Hand Tools My Best Work!

[Repliconics]

This is a request to see some of your best work, using mainly hand tools.
I'm not saying that power can't be used, just kept to a minimum.

With so many amazing power tools out there, a lot of the old hand tools seem to be ending up in collections and not on work bench's.
I love working with hand tools, I find it far more satisfying than using the powered verity all the time.
I'm not about to say I don't use power tools, I just try to keep it to a minimum.

I'm not even suggesting in any way that the skill of the craftsman is being over shadowed by power tools.
But sometimes its nice to see what can be done using more simple hand tools.
Without the need for lathes, routers or haven forbid a CNC machine.

I'd like to think that my work is pretty much handmade.
So in the category of "Handmade minimal power usage as my best work".
I'd put forward my 2/3 scale Ariel Motorcycle and sidecar.

The power tools I did use were:
For the timber segments, a band saw and drill.
For the metal components, a wielder and a griding wheel.

All the rest was done with hand tools.

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I maybe wrong but I don't think I own a hand tool made after the 1950's.
Most of them are hand me downs for my Dad and Grandfather (as it should be).

The parts made from wood for the Motorcycle and Sidecar are:
The engine, carburetor, magneto, gearbox, petrol tank, seat, toll box, fishtail, saddlebags and all of the upper section of the sidecar.
The rest is recycled materials from around the house and the local landfill.

I'd really like to see a few photos of your best work, its just great seeing the amazing skill that's out there!
It makes me wont to do more and try harder!

[Berlin]

Do less and don't try so hard! You're making it impossible for amateur hacks like me. Work like yours shows up anything I've done as ham-fisted and pedestrian at best. I'd be demoralised if I wasn't so impressed. ;) :2tsup:

I'll pull up a chair though because I'm sure there's some gold to come from some of the others.

Thanks for sharing!

[johnredl]

I'm impressed! Just to clarify, u built the whole thing, or did u restore an existing one?

[Repliconics]

Just to clarify, u built the whole thing, or did u restore an existing one?


The Ariel is basically a 2/3 scale model.
The only parts of it that are real (so to speak) are the wheels, their off a couple of bicycles from the local recycling centre.
The frames for the motorcycle and sidecar are made from old water pipe.
All the rest is made from mainly wood.
But some of the parts are made from things you can find around the house!
All good fun.

[johnredl]

The Ariel is basically a 2/3 scale model.
The only parts of it that are real (so to speak) are the wheels, their off a couple of bicycles from the local recycling centre.
The frames for the motorcycle and sidecar are made from old water pipe.
All the rest is made from mainly wood.
But some of the parts are made from things you can find around the house!
All good fun.

Wow, that's great. Good work

[Sawdust Maker]

great work

I don't have anything up to that standard

ammaking something at the moment which I'll post in a week or so

and some of the hand tools I'm using are less then 6 months old :wink:

[johnredl]

some of the hand tools I'm using are less then 6 months old :wink:

I'm happy to swap u for some old ones if it'll help u out :)

[Sawdust Maker]

I'm happy to swap u for some old ones if it'll help u out :)

Thanks

that's what I like about this forum - members offering to help other members out :2tsup:

[fineboxes]

Made this one a while ago 100% Hand Tool and human energy.
Took 3 days from woe to go.

Timber Qld Walnut one piece.

Tools used.:
Scrub Plane
Winding Sticks
Stanley #4
Stanley #7
Spokeshave
Variety of Chisels, Bevel and Carving
Card Scraper
Mallet
Tenon Saw
Coping Saw
Cross Cut Saw
File and Rasp
Sliding Bevel
Pencil & Compass
Finish was Raw Linseed Oil


Cheers

Steve

[Repliconics]

Steve,
Thats the go.
Beautiful! and all the other words that just don't come close.
Love the detailing and peg work on the stretcher.
Any chance of a close-up.
The hole thing has talent written all over it.
Beautiful, Beautiful work my freind!

Trevor.

[Old farmer]

Thanks to all for a great thread.
I shall never be able to do anything like these pieces.
Might take up just sitting!

[Repliconics]

Thanks to all for a great thread.
I shall never be able to do anything like these pieces.
Might take up just sitting!


I'm a country boy, and I've never met a farmer I didn't like!
Down to earth people with amazing practical skills for problem solving, and the drive to get the job done.
I bet you know a hundred ways to skin a cat, and if you give it some more thought would have fifty more by tea time.
The only down side is for some reason you guy's never seem to be happy with the weather!
Thanks mate.

[Scribbly Gum]

There are many better craftsmen than me on the forum and I hope that they share their work.
Here is a piece that I finished last year that was made predominantly with hand tools.
You can see the whole build process here:
Elegant Jelly Cabinet (http://thevillagewoodworker.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/elegant-jelly-cabinet-construction-part.html)
The build was in 10 parts so too long to show here - check the link if you would like to see more.
SG



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[Old farmer]

Thank You, mate. Very grateful, Bill.

[joez]

Great thread, heres a peice I made last year, some electrons were used initially but 90% of the work was done by hand.


joez

[neilyeag]

This is my work bench, 100% hand tool build.
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Neil

[Repliconics]

Thanks Guy's for adding to the thread, your work is wonderful!

Just to keep the ball rolling, I've been working on a side project over the past couple of years.
And I will admit I'm quite proud of it so far.
It's a 2/3 scale 1970's Rail Dragster.

The engine is 95% wooden, I did use my trusty bandsaw but all of the forming and finishing is hand done.

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This is the cockpit, the bell housing on the back of the engine is the bottom of a bucket
with timber added to it to shape it's appearence.

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One of my favourite parts I've built of the Dragster is the seat belt buckles.
This what looked like before final finishing.
There made from MDF and Wire.
I know alot of people don't think much of MDF, but put it over a boiling kettle
and you can bend the heck to of it.


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When it's all in one piece the Dragster is just over 13 feet long.

Keep the good stuff coming!

[Ball Peen]

Jebus! You're a bloody marvel! You're in a class of your own!

[Repliconics]

That's high praise coming from you Bill, and greatly appreciated.
I've seen some of your work.
Beauty, skill, attention to detail and most of all the hand of craftsman.
Could you please post some of your work.

[Ball Peen]

Cheers Repliconics,
This is my way. I have very good machinery that I think of as very talented tradesmen I don't have to pay, feed or listen to any backchat. :) The drawers are hand dovetailed, the panels are hand shaped with a power planer and hand planed. The carving is freehand routing ( handwork in my book ). You can see things went a little funny on the 1st small cabinet. I had more control later.
The small cab is hand planed Oregon, the large one is scraped and sanded PNG Walnut. I mix it up, for me it is all hand made. My machines and hand tools didn't dream up or make those cabinets.

These days I make mostly musical instruments and I do more hand work.




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[Repliconics]

I was going to write a rather long winded thing about what Craftsmanship really is, and why I think it's so important to
keep those type of skills alive.

But in trying to think of the reasons as to why these things mean so much to me, I found myself looking at my childhood.
Wondering where on earth did all this start.

My father was a panel beater, and I'm proud to say considered by his trade a damn fine one!

I remember as a child sitting on a big old toolbox, watching him work.
The sound of his hammer ringing around the workshop.
He would go hours without speaking, totally lost in his work.

In my early teens all I wonted to do was be a panel beater like my Dad!
But he told me not to waist my time on a dying trade.
At the time I was gutted to say the least.
Being young I thought it was just his way of saying he didn't think I'd be any good at it.

But he could see what was coming. The age of fill'em up and throw'em out!
He new I wonted to be just like him, and that I'd never be happy with the direction his trade was going.

Dad's 90 years old now and lives with me and my son, it's a bit of a boy's club!

So in the end I've worked it out, it's my Dad's fault!
Without saying hardly a word he showed me all the this I admire most Skill, Craftsmanship and the desire to do good work.

He says he could never have made the types of things I do, but I now that's not true.
What I do is only an extension of what he showed me as a child.

When I was young the man I admired most was my Father.
What this has reminded me is nothing has changed!

Thanks Dad.
Trevor.

[Old farmer]

And thanks to you, mate, for what I think is a beautiful post, Bill.

[Repliconics]

I think it would be fair to say that my work is in some ways a little unusual.
Most of the time when I build something it's because of its shape or structure.
The way that one curve blends into the next. Quite often it only takes one part
of an object to make me wont to replicate the whole thing.

A great case in point is Ed Roth's 1960's OUTLAW HOTROD.
When I first saw it I thought it had to be the whoopyest rod ever built.
Roth was a genius of a man, he would find ways to things that at the time no one
had even really thought of.

With the OUTLAW he made the body by going down to the beach, and building the shape
up out of sand. Then covered the whole thing in fibreglass. "Simply Genius"

I wonted to try to make the body shape from wood, and I'd had some pretty good results
bending 3mm MDF. The only thing left was to give it a try!

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I built the OUTLAW like most of my cars and motorbikes at 2/3 scale.
The reason for the smaller scale is I started making Billycarts, but at some point it all
got a little out of hand!

It took about 8 months to a year to build, I don't really remember I was having to much fun at the time.
The back wheels are from a Mini and fronts a bicycle.
The Engine is wooden, the body and the front end are pine and MBF.

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The OUTLAW is about 90% wooden.
The only power used was a bandsaw, all the rest of the forming and shaping was done by hand.

Why build such a wonderfully useless object!, I have no idea.
But I've always been glad I did.

[code4pay]

It's still in progresses!
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/08/29/tuse5eha.jpg

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 4

[Repliconics]

Not that it should happen on this forum, but just in case your wondering whats so impressive about a saw in a piece of wood?
Try doing exactly whats in the picture!
Impressive mate!

[Old farmer]

Yes, Code4Pay, that is indeed impressive.
I have no hope of following suit.
Thanks for showing us.

[pmcgee]

Not that it should happen on this forum, but just in case your wondering whats so impressive about a saw in a piece of wood?
Try doing exactly whats in picture!
Impressive mate!
:2tsup:
What length and width, and what type of wood please?
Also ... what pitch of saw are you using?
(if you wanna share the info)
Thanks,
Paul

[code4pay]

:2tsup:
What length and width, and what type of wood please?
Also ... what pitch of saw are you using?
(if you wanna share the info)
Thanks,
Paul

Both the saw a Disston 5.5 tpi rip (obviously) and the wood came from the tip. Not sure but it is a large plank of hard wood very fine grained with a slightly purple red tinge not super dense like jarrah etc. I'm making a display cabinet for my father for his trench art but the wood was 21mm thick which was too chunky. I wanted to reduce it to 11 mm which seemed a lot of wood to waste if hand planed and maybe just as much work. I ripped the sheet first down to 95mm strips then marked it around at 14mm. I didn't measure the wider part when rough but the left over side is 5mm after ripping and I had enough to plane down to 11mm on the side I wanted. Overall I ripped 2.1 meters on its side like this.

[Repliconics]

Since we've been talking about the more traditional skills and hand tools.
I thought I might show some of my sign writing on timber.
It's one of those things you don't seem to see too much of today.
I really enjoy trying to apply the skill's used in the presentation of a piece from around the 1900's.
When you see picture's of the inside of old Hardware Stores, theres never any shortage of wonderful cabinets
and loads of signage all trying to catch the eye.

So I've been building a display for my handplanes.
At the moment it's a bit all over the show, I've been building bits and pieces as I go.
I think that has to be the biggest down side of the way I work.
I don't follow any set rule, I just make parts of things as they come to mind.
Then find a way to hopefully bring then all together.

I'd have to say that my cabinet making skill's don't come close to the talent seen on this website.
In some ways I think I use the signage and scrolling as a way around it.
If I can get people to look at whats on wood they might not look to closely at the rest.

This is the front of the display, I painted the door panels first.
Then turned them into doors.

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On top of that sits three chests, as you can see I'm all over the show.
The chest to the left needs to be finished, the Phillips planes are sitting on a piece of ply.
Over on the right the lid of the Stanley 55 case has no mouldings.
And at the moment it's all sitting on a piece of MBF. (that wont be staying)

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I painted this panel a little while ago, it was for the Box making forum to show how its done.
But since seeing Scribbly Gum's cabinet I'm going to use it to make a wall cabinet to one side of the main display.
Which was never in the plan that I never had in the first place. So now I'll have to build one to go on the
other side as well!

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This is a little display chest I built for my Siegley adjustable planes.
I think the sign writing gives it a real lift.

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Just so its not all signage this is another of my doing it as I get to it projects,
it will be the inside of a lid to a chest.

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I think in the end this type of work is a great example of what is happening to the traditional skills.
A lot of people when they see some of the work, the first thing they ask is where did I get the stencils!.

[Basilg]

Repliconics

You have made a very nice job of the sign writing well done.

I recently completed the last two of these Oak chairs to make a set of eight.

Machinery was used for the donkey work of dressing the rough sawn boards to size.
Laminates for the back slats and top and bottom rails were cut on the bandsaw then dressed with planes where necessary, prior to laminating.
The back legs, seat rails and front legs were cut from solid on the bandsaw and shaped and finished with planes and spokeshaves ( Thank you Terry Gordon )
The seat is woven from 2.5 mm single strand cane

Finish is three coats of Blonde Shellac followed up with three coats of Wax
Glue is Horse Sauce

Regards

[Ball Peen]

Nice chairs Baslig, " donkey work " puts it all in perspective.:)

[Repliconics]

WOW!
Basilg thats beautiful work and love the design, its like the chair can't decide which way up it wonts to be!
But I've never seen a donkey use a bandsaw, they may have powered one somewhere back in the day.

Absolutely Brilliant Work!

[pmcgee]

Since we've been talking about the more traditional skills and hand tools.
I thought I might show some of my sign writing on timber.
It's one of those things you don't seem to see too much of today.

Overflowing with the Awesome.

I think you need to teach some classes! :)

And a WIP would have us all befuddled and drooling. (that's a good thing)

Paul

[behai]

My eyes went a bit moist when I read your post...


...
Dad's 90 years old now and lives with me and my son, it's a bit of a boy's club!
...
Thanks Dad.
Trevor.

[Repliconics]

My father is the type of man that can speak volumes, without the need for hardly a word.
His always been more interested in the result than the method.

On a map he'd show you your destination, but never tell you how to get there.
His a person who'll give you the time and space to find your way.

If you fell down a hundred times, a hundred times he'd pick you up.
But he'd never hold you up.

In his life he's Loved but one woman, fought a war, raised three children and
worked at his trade for one Company for over 50 years.

A better man I'll never meet.

[Old farmer]

Another beautiful post, mate. A worthy presentation for Fathers Day.
And he did a good job with you, obviously.
Give him my best wished, please.

[Repliconics]

Thanks Bill, I'll do that right now!

[Repliconics]

This is a Napier Billycart, its 6 feet long and made from timber off the wood pile at the local landfill.
It's loosely based on a 1914 Napier, if it was in any way real you'd probably describe it as being a
chain driven, dual rear wheeled, straight eight roadster.

In making it I used my trusty bandsaw and a cordless drill, and I'm going to admit straight up I used
a router to take the edges off the spokes. But in my defence there is 84 of the darn things on the cart.
All the rest is done my favourite way, time consuming, laborious work all done by hand "Love It".

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To get the affect of the hinges, I used lengths of dowel and scored them with a small pipe cutter to
make it look as if they have segments. Then I added a double row of nail heads to look like it was riveted.
Theres about 400 of them in the bonnet.

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The goose-neck horn is made from PVC pipe, the head is built up from bodyfiller, and the mouth by cutting a
piece of pipe in half.
The long tapper on the horn was made by holding a piece of pipe over a gas stove, turning and drawing
it out as it softened. Then I bounded it with cord.

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The small gears on the steering connected to the levers, to make them look as if they work are from an
old video player.

I think the thing I enjoy most about building things, is making something look exactly like what it isn't!
Or to pinch a line from The Hitch Hikers Guide, to float in the air exactly the same way a brick doesn't!

Always have fun with what you do!

[Old farmer]

That is wonderful. Thank you for showing us.
Has any boy let it go down the neighbourhood hill?
It is a far cry from our fruit case on 3" metal wheels!
Thank you again, Bill.

[Repliconics]

Has any boy let it go down the neighbourhood hill?
It is a far cry from our fruit case on 3" metal wheels!

Thanks Bill,
I don't know if you know Mildura, but it fronts onto the Murray River.
Down the eastern end is a lock, and above it a neat little hill.
The hill drops down about 30 feet to the lock, with a sweeping right hand bend in it.
Best little Billycart hill in North West Victoria.
Mind you it's a public road, so we snuck down early one morning and gave the Napier a rip!
A mates young fellow was up for the task, so we sent him down a couple of times.
In one of my other carts just in case.
The other Billycart is painted in St.Kilda Footy Club colours, my mates a Collingwood supporter.
So you can guess how that when over with him.

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After a couple of runs in the St.Kilda cart we let fly with the Napier, and she went like a Billycart should.
"Flat out, Downhill, NO BRAKES".

A couple of the fiddlier parts on it took a bit of a hiding, but overall it worked really well.
If you have a look at the picture of the bonnet ornament, you can see were its been repaired.
I didn't fix it every well because I think its nice that it has same battle scares.

Anyway thanks again, and I'm glad you like it.

[pmcgee]

I'm confused ... where's the DVD player fit? :?
Paul.

[Repliconics]

I'm confused ... where's the DVD player fit? :?
Paul.

The parts arrowed in the picture below are from an old Video player.
Their the gears that work the opening and closing mechanism when you put a tape in.
Its nice of the Phillips Company to supply Billycart parts.

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[Repliconics]

I'd like to think my work is a good example of what can be done without the need for a hole lot of power tools.
But I'm the first to admit I'd be lost without my trusty bandsaw.

To build the things I do, my tool box is pretty much:
Bandsaw
Wielder
Grinder
Drill
Hammer
Chisel
Screwdriver
Pliers
and Sandpaper (by the ton)

In the end I just love making things!

This T Model Ford Van was my first attempt at trying to make a Billycart look like it was real.
It's 2/3 scale to what would be the original, and as with most of my stuff it's made from recycled timber
and pretty much anything you can find to do the job.
It's all hand finished and painted.

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Like with most things one seems to lead to another, and the T model was what led me to building the
Ariel motorcycle that's at the start of this tread.
When I'd finished the T Model, the first thing I thought was how good it would look with a motorcycle
beside it.
Of cause after the Ariel was built I realized if you're going to have motorcycles you've got to have a Harley!

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After building cars and bikes for a while, I wonted to do something different.
When I was a kid my favourite show was Doctor Who, and that being the case what better to build than a life size Dalek.

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But as you can guess if you've got a Dalek you need K9.

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And of cause you can't have those without the TARDIS.
Which is pretty much where I'm at, theres a half finished TRADIS in the shed and the weather is getting better.
So it's back to the shed for me.

Cheers.

[Chris Parks]

Flabbergasted and totally gobsmacked and words fail me beyond that. The problem of handing these skills on is finding the people who want to learn and have the time. Is your son interested in following your foot steps?

[pmcgee]

And of cause you can't have those without the TARDIS.
Cheers.
And you can't have all that without ... a museum and a web-page :)
Wow!! :oo:
:U
Paul

[Repliconics]

And you can't have all that without ... a museum and a web-page

Their two things I'd love to do at some point.
But in life we all have limitations, mine would be High Functioning Autism.
Which by the way I'm pretty happy with.

The Autism gives me focus (border line obsession if you like) on my work.
The down side is I see things very black and white, shades of grey allude me!
At times it makes it a little problematic for me to quite get a grip on somethings.
Which doesn't bode well for the running of a business.

Still at least I know if I'm ever stranded on an island in the middle of the Pacific,
I can spending the rest of my life building the Taj Mahal out of coconuts,
and you've got to be happy with that.

[Berlin]

Still at least I know if I'm ever stranded on an island in the middle of the Pacific,
I can spending the rest of my life building the Taj Mahal out of coconuts,
and you've got to be happy with that.

Someone get this man an island! I want to see this building. :U

[Repliconics]

Someone get this man an island! I want to see this building. :U

Oh please do!
Could you imagine the look on the poor blokes face who was the first to find it? PRICELESS!
A life time spent building something so "wonderfully useless", sounds like heaven to me.:U

[Doggie]

Someone get this man an island! I want to see this building. :U

What if the island had no coconuts? You might go insane or something. Maybe you should build the Taj Mahal out of rocks instead. You could make cement out of the bird droppings. Are you OK??

[Repliconics]

Are you OK??

As I said before I'm defined as being a high functioning autisic, so asking me if I'm OK would seem a little ambiguous to say the least!
But I'd like to think my somewhat skewed version of reality still leaves me with a grip, if not a little tenuous at times!
So yes I'm OK!
Thanks so much for asking.