Workshop Reorganization, part 4

(Go back to part 3)

The main work area: Roubo workbench, with all tools just a few steps to the right. So far I've found this layout very convenient. Schwarz sawbench tucked under the bench overhang.

Wow, when I said workshop reorganization was a popular topic, I didn't realize just how popular! I posted a couple pictures of the tool wall to several forums, and within 5 days had visits from 49 states (Hawaii didn't visit until today) and 46 countries.

There were 1653 visits total, with 2167 views of the workshop reorganization pages. People also stayed to look at other pages: there were 6193 total page views during this period; I crossed the 10,000 mark in 5 more days. So, yeah, it's a popular topic!

I've spent the time since then getting the rest of my shop in order. Now the photos can pull back to show it all (notice how tightly-framed the other photos were!). It was cluttered and disorganized. Now it's clean and tidy, a comfortable place to work, with everything accessible.

I also took the last Big Step. I moved my Shopsmith out of the shop, since I haven't used it for the past two years. There are a still a few power tools accessible: the small Shopsmith bandsaw on a power stand, a mini-lathe, a benchtop planer, and a couple of drills. But except for the lathe, these are now backup tools, for those times when I just have too much lumber to work by hand.

All the other power tools and accessories are in the other part of the basement or buried in the workshop cabinets. I no longer care about accessibility for them, I just want them out of the way, making room for hand tools.

As I was consolidating and rearranging things, that was my guiding principle: if it's not contributing to my hand tool work, move it into the background. Or just get rid of it.

As a result, I actually have a bit of open shelf space. Granted, I boxed a few things up and piled them high to clear space, but that allowed to have all my planes of all different types out and accessible.

My lumber supply was a big problem. I have a lumber rack, but it was overloaded. The scraps were spilling all over. So I gathered up 3 burn barrels worth that we'll use in the outdoor fireplace this summer. I hate to waste scraps, so this will at least get some thermal value out of them. There are still plenty of usable scraps for project bits, but now they're under control.

I stood some of the lumber up against the basement stairwell, resting the ends of the longer pieces against the joists overhead. I've had some of this stuff for over 25 years. Some of it I bought last year from a guy who was selling his home; he was as bad as I was, he'd had it for 30 years! Between the two storage areas, the lumber's now reasonably accessible, and I can pick pieces out without it all coming down on my head. I need to focus on some projects to use this stuff up.

It was a big job, but I just took it an hour or two at a time. That was valuable shop time, but the results are well worth it. My shop is only 16'x24', but clean and organized, that's quite roomy for hand tool work. As with any basement shop, it still retains a bit of the dungeon feel, with bare concrete and exposed joists, wiring, ducts, and pipes overhead, but it's a much more pleasant dungeon. And not tripping all over crap scattered about? Priceless!

View entering the workshop. Additional sawbench and sawhorses to the right. At some point I'll replace those plastic drawer units with some wooden cabinets.

My old workbench, made of 2x4's, plywood, and MDF. Now it makes a good glue and assembly bench. The lumber rack is on the far wall.

Cabinets and rolling clamp rack. The rolling cart is next to the assembly bench. I removed the chisel racks from it and cut off all the Shaker pegs. It's no longer storage, instead it's back to it's original role as a temporary place to hold tools and workpieces as I work, keeping the bench surface as clear as possible.

View from behind the assembly bench.

These shelves hold all my extra wooden and transitional placnes, as well as books and magazines. Miracle of miracles, there's still a bit of unused space!

The workshop helpers: old and new Schwarz sawbenches on the ends, Krenov and Underhill sawhorses in the middle, and Langsner shave horse in the back.

The lumber rack and scrap storage. That's over a year's worth of kitty litter buckets (see, I hate to throw usable stuff out: reuse and recycle!). I should alphabetize that lumber...

The overflow lumber storage at the basement stairway.

A number of comments in the forums jokingly suggested that my shop was too neat to be allowed, but I can say unequivocally that no work space of mine has ever been this nice. I have the tools, I have the shop, now I have no more excuses, time to get busy making stuff! Well, all I need is time.

Here's a quick little video tour of the shop. It doesn't really show any more than the photos, but it might give you a better idea of how it all lays out. The proof that this is indeed just a small shop is in the fact that I couldn't get back far enough from any vantage point to take much in; the camera lens just isn't wide enough.

Supporting Coppice Agroforestry

Not as in the practice of, but as in the book project. CNN had a story today about Kickstarter, a website that allows you to help fund creative projects directly. I found this very interesting.

Poking around a bit on their list of current projects, I found this one: Dave and Mark write "Coppice Agroforestry". Dave Jacke and Mark Krawczyk are using Kickstarter to fund a book they'll be writing on the practice of coppicing. This is the management of woodland resources to harvest and regrow wood repeatedly on the same plant, sustainable over periods measured in decades. The wood produced this way is used for a variety of purposes.

Mark has a website dedicated to green woodworking, http://www.rivenwoodcrafts.com/. He has links to Drew Langsner, Don Weber, Jennie Alexander, and Mike Abbott, all people I'm familiar with. This falls right smack in my area of interest.

I don't know anything about these guys other than what I saw on Kickstarter and their websites, but I made a $50 pledge to help fund the project, for which I'll receive a signed copy of the book, for several reasons:

• I would love to see more books on the subject.
• I'd like to help support a fellow green woodworker.
• I like the Kickstarter concept, another way the Internet allows a larger community to support a shared interest. This is an interesting experiment for both the specific project and the general concept.

The way it works is you make a pledge toward the project's fundraising goal, not as an investor, but as a patron of the arts. If the total goal is met or exceeded by a stated deadline, all the people who made pledges are charged for their pledge amounts; if the goal is not met, all pledges are canceled.

Dave and Mark's goal of $5,000 has been exceeded at this point, but they actually expect to need about $18,000 total, which has not yet been met. They have a funding deadline of December 10, so if you'd like to participate as well, time is growing short.

And hopefully sometime next year, we'll all get to read the book. I could probably just wait and get a copy cheaper, but part of the Kickstarter concept is that if it's something that interests you, you get to help make it happen.

That's the thing. Without support up front, these projects might never happen, and something that you might enjoy seeing or reading might never come to be. You never know what these might grow into. This is opportunity creation. You might even want to try a project yourself.

Intro Hand Tools: References

Go: Intro Hand Tools Main Page | Table Of Contents

References are normally listed at the end, but I want to give credit where credit is due and show you where you can go for more information. I've distilled things into primary and secondary references below, in roughly chronological order.

All of the individual images are links taking you to a source where you can buy the item online. I earn a small commission from sales as a referring site. But more importantly, the authors and associated people who put time and effort into them, and who are trying to earn a living from them, are rewarded for their efforts. Without their hard work, this information might have been lost. By supporting them, you enable them to produce more.

Primary References
Secondary References

These are the sources I've learned from over the past 4 years. I continue to learn from them as I progress and go back to re-evaluate them.

Primary references are the ones I feel provide the best instruction for the beginner trying to learn the fundamental techniques. Secondary references provide supplementary information or are good substitutes if the primaries aren’t available.

The books range from reprints of centuries-old historical works through early- and mid-20th century to contemporary. That provides nice historical continuity and different perspectives. Some are no longer in print but are available used. Two nice recent trends are the digital publication of historical works in the public domain, and republication of out-of-print classics; these help make obscure or out-of-print materials accessible to the rest of us.

The online forums listed on my links page are an excellent additional resource. You can dig through huge treasure troves of knowledge, and post questions to a wide base of fellow woodworkers. Just be prepared for the occasional stormy rough and tumble of conflicting opinions!

Some Comments
These aren't the only worthwhile references. They just happen to be the ones that I own and think are good for getting started. There are many other good books and videos available; I don't mean to imply that they're not useful by their absence here.

Of the contemporary authors, I'm most partial to Chris Schwarz and Roy Underhill. Chris' work has completely transformed my hobby, and he got me to pay attention to people like Roy, who's been out there waving his arms at us for nearly 30 years.

Occasionally you'll see some pretty baldly-stated opinions about what works and what doesn't, especially in the forums. I always take anything that claims to be "the best method" or "the only method worth knowing" with a grain of salt. There are also opinions of the "that just doesn't work" type, even when someone has been doing perfectly fine using it.

There are many ways to do the same things. That's why it's good to use multiple sources. In addition, each teacher has a different emphasis and presentation. Details that might not be apparent in one may show up better in another.

That also answers the question, "If these books and videos are so good, why are you doing your own version?" I have my own interpretations to offer, skewed to the beginner, since I was only recently a rank novice myself. I still have plenty of room for improvement, but I know enough to get people going and spread the knowledge.

I like to know the variety of options available. Then I can select the one I feel is most appropriate to the situation, given the tools available. As a hobbyist, I'm also free to try a method purely on whim, without deadline pressure or the need to earn a living from it. I may or may not decide to continue using it.

Keep an open mind. You never know when a method you've previously rejected may be the only way you can get a particular job done.

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Primary References

Books

The Joiner and Cabinet Maker, by Anonymous, Christopher Schwarz, and Joel Moskowitz, 1839, republished 2009. The original edition described how a boy could become an apprentice, taking the reader through three progressively more advanced projects. Moskowitz has added historical context and footnotes for the modern reader, and Schwarz has gone through building the projects, with photos. This excellent book is a rare glimpse into woodworking 180 years ago; the tools and methods are still used. Between the original text and Schwarz's updated build descriptions, its stepwise progression is particularly suited to the beginner, making it a good introductory course all on its own. Available with or without DVD containing slideshow and SketchUp drawings.

The Complete Woodworker, edited by Bernard E. Jones, c1917, republished 1980. Mostly lives up to its title. Covers a variety of basic techniques and joinery, though the writing of this era was rather stilted. Includes a number of good illustrations and quaint photos of workmen in vests and ties. Available used.

The Junior Woodworker, by Charles H. Hayward, 1952. Much more clearly written, reflecting the style of the later era. This superb book, written for boys, is really for any beginning woodworker regardless of age or gender. It contains excellent illustrations. Hayward wrote a number of other very good woodworking books as well. Available used. This is one that really needs to be republished!

The Essential Woodworker, by Robert Wearing, 1990, republished 2010. Covers basic skills with exercises, then goes through the techniques of table, carcase, and drawer/box construction.

The Complete Dovetail, by Ian Kirby, 1999. Covers a progression of dovetail styles with detailed drawings and photos. Also covers basic stock preparation, with good advice on practicing techniques.

 
The Woodwright's Apprentice, 1996
The Woodwright's Guide, 2008, by Roy Underhill. The two most recent companion books to the long-running PBS series "The Woodwright's Shop", and I believe the most practical of them for someone learning hand tool skills. Apprentice contains a number of projects that start using basic techniques and work up from there. Building them in order would constitute a fairly complete course in woodworking. Guide is a spectacular detailing of skills from the felling of trees through a variety of fine joinery. While the initial raw timber processing may not be of use to most readers, the rest of the book is extremely useful. Rather than projects, it focuses on the individual techniques.

Hand Tools: Their Ways and Workings, by Aldren A. Watson, 2002. A superbly illustrated and detailed compendium of hand tools showing basic usage, including a chapter on sharpening a variety of items.

Choosing and Using Hand Tools, by Andy Rae, 2002. A photographic compendium of hand tools. You'll be envious. Just don't  think you need to own everything shown! Also contains plans for several shop projects, including a knock-down version of a Krenov-style trestle sawhorse.

Working With Handplanes, by the editors of Fine Woodworking, 2005. A collection of articles on setup and usage, including specialty planes, spokeshaves, and scrapers.

Success With Joints, by Ralph Laughton, 2005. Covers a range of joints with detailed photos.

Hand Tool Essentials, by the editors of Popular Woodworking Magazine, 2007. An excellent collection of articles covering a broad variety of hand tools and techniques. You may not appreciate it all at once, but I found myself returning to this book repeatedly as I advanced step by step and found another article more interesting than the last time.

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Magazine Back Issues

Popular Woodworking, April, 2007 (Digital issue) containing the article "Sensible Sharpening" by Mike Dunbar. He explains how to use sandpaper on a flat substrate for freehand sharpening, and goes through sharpening a variety of tools. This was the article that moved me away from jigs when sharpening, though I now use India stones.

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Videos and CDs

Handplane Basics, by Christopher Schwarz, 2009. A followup to Coarse, Medium, and Fine (see below) that does a better, more focused job of showing basic handplane usage. His best video, this one really distills it down to essence.

The Arts and Mysteries of Hand Tools, by Adam Cherubini, 2009. The complete collection of Cherubini's wonderful "Arts and Mysteries" column from Popular Woodworking magazine through August, 2009. Covers a range of basic topics and projects. A couple of the columns also appear in Hand Tool Essentials.

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Online Resources

The Three Kinds of Saw Cuts, by Christopher Schwarz, Lee Valley/Veritas Woodworking Newsletter Vol. 1, Issue 5, July 2007. Details third- through first-class saw cuts, the coarse, medium, and fine of sawing, as Schwarz originally read in Robert Wearing's The Essential Woodworker.

Coarse, Medium, and Fine, by Christopher Schwarz, 2008. Distinguishes between handplanes as coarse, medium, and fine tools. This first crystallized the proper setup and order of use of bench planes for me.

Sharpening Plane Irons and Chisels, by Christopher Schwarz, 2008. Details sharpening with jigs and waterstones. While I now use India stones without a jig, this was the article that finally set me on the road to good sharpening.

How to Clean a Saw
Saw Filing--A Beginner's Primer
The How's of Setting Saws
by Pete Taran. Restoring and maintaining hand saws, from his Vintage Saws Library of Fine Tool Journal articles.

Sharpening Part 1: Plane Irons
Sharpening Part 2: Flattening Stones, Notes on Chisels and Re-establishing the Primary Bevel
Videos with Deneb Puchalski of Lie-Nielsen Toolworks using waterstones and jigs.

Saws Part 1: Techniques and Sharpening a Rip Saw
Saws Part 2: Sharpening a Cross Cut Saw and Setting Saw Teeth>
Saws Part 3: Jointing, Care & Maintenance>
Videos with Tom Lie-Nielsen of Lie-Nielsen Toolworks.

Shoulder Planes Part 1: Setup
Shoulder Planes Part 2: Use and Care
Videos with Angie Kopacek of Lie-Nielsen Toolworks.

Sharpening A Cabinet Scraper , by Dougal Charteris. Video showing a simple and effective method. This was what finally enabled me to get shavings from a scraper.

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Secondary References

Books

The Art Of Joinery, by Joseph Moxon, with commentary by Christopher Schwarz, 1678, republished 2008. Schwarz describes this as the earliest English-language book on woodworking. He does a nice job of bringing the presentation up to date for contemporary readers. Moxon is sometimes criticized because he wasn't actually a woodworker, and he made some technical mistakes. But what I find most fascinating is that over 330 years later, the tools and methods described are still used.

The Practical Woodworker, edited by Bernard E. Jones, c1918, republished 1983. A companion book to Jones' The Complete Woodworker, covering additional advanced techniques and projects. Contains a nice chapter on workshops, with workbench styles that show up in later work by Underhill and Schwarz. Available used.

Planecraft, by C.W. Hampton and E. Clifford, 1934, republished 1959 and 1997. Apparently originally published by the Record tool company, covers some history, basic setup and usage, as well as use of specialty and combination planes.

 
The Woodwright's Shop, 1981
The Woodwright's Companion, 1983
The Woodwright's Work Book, 1986
The Woodwright's Eclectic Workshop, 1991, by Roy Underhill. The earlier companion books to the "The Woodwright's Shop". These range all over a variety of traditional woodworking skills.

Japanese Woodworking Tools, by Toshio Odate, 1984, republished 1998. While I'm not using Japanese tools or methods here, this excellent book is one of the few covering them.

Practical and Decorative Woodworking Joints

Practical and Decorative Woodworking Joints, by John E. N. Bairstow. Quickly moves past beginner stage, but describes a number of joints, including several intricate Japanese styles. Something to work up to.

The Wooden Plane, by John M. Whelan, 1993. Encyclopedic illustrated guide to all types of wooden planes, including a catalog of molding profiles. As well as a brief history, it includes glossary for plane terms from 5 countries. Based on prices, appears to be out of print.

Green Woodworking, by Drew Langsner, 1995. A superb book on working wood in the green state (i.e. recently cut, before it has dried). The projects are more rustic and the techniques are much different from cutting and joining dried wood, but they're well worth knowing. Available used.

Understanding Wood, by R. Bruce Hoadley, 2000. The encyclopedia of wood technology.

The Seven Essentials of Woodworking, by Anthony Guidice, 2001. While this has excellent information, it also has some strong opinions. Guidice uses German bowsaws rather than English saws.

Tool-Making Projects for Joinery and Woodworking, by Steve A. Olesin, 2005. A nice collection within the range of the beginner.

Handplane Essentials, by Christopher Schwarz, 2009. A collection of Schwarz's articles on handplanes, covering tool selection, sharpening and setup, basic and specialized techniques, and tool reviews. A couple of the articles also appear in Hand Tool Essentials.

Made By Hand, by Tom Fidgen, 2009. Some basic instruction, building a Krenov-style trestle sawhorse, followed by a number of very nice contemporary projects. And his pile of books sure looks a lot like mine!

The Perfect Edge, by Ron Hock, 2009. I hadn't originally included this book, because when I looked at it at the bookstore I was already familiar with the information he presents on sharpening by hand. However, I did buy a copy when I wanted information on blade metallurgy; this is an excellent beginner's reference. There's similar coverage of abrasives, and a comprehensive survey of powered sharpening systems, as well as every sharpening doodad on the market. He also covers tuning and restoring several types of old tools. So there's bound to be something in here you don't already have from other resources.

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Videos

Coarse, Medium, and Fine, by Christopher Schwarz, 2005. An expansion of the concepts covered in the article by the same name, demonstrating handplane usage.

Building Furniture With Hand Planes, by Christopher Schwarz, 2007. Setup and use of handplanes building a small Shaker cabinet.

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Online Resources

How To Make Woodwork Tools, by Charles H. Hayward, c1945. Available as a free download from Toolemera Press. Another nice selection of toolmaking projects within the range of the beginner.

The Woodwright's Shop, videos with Roy Underhill. Several recent seasons of the program. While his presentation can seem haphazard, he crams an enormous amount of incredibly valuable information into a short time. Try to keep up!