What is your favorite hand tool(s)??

[bhermann]

Favorite hand tool?  There are just too many choices.  Hemostats, and optivisor are a couple that others have listed and that are right up there with me.

 

I recently picked up cross-locking tweezers and it falls in the 'how did I live without this' category.  My reason for buying them was to hold bands for soldering.  They apply enough pressure to hold the edges together without collapsing the band when it gets heated.  I quickly started using them to replace conventional tweezers for holding small parts.  The number of incidents where that small part flies out of the tweezers and into space has been reduced significantly, leaving me more time to model and less time crawling around the floor looking for deadeyes!

 

 

Bob

[figuerres]

My Lee Valley 1/4" Chisel.   I use it far more than the No.11 knife, or a fairly inexpensive micro carving set I have.   When I got this, it was  SHARP.     But now, I think it's becoming only SHARP.  I'm getting dismayed because I don't know how to sharpen it, and I don't want to ruin it by trying.

 

 

 

I think I will be getting one of those roller gismos that holds the chisel at a set angle, and I'll learn how to sharpen.

 

 

Ron

use an old fashion leather strap - like the old barbers used for the strait razors for touch up, or an old fashion whet stone / oil stone for times when it's really dull. all you want to do with the stone is work that top edge the one facing up in your picture and hold the face flat to the stone, push away on a long even stoke a few times.   that's it.   just keep that angle flat to the stone,    if you get a slight "lip" on the wrong side then just one pass on that side.

 

it's not hard to do really and you can get a crazy sharp edge in no time at all.

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

The last tools I bought are 3 small sharpening diamond stone coarse medium and fine for about $25.

Diamond is very efficient and fast for a fresh sharpening with water not oil. Although these are not this model, it shows the idea:

 

https://www.fine-tools.com/ezelap-diasharpener.html

 

Atually, my favorite tool is the proportionnal divider, the only use of a ruler after using it, is for tracing a line. I use it almost every day.

You can calculate an angle, divide, multiply. More accurate than a ruler to measure and it is easy to repeat a distance with it.

[Padeen]

My favorite tools are a plane and a small file (round on one side, straight on the other). They are the one that give the final shape to the wood parts which is what I find the most satisfying.

[Modeler12]

The last tools I bought are 3 small sharpening diamond stone coarse medium and fine for about $25.

Diamond is very efficient and fast for a fresh sharpening with water not oil. Although these are not this model, it shows the idea:

 

https://www.fine-tools.com/ezelap-diasharpener.html

I agree with the diamond coated sharpeners. I keep one in the drawer in front of me and when an Exacto blade gets a bit dull, I can sharpen it faster than replacing it with a new one. Of course, if the tip is broken then that is another matter.

 

Edited March 1, 2013 by Modeler12

[augie]

#11 exacto blades and magnifier (ok, tweezers as well).  For magnifiers I use inexpensive fly fishing glasses in 2.25 and 4X.  So light and comfortable that I get complaints from the 'Base Commander' when I show up at the dinner table still wearing them.

[druxey]

Ron: to keep your chisels in top-notch shape, get the Lee Valley Stone Pond and sharpening guide with a couple of water stones. 

[richardt]

I bought my first tool when I built my first model in 1950. It is a fretsaw with a 290mm throat and is stamped "Made in England".It has literally been in constant use ever since. I can cut faster and more accurately with it than with a scroll saw and I have the economy of using the entire toothed area of the blade and not limited to the cam of a scroll saw. There is nothing, other than the blade that can break, It never needs servicing because it is reliant only on elbow grease. The shellac on the handle is a bit worn but otherwise it is as bright and shiny as the day that I bought it. I can't remember what I paid for it but in todays money it would probably have been less than 10c. I don't like it.... I love it.

Richard

[Geoff Matson]

I go with mike Optivisor and tweezers

 

Geoff

[Pete38]

Not been in modeling long but one of my favorite hand tools are the tweezers: handy for anything and everything

 

 

But my favorite is this hand tool, for after modeling

 

[bbrockel]

Pete, I do a tool review column for MSB site and I'm in the middle of putting your last 'tool' through it's paces for my next review.  Clever 'favorite tool' post, my friend.   

[RiverRat]

Boom-box radio/CD player. Gotta have some appropriate tunes in the background for relaxation, working with some of this nick-picky piddely little stuff. Bach on classical guitar or Rossini overtures keep me centered.

 

Brian

[Anja]

Hello everyone,

 

These are my favorite handtools.

 

My little hobby knife

It is almost my sharpest tool available, and never shy to make a sharp cut.

It goes through almost every piece of wood. I don't argue with it, otherwise I will cut myself.

And If I do my measurements well, everthing will be cut the way I want. But if I forget to change the blades in time, It will ruin my modeling dreams.

 

My sandpaper

It is not the most beautiful tool. It has a rough skin and it wears quickly, but it will create the smoothest surfaces for me.

 

My tweezers

That's my tool when I have small objects to be manipulated. Two extra fine fingers for small pieces for which Even my fingers are too big to handle. But I don't dare squeeze it too hard, or the parts will fly all over the place.

 

Take care,

 

Anja

[slagoon]

Anja, don't forget how great the tweezers are for nipping at the husband when he's being annoying

[WackoWolf]

I would have to say that to me the most important tool and favorite is a ruler to measure. I have them in different scales and also inch and MM. With out the right mesurement it doesn't matter how good of a cut you make of sand or file, it still won't be right. Measure twice and then check and measure again. How many have scrap because of a wrong measurement. But this is just my 2 cents before the penny is no more.

Edited March 9, 2013 by WackoWolf

[xavjar]

Ron once you have sharpened the chisel on the stone, then if you strop it (remember the scenes in movies of the barber stopping the single edged razor) use an old leather belt and pull the blade towards you first one side then the other holding it from the handle so that the chisel is in line with the belt. If you do not have any polishing compound put a little toothpaste on the belt and it will bring up a razor sharp edge that you can literally shave with. If I cannot shave with a cutting tool knife or chisel then it is not sharp enough for me. A dull tool is a dangerous tool.

 

I like to use the Japanese water stones for the stone work.

 

Michael

 

I took your advise and had a go at this...... it worked great, I now have a razzor sharpe chisels - thank you

 

Cheers Phil,

[Modeler12]

I would have to say that to me the most important tool and favorite is a ruler to measure. I have them in different scales and also inch and MM. With out the right mesurement it doesn't matter how good of a cut you make of sand or file, it still won't be right. Measure twice and then check and measure again. How many have scrap because of a wrong measurement. But this is just my 2 cents before the penny is no more.

I agree, Joe. 

Besides small six inch rulers, I rely a lot on my calipers. It has a dial indicator (digital, I guess, is ok also) and I can rapidly find out what the sizes are; be it diameter, thickness, even spacing such as planking, etc. 

[Artificer]

Seeing all these favourite tools could we construct the ultimate toolbox from the information?

 

When it comes to my favourite hand tools I have two, My Lie-Nielsen 102 block plane and the Chopper II both are a godsend when at the hull building stage.

 

Dave

[Modeler12]

 

Seeing all these favourite tools could we construct the ultimate toolbox from the information?

 

When it comes to my favourite hand tools I have two, My Lie-Nielsen 102 block plane and the Chopper II both are a godsend when at the hull building stage.

 

Dave

Dave, It might not be the 'ultimate' toolbox, but I don't mind putting a list together of what we have thus far. Give me time.

What I find interesting is that the replies varied from your block plane to a can opener for the 'end-of-the-day refreshment', hah, hah. 

Of course, the most popular so far is the opti-visor (or whatever you have to see a little closer).

Like, we all need better eyesight?     

[Modeler12]

Here is the list thus far and they are not in any order other than the most favorites first.

I just hope that any new ones are not going to be influenced by this grouping!!!!!

 

 

Tweezers 9x

Magnifier headset  7x

#11 blades  3x

Hemostat  3x

Diamond sharpener  2x

Ruler  2x

Block plane 2x

Bright light  2x

Chissel

Toothbrush sander

Tooth brush cleaner

Files

Fretsaw

Sandpaper

Drawplate (for treenails)

Boombox (classical please  )

Can (bottle) opener

 

Plus we had a hobby knife and a scalpel which should, maybe, go with the #11 blades to keep the list short (not added yet).

 

Sorry I was wrong when I said the magnifier seemed to be the most popular. But that was 'hindsight'.

Edited March 13, 2013 by Modeler12

[fabius.b]

I'm a surgeon, and my favourite hand tools are my two lancets, n° 15 and 22.  But also haemostat, tweezers, caliper and so on....