Improved hand tool myth.

[Bristol_Rob]

For me, watching our industry for the last 40 to 50 years it's our understanding of technology and materials couple with our increasing standards and working with new materials is what is behind the changes and advancements.



Instead of thinking about tools, think about those and you will come up with a whole new list. Such mastic and sealants, someone mentioned glues etc.



Then think about design and construction and what the modern tradesmen is asked to create/build along side the timescales they are expected to deliver by. I think it frames a lot of the changes/advancements.

 

[Adam W.]

Domino jointers are good for T&G flooring too. That's all I seem to use it for, anyway.

I like using hand tools more though.

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

If you put a new Stanley plane next to a new Lie Nielsen or Veritas plane, I think you'd see vast improvements, better engineering and superior ductile steel in their construction, the blades or irons are massively improved, again superior steels are used and they are more accurately manufactured.
I also think there has been a massive improvement in bevel edge chisels, led by Lie Nielsen and Veritas but taken a step further by Blue Spruce with their concave edges. All of these are better manufactured and use superior steel, if I compare my Blue Spruce chisel to my old Marples chisel the difference is quite stark.

Construction and materials of the modern premium planes has improved - and, conversely, construction and materials of modern non-premium planes has decreased - however, once tuned up, the performance of an old Stanley and a new LN is quite capable of being identical. Just yesterday I tuned the chipbreaker of an old English #3 (owned by my late FIL), sharpened the hand-beaten Clifton blade, and it took the sweetest shavings into the grain of some interlocked Jarrah. A new premium plane would not have done better.

The point being, not really an advance in the tool, per se, just materials and attention to detail.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

For me, watching our industry for the last 40 to 50 years it's our understanding of technology and materials couple with our increasing standards and working with new materials is what is behind the changes and advancements.



Instead of thinking about tools, think about those and you will come up with a whole new list. Such mastic and sealants, someone mentioned glues etc.



Then think about design and construction and what the modern tradesmen is asked to create/build along side the timescales they are expected to deliver by. I think it frames a lot of the changes/advancements.

The future is not about improvements to tools, but about finding a way to build without the need for tools. The use of tools requires some proficiency, which means higher pay; no tools means that labour is likely to be cheaper.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Adam W.]

For me, watching our industry for the last 40 to 50 years it's our understanding of technology and materials couple with our increasing standards and working with new materials is what is behind the changes and advancements.



Instead of thinking about tools, think about those and you will come up with a whole new list. Such mastic and sealants, someone mentioned glues etc.



Then think about design and construction and what the modern tradesmen is asked to create/build along side the timescales they are expected to deliver by. I think it frames a lot of the changes/advancements.

It's more like modular building is the driver, it's quick, standardised and you don't need highly skilled labour to do it.

 

[Garden Shed Projects]

The future is not about improvements to tools, but about finding a way to build without the need for tools. The use of tools requires some proficiency, which means higher pay; no tools means that labour is likely to be cheaper.

Regards from Perth

Derek

One of the biggest improvements for efficiency on site at least has been off site manufacturing. This has however created a generation of tradesmen who don’t get the opportunity to test their skills and become glorified fitters. Only a hand full have the opportunity to be a rounded tradesmen. This is true for all trades. The biggest expense is labour so anything that can reduce the requirements is the way to go.

 

[hlvd]

European hinges
Jesus, the list is endless ...

Regards from Perth
Derek

Flush hinges and European hinges are used because sinking a butt hinge takes a lot of skill whereas the other two don’t.

 

[Jacob]

I grew up on building sites in the 60’s. Back then it was pretty much all human powered from digging the footings to loading out the tiles on the roof.

So did I. The first tools which I actually did a lot of work with were pick, shovel and wheel barrow, and again on farms, without the pick but with a muck spreading fork!

In woodworking yes the wheel gauge is a great improvement

Not if you have a lot to do.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I'm waiting for oilstones to be discussed so I can post the popcorn eating gif.

 

[BucksDad]

I guess we can all be thankful that the quill and ink became the typewriter and then became the keyboard so you could tap out 25,000 messages saying the same three things

 

[Tony Zaffuto]

I'm waiting for oilstones to be discussed so I can post the popcorn eating gif.

Does this mean there is to be no mention of waterstones, diamond plates or scary sharp?

 

[Terry - Somerset]

Unsure whether below completely holds water - but hopefully not wholly detached from reality.

200 years ago, before the dawn of B&D, skilled cabinet makers could produce exquisitely crafted furniture. Joints could be cut with precision, structural integrity meant that with care furniture could last centuries, wood selection was quite possibly more skilled.

Hand tools are an utterly mature technology. There are no yawning gaps waiting to be filled. They have been adequate to meet the need since ~1850. Any development over the ensuing 150 years may have improved functionality, efficiency, materials and ease of use - but little more.

Bringing "quality" to the masses needs reduced costs - it relies upon high volumes of automated manufacturing to get economies of scale, not individual craftsmanship.

Society has changed - the "buy quality which lasts a lifetime" culture which many of us may have grown up with has morphed to demand change to meet needs at different stages of our lives.

There are few who can either afford or justify the premium price of proper craftsmanship. The world has moved on. In the same way as the car has overtaken the need for saddle and harness makers, industrial scale ironmongery manufacturers have displaced blacksmiths, dairy maids by automated milking parlours, steam engines by internal combustion etc.

I regret the passing of these things - I find the technology, skills, techniques, design, ingenuity etc all fascinating. But like hand tools they are a piece of history kept alive largely by the enthusiasm of a few.

 

[Yojevol]

Being a mechanical engineer I've never been particularly interested in the use of hand tools. Over the last 24 years I've produced some very interesting pieces some of which could have been made with hand tools alone, but not by me. Machinery has enabled me to produce things quickly, accurately and economically; many have been commissions so cost has been an important factor. My machinery has encouraged me to be creative. Yesterday I finished a curved sliding dovetail (more of that later, I feel a WIP emerging). If I had been limited to hand tools, l would have had to find a less elegant solution.
I'm reminded of an essay I had to write at uni, 'What was revolutionary about the industrial revolution'. In essence it was the transfer of power from man to machine. We are now well into a 2nd industrial revolution; the transfer of control of machinery to another machine. In my own small way I've followed that trend. My sliding dovetail was made on my Denford CNC. I've become the fat controller and I've enjoyed, and will continue to enjoy, every minute of the journey.
Brian

 

[thetyreman]

Does this mean there is to be no mention of waterstones, diamond plates or scary sharp?

careful my last post making a joke about that got DELETED with no explanation by the mods.

 

[Michael_b]

Ah, Pete, the trick is to not engage. I do like reading Jacob's schtick as he engages with those daft enough to fall for his provocations.

*raises hand, ducks head* Evidence suggests I’m one of those daft enough. . . Lesson learned.

 

[MikeK]

careful my last post making a joke about that got DELETED with no explanation by the mods.

I don't know if your comment is another joke, but we haven't deleted, moved, or edited any posts in this thread.

 

[baldkev]

Dogfish skins. used way before sand paper

Back when jacob started ( with a flint axe ) they used their stubble as sandpaper..... proper men back then

This comment intrigued me... Are you saying that a current day carpenter using power tools is slower than one from the past using hand tools?
If so then that's incredibly interesting and I would like to learn more

Today's work is faster. No way was a guy with handtools quicker than a chopsaw or nailgun or tracksaw, impact driver, router etc....
Materials have changed and some of the processes ( lath and plaster vs dry lining etc ) are different, but lots of tools simply speed you up. You'll always have a mix of cowboys and high quality tradesmen though, so its not really comparable in terms of quality. A lot of old carpenters were good some were rough. A lot of new carpenters are good, some are rough!

 

[Jacob]

Back when jacob started ( with a flint axe ) they used their stubble as sandpaper..... proper men back then

Today's work is faster. No way was a guy with handtools quicker than a chopsaw or nailgun or tracksaw, impact driver, router etc....
Materials have changed and some of the processes ( lath and plaster vs dry lining etc ) are different, but lots of tools simply speed you up. You'll always have a mix of cowboys and high quality tradesmen though, so its not really comparable in terms of quality. A lot of old carpenters were good some were rough. A lot of new carpenters are good, some are rough!

Yer modern joiner is obviously going to be faster but can get caught out when hand tool skill could save the day e.g. if on site somewhere, etc etc. All of a sudden rip sawing by hand or freehand sharpening with an oil stone, become essential!
One very well used tool was the joiner's axe, which has been just about forgotten.

 

[Blackswanwood]

Yer modern joiner is obviously going to be faster but can get caught out when hand tool skill could save the day e.g. if on site somewhere, etc etc. All of a sudden rip sawing by hand or freehand sharpening with an oil stone, become essential!
One very well used tool was the joiner's axe, which has been just about forgotten.

Probably not many days need saving though as if they did all modern joiners would lug around a load of hand tools “just in case”.

 

[Adam W.]

Back when jacob started ( with a flint axe ) they used their stubble as sandpaper..... proper men back then

Today's work is faster. No way was a guy with handtools quicker than a chopsaw or nailgun or tracksaw, impact driver, router etc....
Materials have changed and some of the processes ( lath and plaster vs dry lining etc ) are different, but lots of tools simply speed you up. You'll always have a mix of cowboys and high quality tradesmen though, so its not really comparable in terms of quality. A lot of old carpenters were good some were rough. A lot of new carpenters are good, some are rough!

In some cases it's true, particularly in conservation.

I can make 6' of any historic raking moulding of any size and any profile faster than a modern joiner can get the cutters, plus the £3000 he spends on the specialist cutters, which he will probably only ever use for one job, will go straight in my pocket.