plan to just buy what I need as it's required but I don't know whether to opt for reasonable quality used tools on ebay (not knowing which brands are worth what) or just buy some basic stuff in B&Q until I know I'm going to keep at it!

I'm based in Edinburgh so according to some other threads on here there aren't many local suppliers for quality tools or wood so I think I'll have to use the internet a fair bit to supply what I need.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[speeder1987]

Hi david,

I'm pretty new to this too, its definitely worth investing in good quality tools, you have the choice between new stuff or vintage off either a second hand tool dealer or eBay. A couple of good places are a minster and workshop heaven.

You'll need marking and measuring stuff such as an accurate square and marking guage.

You'll also need chisels, I got some bevel and some mortice chisels. These you can get off eBay relatively cheaply as there are loads and not much risk.

You'll need hand planes, I mostly use a number 5 which I got of eBay which works quite well but if you can afford it take a look at the qaengsheg planes of workshop heaven they are meant to be pretty good.

Saws I use a hard point saw for generally sawing which I got from b and q. You'll also probably need a tenon and a dovetail saw for Joinery. I think for some one new its worth getting these new as vintage ones normally need a sharpen.

Also you'll need a method of sharpening your tools, lots of different methods discussed on this forum so not going to start this debate.

You'll have to get a workbench too, in fact maybe making one could be your first project.

Although this seems like a lot once you get going you will start accruing these over time. There may be some things I've missed but I'm sure some members who are much more experienced than me will probably advise you

The most important thing is to enjoy yourself

Cheers
John

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Simon Wells]

Hi! I am pretty much a newbie myself but i inherited some tools from my family and my wifes side. Kinda a cool sharpening a 135 year old saw that was used by your sons great, great grandad!

I found Chris Schwarz the "Anarchists tool chest" and Paul Sellers Blog and books, DVDs etc a good starting point as I knew nothing about anything. De rusted and sharpened the 'family heirlooms' and sold the router and Woodrat to buy the rest. Problem is I am still buying tools. The Beloved is getting suspicious of plan brown parcels that arrive and go straight into my workshop. But I need a 2 and 3/16th auger bit!

 

[AndyT]

But I need a 2 and 3/16th auger bit!

Good luck with that! Not a beginner's tool I would have thought, and bits that big would have been more likely to jump by 1/8" or 1/4".

Three suggestions:

Many bits were not made to engineering tolerances; you may be lucky and find a 2 1/2" bit which works somewhat undersized.

If the work is relatively shallow, a centre bit may be suitable and easier to find; the only way to be sure of sizing on these is to drill a hole and measure it.

This might be the time when an expandable bit really is the answer, but you'll want a good strong brace with a 10" throw for a hole that size.

 

[Fromey]

I'm also very much a beginner.

One piece of advice I have is don't skimp on getting a good saw or two. For years I'd been using a Spear & Jacksons tenon saw with universal teeth. Sawing was not a pleasant, satisfying or accurate experience. Recently I was able to get a Lie Neilsen carcass saw (cross cut) and a Veritas dovetail saw (both cheap). What a revelation! This has improved my work and enjoyment no end.

If you're in a flat, you won't have the option of a bandsaw so thicknessing and resawing wood has to be done by hand.

For thicknessing, another essential purchase (for me at least) was an ECE scrub plane. It's a little beauty and makes short work of getting wood down to approximate size.

My last issue is resawing wood (especially longitudinally in half ). I stumped up for a Lynx rip saw from Thomas Flinn and Co., but I'm afraid it's not very good (at least in my hands). Despite claiming the saws are hand sharpened, it's clear this one is machine finished. In addition, the set of the teeth was not even. I've tried resharpening it, but still it just binds and binds and ends up ruining anything I attempt. Thus, I can not recommend them. There have been some other threads showing poor workmanship from this company as well.

I'm now investigating getting a rip bow saw and/or making a frame saw. Resawing wood is a real issue if you are going hand tools only. Most wood supplies are a minimum thickness of 1", so if you want a plank that is significantly less than that, you either have to hog off, and waste, a significant amount of wood, risk ruining it all by resawing or finding someone with a bandsaw who's willing to cut it for you.

Good luck and welcome!

 

[matthewwh]

From memory the lynx range are machine set and sharpened, so although not quite as fast or smooth as a hand sharpened saw they should nonetheless be consistent and not bind.

The 'warranted' bit isn't just there for decoration - have you tried giving them a ring?

 

[thomasflinn]

My last issue is resawing wood (especially longitudinally in half ). I stumped up for a Lynx rip saw from Thomas Flinn and Co., but I'm afraid it's not very good (at least in my hands). Despite claiming the saws are hand sharpened, it's clear this one is machine finished. In addition, the set of the teeth was not even. I've tried resharpening it, but still it just binds and binds and ends up ruining anything I attempt. Thus, I can not recommend them. There have been some other threads showing poor workmanship from this company as well.

Hi,
I was pointed to this page with reference to your comment on your Lynx Rip Saw - if you're having any issues with this, please do send it back to us to have a look at. Some of the Lynx saws are machine sharpened rather than hand sharpened as with our Premium ranges. A simple look at this will help us detect your problem and if there is any manufacturing issue on this, we will happily sort this for you and send back. We prefer our customers to be happy with our products than feel there are any issues with it and as Matthew pointed out, the warranty is not there for no reason! We are a UK business that stands proud as a high quality manufacturer, this means I put customer satisfaction paramount to anything else. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me directly through our website/phone. I will be happy to help any query and would prefer for you to ask than fear you have wasted money on a product that is not doing it's intended job. This is not what I like to offer.
Thanks, Katie Ellis - Partner, Thomas Flinn & Co.

 

[Fromey]

Many thanks Katie! When I get home I'll see if I can take a few photos of the teeth showing the machining marks through them and write a better description. What I fear is that it's actually just my technique (I'm happy to accept this is my fault and not Thomas Flinn and Co.). Although I know rip sawing is much more difficult than cross cutting, I didn't expect it to be near on impossible, hence my concern about the saw's set up.

 

[morfa]

There's lots of posts about 'basic' toolkits on here, just use the search function. But here are a few links to get you started:

This company sell nice looking 'beginners' sets:

http://www.mehr-als-werkzeug.de/categor ... ED?lang=en

If you were to add a no 4 plane and a no 5 plane from ebay, you should have a good 'basic' set for a sensible price. Then you just need to buy some wood and get started. If you are in a flat, then you are going to struggle a bit I think. Woodworking is messy and noisy. Handtools are better than powertools, but still hammering away with a chisel is relatively noisey. Worth putting down some plastic sheeting to keep the place clean. Apart from the obvious, only buy tools when you need them (which is easier said than done, I always seem to buy something, thinking I need it, only to find out half way through a job, that I actually needed something else!) here's a few very useful links:

Paul Sellers has a bunch of great posts about buying old second hand tools and about building a workbench:

http://paulsellers.com/series/buying-good-tools-cheap/ and http://paulsellers.com/series/building-a-workbench/

If you want generally good hand tool stuff, then Roy Underhill's show, The Woodwrights Shop is excellent:

http://video.unctv.org/program/woodwrights-shop/

Also this place has a good 'basic' tool list:

http://www.renaissancewoodworker.com/ge ... tool-list/

There are couple of good sites done by folks on this place:

http://www.cornishworkshop.co.uk
http://owdman.co.uk/
http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ - lots of great reviews, which have some excellent how tos

and some other links with more of a power tools bias:

http://woodgears.ca/
http://www.woodworkingformeremortals.com/

My (very) limited knowledge, would say, pick a nice easy, first project, figure out the tools you need and then buy them, do the project and see how you get on.

 

[Simon Wells]

'But I need a 2 and 3/16th auger bit! :roll:

Could we get an irony button?

It was mean't as a self depreciating comment about the crazed tool lust I sometimes suffer from!

 

[DavidB]

Thanks all for the helpful advice. I think springing for some better quality tools is probably wise. If I only buy what i need for any given project it shouldn't feel too painful!

I had been looking at the Paul Sellers workbench building videos on youtube thinking something along those lines would serve me well (maybe a little shorter length-wise) but I hadn't seen his blog on buying good tools cheap so thanks for that morfa, as well as all the other links.

I know the flat thing isn't ideal but I have a spare room that needs totally redecorated anyway so I figure it can take a bit of abuse for awhile. As for the neighbours... well, I'll try to restrict the hammering to sociable hours, or unsociable hours when they're having parties or loud arguments.

Think I'll spend the festive season with an eye on ebay and other sites and order a few tools for the new year. I've seen some references online to 'the woodworks', a recycled wood place just up the road from me but I think it might have disappeared... Out of town just now so can't check til the new year (it's on google street view but the image is from 2008 so not really reliable).

Thanks again for all your help- I'll let you all know how I get on!