Hi
My Dad is retiring soon, and I think he would like wood working as a hobby. I would like to get him a book (or two) and some good quality tools. I'm looking to spend =A3100-=A3200 - any suggestions as to what would be a good selection to start with? (He has loads of DIY style tools, saws, drill etc).
Cheers
Mark
My father in law is in his late 60's. We recently setup him up with a Jet mini lath and some basic gouges. He loves it
I was going to say the same thing.
A lathe is a great way to relax, and it's perfect for making hundreds of christmas presents for the family.
... and incredible amounts of wood chips and dust, so it's not a good idea if you have nno suitable room for it.
My favorite basic beginning woodworking book is "The Complete Book of Woodworking: Detailed Plans for More Than 40 Fabulous Projects". No longer available directly from Amazon, but a few used copies are available. Great intro to wood and woodworking, with some good plans (and some really simple ones). Highly recommended. I don't have a lathe, but if I were getting a gift for my retiring dad, I'd seriously consider one. Good idea. If you think he'd be interested in more traditional tools, and he's more interested in the woodworking process than making things quickly, I'd consider hand tools. Let's see - a japanese Ryoba saw, a basic set of chisels, a Lee Valley Low Angle block plane, a combination waterstone for sharpening, a selection of clamps including some bar and some spring, and a combination square should be a good set to get started, and could cost somewhere around $300US if you didn't get top-of-the-line everything. (All that stuff is available from Lee Valley for a little under $300, but I don't know how their shipping is to the UK.) I think that should be in your 100-200 pound range, isn't it? That's assuming he has stuff like glue, sandpaper, a workmate or something to serve as a bench, etc. Sounds like a fun shopping trip! Enjoy, Andy
How about Leonard Lee's Complete Guide to Sharpening?
My favorite tool presents have been gift certificates for places that sell really nice tools. Alternatively, a good local woodworking school may have something in your price range. Personally, I would hate to get a lathe and tools as a present if I had no interest in turning. Taking a class or two may lead to the direction of interest. Dave
An extremely useful book, on a very boring subject.
Boring until a woodworker realizes what properly sharpened hand tools can do!
Barry
Thank you very much gentlemen - some very useful suggestions. I will investigate further!
On Thu, 26 Jan 2006 14:13:43 -0600, with neither quill nor qualm, Mike Berger quickly quoth:
(dumbass top posting corrected)
No, only WILDLY EXCITING TOOLS! Uncle Len's book is great.
Yeah, he covers augers, twist drills, forstners, spades, hole saws, tapered twist, plug cutters...almost everything.
- Better Living Through Denial ------------
I would take a serious look at a lathe myself. It has not gone unnoticed in the turning community how many of us are middle to senior aged.
It is popular for a lot of reasons, certainly the first one being that it is a lot of fun. But also, unless you want to, you don't have to learn measuring, fitting, or work with plans. If you are committed to turning, you will eventually need to do those things, but you really don't need to. In the mean time, a few simple skills will go a long way and you can learn as you turn.
The thing that seems to get most of the guys going is the fact that they can take a chunk of wood from the road, the dump, from trimming their trees, etc., and make bowls, ornaments, and any number of projects.
Oh yeah, and it is >really< fun.
Robert
Thu, Jan 26, 2006, 8:52am (EST-3) snipped-for-privacy@toucansurf.com (Mark) doth sayeth: Hi My Dad is retiring
Personally, unless I tell whoever exactly what books I'd like, I never get given ones I want. So, I'd say get him a nice card, and give him money, and a note telling him he can pick out what he wants. I know that's the way I'd prefer it. But, your call.
JOAT You only need two tools: WD-40, and duct tape. If it doesn't move and it should, use WD-40. If it moves and shouldn't, use the tape.
Does he have a good workbench? You could get him a copy of "The Workbench Book" by Scott Landis and a nice face vise.
-Leuf
Spoon bits?
On Fri, 27 Jan 2006 09:19:56 +0100, with neither quill nor qualm, Juergen Hannappel quickly quoth:
Good question. Hold on a sec.........No, I don't see it. But he covers mortise chisels 'n bits, tenon cutters, and brad points, too.
For spoon bits, DAGSOI:
- Better Living Through Denial ------------
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