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From: sasaki@harvard.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.rec.wood
Subject: Re: tool recommendations sought
Message-ID: <181@harvard.ARPA>
Date: Mon, 10-Jun-85 11:29:02 EDT
Article-I.D.: harvard.181
Posted: Mon Jun 10 11:29:02 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 14-Jun-85 05:03:30 EDT
References: <910@mhuxt.UUCP>
Reply-To: sasaki@harvard.UUCP (Marty sasaki)
Organization: Harvard Science Center
Lines: 64
Summary: 

As a follow up, how about a discussion of hand tools, their quality and
ease of use? I'll start things up by talking about hand tools that I've
grown to love...

Japanese saws: If you haven't tried them, then you are really missing
something. Japanese saws cut on the pull stroke. They are thinner and
cut with a narrower kerf than European/American saws. Japanese saws also
have more teeth per inch than others.

I find that they cut faster and with less effort than other saws as
well. The bad news is that pulling up puts sawdust all over the line
that you have marked. Japanese saws are also a bit difficult to sharpen,
but several companies make saws with replaceable blades. These
replaceable blades are cheap enough that I don't mind throwing them
away.

Don't buy a really good Japanese saw until you have gained some
experience using them. The good blades have very brittle teeth that are
easily broken off.

Lots of companies import them. I buy mine from Garret Wade. By the way,
the Garret Wade catalog contains lots of good information about hand
tools and is worth the price ($3, I think) even if you never buy tools
from them.

Japanese chisels: I've found that Japanese chisels take and hold a
sharper edge than any other chisels. Most Japanese chisels that I've
used are brittle at first, and sometimes chip very badly. After a couple
of sharpenings and some hard use this stops.

The major disadvantage (besides the initial brittleness) is that they
really should be sharpened on Japanese water stones, and that sharpening
is a little different than with western chisels.

Japanese planes: (I guess you can tell that I like Japanese tools).
Japanese plane blades, like Japanese chisels, are made of high carbon,
very hard steel, that is laminated to a softer steel backing. The planes
also cut on the pull stroke.

The plane body is made of wood (usually something a little resilient,
like oak) and is subject to woods foibles including warping. The plane
bodies require periodic tuning, which is a pain. The blades often chip
when new (like chisels) and getting used to pulling a plane may take a
while.

I use a plane with a body about 12 inches long for smoothing and as a
block plane.

Record joiner plane: My concession to western tools is a Record joiner,
with corrugated bottom. I like the weight and the adjustments and the
blade that comes with the plane is pretty good (I like my Japanese
blades better). You should check the flatness of the sole. I had to have
mine ground flat.

Since learning how to use Japanese planes, I use the joiner by pulling
it as well.

Enough for now...
-- 
----------------
  Marty Sasaki				net:   sasaki@harvard.{arpa,uucp}
  Havard University Science Center	phone: 617-495-1270
  One Oxford Street
  Cambridge, MA 02138