Hand Tool Enjoyment

[Birdhunter]

Please post some pictures as you go along, especially of the combination plane work.

As a long time precision power tool user, I am enjoying the quietness and low dust aspect of hand tools. I got my first hand cut dovetail to snick into place today. It's about the umpteenth try I have to admit.

 

[RKA]

That deserves a congratulations!! 

 

[ElectricFeet]

Today I was in a Japanese plane competition. 
...
Overall I had a great time, and reinforced for me just how enjoyable using a good hand tool can be.

They look to be an amazing experience. The Samurai Carpenter filmed his experience competing in this video:


And searching for samurai carpenter plane on youtube finds a lot more.

There was a post earlier saying that 1/32ths were too perfectionist (I don’t agree, and didn’t 30 years ago when my first nightclass teacher told me that I would never get precision with wood), but these guys are shaving-off continuous lengths in small-digit microns. Amazing dedication to perfection.

I tend to use power tools (sigh) as my desire for efficiency outweighs any love for hand tools (just like watching the forging of screws is fascinating, but we buy them instead).

But there’s something about a good hand tool that makes it an extension of your body, while a power tool is more often an adversary to be tamed.

 

[Birdhunter]

Fascinating video. Centuries old craft still alive and well. Thanks for sharing.

 

[PreferrablyWood]

Please post some pictures as you go along, especially of the combination plane work.

As a long time precision power tool user, I am enjoying the quietness and low dust aspect of hand tools. I got my first hand cut dovetail to snick into place today. It's about the umpteenth try I have to admit.

I had a go with the combinations plane with the 1/4 blade and without much documentation at my side at had this working pretty quickly, Then i tried the reed blade 4 x 1I/8 inch and after a few minutes og muddlig about I was producing quite acceptable work with it. I'm working with larch wood which is very elastic and it gave quite fine results. The profile works great for antislip treads on step ladders and I'm thrilled, I have then 4.2 meters of material til mill where I put two or there tracks of antislip so I'll be getting a fair bit of practice.

I'll take af few shots of the job as I go..