HTT018 – Carpenters, Joiners, and Nailed Furniture

Yes, times do change don’t they 🙂 . I’ve made quite a few changes in my tools over the years. I was pretty sure I discussed this in a previous podcast, but looking over the show notes from past shows, I realize that I didn’t do so in the main podcast. I might have done so in one of the Patron extra shows. I’ll definitely discuss in greater detail in a future podcast. Probably not in tomorrow’s episode (have other questions that have been waiting), but maybe in the one after that. Here’s the Cliff’s Notes version though:

• The Ashley Iles chisels that I had were great steel. However, they were very top heavy due to the very large bolster design and the heavy rosewood London pattern handles that my set had. They didn’t fit with the way I worked and caused me a lot of hand fatigue, so I sold them for something lighter.
• The set of 12 antique firmer chisels that I put together was just too big of a set. I probably only used about half of the chisels in that set. I hated to break the set up since all the handles were done as a set. So I sold them to keep the set together. I still have a small set of antique firmers that I still use regularly, in addition to the few LN chisels that I also have, as well as a few Japanese chisels. I have all three kinds for a few reasons, one of which is for my intro to hand tools demonstrations/seminars, where I discuss the different options in bench chisels.
• I started out using all metal planes a long time ago. I switched to primarily wooden hand planes as that’s what I enjoyed, and I was heavy into studying preindustrial tools and methods. But when we moved and I lost my climate controlled shop, my wooden planes went bonkers. They moved constantly and I found myself needing to retune/retrue them almost every time I used them. So I sold most of them and replaced them with old Stanleys and new LNs to avoid the movement issues. But I couldn’t stay away long. I’ve added some woodies back into my kit because I just love them. But I don’t use them as often as my metal planes because they still have issues with movement in my current shed. Once I build my new shop (after I finish the cabin), and things are more climate controlled again, I’m sure the woodies will settle down and I’ll use them more often.

Hi Joe, thanks for the comment! I will certainly post this list. And if this happens to be the same Joe that left a voicemail with this same question, I did get it. Listen to the show publishing later today for your voicemail to be played. Thanks again!