My First Non-Bodge Project!

[gucu]

Hi

Over the years I have built things it has generally been big nails or screws and that should hold it together! I am finally on the verge of building a woodworking shed and will start the non-bodge route from now. I have asked on another forum thread about what power tools I should buy to kit out my new workshop and several suggestions have said use hand tools only or with a small amount of power tools. The thread is here
https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/post1044427.html#p1044427

So I haven't bought any power tools and I haven't built my shed but I have a project I can start. I need to build a wardrobe/chest of drawers for my daughters bedroom. The chest of drawers could be open shelves and have wicker baskets in. It will be a complete unit.

The idea is to apply hand tools only techniques to building this. Having said that I do have a portable drill and screwdriver which will be employed and also a jig saw which might not be used. I don't know the technical terms for joints so I will be learning from scratch. Any advice and help would be much appreciated on how to start. Once I get going I will either video or photograph so folks can see what I am doing and comment and offer further help to other newbies.

Thanks

Rich

 

[sunnybob]

Rich, I believe that a very large proportion of the people here are in business with wood, and even more have served apprenticeships, spending years learning how to use those hand tools they are so mad about.

They are a very professional and helpful lot, but if you have no formal training (like me) and dont want to spend a lot of time being frustrated at how long hand tools take (like me) theres no shame in buying power tools.

I started 2 years with no experience since secondary school in the early 60's. i bought a bandsaw, belt sander, and dust extractor straight off. I very quickly found I had cheapskated on the bandsaw and wasted a year trying to make junk work before outing it for a bigger better one.

I make trinket boxes mostly, and simply could not make anything without power tools.
ive since added two routers and a mitre saw.
My wish list is a table saw but I have no room or money.

Simply put, Power tools save you time. Your wardrobes could be done in days, rather than months. Power tools wont stop you from making mistakes (i supply two friends with my scrap for their fire kindling) but you learn quicker.

 

[John15]

Hi Rich,

If you are making one off pieces of furniture, I don't think that power tools would get the job done much quicker than with hand tools - once the dimensioning is done that is, when a table saw and a planer thicknesser come in handy.

John

 

[AJB Temple]

To pt this in perspective Rich my starter project (some years ago) was a fully fitted utility room in a very large house, which incorporate two 6 metre runs of 40mm thick iroko wok surface (jointed up myself out of planks, using T& G joints which was all I knew how to do at the time), a boiler enclosure (large commercial sized boiler) and hand made oak cupboard and oak doors below. I did not have a proper bench: I used a flat door bolted to some home made trestles. I had an electric drill and a few hand tools my dad had given me. I bought an Elu chop saw. which I used to cut everything to length and an Elu 1/4" router which was used to joint the Iroko to make the worktops. which I glued up with cascamite. I still have and use these Elu tools (very good quality in their day) but I had no other fancy equipment whatsoever.

The project was a great success and took me a chunk of my summer holiday (about a week all in to do the entire job). A local blacksmith made all the hinges and handles for me, and I made the nails for nailing the hinges on myself. The point is you don't need a lot of gear. For me at the time to buy a hand plane and cutter to make the T&G joints in a hell of a lot of thick Iroko would have cost almost as much as the router, and the router saved me hours. You just learn to improvise with what you have and what you can afford. I also ended up buying an Elu belt sander to finish the work surfaces and that tool is still with me. The whole job was finished with Danish Oil.

The cupboards and seat and work surfaces are still there and in daily use though I sold the house - They will last 100 years if the owners want them to. My advice is just have fun and take your time. Build up tools as you need them, but try to buy really good tools that you will use a lot and that will last you. Be proud of your work. It's great that you are starting on this path: so few people seem to be capable these days.

Adrian
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