Woodworking has enamoured me since I was a boy. From grandiose dreams of building a treehouse fuelled by books like A Dangerous Book for Boys, to whittling and hatchet skills I learned in Scouts. And all the way to high school where within my Design Technology class I explored smalls projects but was always too frightened of the very scary mitre saw, table saw and router table to tackle anything more ambitious.
My first solo woodworking project was my Arcade Cabinet, a janky and overbuilt project full of under-planning and mistakes. That project I spent most of my time overheating a poor old jigsaw that refused to cut where I pointed it.
As I’ve grown older and gained more experience as a maker, my interest in woodworking has grown considerably. At the same rate, the reality of having a shop full of woodworking machines and gizmos (as pictured in every issue of any wood working magazine) has been diminished by the reality of finite finances, space and time.
And in comes hand tool woodworking. My inspiration came from YouTubers like Rex Krueger, Wood by Wright, and Eion Reardon who praise the convenience, versatility and shear craft of using traditional hand tools. Through their showcase of their own learning journeys, I quickly started my stroll down the same path of preparing my skills and toolbox.
For sometime I’ve found myself overwhelmed with the prospect of amassing a collection of useful and well kept hand tools. But I’ve persevered over the last 9 months, keeping one eye on FB marketplace and the other on local markets and second hand sellers. Using The Anarchist's Toolchest as a guide the whole way (I cannot recommend this book enough if you want to learn hand tools and its free!), I have acquired enough to take on my first project: building a workbench.
“Wait, isn’t this a post about a simple No5 plane handle?” I hear you say in my imagination despite this post being read my me and approximately 3 close friends. Building the most important tool in a woodworking shop is no small task, and it requires me to have operating tools to do it. Over the last month or so I’ve been learning to de-rust, sharpen and set all the tools I’ve collected. All but one.
My Record No5 plane was only $40 and came with a cracked and wobbly handle, its short comings were not fully apparent until I started trying to use it. Sadly, step 1 to my workbench needs my No5 to be able to process an immense amount of stock and I need it in good order or I will struggle my way through.
Now this handle has become my first hand tool project and although I was annoyed by the setback at the time, I’m incredibly thankful for the confidence and teachings it has given me. But first, pain.
My first crack at it had me taking some scrap wood I had and just going for it. Just roughly marking it up and cutting. Drilling the long and acurate hole through the odd angles in the middle of it was my biggest challenge and thanks to a helpful neighbour who lent me a long enough bit, I got through it after much swearing. But I was wrong from the start. I laid out my handle with the wrong grain direction and this left it weak.
Alright, that's one (1) lesson learned. So I decided I needed not to reinvent the wheel and take to the internet (my teacher) to find how others make their handles. This yielded me a printable layout, great recommendations on how to drill my challenging hole (buy the right auger bit) and help with shaping and finishing.
I took these new lessons and with the spirit of ‘alright, lets get this bitch done so I can get on with the real project’ I went back down to my shop. The long hole went swimmingly and I was pleased with my effort.
Several steps later I cracked the damn thing in two with my auger bit.
To say I was dejected was an understatement. I immediately packed up my tools, swept up my shop and went to bed. I was sad and annoyed at myself for using an inappropriate timber combined with bad technique. After some deep breathes, journaling, and thoughtful words from friends, “that sucks dude but learning is part of it right?”, I understood that I had the wrong attitude to take on this task, no, this project. This wasn’t a setback, but simply the journey of learning and my failures were only a testament to how much I had still to learn.
Okay. So different timber acquired. Tools sharp. Lessons learned. Lets focus and try my absolute best.
Its possible I’m writing this blog prematurely as it has not seen any actual use yet. But wow I am proud, this feels amazing to make something with such form and craft that I did with hand tools.
It feels great to have learnt as much as I did and to have such love poured into my No5 as it is soon to be one of my most used tools.
This marks the true start to a hopefully long journey of learning and development into the woodworking craft, just like I’ve always dream. And I feel ready.
P.S. I was a teeny premature. After oiling and leaving to dry for 24 hours, the wood had dried and gained some pretty solid cracks. Its not unusable but it hasn't come out perfect. I am still so proud.
Comentários