Same topic as 881 but here’s more on hand tools since they’re that important. Power tools are fast but hand tools give you control and connection to the work.
What Power Tools Can’t Do
Fit a joint perfectly. Fine-tune a surface. Work in silence at midnight without waking the family. Hand tools fill gaps power tools leave.
The Core Kit
Good tape measure – Stanley FatMax or similar. Combination square – Starrett if you can afford it, iGaging if you can’t. Set of bench chisels. Block plane. Hand saw.
That’s maybe $150-200 for decent quality. You can do a surprising amount with just those.
Sharpening Setup
Doesn’t matter how nice your chisels are if they’re dull. Get a sharpening system early. Waterstones, diamond plates, whatever – just pick one and learn it.
A $20 chisel properly sharpened beats a $100 chisel that’s dull.
Work Holding
Hand tools need the work held solid. Get bench dogs, a good vise, some clamps. You can’t plane a board that’s sliding around.
Building Skills
Hand tool work is a skill that develops over time. Start with simple tasks – chamfering edges, cleaning up saw cuts. Work up to joinery and surface preparation.
It’s slower than power tools but there’s something satisfying about a surface you planed by hand. Different kind of woodworking entirely.
