Vintage woodworking tools.

[Bazoo]

I am a carpenter by trade and use electric power tools out of necessity. But I have a keen interest in the old ways and have always collected antique or old style woodworking tools. Things like draw knife, chisels, brace, crank drills.

Currently I have a brace, a 4 Jack plane, a yankee drill (need a few more bits), a good drawknife.

I don’t have a large collection currently but I am always keeping an eye out for new additions. Things on my radar currently are a large gouge chisel 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 size. A block plain, and another Jack plane. Some bits for my hand brace. An egg beater drill. Oh, a spoke shave. And of course axes. I’m always checking yard sales for such.

Anyways I’m wondering if anyone else enjoys this hobby? Pictures of vintage tools always welcome.

[Bazoo]

Here’s my Jack plane. It’s in process of being cleaned up.

[country gent]

I help several old farmers repair old barns learned mortise and tenon dowel joints. The last work bench I built was old school All mortise and tenon or doweled joints no nails screws or bolts. The only bolts are to hold the vises on. Also used wedges to tighten the mortise tenon joints before pinning them. Sometimes the old way is better.

Using the hand tools of the era is a real skill set to have, and offers more options on a project.

[contender1]

Do you have any of the vintage Ruger hand tools?

Here's a pair of different Ruger Corporation hand drills.

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[Sam Sackett]

Bazoo, in a former life I had a full wood shop and accumulated hand tools also. Well, the shop went bye bye, but I still have some of the hand tools. I have stored them for years because I just don’t know who might want them. I don’t have a use for them and don’t foresee getting deep into woodworking again. I’d have to check, but am pretty sure I hav3 (at least) the following….

2 #5 Bailey Jack planes
2 Braces
1 Drawknife
A couple plus parts of spokeshaves
And probably more if I dig.

Would you be interested? If not cash, trade reloading stuff.

PM and let me know. We can dicker.

Sam Sackett

[beemer]

I was a furniture pattern maker for many years, it sparked an interest in old hand tools. I have a fairly good collection but have been selling a few off. I have no family members interested so I am only keeping what I need. At 70 I will not wear much of anything out. I think I have more planes than anything, from a finger plane to a 2 foot Stanley.

[MrWolf]

I was at a client's place about 20 years ago. One of the older workers overheard me talking about redoing a house and making stuff for it. He comes in the next day with a few things including an old block plane. Said he had no one to give it to and liked hearing me talk about various projects. Very nice of him.

[Hondolane]

If someday the power goes out, it may be good to have a few tools that a person can make things with. May not be a bad idea to have a few analog reloading pieces of equipment as well. Electricity is never guaranteed, look at the sub stations in North Carolina and Seattle just recently.

[15meter]

Still use my handsaws, both crosscut and rip. At times faster than getting out the skilsaw and an extension cord.

Brace has largely been replaced by the cordless drills.

Except when there is a difficult screw to remove. A screwdriver bit in a brace is the best tool for removing stuck screws.

With the brace, you can put your full weight on the brace to prevent camming out. I've never been able to do that with a regular screwdriver. Even with a square shanked screwdriver with a wrench on the shank for leverage.

And the hex drive magnetic screwdriver bit holders fit perfectly in a brace.

Braces work even better for precision driving of wood screws. Worked on restoration of a 70 year old wood sailboat a dozen years ago, 1200+ silicon bronze wood screws to drive into white oak framing through western red cedar planking.

Brace was the tool of choice. You could control driving the screws perfectly. No over-driven screws damaging the planking.

[jim 44-40]

Old wood working tools are the first thing I hunt down at yard sales and flea markets.The last nice yield was a sweet little Norlund hatchet for 5 bucks.And nothing beats a sharp plane iron that produces a thin shaving the whole length of a board

[John Guedry]

I have several hand saws I use when its two much trouble to drag out an extension cord. The problem is to find someone to sharpen and set them when they are not quiet sharp. ie (DULL)

[pworley1]

It looks like you are off to a good start. Good luck with your collection.

[Rapier]

Not many folks today are interested in high quality hand tools. They only want power tools. I grew up with a grandfather and father that used hand tools as carpenters every single day. Saw boxes, I still have my dad's little red book, on the functions of the framing square. Of course today, finding a real saw sharpener is a trick. Somewhere around here I still have my dad's hand saw tooth setting tool.
One thing a hand saw is great for is cutting creosote posts, pilings or bridge timbers. You can control the sawdust in the hot sun.

[abunaitoo]

I too enjoy old tools.
Have a small collection.
Also have a few that need to be repaired.
Just getting to old to do it these days.
If your interested, I can dig them out and post some pictures.

[blackthorn]

I have had a cabin "off the grid" since 1964. Over the years I have accumulated a good number of hand tools from axes to wood planes. Good things to have. Early on I was putting in a sink and did not have a drill to start the hole for the drain through the floor. Stood on a chair and used a 12 gauge to start a hole I could then get my key-hole saw into. Fun times!

[Daver7]

I use this old Stanley doweling jig to drill holes for tuners in slot head guitars that I build

[country gent]

A sharp plane used correctly saves a lot of sanding.

[WRideout]

"Stood on a chair and used a 12 gauge to start a hole I could then get my key-hole saw into. Fun times!"

My wife just doesn't understand the utility value of things like that.

Wayne

[farmbif]

there is a surprisingly big interest in quality hand woodworking tools. ive got some old stuff in my shop. I used to have lots of stuff, auctioned off some of the lesser quality stuff. the auctioneer that came to pick stuff up going ape crazy saying we could sell all this stuff, no problem. and sure enough he got really top dollar for everything.
I once bought a homemade chest filled with super high quality chisel sets, carving chisel sets, curved chisel sets, spoke shaves, bowl shaves. hand saws and more the pawn shop surely did not know what they had and gave it to me for $99 out the door. I went online and looked the stuff up, retail value is over $2k like 15 years ago, many of the items from Germany and Japan.
its always good to have the proper tools when your trying to get a job done right.
Garrett wade and rocker are very successful because there is such a demand for quality hand tools
I dont use the stuff a lot but when I do use it works great and most hold razor edge very very well.

[WRideout]

A while ago I had two hammer heads that I was about to send to the boneyard, when I thought about the spokeshave that I had never yet used. I looked around for a piece of wood to use, and found some hardwood from a pallet that was actually very hard and resilient. Had to draw file the base of the spokeshave to make it smooth, but after that it cut very well. Finished with brown shoe dye and polish.



My grandaughter Lily wants to do everything I do, of course. So I gave her a quick lesson, and started her on a handle I was making for a rake. She loved it!



Wayne