Electric Tool Must Haves?

Impossible to answer

rononkokomo

There are some on the list for whom the answer is None

And the continuum goes to power tool users who have some interest in hand tools.

I know what St. Roy would say

That is an easy question to answer

Bill Tindall

You need the tools you need determined by your skills and interests and only you can decide what you need. When I could not hand cut dovetails I "needed" a dovetail jig and router. Now I don't. Nobody else made, or could make, that decision for me. I could not make what I want to make without a jointer. But that in no way suggests that you need one to make what you want to make. It will become obvious if you do, or don't.

I have been growing my skills in recent projects and my need for some tools has increased and my need for others has waned.

Drill press

Bob Hackett

A decent floor model with a deep throat or a radial drill.

Nothing comes close to a drill press (except a milling machine) for drilling accurate, properly angled,consistent holes.

And a lathe, I`m a turner too so a lathe is a must.

Re: That is an easy question to answer

Bruce McCrory

I like your reasoning, Bill. I think my transition to a hand saw from circular slips into your theory.

But don't we infer "desire" by your explanation? I have a hundred, plus, feet of wood ready for my new thickness planer. But after that, unless it is a big project, the need will wane by lack of demand of new work. Recently, I have "needed" two drills--they lack modern conveniences like hand chucks--for preboring, and screwing. I hand smoothed all the sticks for my outdoor chairs, but the planer would have been a dream; and much prettier.

A "must have" list is exclusive of desire. I chose a radial arm saw--flipped a coin, I think--and regretted it since. Some people would include a router in the need list. I almost lost a finger to one--they do fast hamburger grinding. I have rarely used it since, because it is a pain to setup and make jigs. Unless you like to tempt fate.

The "must list" also falls into the limited space constraint.

Re: Impossible to answer

TomD

Do we really know about St Roy, do you think he pulls out an electric drill when he hands drywall around the house.

Re: That is an easy question to answer

TomD

Hand tools are only the skilled tools if you don't have the hand tools skills. Table saws demand a lot of skill in use, and there are a lot of power tools that take more skill than most hand tools, say hand carving aside. Hand tools are gaining the momentum because people have finally figured out that many of the tools require minimal skill to use, sharpening aside, and that many of the tools are jigged to provide a certain outcome. Workmanship of risk vs certainty, and there are plenty of of examples of either one from either side of the ledger.

lathe

Jack Guzman from Maine

I build chairs.The only tool I need that fits in this category is a lathe but it doesn't necessarily have to run on electricity. I'm considering getting/building a treadle lathe.---Jack

Re: Impossible to answer

rononkokomo

Drywall is kinda, by definition, not woodworking

Me too Jack

Re: Electric Tool Must Haves?

John in NM

I use all on your list plus others. Its really more a matter of the job dictating the need to me - hand tool or power, you can do most jobs either way. In some cases I find hand tools more efficient in others I find power more efficient.

Then in other cases, I find the hand tool just plain more fun to use, so I do it that way for that reason.

For myself and myself alone...

Schtoo

I think I'll keep a hold of my 10" jointer, 12" thickness planer, bandsaw, table saw, drill press, router(s), hand-held power planer, lathe, etc, etc.

The wood doesn't care what cuts it, and I'd prefer to spend the time and effort where hand tools add the final touch, cut the joinery, etc.

I've thicknessed panels by hand, S4S by hand and all the rest of it, and if that turns you on, go for it but I quite honestly couldn't be bothered because, the wood doesn't care.

I know I can do it by hand though, and if needed I can and will do it again but it's not something I want to do.

Stu.

(Says I using brand new really big chisels as paperweights at the moment... )

Re: lathe

Bruce McCrory

Yup, when you need it often. I keep wanting a lathe, but I have survived with a pocket knife and plane for my needs.

Re: And belt sander...

Bruce McCrory

You mention a "hand-held power planer." My experience with one is from quite a few years ago. They were pretty aggressive and useful in building-framing situations where the results were covered with gyp-board.

My sharp-nosed B and D belt sander--needed for toe space under deck railing--serves a similar function. I slide in #40 belts and wield it like a chainsaw artist. Great for a face full of dust!

And to think, I used a sanding block, orbital pad on drill, and vibrating palm sander for the first finish on the new decking... It was built using 1x4 trim cedar. I had to knock down the roughed up surface. The 1x4 is a long story--old story.

Re: Impossible to answer

TomD

Quibble. OK, cutting the 2x for his garage extension. Though were drywall is concerned, a brace is actually a pretty cool tool. The thing about Roy is he is/was a historical interpreter, and I don't know whether that precludes his using power tools in his private life. My wife did that job for quite a few years, and cooked on a wooden stove, but she used regular appliances at home.

"Cooked on a wooden stove"

Bob Hackett

Thought that was a one shot deal.

I personally prefer camp fires, less trouble to build them.

Re: "Cooked on a wooden stove"

TomD

Not sure what the first phrase means?

She loves a campfire, where I am the odd modernist outdoorsman who never uses one. She is terrible at cooking on a fire. She does not have the patience to let the fire burn down to clean burning coals, and everything comes out like it was spray painted in soot. For years at the farm we had a wood burning stove to cook on, and a large pot for hot water. It was widely regarded as a great step forward when we got an electric stove and hot water, and it sure cut down on the firewood we needed to bring in.

Actually, no.

Schtoo

The belt sander and I have never seen eye-to-eye, which is why I gravitated towards hand planes.

The power planer however is, for me, the mother, father, grandpa, uncle, drill sergeant and paratrooper of scrub planes. Fantastic for getting something big and wavy a lot flatter fast. Can make a mess of things real fast too.

(Also don't guide it with your off hand. I only got a nick, power off, but that cured me!)

Just one of those things. You got to take it by the scruff of the neck and use it, and see how it works for you.

Stu.

Re: "Cooked on a wooden stove"

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

Ya build your stove out of wood, and you won't likely get more than one good use from it. I think that's what Bob meant.

Electric Hand Planers!!

Thomas Skaggs, Foothills of Mount Level

You know those hand planes that you have to push with your own elbow grease? Who needs tose when they make electric hand planers???

T.

Ok....I'm just kidding!! And NO...I don't own one!!! ;-)

Re: Electric Tool Must Haves?

William Duffield

There isn't much that I couldn't do, if I had to, completely with hand tools, except I don't have a treadle or spring pole lathe. But, I'm getting too old to do much rough stock reduction by hand, so I think the jointer and planer will have to stay.

The power tool that has spoiled me the worst, however, is the Festool Domino. It just makes it too easy to get the M&T joinery right the first time, every time, with no question about its integrity.

Re: Electric Tool Must Haves?

Marhk

Interesting concept here. Let's all go back to the 18th century. Now, since you are running the fantasy what role would you like to play? I don't want to be the slave or the apprentice in a shop. I would want to play the master. (Too bad I don't have the skills to go with the idea - but that's another story.) So, my electric tools play the role of the grunt characters. Surfacing a board is good exercise. Sometimes I do it for fun. Face it, it's boring! I let the tools prepare the wood 4-square and flat so that I, as the master, can then work my skillful magic. (hey, it's my shop and my fantasy!) Woodworking is my golf - I have to enjoy it.

Ah, yuh

Bob Hackett

That would be exactly what Bob meant.

Re: No Fantasy

Bruce McCrory

... because my leash is short. The space is limited. There is a definite finite number of power tools to play with. I am not thinking of twenty-five dollar electric screw-drivers. I am thinking substantial investment--not a Festool at Lamborgini prices. Examples would be table saws, band saws.

The little planer I got is getting really pricey. If I do what is needed, there will be investment in an electrician (local codes support their guild after 50 watts) to upgrade for more dedicated 20 amp circuits; knives are $50 to $60 a pop. I had to get a 20A extension cord and shut down everything on the garage circuit, including lights. The vacuum got power from the outdoor lighting breaker.

Obviously, investment and space depends on one's budget. I am dragging heels because electrical upgrade is going to be a huge investment.

Re: No Fantasy

Robin Corell in Atascadero CA

Something dosen't sound right if you need to turn off every power draw including the lights just to run your planer. I don't have my old lunch box planer aymore but I would be surprised if it drew more than 10 amps. My current planer is a vintage 12" with a true 1 hp motor and it only draws 12 amps.

I am a huge fan of having the lights on a seperte circut from the wall outlets. Its a bummer to pop a circut but even worse to be standing in the dark too.

To answer your orignal question the tools will be dictated by the work you do. I I couldn't get by without my 16" disc sander or my industrial spindle sander but most wood workers would have little use for either. for me those and my bandsaw get the most use, probably follwed by my planer and then my drill press.

Robin

Ps. Of the 60 or so chisels and gouges I own there are 2 that do about 90 % of the hand work, and I actually do a fair bit of carving.