Young Buck looking for Hand Tool advice

[chiggins8]

Hello all,

Just recently joined NCWW. I do plenty of carpentry work in my off time when I can, but I want to get into the finer areas of woodworking. I figured the best place to ask questions would be the place with largest amount of woodworking knowledge available to me. So here I am haha. I've been doing lots of research on hand planes/chisels over the last month or so and I want to start gathering some for myself. I essentially have all the basic-starter questions lol. What type of plane should I get first? Are there any brands of chisels that offer a great starting set that isnt too expensive? I'm not sure if the Fayetteville area lends itself much for woodworking, but any and all advice would be appreciated. Thank you!

Collin

 

[Mike Davis]

If you are on a tight budget, and who isn't these days, the Narex brand is a bargain in chisels.

there are still hundreds of old Stanley planes around and plenty of folks who know how to restore and use them.

the tool store, over Roy Underhill's woodworking school is a good place to buy ready to use tools.

we plan to hold some workshops on restoring and using hand tools in the spring

 

[chiggins8]

Thanks Mike. I've had my eye on some Narex chisels. Id love to get into a workshop on restoring hand tools. Looking to get a good set of EZE-LAP diamond stones around Christmas time.

 

[Raymond]

Welcome, Collin. Please go to the "Who We Are" Forum and introduce yourself. This is one of the requirements to becoming discount qualified (DQ). To find more members in the Fayetteville area, click on Community and then Members List and then look to the right side of the screen and you will see "Search Members" click on the down arrow and then Advanced Search and fill in City and State. There many members in your area but not too sure how many are really active.

As you have already found out, ask questions - you will get answers - most are good, some are funny.

 

[Mike Davis]

Thanks Mike. I've had my eye on some Narex chisels. Id love to get into a workshop on restoring hand tools. Looking to get a good set of EZE-LAP diamond stones around Christmas time.

Please dont waste your money on eze-lap, I had some and they wore out very quickly. Right after that I bought a DMT diamond plate and have been using it for 11 years, still good to go.

 

[Bill Clemmons]

Welcome to the site, Collin. Plus one on the DMT diamond plates. Also, Mike mentioned Ed's store over Roy Underhill's school. If you're not familiar w/ the school, it is in Pittsboro, NC.

 

[KenOfCary]

I agree with everything Mike said. DMT or Trend Diamond Stones are worth the extra investment and will last forever. Don't waste your time with cheaper diamonds or the ones with plastic perforated covers. I have a set of Narex Chisels (both standard and mortise chisels) that I got from Lee Valley. There are other sources.

As other's have mentioned, Ed's store above the Woodwrights School in Pittsboro is a great place to shop for old hand tools. Ed has a wealth of knowledge and is not afraid to share it. Here is a link to the school's website and the store is mentioned here also.

http://www.woodwrightschool.com/

 

[Jeff]

+2 to DMT diamond stones. Chisels and plane irons need a consistent way to set the bevel and sharpen them so I'll put in a plug for the Veritas MKII honing guide. The standard honing guide is $69.

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?cat=1,43072,43078&p=51868

 

[Mike Davis]

starting set that isnt too expensive?

This honing guide is what I use and have used for the last 15 years.

https://smile.amazon.com/Robert-Larson-800-1800-Honing-Guide/dp/B000CFNCKS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474660006&sr=8-1&keywords=honing+guide

 

[KenOfCary]

As Mike mentioned any good honing guide will get you started. The Lee Valley MK II guide that Jeff mentions is my favorite and is very flexible with extensions (that also add to the price) that allow cambers and skew blades. It is very good but not necessary for a first guide. I do recommend a guide of some sort for sharpening chisels and plane irons. Some people can do it by feel, but that is an art and not a science. Maybe you can freehand sharpen and maybe you can't, I prefer science (and precision) over art, but that's just me.

 

[chiggins8]

Thank you all! Overwhelming support for DMT. Cant argue that. Thats why you ask questions to people who know better. And if im ever in the Pittsboro area ill try to convince my wife to check out Mr. Underhills shop. Id love to put my hands on something before I purchase it. Thank you all again.

 

[Rwe2156]

What type of plane should I get first? Are there any brands of chisels that offer a great starting set that isnt too expensive? I'm not sure if the Fayetteville area lends itself much for woodworking, but any and all advice would be appreciated. Thank you!

Collin

Collin,

First a bit of philosophy: many newbies start out buying the cheaper (and lower quality) tools to start out with, the thought being as the build skills, they will buy better tools. I think this is a mistake in a couple ways. First, a low quality tool will hinder skill development and lead to frustration. Second, if you're not getting the results you want, you won't know if its the tool or you.

The first two planes you should have are a low angle block plane and a #4 bench plane. You can choose to go two basic routes here: new or used. If you want to buy a new plane and want the best, obviously you're probably looking at Lie Nielsen or Veritas. I don't think you can go wrong with WoodRiver. I own a few and they compare quite favorably with LN.

If you choose to go the Stanley route, make sure its vintage (pre WWII) because Stanley planes went down the tubes after 1950. You will often be looking at a rehab/refurb/restoration. Stay away from Ebay they are all overpriced IMO.

As for chisels, that all depends on what you're using them for. A good set of dovetail chisels will have a low side bevel height. Ashley Iles and Lie Nielsen have the lowest IIRC. Personally I have a set of Narex which serve me well. My first set of chisels were a cheap set of Irwin Marples, which also serve me well.

 

[Chris C]

+1 for the Narex. I have both bevel edge and mortice. Excellent chisels for the price.

+1 for the Larson honing guide. It may need a little fettling but easy to do.

+1 for DMT stones. It's what I use.

+1 for vintage Stanley planes. Cheap, plentiful, and every bit as good as the new high end stuff.
You'll need to learn how to set up and adjust it but you'd have to do that with a new one also.

 

[JimD]

I don't own any Narex chisels but I am impressed with my really cheap Aldi chisels. I used them to chop out some 3/4 oak flooring recently and they worked well. Held an edge well but weren't brittle, they didn't chip despite the fact I wasn't gentle with them. I had to spend some time on my Worksharp 3000 on the edge and the back but once I got them sharp, they cut very well. If the Aldi's near you has some, I wouldn't hesitate. The only drawback I see is they are not standard sizes (widths).

I use a block plane a lot and my tenons improved noticeable after I got a shoulder plane (mine is a Stanley). I rarely use any other planes.

 

[Chris C]

Fyi... The Narex chisels sold by Lee Valley are in imperial sizes, not metric. Others I've seen are metric.

I purchased mine from LV for that very reason.

 

[KenOfCary]

If you go the used Stanley route be aware of the differences in quality of the Stanley Craftsman, Stanley Baiiey and the Stanley Bedrock.

I buy Bailey's almost exclusively, but wouldn't turn down a Bedrock if I found it for a decent price. The difference between these planes is evident in the machined metal in the frog that is in contact with the blade and the ease of adjustment of the frog to the opening. I find that the Stanley Baileys are the sweet spot in price / performance for used and refurbished planes.

Ed, at the Woodwright's tool store can point out the differences in the models or I can do so if you're interested. Of course a Lee Valley (Veritas) or Lie Nelson plane will be good to go out of the box and very well designed from the get go.

I have a few LN and Veritas planes for special purposes but the majority of mine are Stanley Bailey's

 

[Gofor]

Lots of good info above as to brands, models, etc.

For the first hand plane, I strongly feel that a #5 is the first you should consider. I use my #5s at least 4 times more often than any other plane, with my block plane coming in second. A #5 is very versatile and can be used to dimension rough lumber, smooth surfaces, square edges, and basic flattening. It is the work-horse plane in my arsenal.

Lots of good advice on chisels also. If you intend to do much hand mortising, then keep your eye out at antique places, flea-markets, tool meets, etc for some dedicated mortise chisels like these:
.

The beefy blade and long length and tip profile make them much easier to use when chopping out a mortise. Not sure you can buy new ones, or you could afford them if you did, and old ones may need clean-up and a new handle, but chisels like these will make the job much easier, IMHO. Usually found with split handles and rusted, they go cheap, but are well worth the effort to clean them up and return to service. If the sides need a little grinding, or if they are metric size, don't discount them if the price is right, because it is very easy to match the tongue to the mortise even if the width is a little off from your plans.

I used to drill out my mortises on a drill press and then smooth up the sides with my bench chisels. Since getting these, I find I can chop out the mortises as fast and as accurate, and not have to set up a separate tool and operation to get the job done.

Sometimes you can find ones in good condition at tool meets, etc, or where woodworkers gather for a reasonable price. I haven't had the opportunity to visit the Woodwright's' Store, so that may also be a source for some. If only buying one, around 1/4" or 5mm would probably get the most use for furniture, etc if you use standard sized materials.

A mortising chisel would not be a must have for your first purchases, but just keep your eye out for a good opportunity if it presents itself.

Go

 

[BWhitney]

On the subject of starter chisels, several months ago Aldi had chisels for sale and Mike got a set for testing. Mike, how do these chisels compare to others you have used? Narex from Lee Valley looks good, but a tad pricey.