18th-century Tools for Every Shop

Eighteenth-century woodworking tools. This 20″-wide piece of  mahogany will make a great tabletop when I get it flattened. My long try plane may not be the fastest tool for the job, but I sure am glad I have it. I could never justify purchasing a 24″ stationary power planer because I come across stock like this infrequently. This plane allowed me to buy a piece of wood I probably couldn’t work otherwise. Eighteenth-century woodworking tools can be restrictive in some ways. In this case, however, my try plane has opened up opportunities I wouldn’t have had without it.

I use 18th-century hand tools because I make reproduction furniture. In my mind, the simplest, most efficient way to make authentic-looking furniture is to simply use the tools and techniques from the period. So for 18th-century reproductions, I think hand tools are the best tools. But for other jobs, I’m not so sure. Last year, I made plywood kitchen cabinets by hand. That wasn’t fun. Eighteenth-century hand tools simply weren’t designed for plywood and the sorts of joints used in kitchen cabinets. So I recognize my 18th-century tool kit isn’t universally superior. But there are some 18th-century hand tools that I think no shop should be without, regardless of the sort of work done. In this article, I’m going to list the tools I think you should have and tell you why I think you should have them.

I’ve been reluctant to discuss topics such as this in the past. From its conception, Arts & Mysteries has always had a strong anti-consumeristic theme. Arts & Mysteries is now and has always been about skill. So I’ll make a deal with you: I’ll agree to talk about the tools you need if you promise not to ask me who makes the best versions and where to buy them.

Try Plane
Every shop needs a long handplane (traditionally called a try plane). Try planes are used to flatten or straighten stuff. Think of them as the 18th-century equivalent of a power jointer. The advantage they offer over a power jointer is that you can use them to work stock that’s too wide or heavy for your jointer. Use a try plane to flatten a tabletop or your workbench. It’s a lot easier and more accurate than a belt sander. Don’t be afraid to work perpendicular to the grain.

Try planes are also used to straighten edges. They can be helpful if your stock is too heavy to safely pass over your jointer, and you’ll never cut yourself working with small pieces.

When selecting a try plane I think you should get the longest plane you can find. The theory is that the longer sole will allow you to work more accurately. In reality, I’m not 100-percent sure it makes a huge difference.  Look for a plane between 20″ and 30″ in length and don’t worry too much if it doesn’t take smoother-like shavings. You can always clean up after it with a smooth plane, cabinet scraper or, dare I say it, sandpaper.

Crosscut Handsaws
I can understand why someone might not want to do all their ripping by hand. Long rips through thick stock can be strenuous. But crosscuts are generally not difficult by hand and handsaws offer a few advantages over power saws. I’m not sure how folks rough crosscut boards, or glued-up panels that are too wide for a chop saw or radial-arm saw. If the stock is 6/4 or thinner, this is fairly easy work with a handsaw. I also take my panel saw to the lumberyard. Sometimes I find stock that doesn’t fit in my van. So I just cut it right there and then while the yard man stares at me, tobacco juice rolling down his chin from his gaping mouth. (Handsaws are an anathema to some people; I hope not to you.)

I used a chop saw a few times and was disappointed with my accuracy. The saw cut perfectly straight and true, but I had some difficultly adjusting to the saw to the 82.3789542° angle scribed on the stick I was cutting. I had no stock, time or patience for test cuts. A backsaw filed crosscut will actually jump into a knifed scribe line. All the precision bearings in the world can’t do that. If you have 20 of the 90° cuts to make, obviously it wouldn’t make sense to use a handsaw if you had a chop saw handy. But for off-angle or compound-angle cuts, a simple backsaw can make quick work of the job.

Marking Gauge
Technically, a marking gauge is used to transfer a mark from one board to another. But I’ve found mine are useful for other tasks. I use them like a caliper, to see how uniform a thickness is (in the few instances when I actually care). I also set my marking gauges to chisels (using them as width gauges) to transfer a given measurement accurately and repeatedly. Instead of scratching a line as is typical, marking gauges can be used to mark the locations of nails or screws equidistant from an edge. The advantage I see of the marking gauge over the dial indicator or caliper is that you can mark and measure with it at the same time.

Making your own marking gauge is a fun afternoon project. My friend Dean Jansa wrote an excellent article in this column for the December 2006 issue (#159) detailing step-by-step instructions. In that column, he mentioned 18th-century-style fixed-pin mortising gauges. I wonder if some of you would benefit from making one of these with the pins set to the thickness of plywood.