Avatar Of Jonas JensenJonas Jensen
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Post count: 17

Keep it simple

Hello Zabinsky

My advice is to keep it simple.

A start “kit” depends largely on the type of projects you want to make.

Brian Eve at “toolerable” made a series of post about a beginners tool kit which he recommends: http://toolerable.blogspot.nl/p/blog-page_13.html

I have made quite a few projects while at sea, so I have been forced to get by using a very limited tool kit. That too could work as a start kit. Here’s a link to a post that shows my travelling tool kit: http://mulesaw.blogspot.dk/2014/12/maritime-woodworking-tools.html

I use a hack saw for dovetailing, and a cheap general purpose saw for ripping, resawing an crosscutting. If it is something small I use the Japanese saw that I bring with me.

90% of the time I only use the 1/4″ and the 3/8″ chisels. The 1″ works as a paring chisel for me . But my projects are usually chests and things of that size.

The thing I find really makes a change for hand tool work is a dedicated scrub plane, or a dedicated scrub iron. That will enable you to prepare stock reasonably fast. The thing my tool kit needs is a jointer plane, but due to air line travel and weight restraints, I have chosen not to bring one.

Clamps are a thing that weighs heavy on a budget, and I think they are difficult to get by without.

You would need some sort of sharpening medium as well.

By keeping the kit pretty small, you are “forced” to work your way around a challenge, and that will develop you skills. If you have too many tools for a start, it is too easy to jump between tools all the time, and you might get the project done, but you spend too much time getting to know each tool and its strengths.

Since you have a table saw, I would use that one for preparing stock. Resawing is not fun to do by hand, and then you could perhaps spend some money on buying a dovetail saw instead of a Disston.

Best of luck

Jonas