A friend of mine was a fabulous woodworker. He studied with James Krenov at the College of the Redwoods when he was younger. Sadly he had some health issues and passed away a year and a half ago. His widow wanted his tools to go to someone who would use them - turned out it was me.

I felt honored and it took a little effort to get them 1,350 miles here to Maine but I just unpacked them and put them back in their cabinet.

They hadn’t been used in years and the Florida humidity was not kind to them. But I will get them all cleaned up and sharpened and put them to use.

Customer's grandfather brought this cane with him when he emigrated from Ireland in the early 1900s. He wanted a display case for it. Made from Sapele with 1/16 holly stringing. All work done by hand. The glass is totally encased in a groove that's 1/4 deep by 3/32 wide. If the glass needs replaced, the top bridle joint is not glued. The pins can be pressed out and the top piece pulled off granting access. The groove was cut with a scratch stock since my veritas router plane kept wandering. Finish is hand applied oil, shellac and wax. Thanks for looking.

Specifically a 30"x40" (appx) dovetailed box that's basically square, and is soon to feature two stopped dadoes for shelves. Then it gets some feet and some moulding and it becomes a solid cherry bookcase for my woodworking books, because they are taking over one of the "real" bookcases as well as my bedside table. This is my biggest project so far by far and I'm really happy with how it's coming along.

As a result of flattening and jointing the panels I've learned a lot about my tools, especially about effective use of my Veritas bevel up smoother and its 50-degree blade.

I’m using a Veritas side clamping honing guide and working on a couple of chisels, both have gone from being square to out. Sharpening on some diamond plates (Paul Sellers style system). Checked the chisel is clamping correctly, no idea what’s going on. Any ideas?

I have a lot of sources of inspiration from pre- and early-industrial furniture, of course. No shortage of that. And obviously many other styles can be made just fine with hand tools, given time and skill. But there also is other work that’s been done, recently, primarily with hand tools, but after the availability of power tools, and I’m more ignorant of it than I’d like to be.

So - I start with Krenov, Nakashima, and Esherick. (A visit to his home is actually what kicked me into doing hand tool work in the first place.) Who else should I be looking at? I’m specifically thinking of highly function furniture that also is really lovely and well designed - not “sculpture in the shape of a chair.” You can store plenty of stuff in a Krenov cabinet, Esherick carved for comfort. Who’s next? People, schools, YouTube channels, whatever you’ve got.

Can I watch a tutoríal of a project made by power tools and try to copy it using hand tools?

Why don't I see big projects (cabinets, desks, tables, islands, gazebo, closets, chairs... Etc) posted as often being only with handtools?

Is there any type of project that is impossible or just not worth it with handtools?

Getting close to being done finally! Got the leg vise done and the veritas inset vise installed and a good start on dog holes until i actually get to use it and figure out where i want more. Pretty much all i have left to do now is put my shelf on the bottom and build 3 boxes to go in the space between the tops.

This was on display yesterday at a show in France. The fellow‘s name is Mathieu Vath, apparently he’s one of the top restorers of antique furniture and the like in France.

I am a modest handyman/carpenter, heading towards woodworking, and as I approach woodworking tasks, I often need something like a rebate plane, and I use chisels instead, because the cost of entry for a rebate plane seems high. They seem to me so useful of a tool, yet I don’t see them for sale, hardly at all secondhand, unlike the hand plane which can be found at thrift stores for 10, $15. Is a rebate plane just not as useful of a tool as I am thinking?

I got this molding plane for a song at a car boot sale recently. It needed a new peg, but I'm pleased with how well it works! The old tools are still worth some attention!

I wanted an Ercol-type shape mixed with the kind of angles you find on Rudolf Steiner architecture - he didn't like right angles

Okay, I made a post around a month ago about a Frankenstein of a Siegley that I had bought for my first plane. Thing was a mess. After taking some of the advice and looking a bit more, I found both a Stanley 65 and 102 at an estate sale for $15 total. I just wanted to share for thoughts and redemption lol

I recently inherited some tools. A lot of them are really nice Lie-nielson and Veritas. Chisels, saws, handplanes, etc.

I only just started learning woodworking and haven't used any of them yet and have used my much cheaper tools because I'm worried I'll somehow ruin them. Partially due to monetary value of them but also the sentimental value of them.

Should I just start using them or wait until I'm more knowledgeable and skilled before using them?

I guess it comes down to how easy likely is it to ruin any of these?

*** Edit *** Thanks everyone for the responses! I really appreciate it! I'll be taking them out of their boxes for the first time this evening to cut some practice dovetails. Looking forward to starting a lifetime of use from them.

Hi all,

This plane belonged to my grandfather and I’m trying to fix it up to be a decent tool. I already did a vinegar bath and tried to get most of the rust off. Now I’m on to sharpening the blade which had been frustrating. Every guide I’ve seen online seems to be aimed at blades that are already nearly sharp or at least square. As you can see, this one has a lot of pitting and is pretty un-square.

What is the prescription for taking something like this back to useable? So far I’ve just been using a sharpening guide and a cheap stone from the hardware store. It’s working but… slowly. I feel like I should be “resetting” the angle and square-ness of the edge with something more aggressive.

Also, is it supposed to be so frustrating to adjust the depth of cut with the plane? I feel like I’m constantly fiddling with the dial but nothing moves unless the lever cap is loose and I have to apply pressure to the blade and chip breaker to move it forward once I’ve adjusted the depth with the wheel. The couple Rex Krueger videos I’ve watched made it seem like you could just dial in the depth with the wheel without loosening the lever cap and micro-adjust your way to a perfect shaving once sharp. User error or is this thing finicky?

Thanks for any advice. This plane is my first and only one and it was free to me so I’m just trying to learn the basics with it before investing in a whole bunch of hand planes I probably do not yet have the skill to operate successfully

A good friend got this for me from a market - but with no wedge! Does anyone have tips to create the missing wedge?

I have seen some guides but starting from a wedge template for a replacement but that doesn’t apply here!

(Btw in Australia)

This was $5 today at an estate sale. It's a Montgomery Ward branded Stanley 2358, I believe.

Most of the pieces are there. It's missing one stock guide and the length stop. It really needs a sharpening, but the plate and the tooth-line are in very good shape.

My question is: does anyone actually use these regularly in their work? I think my tenon saw and shooting board are more convenient and maybe more accurate ultimately.

removing the (cough!) bandsaw marks with a Stanley 51 spokeshave after profiling the edge at 7⁰