Love Wood Working Hand Tools? You'll Love Vintage Wood Designs!Here's a Guide to Get You StartedMany antique patterns, developed before power tools, use only wood working hand tools. Today, technology allows us to use powerful tools for woodworking, but if you're using old woodworking plans, you need to know about hand tools. Here are some of the tools you will need for antique wood working plans. Hand SawsThe hand saw is a wood working hand tool with a metal blade to cut wood. It can also cut other materials like plastic and metal. The cut made by the saw is wider than the saw blade itself, because the teeth are angled alternately on the sides of the blade. This feature of the saw blade helps the blade cut, clear out sawdust, and avoid getting stuck in the wood.There are different types of handsaws, depending on the use and physical characteristics: Crosscut saws and ripsaws are physically identical as far as the blades, but crosscut saws are designed to cut across grains; ripsaws cut with the grain. Backsaws have rectangular blades that are reinforced with a metal strip to keep them straight while cutting across wood. This saw can cut across or with the grain. It can be used with a miter box for precise cutting. Coping saws are used to create curved cuts in woods. It is made possible because of the flexible blade of the saw attached to a U-shaped frame. PlanesPlanes are wood working hand tools used to smooth wood surfaces and to reduce the thickness of the wood. They are composed of a sharp steel blade protected by a wooden housing. The blade is adjusted to achieve a specific angle against the surface to be planed. The cut depth is determined by the length of the blade protruding the surface of the housing.Special blades can be attached to the plane to create special channels and grooves in the wood surface. Files can also be attached to the plane for customized shaping and smoothing. Planes can be categorized according to length, and the materials that comprise it. Length Smoothing planes are usually up to 10 inches in length. Jack planes are generally longer - 10 to 14 inches. Fore planes come after jack planes, with a maximum length of 18 inches. The longest among the planes is the jointer plane with a length that reaches up to 22 inches. Materials Wooden planes are completely made of wood, except for their metal blades. The blade is attached to the body by a wedge. To adjust the blade, the wedge must be hit by a hammer. Transitional planes also have a wooden body, but a metal cast takes the place of the wedge. It is easier to adjust the blade using the metal cast. Metal planes are made up of metal, except for their handles. Infill planes have metal bodies, but the space in which the blade is resting is filled with wood. ChiselsChisels are wood working hand tools with a flat beveled blade with a cutting edge attached to a handle. It is used to remove unwanted parts of the wood. The chisel is held by one hand, while the other hand strikes a hammer at the handle of the chisel.A variety of sizes of chisels are used in woodworking. Larger ones are used before using smaller chisels to give detail. A framing slick is one type of large chisel that is used in frame construction. Gouge, a variety of a chisel, is used when creating concave carvings in wood. The difference between the beveled-edge chisel and the gouge is the U-shaped cross section found in the latter. A lathe tool, another kind of chisel, cuts wood that is spinning on a lathe. They have longer handles to allow more leverage to counteract the spinning action of the wood. Now, if you are using a vintage or antique woodworking pattern, most of them will use only wood working hand tools. If you have power tools that replace a hand tool, you can use them instead, but realize the process may change. If you are unfamiliar with particular tool, here's a website that may help. Traditional Woodworker has an extensive collection of traditional hand tools. And, let's not forget eBay. My favorite site to buy anything. Visit our
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More Wood Working ResourcesIn the Beginning . . . There Were TreesA brief history of woodworking. Wood Working Hand Tools If you love hand tools, you'll love vintage patterns. Here's a brief guide to common hand tools you will need for your antique designs. Antique Wood Working Tools - You Know You Want Them This guide will help you with your old wood working tools collections. Includes live ebay listings! Leave "Wood Working Hand Tools" and return to "Woodworking Plans" Leave "Wood Working Hand Tools" and return to "Vintage Crafts Patterns Designs"
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