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Antique/homemade tools

5K views 22 replies 11 participants last post by  ahock 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
I still consider myself an amature even though I own and use most of the "power" tools found in a modern, well-appointed, tricked-out woodshop. Now that I am at a place in my life where I can actually spend "quality" time in my shop, I find, thanks to Roy Underhill, I want to do projects with tools that don't plug in into the national power grid.

As for homemade tools, I've made my own shaving horse, a froe, dividers and calipers, various mallets, and a trailer load of jigs and one-of-a-kind templates to fashion personal projects.

If you have a source of information, book reference, or purchase point for hand tools with a history about them, please let me know.

Thanks! Here's to great woodcraft!

Stephen
Western North Carolina
 
#2 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hi Stephen
Hand tools certainly are addictive (once power tools loose their initial grip!) I find Ebay a handy place for finding old tools. Well worth browsing, if only to get an idea of prices.
A very useful book is by Mike Dunbar (of Windsor chair fame!) Its called "Restoring, Tuning and Using Classic Woodworking Tools" and features all the info you could require on setting up and tuning hand tools.
Hope this helps
Phil
 
#5 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hey Jerry . . .

If you are interested in segmented (layered) turned bowls, visit Jim McPhail's website. He is the laird of the bowl turning manner! I am licky. He lives two mountains to the NW of me. I have even had the opportunity to visit his shop . . . :)

If the above link doesn't work, just type it in.

Sephen
Mountains of Western North Carolina
 
#6 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hey Stephen:
Do you ever notice all the stitches, bandaids, scabs, and cuts on Roy Underhill's hands when the camera does a close up of his work? I enjoy the show, and always get a laugh out of his pain. I started several years ago taking photos of my cuts and injuries to go with the project file on each project. I haven't taken a photo for a few months so that is a good thing.

I just saw a bunch of antique wood tools at an estate auction of an old timer. I didn't buy anything, as I just don't have extra cash for collectibles that aren't for working on a job I'm building. Watch the estate auction fliers in your area.

Ebay is fine, but at this estate auction, I saw a large wooden hand plane, the big block style about 20" long, sell for $1.00, and handfuls of thin wood molding planes sell for $5.00 a handful. Real auctions are pretty the best for getting deals. In my opinion, Ebay is watched too close by too many smart bidders.
thanks,
Mark DeCou
 
#7 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hey Mark . . .

LOL . . . Yes! I do notice his hands . . . what a hoot! Sounds to me you have a Masochistic streak hiding in your psyche . . . :) Maybe we need to classify the various ouwies into sub groups . . . knuckle-buster, sliver (small, medium, larger, gigantic), slice, amputation, etc.

Estate sales! Marvelous! Though new to this area, I'm guessing there are going to be numerous opportunities. As for eBay, I'm a little skeptical . . . I'vr gotten some great deals, but just as many dogs in my purchases from eBay.

BTW, I'm a Petroleum Engineer by degree and back in the mid/late 80's I rehabbed a lot of stripper wells in the Iola/Chanute area of Kansas.

My Princess is calling with breakfast!

Stephen
Mountains of Western North Carolina
 
#9 ·
I'm going to start taking pictures of the jigs I've made and post them on my website. So far I've made my own taper jig (the one i was using when I cut my thumb,but it's already healed so I can't get a picture of it) and today I made a sled for the table saw. Almost as nice as Don's
 
#10 ·
Michael . . .

I don't know about you, but one of the most satisfying parts, amatuerish as it is, aspects of my woodworking is solving problems . . . building jigs, etc. I'm going to begin a 2-chair windsor project (from Dunbar's book and a friend as my tutor) using my friend's bending jigs and a yet to be constructed homemade steam box.

How did your crosscut sled work out? How did you square it? I wish I had done a better job on mine. I'll probably build another.

Stephen
Mountains of Western North Carolina
 
#13 ·
Well I had a piece of Mahogany plywood that I ran along the fence and dato'd a 3/4" dato on the bottom. That was pretty much it. Then I took a piece of 3/4" oak and put it in the dato slot and the slot on the table saw. glued a piece of 6/4 Cherry to the edge of the plywood and after it dried, I ran it down the slot for the zero clearance and it's sweet. I'm rather impressed with myself, because it turned out nice.
 
#15 · (Edited by Moderator)
O.K. Here's the first Jig. A Taper jig that Rockler wanted $20.00 for, and I keep telling people if it is made out of wood, then I can make it. Might not be "Purdy" but I look for function first. The Oak was sitting in the shop… might have cost fitty cent (NOT FIFTY, FITTY), the hinge prolly ( NOT PROBABLY, PROLLY) cost a cupla ( NOT COUPLE OF, CUPLA) dollars oh, wait there are two hinges. The regular hinge at the butt, and that weird locking hinge, I cant member (NOT REMEMBER, MEMBER) what it's called so for 'bout 5 bucks i built a funtioning taper jig

And here's the sled nuthin purdy but it works
 
#17 ·
Many years ago a friend of mine started harrassung me because I said "Thissun" and ever since then, I've been trying to come up with my own Ebonix. Another friend wrote me a check in 1979 and he made it out for Fity-Dollars… they cashed it at the bank.
 
#19 ·
Last summer I made a couple of tall horses to set my boat on for making repairs. I ended up using them for when I'm carving larger pieces. It sure saves on the back by not having to hunch over.
I made them with my Logman tenon maker. I used some small Tammarack for the legs, & an old fence post made from a landscape timber. They look antique except for the landscape timber.
 
#21 ·
I made, & replaced all the White Oak trim abut 20 years ago. Now I have to do some refinishing before it starts rotting away again. The boat is a 1955 14' Larson.
 
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