View Poll Results: which hand tool are you best at?

Voters
52. You may not vote on this poll
  • Chisels

    12 23.08%
  • Hand planes/spokeshave

    16 30.77%
  • Hand saws

    4 7.69%
  • Slick, adze, scorp

    0 0%
  • drawknife

    4 7.69%
  • other (no, not tablesaw)

    16 30.77%
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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    Bellingham
    Age
    47
    Posts
    0

    Default which hand tool are you most skillfull with?

    I'm chisel guy to the core, pretty good at using a hand plane, and still need a lot of work with hand saws. you? feel free to expound.

    -Ryan

    there's no school like the old school.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    ...
    Posts
    1,460

    Default

    I think it would have to be a pencil. learned to sharpen it when I was about 4 or 5.

    Closely followed by a hammer. ( although now I prefer a nailgun.


    Peter.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Location
    Sydney, NSW, Australia
    Posts
    1,981

    Default

    Pretty crap with all of them really.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    In the shed, Melbourne
    Age
    53
    Posts
    0

    Default

    G'day,

    I fit into the same category as Craigb.

    I spent my childhood and youth helping my Dad in the shed, now he's passed away and my interest in w/work has only really kicked in earnest - so it's all trial by error for me as I have no one to teach me the stuff I want to know - the forums here help out and Gumby has helped a bit.

    Didn't pick any - I want to be proficent in them all. Got no idea what a slick or scorp is.

    Right now among others I'm wanting to get in some darkside stuff. I have a $17 piece of carp plane from India I bought at Bunnies (needed one for something at the time and my wallet was pretty bare), a real nice tiny rabbit plane (something like that) that shaves oh so nice. So to try and find some you'll see me at garage sales on Saturday mornings trying to find planes etc.
    I make things, I just take a long time.

    www.brandhouse.net.au

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Garvoc VIC AUSTRALIA
    Posts
    3,208

    Default

    I said chisel but I'm really a hammer man.
    If it don't fit use a bigger hammer
    Regards, Bob Thomas

    www.wombatsawmill.com

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    Elimbah, QLD
    Posts
    437

    Default

    Chisels are the only hand-tools that I use much; I use planes, and compass planes, and sometimes rasps for rough shaping, fairing, and smoothing, but I produce smooth surfaces with a ROS. I was happy to see that an article in the current FW concludes that surfaces produced by planing, scraping, and sanding are virtually indistinguishable, when the finish has been applied. So I no longer need to feel guilty that I have not spent years honing my planing and scraping skills.

    Rocker

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    Conder, ACT
    Age
    78
    Posts
    4,213

    Default

    Wrecking bar?

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    New Zealand
    Age
    83
    Posts
    0

    Default

    Chisels work for me!
    Rhys H.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    East Bentleigh, Melbourne, Vic
    Age
    68
    Posts
    180

    Default

    G'day Ryan!


    I answered handplanes - because I like them so much; they really can be a pleasure. However, I have to admit a love chiselling away too.

    I used to be a dab jand with a spokeshave, but I really need more practice with them to get back into the groove, so to speak.

    Ok with handsaws for little cuts, such as in cabinet work, but spectacularly lousy with a big handsaw

    Cheers!

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Toowoomba Qld.
    Age
    65
    Posts
    0

    Default

    I think I prefer tools that produce a curve..... cutting to a straight or square line has never been my forte! 0.3mm my bum!

    However, I could spend hours with a drawknife and spokeshave, and do best with a rasp and a range of files.

    Good question Ryan

    Cheers,
    Andy Mac
    Change is inevitable, growth is optional.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    .
    Posts
    4,816

    Default

    Hand trolley for me.


    Al

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    Port Pirie SA
    Age
    52
    Posts
    0

    Default

    The humble pencil and ruler, always been good at drawing/designing objects... art, maths, tech studies were the only subjects at school I got "A+" on.
    ....................................................................

  13. #13
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Broome West Aussie
    Age
    67
    Posts
    11

    Default

    I went drawknife although ive only recently begun using it and man do I love it... but also love using my spokeshaves... cant abide my planes will become proficient when I start to remember to sharpen the bleedin things and learn to set the buggars properly... love my new jap Kabota saw for trimming the ends from the canoe strips nothing better... hammers well hammers are hammers but if you had have said mallets well thats a whole different kettle of fishes! I love my mallets simply cause I made them Tuart handles with Jarrah heads different sizes and faces for different uses right weight and heft handles turned by spokeshave and block plane to fit my hand... beutiful to use... I use chisels constantly and am gathering quite a few to me must have a magnetic thing happenin!
    I really should have bought one of those ships planes when I was shopping but well at over 300 snapperoos for one I decided I had other ways to achieve the same result
    Gotta get into scraping to get that mirror smooth finish Im searching for!
    Believe me there IS life beyond marriage!!! Relax breathe and smile learn to laugh again from the heart so it reaches the eyes!!


  14. #14
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    kyogle N.S.W
    Age
    50
    Posts
    0

    Default

    Hand tool most skillful using ????

    ummm,,,,me old fella. Just ask the lady's ,,,,, well, at least my wife, well,,,,, actually, don't ask her.

    Handplanes.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Location
    Perth, WA
    Age
    77
    Posts
    884

    Default

    I wouldn't claim to be truly proficient with any of them - despite a good deal of practice. However, in trying to be objective, I have to say I find it relatively easy to cut a straight line with a decent handsaw. I think this is a purely personal thing. Cutting a straight line with either a Western backsaw or a Japanese saw was something I managed to achieve quite quickly.

    I'm still working on my chiseling and planing skills and I've only very recently got my hands on a couple of spokeshaves (great little tools!).
    Driver of the Forums
    Lord of the Manor of Upper Legover

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