starting to use hand tools advice please

[mac1012]

i put this thread in genera lbut didnt realise there was section on hand tools !! i have been thinking about finishing my wooden clocks by hand i have got a selection of woods made to size , iroko , wenge , american oak , american black walnut , utele etc after a conversation on here i want to try finishing by hand plane and cutting my recess for clock movement by wood chisel (well afer drilling a large hole to start me off ) so any advice on planes to get a finish without sandpaper would be good

my clock movement recess is 55mm x 55mm x 34 deep so i need some advice on being able to get down to this depth i know to mark the outline with chisel first and gonna drill 50 mm hole 34mm deep to start me off , so i just wondered what chisels and best brands to use to finish off as with it being 34mm deep and not a large square whats the best way to go about getting a reasonable flat bottom to the recess as it will be a steep angle to chisel out.

i have been a scroll sawer for few years and made quite a good second income from it , this is my new project and wanted to get away from machines and dust for a while and power sanding and do something more traditional

i was thinking of going down the router route for the recess (might still be the case ) but wanted to try something a bit different and get experience of hand tools, the good thing is the recess dosent have to be a great finish a wont be seen , as long as i can get it pretty flat and level

any advice would be great mark

 

[xy mosian]

Just replied to your earlier post. Basically scraper rather than sand paper, shavings rather than dust. As for the bottom of the recess you might look at mortice lock chisels.
xy

 

[mac1012]

ok thanks the surfaces are pretty much there and only need a small amount of finishing not a lot of stock removal what would be the best kind of scraper to finish with ? the width is 115 and the lentgh 2oomm

thanks mark

 

[AndyT]

If you want to cut the bottom of your square hole to a finished depth, you still want a router, but the hand-powered sort. The Stanley 71 or its Record equivalent are good solid reliable tools:

34 mm deep is deeper than these would normally be used, mind, but I've just been and measured mine and it would work to that depth. You would not be able to use the screw depth adjustment that far down but there is still enough room to clamp the cutter.

Those pictures are from http://oldtools.co.uk but these are common tools and can be found in all the usual places.

Nice as they are though, for an unseen hole to mount a clock in, all you really need once you have drilled away most of the waste is any ordinary bench chisel - 12 to 18mm width, bevel edge or firmer - as long as it's sharp.

 

[Sheffield Tony]

I was thinking you might use a hand router to clean up the bottom of the hole too. The Veritas cutters fit an old Stanley 71, and are a bit longer than the originals, if you need extra depth.

 

[xy mosian]

Hi Mark, I cut my scrapers from old hard point saw plates. The hardest bit is cutting the plates, still a pair of tin snips work, after I've had 3 Wheetabix. Commercially these a likely to be good value, free postage for a fortnight too!.
http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/Ind ... apers.html
The thinner scrapers are good for localised scraping, whereas the thicker, stiffer, blades are better for larger areas, though harder to push.
Scraper planes are made which are probably better for truly flat areas, but not so good on very localised bits. The Stanley no.80, or equivalent is a sort of scraper/spokeshave hi-brid, and very good too. I have one which I turn to on larger areas, or awkward timber.
Of course others, with more experience, will have different views.
By the way you will need a burnisher to turn the burrs on the scraper edges, mine is a polished old file.
HTH xy.