Hand Tools for Power Tool Woodworkers

Confusing the Beginners-In Person

I don’t make many personal appearances, but next Saturday, October 27, I will be at the Woodcraft store in Roswell, Georgia. I’ll be giving some presentations and hanging around to talk to people. If you’re in the area I hope you’ll find the time to stop by and say hello.

A week or so ago I wrote on the blog about what hand tools I use, and one of the things I’ll be talking about in Georgia is using hand tools in a modern woodworking shop. One of the things I see happen is that people who want to learn to use hand tools get overwhelmed and confused by the variety of tools, and the tendency of experts to get bogged down in minutia. One of the most frequent questions we get asked at the magazine is, “What tools and skills do I need to get started?” My answer is, “You don’t need them all, and if you can shave your face without cutting off your nose, you’re well on the way to developing the skills.”

My plan is to go through the basics, give some recommendations on the most often-used tools, the skills to use them effectively, and some techniques you don’t see every day. I will also be talking about the Festool Domino
the experience we’ve had with it here in our shop, and how it compares to other methods of making joints.

In between the formal stuff, I’ll be there to answer questions and talk about almost anything. If you have a copy of one of my books I’ll be glad to sign it, and if you want to pick up a book or a set of large format plans, I’ll have them on hand. I hope to see you there.

– Bob Lang