sunnybob":20inb74n said:
custard, youre my devils advocate.
i actually want to achieve things with wood, and am constantly looking for a way to achieve it. I thought I had it sorted with the jet sharpener and truly sharp irons, but it wasnt to be. After 5 minutes of hand planing, my hands hurt for the rest of the day.
Sadly, Cyprus has no finished wood available. I just bought a lump of mahogany from one yard, about 90cm x 15cm x 25mm rough sawn. That yard had only a mitre saw. So I took the wood to my favourite yard that has a giant bandsaw. i asked him to cut 9mm planks. The board is now scrap. His best cut started at 9mm and finished at 4mm. with several different measures in between.
I've said it before, I dont give in easy. Its not over yet.
But its definitely uphill.
You're actually very typical of many newcomers to woodworking, so your experiences are widely relevant.
-You don't need many tools, genuinely you only need a very few, but you absolutely need to know how to sharpen and set up each and every one of them. One bench plane, a block plane, a shoulder plane, 3 or 4 chisels, a hard point disposable saw, a second hand spokeshave, some really accurate marking and measuring tools, a sharpening kit, and you're up and running. I'd toss in a hand router plane and a few other knick knacks, but it really isn't that much.
-Getting a couple of old woodies from a boot sale isn't the best start. You might drop lucky, but more likely you'll invest hours of drudgery to achieve mediocre results. The right old woody in the right hands can deliver stunning performance, but there's a mountain to climb before the beginner can get to that position. A Stanley 04 or 05 is a better shortcut, a modern Bevel Up Jack is better still if you've got the money and a powered method of grinding those thick blades.
-Getting frustrated with tools and substituting power for hand work just swaps one set of problems for another. Good hand tools are affordable (just) and hold their value, good machinery requires very deep pockets while cheap tat is worthless if you abandon woodworking and try to re-sell it. Most machinery comes with awful blades, fences, and accessories, so there's often lots of hidden costs. Cheap power tools and machinery are basically expensive traps for inexperienced hobbyists.
-Training is never a waste of money. Tricky in your circumstances I know. The internet can help, but there's so much conflicting information, and know-nothing self publicists masquerading as experienced men, that you need to tread carefully. You also need one core "guide" to provide consistency and arbitrate all the conflicting information. I haven't spent much time looking but I don't think there are many single source providers of free and comprehensive training. I get the impression this chap Paul Sellers is your best bet. I've looked at a few of his videos, sure I'd quibble with a few issues here and there, but there's little substantial to object to and much to admire. Probably my main criticism is that he seems locked into a 1970's design mentality, but if you don't mind fitting quartz clock movements into knotty pine boxes then he's your man! Seriously, he might make things that were last seen in "On The Buses" or "The Good Life", but he makes them bloody well and he shows you step by step how to use a well described and modest tool kit to achieve the same results.
-Woodworking is basically a test of character. Truly, that's all it is. At times you'll be left despairing, impatient, frustrated, angry, and confused. Making things in wood is in essence a training programme to get yourself beyond those emotions and become methodical, rigorous, patient, disciplined, analytical, focused, and calm.
Enjoy the journey and good luck!
