Official Luthiers Forum!

So after doing some reading, I've decided to gradually start tooling up. I think I'm going to start out with hand tools as they are cheaper and try to limit my use of power tools as much as possible at least for the moment. I've never actually been in the market for tools for woodworking so I'm looking for some guidance. I'm a firm believer in buying high quality things from the start, especially when they are things that will last you a lifetime such as tools so even if there's a price premium, I want to get an excellent set of tools from reputable manufacturers. So what should I be looking for? Are there any notable companies to be looking out for? What makes a chisel or plane high quality? What features and details should I be on the lookout for?

I'm pretty much looking to buy a full set of hand tools right now so please feel free to ring in about any particular hand tool you might know about whether it be files, chisels, saws, planes, etc...

Thanks.

Right now there are quite a few different chisel manufacturers out there making quality chisels - Robert Sorby, Two Cherries, LMI has thier own tools made by an excelent German foundry with High quality steel, Pfeil, etc etc etc ....
I have the complete LMI set and while its expensive, it holds an edge almost twice and long as my Pfeil set of chisels... I would reccomend them easily.... the tintul handles look spiff too!
Toddstock knows the most about hand tools around here,,,
He recommends that a well tuned up vintage Stanley plane, is every bit as good as a newer hierloom quality tool such as Lie Nielsen,
but I like the notion of shiny gleaming brass and steel beauties in my (eventually constructed) tool cabinet....
I like making my own tool karma so I went Lie Nielsen.... but I find it definitely takes longer to tool up when your not independantly wealthy,,,
Theres a way to easily identify a high quality tool usually - look at the price tag!
Cheers
Charlie

Go to lawn sales in your area and look for vintage tools in decent shape. Or eBay, plenty of it there but you have to know what to look for. Vintage Stanley or Bailey planes are usually cheap and worth the work you'll put into getting them in shape. It's also an excellent learning experience, plenty of info on the web if you look for it. Turn of the century Buck, Greenlee, Stanley or Swan chisels are usually every bit as good as expensive boutique tools (some will argue with that…). I don't like Lie-Nielsen planes, they're too heavy for delicate work IMO.
Get a set of waterstones, flatten the backs, work an edge and you're ready to go. It takes time to know how to sharpen, it's a never ending quest. New tools require work to be usable anyway.
I've never spent more than $15 to get a good chisel or plane, but then I can easily spend 2 hours to get an old tool back to shape.
No need to spend tons of $$$, especially if you're starting.
Don't buy cheap import crap, or even average tools, thinking you'll buy the good stuff later: they won't hold an edge, nor will you get them sharp enough to do good work.

_________________
Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

For my money, a good condition old Stanley #4 for thicknessing, a very small block plane for trimming, a set of the recently discontinued Marples blue plastic handle chisels, a dozuki (Japanese back saw, like one they sell at Woodcraft), a ruler that can double as a straightedge, a try square, a utility or marking knife, a marking gauge, and a wooden mallet (those parts don't just fit together by magic ). A somewhat unusual tool I've found very handy is a set of gimlets for making pilot holes for screws - just easier than changing out between a drill bit and drive bit in the power drill. I take for granted you've got more run-of-the-mill stuff like screwdrivers, wire cutters/pliers, hammer, etc. Also as mentioned you need some kind of sharpening supplies - a piece of MDF and wet/dry sandpaper will work in a pinch.

There are also a couple of power tools that are pretty key, chief among them is a drill press - I use my little benchtop model more than my table saw or band saw. If you're only doing guitars, a band saw would come next for me. A router also seems necessary for making your own radius dishes, but you could buy those if you preferred.

A great tool for layout work is a clear plastic drafting "triangle". (One 90 degree & two 45 degree angles.)
When doing layout work, we often work from a centre line & need to draw perpendicular lines across it.
Scribe an accurate 90 degree line on the triangle from the centre of the base to the peak. Set the scribed line on your centre line & you can draw a perpendicular line ACROSS your centre line... Very useful when laying out top & back bracing, nut & saddle locations, tuning machine locations etc. etc.
One of the handiest tools in the shop.
Get some hard pencils too... HB pencils dull too fast & sharp pencil is a must for accurate work.
The Lee Valley low angle block plane is a beautiful tool.
A good honing guide is a must. Lee Valley has several to choose from.
Whichever square you choose to buy, test it for accuracy regularly. Drop it on the floor once, & it can go wonky.
In case you don't know how to check a square... Find a perfectly straight edged surface. Set the square against it with the base pointing to your left & draw a line on the surface. Then flop the square over so the base points to your right & draw another line a millimeter away from the first. The two lines should be perfectly parallel. I know this seems pretty basic, but lots of guys don't know this trick. And... you'd be amazed at how many squares, well... aren't.
Starrett manufactures premium (read expensive) measuring & layout tools.
You'll need a good dial, digital or vernier caliper. As long as you don't get the cheapest one you can find, it'll probably be accurate.
Don't forget about instructional videos. There are lots of them out there. Stew-Mac's basic fretting video is very useful for someone just starting out. It shows many of the available tools actually being used & might help you decide which fretting & set-up tools to buy.
Have fun eh!

I tried a pull saw when I realized that western saws don't come sharp (huh, shouldn't this thing cut better? ) . I lack the tools, skill, and probably patience to sharpen one myself, and I don't know anyone local able to do it either. I've found that I have good luck with both of my Japanese saws, so I haven't looked back. Only issue is that the teeth are brittle and sometimes break, but the blades are meant to be replaced. Don't use them on A-C plywood!

The only thing I'll say about pull saws is (as with most tools) don't expect the plastic handled "shark saw" from the BORG to be worth a dang. Blade was OK, but the handle fell off after about 15 minutes!

A nice side benefit is that my ryoba has a 0.023" kerf, so it's what I use for cutting fret slots. I clamp small straight pieces of wood on each side of the blade to serve as a depth stop and as a stiffener.