What tools for trim work?

Re: What tools for trim work?

Ray B.

>I do a lot of trim work as part of my job(self employed so I can get away with using the hand tools...) and can list some of the stuff I always have with me:

-General Compass for scribing

-Stanley 60 1/2 block plane

-Lie Nielsen rabbet block plane(apparently they might all be low angle..I'm not sure based on the website and I bought mine 2nd hand..now I'm figuring I might have been sharpening at the wrong blade angle all along but I digress)

-Disston crosscut saw

-Stanley miter box..I bought one of the new ones as it is smaller and easier to move around from room to room, the old ones I've owned had huge blades

-Starrett 6foot folding rule with extension slide

-Johnson Eco wood level

-General wood handled awl

-Sliding t-bevel for checking corners

-Swanson Metal speed sqare( I know a regular square is more traditional but mine always seemed to get knocked out of alignment in the toolbox)

-Coping Saw and extra blades

-couple of long handled screwdrivers for putting in hinge screws

What Ray said plus..

Jack Guzman from Maine

>You also should have a small set of butt chisels and a way to hone them.Also a small eggbeater style drill with common screw size bits. If you're going to be hanging doors butt markers and a router plane come in real handy.One tool I always use when doing household trim is a 6" combination square. Oh yea,you're also going to need a few good nail sets.---Jack

Re: What tools for trim work? *LINK*

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>Boy, this is hard to say, but I can't imagine much that I couldn't do in the way of trim if I had a CMS on wheeled miter saw stand, a coping saw, a miter gauge such as the Starrett or the much cheaper LV Angle Fix gauge, a small hand drill for predrilling, a hand held counter sink ( http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=3124 ), a good nail set and hammer.

That's assuming you'll be buying preformed trim. If not, hollows and rounds and/or molding planes, a very long workbench with appropriate vises, and a set of sharpening stones.

Pam


Starrett Miter Gauge

Re: What Ray said plus..

Ray B.

>Are you using that router plane to clean out hinge mortises Jack? Does it save much time over chiseling? I just use a chisel closest to the mortest depth and, I hate to say this, my 16oz finish hammer to chisel out the mortises.

Re: What Ray said plus..

Jack Guzman from Maine

>I use a chisel when I don't have the router plane with me.The router is quick and easy.With a chisel you need to use care when finishing the mortise.With a router you just set the depth and cut your outline.I use butt markers for that.I have one each of 3",3 1/2", and 4" I got on ebay for $2 each.I use a claw hammer with my chisels,but they are plastic handled with metal striking plates on the end.---Jack

Re: What tools for trim work?

Jim in Burlington On

>I can remember doing lots of trim without having any quality hand tools at all. I have a bunch of round files, a couple square files, a cheap coping saw, 2 sliding bevel gauges, chalk line, sharp knife, pocket full of small common trim nails, hand held push brad tool, nice pair of wire cutters (tricky small nails don't always go in), couple sizes of nail set's with both the concave head and sharp ground spike head, couple of wooden miter boxes, couple of pencil sharpeners, really good pair of knee pads, little bottle of fish glue or Crazy glue. If you don't own a rolling platform or scaffolding I'd invest in some they are so cheap now.

Re: What Ray said plus..

Ray B.

>Out of curiosity do you chisel at all or use exclusively the router plane?

I've seen the hinge mortise planes but they were all woodies that used wedges and looked to be a bit of a hassle for the job site. I just picked up a bullnose plane, perhaps I should give it a try in the same capacity.

Re: What Ray said plus..

Jack Guzman from Maine

>I do the whole thing with a chisel when I don't have the router with me. When I do use the router,I strike the outline with the butt marker,sharpen the edges with the chisel and then remove the material with the router.It goes quick once you're set up.---Jack

Re: What tools for trim work?

Joe Piotrowski --> chi-town burbs!

>Thanks for input everyone.