Thread: $1000 - what tools should I buy?

I have the LV LA Block, that I reach for all the time. Infact it lives on the shelf under the bench with all my measuring gear You could also look at HNT gear, some of the members rave about it, I haven't used any. You could also look at bying direct from LV as you only have to keep the total under Au $1000 and with the Au $ getting close to the Us $, or you could buy from Lie Neilsen in Adelaide.

You've certainly made some nice selections. You could save money on the planes and maybe get some some nice user Stanleys for less. My preference is Japanese pull saws. But what you've chosen could easily be the right choice for you.

Measuring tools are important too. Don't leave them out. If you're cutting dovetails by hand, you'll need a dovetail gauge. 6" and 12" steel rule, a good 6" square. But they don't have to be tip top dollar, just accurate.

Originally Posted by Eli

You've certainly made some nice selections. You could save money on the planes and maybe get some some nice user Stanleys for less. My preference is Japanese pull saws. But what you've chosen could easily be the right choice for you.

Measuring tools are important too. Don't leave them out. If you're cutting dovetails by hand, you'll need a dovetail gauge. 6" and 12" steel rule, a good 6" square. But they don't have to be tip top dollar, just accurate.

Thanks Eli, As areal newbie I really don't know much. Is there really that much of a difference between a Stanley v veritas. Are the sizes I mentioned, good for first planes?

Good point on the measuring tools too, I will chuck a few of my own dollars to a few of those things.

Hi Skygazer,
A similiar question was posted here with great info, have a read of Derek's tool reviews will provide valuable discussion on the merits of quality tools.
Good luck Mike

Hey champ... lurverly situation you are in!

Yep, big, big difference between Stanley and LV.
LV's 'just work' (which is a compliment) and do that with NO fuss, bother or mucking around.
They would be a good choice.

Those Pax saws... thats a fair wack of cash. I am sure they are fine, never used one.... but they are still chewing up a lot of the budget.

How about an old saw from ebay, the Pax tenon saw and a japanese saw for the dovetails (or even just a plain old coping saw)? You don't need a dovetail saw for dovetails if you have a $15 coping saw and a chisel.

Not sure if you are looking for beautiful tools, or beautiful workers.... money is an issue for me so I go for good old tools that still have a lot of life in them.
Check out this old saw... here... seems fine to me and would go for not much more than its currently at (or less if no-one bids and you make an offer)... same here.
This set of saws has an oldie but a goodie Tenon saw.
Sure you would need to sharpen them, or get it sharpened... just like the Pax ones after you use them a bit.

Other than a LVLA block which I find very useful the rest of those items I've quite happily purchased from Sunday Markets, Ebay or secondhand somewhere. Maybe the brands are largely Stanley, Diston, etc but when sharpened work quite well for the skill level of a weekend butcher like me and are quite capable or turning out nice pieces. A gents saw will do those dovetails as well and Crown have one for around the $25 mark. I used to use a coping saw, a sharp chisel for paring back meant more then the quality of the saw.

There is no need to be a brand name shopper, by all means quality can't be beat, but some of the older stuff was not rubbish and will last well.

John.

$1000 as a bday gift ...... It can be habit forming... beware.

One day you will wake up & find you have a $1000 a month habit.

Pax saws are OK however for the price they are bottom of the range. You would be much better of buing a Mike Wenzloff for only a few dollars $10 - $40 more and get the best handsaws in the world today. However buying a dovetail, a tenon and a rip saw second hand and getting it sharpened would do you nice. You would have to do some research however. Generally the older the better and the more ornate the handle the better. From a time when people cared about what they made and sold.

If you are going the LV way buy direct from in Canada with the Aussie dollar so high it is cheaper then buying here in Australia, just keep it under $1000 and you will not pay GST or other TAX. I would also recommend the LV low angle block plane not the standard angle as this give you more options and you get better end grain performance. The LV Veritas® Bevel Up Smoothing Plane gets rave reviews this is the plane LV/Veritas are famous for. Some say it is the best sub $1000 smoother in the world today.

My personal choice is the HNT Gordon Planes, Australian Made for Australian Timbers. See Derek review I would go with a:

$220 Smoothing Plane Tools Steel Blade
$150 Aussie Jack Plane Gidgee Tools Steel Blade
$280 Trying Plane Gidgee Tool Steel Blade

Which would give you a full set of planes and you would still have $350 to spend on some nice saws. The only thing I would buy extra is a scrub plane or an old stanley no 5 camber the blade file the mouth open and make it eat wood.

Ok thats for all the great information.

Looks like I have a start and am going to buy the following direct from LV

Veritas® Low-Angle Jack Plane, A2 -Item 05P3401
Veritas® Low-Angle Block Plane, A2 - Item 05P2201
Veritas® Bevel-Up Smoother Plane, A2 - Item 05P3601

On their website they refer to A2 or O1 blades, what should I get? Have a look http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...,41186&p=49708

It should tally up to about $750 deliveried, so I have ~250 for some saws. What would your recommendations on a couple of saws be, noting I currently have no saws.

Go for the A2 you will need it for Aussie hardwoods.

Ask LV if they can get your blades in 38° or 50° bevel angles not 25º. OR better buy two blades for each plane a low angle for end grain and soft woods and and a 50º for heard and nasty Aussie timbers.

What kind of timbers do you work mostly?

Have you got any sharpening stones you did not mention?

If No - a small set of kings you will need to start with see here

1200 grit, 4000 grit and 6000 grit. Also some Veritas green honing compound for stropping.

That will give you razor sharp.

For saws - two options Japanese OR Western, Pull or Push, Fragile OR Durable, Thick or Thin Kerf? You select then we can make some choices.

It is like having my own money

Sharpening gear is important, all these lovely Veritas planes are useless without it

Originally Posted by thumbsucker

1200 grit, 4000 grit and 6000 grit. Also some Veritas green honing compound for stropping.

For mine I'd skip the 6000 and go for a 300 instead. I haven't used the 6000 since I got hold of some Veritas green honing compound, and if you no longer have the budget for a grinder, then a 300 water stone will be more useful to you. You'll only need to find one tiny reminent of an iron filing in something you're planing before you realise the value of a 300 stone

I'll also give the second hand tools idea a big thumbs up. I now have a colection of planes (6 in total now) which have cost me a total of $320, two new, two old and two home made (in that chronoligical order ), and I reckon there is more to be learned from tuning your own planes than there is from having a ready to use plane delivered to you.

Come to the Darkside, Skywalker... I mean skygazer

Originally Posted by thumbsucker

Go for the A2 you will need it for Aussie hardwoods.

Ask LV if they can get your blades in 38° or 50° bevel angles not 25º. OR better buy two blades for each plane a low angle for end grain and soft woods and and a 50º for heard and nasty Aussie timbers.

What kind of timbers do you work mostly?

Have you got any sharpening stones you did not mention?

If No - a small set of kings you will need to start with see here

1200 grit, 4000 grit and 6000 grit. Also some Veritas green honing compound for stropping.

That will give you razor sharp.

For saws - two options Japanese OR Western, Pull or Push, Fragile OR Durable, Thick or Thin Kerf? You select then we can make some choices.

It is like having my own money

Thanks thumbsucker,
I have the 800 and 6000 grit king sharpening stones.
I am a newbie but looking at mostly aussie timbers (tassie oak to start with).
Having no saws means I have zero experience with either other than cheap swa from bunnings that I used to trim some bottle brushesin the garden 8). I would say as a beginner they would need to be durable and lets start with Western for no reason other than I an Western.

I think that this is a decision that will take a bit of time,you should calm down get all your tool catalogues and head for the end of the bar,take your time probably untill your next birthday and hope you get another $1000 then you could start the decision making process again.

Originally Posted by skygazer

Thanks thumbsucker,
I have the 800 and 6000 grit king sharpening stones. .

I would get a medium stone say a 1200 or 4000 it makes less work the smaller the jump is between grits.

Originally Posted by skygazer

I am a newbie but looking at mostly aussie timbers (tassie oak to start with)..

If you want one Western saw then what do you want the saw for dovetails, cross cut saw or tenon saw. What will you be sawing most?

If it is a dovetail saw and a nice dovetail saw is just really nice to use and have - I would get a Carcass Saws US $135 from Mike Wenzloff and Son's now is the time to buy. The best bar none - but it is a two month wait, he is just flat out. If you cannot wait then get an Adria Tools Works saw made in Canada and almost as good as the Mike Wenzloff and Son's saw's and you can get them from Terry Gordon who stocks them for AU $199. Wait a little longer and pay less for a better saw would be my way.

I would then get a Cross cut and a Tenon saw from ebay with whatever you have left.

Here are some find that look good on ebay.

HENRY-DISSTON-BRASS-BACK-BACKED-TENON-SAW

1887 Vintage E C Atkins AAA Steel Back Saw 6 TPI

1887 Vintage Henry Disston Steel Back Saw 11 TPI

1869 Wheeler, Madden & Clemson Steel Back Saw 10 TPI

Disston 20" short panel carcass tenon back saw

Tillotson Split Nut Back Saw With Fancy Handle

Early Sheffield Brass Back Saw

Just go to you local trash and treasure style market and you can find some beauties cheap, that way you can get bang for buck get some really nice saws which often need nothing but a clean and a sharpen for about $10. Easy.

Just look for ornate handles nice fancy brass nutts, sight down the blade to make sure is 98%+ straight. No teeth missing and that is has not been filled down so much that their is nothing left to saw with. Also make sure it has all its original nuts left. If a saw has a small amount of pitting that is fine the clean will stop it spreading.

Their are lots of saw cleaning articles on this page half way down.