Like most people, I find it almos unbearable to buy a set of plans. I want to
hone my hand joinery techniques as well as satisfaction of producing something
wit no electricity. No, I don't want to surface lrough lumber, etc, but I want
to create a piece basically buying dimensional wood and going from there.

Any good websites or pages with plans like this? Its harder to find than you
may think. I did a search and looked up a few pages without luck.

I don't care what type of project it is, large or small. The emphasis is on
getting better with my benchwork rather than having a piece to really show off
(although that would be really nice)!! Thanks.

GBsCards wrote:
Like most people, I find it almos unbearable to buy a set of plans.
I want to hone my hand joinery techniques as well as satisfaction of
producing something wit no electricity. No, I don't want to surface
lrough lumber, etc, but I want to create a piece basically buying
dimensional wood and going from there.

Any good websites or pages with plans like this? Its harder to find
than you may think. I did a search and looked up a few pages without
luck.

I don't care what type of project it is, large or small. The
emphasis is on getting better with my benchwork rather than having a
piece to really show off (although that would be really nice)!!
Thanks.

Why not decide something you'd like to have and draw up your own plans? As
I type this reply, I see literally dozens of things in my office I built to
fit specific needs. They may not be pretty enough to get good feedback on
abpw (see "Another Printer Stand" dated 3-19-04 g) but I had fun and I'm
learning lots. All of them should last 50 years (which is probably longer
than I will... g)

I write software for a living so I have LOTS of books. There has to be over
100 feet of bookshelf space in my office. Many of these shelves started as
raw lumber at the borg and passed through my table saw and router table.
(Others came through Ikea & the like...)

-- Mark

Thats a good idea, but I was looking for more of a tutorial on improving skills
through a project. I have what would be considered high beginner-low
intermediate skills in the benchwork category. I can push out a pretty good
project using the fancy equipment. What I can't do is hand make anything
harder than a dado. Let's face it, I (like most probably) didn't consdier hand
work important over shiny motorized tools. My arsenal consisted of a block
plane, a few chisels and a scraper and they were only used sporadically for
cleanup. I fried a router and had to go the neander route recently and while I
ultimatly destroyed a joint, I did notice that alot of the hand work was better
then the router. Now I must find the balance and so I want to find a project
that will help, but not hold my hand through some procedures.

I think the best thing is to buy a good book on joinery...one that
shows you both machine and manual ways of making the same joint. Get
the "Complete Manual of Woodworking" for sure as it's a great text and
maybe get something like "The Encyclopedia of Joint Making" by Terri
Noll. Both books show you how to make joints using machines and by
hand. Then, when you look at a plan you can see what joint they used
and how you can improvise using hand techniques. Start off with
something simple like a stool or shelf, then a dovetailed or finger
jointed box, then tables and cabinets....then on to chairs with
compound angles!

Layne

On 25 Mar 2004 03:39:41 GMT, (GBsCards) wrote:

Thats a good idea, but I was looking for more of a tutorial on improving skills
through a project. I have what would be considered high beginner-low
intermediate skills in the benchwork category. I can push out a pretty good
project using the fancy equipment. What I can't do is hand make anything
harder than a dado. Let's face it, I (like most probably) didn't consdier hand
work important over shiny motorized tools. My arsenal consisted of a block
plane, a few chisels and a scraper and they were only used sporadically for
cleanup. I fried a router and had to go the neander route recently and while I
ultimatly destroyed a joint, I did notice that alot of the hand work was better
then the router. Now I must find the balance and so I want to find a project
that will help, but not hold my hand through some procedures.

(GBsCards) wrote in message ...

Thats a good idea, but I was looking for more of a tutorial on improving skills
through a project. I have what would be considered high beginner-low
intermediate skills in the benchwork category. I can push out a pretty good
project using the fancy equipment. What I can't do is hand make anything
harder than a dado. Let's face it, I (like most probably) didn't consdier hand
work important over shiny motorized tools. My arsenal consisted of a block
plane, a few chisels and a scraper and they were only used sporadically for
cleanup. I fried a router and had to go the neander route recently and while I
ultimatly destroyed a joint, I did notice that alot of the hand work was better
then the router. Now I must find the balance and so I want to find a project
that will help, but not hold my hand through some procedures.

I can't think of any books that have specific projects geared to
handwork, but there are some that are IMHO must-reads for someone
interested in handwork. _Tage Frid Teaches Woodworking_ has some
excellent instructions for creating various joints using either
machines or handtools (and combinations thereof). Bob Moran's
_Woodworking: The Right Technique_ shows three ways to do various
tasks, again, using handtools and combinations of handtools and
machines.

If you really have no ideas of what you'd like to make, then pick
some joinery techniques and practice them. Maybe build a simple box
joined with dovetails. Attach a bottom to it using either grooves cut
by hand or rabbets. Or make something that uses mortise and tenon
joints. Or a mitered picture frame with a rabbeted back. Or ...

There are just so many possibilities out there that you'd probably
be better off just picking a design and then breaking it down into the
individual joints required to build it. Then you can practice on
those joints by referring to one of the books above.

I know when I was starting to learn handtool skills, I used to try
to add one new handtool joint to each project. I'd usually do a test
joint on scrap and then try it for real on the piece.


Chuck Vance

where are you located. In many places, a bit of hunting will find a local
craftsman who teaches for a small fee. Other folks have suggested some
books - thats a good place to start for techniques, but practice, and don't
always assume the "book is right". In a lot of cases, the book will get you
started, but once you've worked a bit, you'll find methods that work better
for you.

As for plans, pretty much any plan that I've seen can be made with hand
tools (I worked with pretty much only hand tools for about 20 years before I
got a place with enough space for power tools). You might need to make some
minor modifications (hand cut tennons will be squared instead of rounded at
the corners like the machined ones), and you may find youself trying to
avoid plywood and composites (I found that it was easier to build solid wood
panels than to deal with big sheets of ply, and htat the glue in the ply was
really tough on edge tools). Other than small stuff like that, pretty much
anything goes.

Save your scrap to use for practice. When you decide to do a project that
requires a joint you haven't done before, grab some scrap, and spend some
time figuring it out. You can always throw the scrap out later (if the joint
doesn't work), or, with a bit of planning, you're practice bits can turn
into boxes, holders, jigs etc for use in the shop...

good luck

--JD
BTW- if you're in southern/seacoast NH, drop me an email, and we can chat
face to face....

GBsCards wrote:
: Thats a good idea, but I was looking for more of a tutorial on improving skills
: through a project. I have what would be considered high beginner-low
: intermediate skills in the benchwork category.

Peter Korn put out a book that take syou through a few simple projects
using handwork. I cannot recall the name at the moment. pretty good
starter book for neander-life.



--- Gregg

My woodworking projects:


Replicas of 15th-19th century nautical navigational instruments:

http://home.comcast.net/~saville/backstaffhome.html

Restoration of my 82 year old Herreshoff S-Boat sailboat:

http://home.comcast.net/~saville/SBOATrestore.htm

Steambending FAQ with photos:

http://home.comcast.net/~saville/Steambend.htm


"Improvise, adapt, overcome."

Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Phone: (617) 496-1558

Thu, Mar 25, 2004, 3:03am (EST+5) (GBsCards) casts out:
Like most people, I find it almos unbearable to buy a set of plans.
snip

Cheap, eh? I like free plans as much, or more, than anyone. But,
I have no problems with paying for some, if they're for something I
like, and I can't do plans on my own. That seldom happens tho.

Any good websites or pages with plans like this? Its harder to find than
you may think. I did a search and looked up a few pages without luck.

One whole search, eh? Yeah, there's loads of plans out there.
Free ones, which is obviously what you want, and don't seem to want to
look for. Try your local library. Or, google, using someting like
"free woodworking plans". And, look more than once, and for more than
two minutes, changing your search phrase a few times. Or, you can look
in the archives, loads of free plans there. Plans, even free, are
plenty easy to find.

I don't care what type of project it is, large or small.

Hmm, well I know of some plans for a wooden bridge, suitable for
vehicle traffic. All done by hand. Those do? Oops, they ain't free,
they're in a book I have. And, no, I'm not goinna copy them. Even if I
did, I'd charge you copying costs, and postage, so they wouldn't be
free.

The emphasis is on getting better with my benchwork rather than having a
piece to really show off (although that would be really nice)!!

Sheesh. Than get some scrape, and practice.

Actually, there probably isn't anything made out of wood that can't
be made with hand tools. After all, woodworking didn't start with the
invention of power tools.

And, for the too tight weenies who are going to cry about me not
posting any plan link(s), let's see you post some for a change, instead
of just whining about me not.

JOAT
I wonder if other dogs think poodles are members of a weird religious
cult.
- Rita Rudner

There isn't anything you can do with a power tool that you can't do with a
hand tool, which makes any plans you find applicable.

Just because the guy writing the plans said to use a router for this or
dovetail jig for that doesn't mean you HAVE to use one.

--
Mike G.

Heirloom Woods
www.heirloom-woods.net
"GBsCards" wrote in message
...
Like most people, I find it almos unbearable to buy a set of plans. I
want to
hone my hand joinery techniques as well as satisfaction of producing
something
wit no electricity. No, I don't want to surface lrough lumber, etc, but I
want
to create a piece basically buying dimensional wood and going from there.

Any good websites or pages with plans like this? Its harder to find than
you
may think. I did a search and looked up a few pages without luck.

I don't care what type of project it is, large or small. The emphasis is
on
getting better with my benchwork rather than having a piece to really show
off
(although that would be really nice)!! Thanks.

(GBsCards) wrote:
....
I don't care what type of project it is, large or small. The emphasis is on
getting better with my benchwork rather than having a piece to really show off
(although that would be really nice)!! Thanks.

I'll prob'ly butcher the spelling, but Anthony Guidace wrote a book
on building tables wherein he discusses hand tool work and iirc one
table is all done by hand. Also, look locally to see if there are any
Galoots near you -- here in Florida, we (I'm a GIT) get together at
least once a year and work on a project. Several years ago at Paul Rad's
house (RIP Paul, I still see your shining smile lookin' down on us), we
each made a small dovetailed shaker-style bench. That was a great time.

Cheers,
Gary

On 25 Mar 2004 03:03:38 GMT, (GBsCards) brought forth
from the murky depths:

Like most people, I find it almos unbearable to buy a set of plans. I want to
hone my hand joinery techniques as well as satisfaction of producing something
wit no electricity. No, I don't want to surface lrough lumber, etc, but I want
to create a piece basically buying dimensional wood and going from there.

Any good websites or pages with plans like this? Its harder to find than you
may think. I did a search and looked up a few pages without luck.

I don't care what type of project it is, large or small. The emphasis is on
getting better with my benchwork rather than having a piece to really show off
(although that would be really nice)!! Thanks.

www.LeeValley.com has some books which might help.
"Projects for Woodwork Training" by Edward. F. Worst was
originally published in 1917 as "Problems in Woodwork".
It covers everythingfrom a birdhouse to a Swedish loom,
basket weaving (in case they're coming to take you away,
ha ha, he he, ho ho), seat caning, and a few more things.

"Mission Furnitu And How to Make It" is another.

Alex Bealer's "Old Ways of Working Wood" is another, but
not from Lee Valley.

Check your library. The 684 section is full of interesting
books.


--------------------------------------------------
I survived the D.C. Blizzard of 2003 (from Oregon)
----------------------------
http://diversify.com Comprehensive Website Development
--------------------------------------------------------

One whole search, eh? Yeah, there's loads of plans out there.
Free ones, which is obviously what you want, and don't seem to want to
look for. Try your local library. Or, google, using someting like
"free woodworking plans". And, look more than once, and for more than
two minutes, changing your search phrase a few times. Or, you can look
in the archives, loads of free plans there. Plans, even free, are
plenty easy to find.

I don't care what type of project it is, large or small.

Hmm, well I know of some plans for a wooden bridge, suitable for
vehicle traffic. All done by hand. Those do? Oops, they ain't free,
they're in a book I have. And, no, I'm not goinna copy them. Even if I
did, I'd charge you copying costs, and postage, so they wouldn't be
free.

I did quite a few searches actually. Used many more keywords than you
suggested and spent about 2 hours the other night following them up. Even went
through Usenet archives and saw quite a few of yours JOAT. In a world that is
mostly power oriented, I was hoping to find a hand tool only plan or two.
Didn't come across one that fit the category. I didn't just come into this
group and start demanding free plans from anyone, just a website or pointer
that someone may wish to pass along. Your obviously not that person. I live
in a very rural area and if you can tone down the sarcasm long enough to
understand that my local library is in a 15x30 room in an old church, then
maybe you could understand my predicament better. Thank you for putting down
my effort (or as you seem to be doing, my presumed lack of effort) to find a
project that may be out of the range of your standard "web search, local
library" offering. As for your plans on bridges, they didn't fit the category
I wanted so I will decline, as will I for all of your self-involved "direction"
in the involvement of my woodworking career. Heres a good question: Why
didn't you just pass the post by? I know alot of people pop in with the
annoying "I want free plans for an entertainment center", but I though my
request was a little more refined and specific. Maybe I needed to copy and
paste all the websites I went to and post a copy of my brower history log next
time?

I really appreciate the thoughtful responses and as I suspected, the best bet
is to find a decent project, learn the joints via handtooling somewhere else
and then apply to my project. I ordered Tage Frid's book and will get on the
horse so to speak in a few days. Thanks again!

Fri, Mar 26, 2004, 12:45am (EST+5) (GBsCards) says:
I did quite a few searches actually. snip saw quite a few of yours
JOAT. snip I was hoping to find a hand tool only plan snip I live in
a very rural area snip local library is in a 15x30 room snip Heres a
good question: Why didn't you just pass the post by?

OK, I was going to pass the post on by. Then I got to your
statement:
"Any good websites or pages with plans like this? Its harder to find
than you may think."
I've never found it hard at all, and I believe in passing along maybe
5-10% of what I do find. But, your words we
"I did a search and looked up a few pages without luck."
Sure didn't seem like much looking there. You might have said. I've
seen plenty of request here worded about the same, meaning they gave up
after "a few pages without luck". Didn't see any mention of a rural
libray either. Your words again:
"I don't care what type of project it is,". large or small. The
emphasis is on getting better with my benchwork rather than having a
piece to really show off (although that would be really nice)!!"
If you don't have an idea of what you want to make, I don't either. I
did suggest using some scrap and practicing, that's always a better plan
then screwing up something you're trying to make. You know, get it
right before you go for it.

I live in a rural areal also. They recently expanded our local
library, but the book section is still only maybe 10X 20 on one end, and
maybe 20X20 on the other end of the room. So, it ain't much. BUT, the
county library is about 9 miles down the road, and it is a lot bigger,
PLUS they will special order loan books for you. And, if you talk nice
to them, they will even go out of state. I'll cost a bit, even if they
don't find what you want, but it'll only take maybe a week or so to get
there, and you get to keep them 3 weeks. A pretty good deal, I think.
If that doesn't do it, the next county over, they have a major college
library, and anyone can use it. Free. It's about 15-20 miles, never
clocked it. But, you need to be a student to take books out, however
they also have (or did, long time since I used it) some deal with local
businesses where they can take books out too. I also visit a used
bookstore there, and they always have woodworking books, a lot of which
are waaay out of print, and often geared to plans with hand tools only -
simply because they're so old, almost no individual owned any power
tools. Books there usually start at about $1 and up to maybe $7.50,
depending on what they're about. They occassionally have some priced
considerably higher.

Other than the old woodworking plans books, probably the only
realisticly hand tool plans only would be in the Roy Underhill books.
Well, some of the Foxfire books too. That used bookstore I go to
usually has some of each. He's the hand tool God. Amazon should have
some of both.

Remember, TANSTAAFL.

JOAT
I wonder if other dogs think poodles are members of a weird religious
cult.
- Rita Rudner

GBsCards wrote:

In a world that is mostly power oriented, I was hoping to find a
hand tool only plan or two. Didn't come across one that fit the category.

Okay, here's the only one I know of:
http://www.brendlers.net/oldtools/table/table.htm (Shaker style table)

Wolfgang
--
"Holzbearbeitung mit Handwerkzeugen": http://www.holzwerken.de
Forum Handwerkzeuge:
http://www.woodworking.de/cgi-bin/fo...bbbs_config.pl