Popular Woodworking 2006-02 № 153, страница 36

Popular Woodworking 2006-02 № 153, страница 36

Arts & Mysteries

The 'Ultimate' Hand Tool Shop

Perfection doesn't exist. But you can come close.

One of the first things any beginning woodworker must do is set up a workshop. Like so many other things a novice woodworker must do, the preparation of a workshop shapes the capabilities and enjoyment of the craft long after the novice has become an intermediate or advanced woodworker.

Fortunately, many books and articles have been published on the subject. Unfortunately, few - if any - address the unique needs ofhand tool usage. All too often, I see benches that are much too short, free standing, or shoved into some filthy corner. Provisions for sharpening appear to be haphazard afterthoughts. Tool storage solutions are typically completely inadequate for the unique needs ofhand tools and their convenient usage. The general lack of consideration for the unique needs of hand tool usage conspires to limit the potential of any would-be hand tool craftsman.

Unlike modern shops where each new tool purchase requires a corresponding additional allotment of floor space, once a few basic hand tool work areas are established, there's rarely a need for any additional growth. The trick is getting these areas laid out in such a way that they don't prevent your future success.

Space to Plane

A workbench is used for hand planing and a host of joinery operations. When I built my 6'-long workbench, I thought carefully about the size of furniture I wanted to make. Nothing on that list was more than 4' long, so I thought a 6' bench would be plenty long enough. But there were two things I missed: First, a 40"-wide by 20"-deep chest of drawers needs approximately 8' of base moulding. You can't make 8'-long passes over stock resting on a 6' bench. Crosscutting the stock before moulding has disadvantages. Second, I find it best to plane my stock before I saw it. That

I'm using cartoons to illustrate most of this column for two important reasons. Not only does it allow me to show the "ultimate" shop without actually having the ultimate shop, it also helps to reinforce the notion that the "ultimate hand-tool shop" exists only in our imaginations, and is totally devoid of the real-life compromises and practicalities that shape real-world workshops.

way, I know where the knots are, where the sapwood or difficult grain is, etc. This helps me avoid those areas when I cut mouldings or saw joints. Consequently, I prefer to plane my stock in the lengths in which I purchase it. Because I buy mostly 8' stock and rarely need more than 8' of moulding, I recommend setting aside space for a roughly 2' x 8' workbench.

Eight feet of shop space isn't enough room for an 8' bench. All planes need "run-off" room. Because the shavings tend to fly off this end of the bench anyway, I find this a convenient location for a trash barrel.

Don't put the end of your bench too close to a wall. Someday you may take my advice and get yourself a 30"-long plane. Make sure you have room to use it. I think it wise to allow a couple feet for run-off room.

Locating your bench with the back against a wall provides it with stability for sawing or

by Adam Cherubini

Adam makes reproduction furniture using the tools and techniques of the 18th century. He demonstrates his crafts at Pennsbury Manor in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, on Historic Trades Days. You can contact him at adam.cherubini@verizon.net

other work perpendicular to the long front edge of the bench. A piece of scrap placed between your stock and the wall provides a convenient backstop for material being planed. The wall also prevents tools from being knocked off the back and provides a convenient location for a chi sel rack and other tool storage.

An anti-fatigue mat in front ofyour bench is more than a luxury. Plane shavings can make finished wood or concrete floors quite slippery, even after they've been swept away. Planing long stock requires quite a bit of foot work, so I recommend considering a sweep-able non-slip work mat of some sort.

Room to Saw

Learning to saw by hand offers woodworkers the opportunity to explore traditional joinery. Like anything else one attempts to learn, it's easier to saw with good tools and the right space. In Anglo-American shops, ripping is performed on sawhorses using a wide-bladed "western" saw.

The size and shape required for ripping fits well directly adjacent to the bench. I think this resulting 4' x 11' rectangle is the absolute mini-

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Popular Woodworking February 2006