Scratch Builders Reply

[CPDDET]

Doing my current build, Bluenose, I have made a few parts from cherry but never bought anything larger that 4 inch X 24 inch X 1/2 inch thick to make these from.

[barkeater]

I have a MM scroll saw and table saw as well as a Byrnes thickness sander and a Proxxon mini lathe. The scroll saw is fine. You have to go slow but you want to go slow when cutting irregular shaped pieces. The table saw is ok as long as I don't cut anything over about 1/4 inch. (Note: I do use a lot of very dense wood.) I'd love a Byrne's table saw and I might upgrade for the next build when I have a lot of lumber to cut for the hull. The thickness sander is great. On my current build I ripped planks of ebony for the wales before I had it and did not realize that the board I was cutting from was not of uniform thickness which caused the planks to have different widths along their length. Unfortunately, I did not realize it until I was on the third of six courses. It was a pain to wind up with an even wale but it came out fine. With the Byrne's now I can even out any board and avoid this dilemma. Just used it to taper my keel from head to foot. The lathe I just got and have not had a chance to use it yet. Good luck with your scratch build.

Richard

Edited July 11, 2022 by barkeater

[GrandpaPhil]

I primarily use a micro drill, a scalpel (#10 and #11 blades), a coping saw and a razor saw.

 

I have a good scroll saw (a Delta), but it’s never been out of its box.

 

The only power tool I really use is an electric drill.

 

 I will say that a good machinist’s scale and a good set of straight edges are invaluable.

[Roger Pellett]

I have a set of Stanley chisels inherited from my father.  They are “Yellow Handle,” supposedly better than the blue handle homeowner grade.  They were new in the 1950’s and hold a sharp edge.  Sizes:  1/4,” 3/8,” 1/2,” and 3/4.”  The most commonly used is the 3/8.”  It seems to give better control than the 1/4.”  I suspect that today a used set would sell for next to nothing.  I also have an inexpensive sharpening guide that works well.

 

Roger

[tlevine]

"...MINIMUM required shop equipment"  I presume you have the usual collection of a Dremel, clamps, forceps, pin vise, razor saw, etc.

Whatever you purchase, make it the highest quality you can afford.  Crap tools beget crap results.  When I started scratch building, the first power tool I purchased was a Preac saw.  So a table saw is a must.  The next one was a disc/belt sander, now replaced with Jim's disc sander which is whisper-quiet.  Until you are ready to invest in a good scroll saw, like a DeWalt, a jeweler's saw and jeweler's pin come next.  As a personal challenge, all the frames on my Echo cross section were cut by hand.  Other hand tools I cannot live without are chisels and sharpening system and calipers.

 

As others have said, your needs will be determined by what you are building and how you are building it.  For the first venture into scratch building, I would recommend sourcing wood the required thicknesses.  Otherwise, you will need to add a band saw and thickness sander/planer to your list.  

[Literalman]

For scratch building or kits, I think I've used only one power tool ever: an electric drill.

 

I'm sure that with other power tools I could mess things up faster and more thoroughly than with hand tools. 😉

[No Idea]

This is a great thread and I agree that actually you don’t need that many tools. However some power tools do not just speed the job up but make the results more accurate and repeatable. I have Jim’s tools and I cut all of my own material from bigger pieces of wood.  They allow me to make strips of wood in any size time and time again.  Is it really needed - probably not and I think builders should use what their budget allows. It’s taken years of saving to get this kit but it never stopped me before I had it. Having said that I wish Jim would make a vibration free spindle sander 😊. If I had to buy just one piece of kit I would buy a table saw as it’s so flexible in what it can do.