Unplugged Woodworking / Japanese Tools

[davidI]

After 15 years of travel, I'm finally planning to settle in Spain for a while. One of the hobbies I've missed the most is woodworking - it's a challenging hobby when constantly on the move given the necessary space and tools.

My current thought is to get into "unplugged" woodworking (i.e. no power tools) so I can focus on small detail pieces and not need to spend a fortune on tools that I may not be able to move with in the future.

Any Beyonders into Japanese joinery or hand tool woodworking?

I'm just beginning to research the Japanese square, saws, chisels, and planes I'll need to get started on my first projects.

My main projects will likely be a tool chest, picture frames, desk/workbench, cutting board, and perhaps a barrel bar for my whisky and glassware collection.

[tirebob]

davidI Yep! I am someone who is very much all about the neanderthal woodworking. Personally prefer the western style tools over the Japanese style tools for the most part, especially when it comes to saws and planes, but I am not anti or pro one in general and I do have some of both although predominantly Western. When it comes to hand sharpening though, I love my Japanese water stones!

I have some serious modern heirloom tools, as well as finding, restoring and using antique tools. Some of the very best tools were built a hundred years ago or more.

Do you have any tools yet or just starting to go down the road?

[davidI]

tirebob - you sound like my kind of guy! Happy there is someone else around with an interest in the craftsmanship of generations gone-by.

I'm living in Spain now so unfortunately no tools here. My grandfather was a carpenter in Calgary so I do have a lot of his old saws/planes/squares etc. in Calgary that I hope to eventually bring over, but given all this COVID crap who knows when that will be. They'll need a bit of restoration work but, as you say, old tools are far better quality than most modern stuff. Wood is very expensive here but there's a lot of nice used antique furniture for reasonable prices so my plan will be to buy and break some old fashioned cabinets down and re-purpose the wood for more modern/Japanese designs.

I've been to Japan a few times, including a visit to this Carpentry Tools Museum: https://www.dougukan.jp/about_architecture?lang=en so that's what has sort of kicked off my interest in 'going Japanese'. I've been really into Japanese knives and whetstones for a while so the transition to chisels and planes is the natural evolution and I really love their joinery work (kugimi).

I just ordered a booked by Toshio Odate called "Japanese Woodworking Tools: Their Tradition, Spirit and Use" to hopefully learn a bit more before I start spending a lot of money on tools.

Do you have any planned projects or photos of old projects?

[msommers]

blitz has built some amazing things

[tirebob]

davidI I have to admit it has been quite a while since I have been able to sit down and make specific projects. Since moving out to Water Valley, I have no dedicated work space and the time isn't right to build a shop so while I still use the tools here and there it is more about fine tuning household projects (using chisels to fine tune fit a corner or handsaws rather than busting out the power tools etc). I will get a space set up one day though. Every time I pick up one of my hand tools they really do give off a vibe that people don't get unless you get it if that makes sense haha!

I cannot pretend to be proficient like those who are great at it, but I love nothing more than putting on a ball game or some tunes and sit there quietly sawing and paring away at dovetail joinery or mortise and tenons or taking off whisper thin shavings with the planes etc. I even love just sitting down and having a long sharpening session sometimes!

This is a replica of an old 1839 School Box I made and in fact was my first ever completed 100% hand tool project. I made it out of recycled pallet wood actually. Everything was dimensions, planed, joined and finished without a single power tool burning electricity. I even made the finish itself out of a mixture of real white lightning moonshine and shellac flake.

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[Disoblige]

You are quite talented bob, both on the canvas and now this.

If you were proficient with woodworking, I would be begging you to do a commission for me LOL. I knew someone well years ago but he moved to Yellowknife and very hard to reach.

[tirebob]

You are quite talented bob, both on the canvas and now this.

If you were proficient with woodworking, I would be begging you to do a commission for me LOL. I knew someone well years ago but he moved to Yellowknife and very hard to reach.
Disoblige

If I had my workspace set up I would be all over it, but anything would take me way too long right now. That said, I do have few good friends locally here who do amazing work! They strive to work predominantly hand tool only as well although they do take on more commissions that require the timing of some machine work so they often will do a hybrid method job depending what is wanted by the client. Feel free to give me an idea of what you are thinking and I will happily provide some references!

Here is another little box I made for a buddy. It is mahogany with a curly maple accent top. Again, 100% hand tool and finishing. This one I even mixed my own hide glue rather than using PVA.

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[Buster]

woah. Subscribed.

I could watch the youtube guys doing this shit all day. It's so relaxing just to stare at it.

[tirebob]

woah. Subscribed.

I could watch the youtube guys doing this shit all day. It's so relaxing just to stare at it.

You should try doing it then! Seriously... It's pretty fucking Zen when you get absorbed into it.

[msommers]

Nice Bob!! A few weeks ago I came across some videos about japanese jointery and was memorized by the perfection (where did that hour go?). Looks like a very cool hobby.

[davidI]

Beautiful work Bob!! Particularly being able to do that with pallete wood - it must have taken ages to plane and join the lumber to begin with.

Hope you can find the time/space for future projects. It is true that the biggest thing holiding me back is building a bench/vice as I don't have a lot of space and will probably be moving again in a couple of years. If I can find good lumber for the right price a bench would be a great way to hone my skills before working on indoor furniture.

[Buster]

You should try doing it then! Seriously... It's pretty fucking Zen when you get absorbed into it.

PRobably would be good for me.

Unfortunately, I'm not built for hobbies. The closest I get would be mountain biking or something, and cooking (which I rarely do much of any more).

[legendboy]

You should try doing it then! Seriously... It's pretty fucking Zen when you get absorbed into it.

Its pretty zen watching your wood being cut quickly by a band saw or jointer planer. Power tools ftw! Japanese hand tools for fine finishing work is where its at :)

[tirebob]

Beautiful work Bob!! Particularly being able to do that with pallete wood - it must have taken ages to plane and join the lumber to begin with.

Hope you can find the time/space for future projects. It is true that the biggest thing holiding me back is building a bench/vice as I don't have a lot of space and will probably be moving again in a couple of years. If I can find good lumber for the right price a bench would be a great way to hone my skills before working on indoor furniture.

Took me a good day to rough dimension and plane smooth and flat, then I left it to climatized for about a week (exposing the inner wood causes a relatively quick shift in moisture content) then another maybe half day to correct any issues from the wood shifting due to climatization and glue up into the larger boards. Let that dry overnight and then started on the fine tuning of dimension and working on the joinery (Dovetails, rebates etc). All in all with the fitting, finishing etc I would guess I have maybe 25/30 hours of work into it? Honestly I don't remember exactly but it would absolutely go faster now with more experience and being more confident about cutting DT's.


Its pretty zen watching your wood being cut quickly by a band saw or jointer planer. Power tools ftw! Japanese hand tools for fine finishing work is where its at :)

Oh I have some serious power equipment too! Really though, for me the tools are about doing what I call more home construction projects and things I have zero emotional connection to making.

The more fine joinery and box making is more about the process and relaxation. It really is soothing being able to listen to music or ballgames quietly, or even nothing at all, while working and it is peaceful and quiet. The only sound is the "snick snick' of a hand plane making your wood as smooth as glass without ever having to touch it with sandpaper or things like that. It is also pretty rewarding to know that when the world collapses and there is nothing to plug your equipment into, I will still have the ability to make the shit I need haha!

[ExtraSlow]

listen to ballgamesbaseball is amazing for listening to while you work.