Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Survivor Tool Chest

No, this isn't about a bookmatched, dovetailed toolchest with 50 compartments and inlay in the shape of a drawknife, although I dream of having one!
I have often been asked about the tools required to make a chair, and since I travel so much these days, it's become evident, and imperative that I figure out the necessities in my shop. One of the joys of chairmaking is the limited tool list, and in the cauldron of the classroom, I've refined this list and thought you might like to see it. There are a few things that are specific to my personal techniques, but in general, this list could get you sitting pretty after a shipwreck (on an island with ring porous hardwoods!)
EDIT: Obviously, this isn't a real survivor list, which would be just a few tools, but a list of the tools that come into use in my everyday shop experience, although, all of these tools do basically fit in a toolbag. Now if I could just get Hoadley to publish a version of his book that doubles as a floatation device!

Turning




Roughing Gouge




1 in gouge




Skew




Parting tool




Tenoners ½, 7/16, 3/8,5/8



Tenon jig that sits on lathe bed for sighting tenon angle

Galbert Caliper




Sizing Tool




Spindle gouge




2MT jacobs chuck and key



steady rest




cclamps










Shaving




Drawknives




Spokeshaves




marking guage




Bead Scraper










Books




Hoadley




Alexander




Sloane




Langsner




Underhill




Santori










Carving




Adze




Travisher




Inshave




Gutter carver




Tenon trimming gouges



Flush cut saws




Depth drill










Painting




Filters




Paint




Extra Bond




Brush




Anti Foaming




Scotchbrite




Steel wool




Oil




Gloves
















Splitting










Maul




Froe




Wedges




Brake




Hatchet




Sledges




Chainsaw




Gas




Oil




Wrench




Spark plugs
















Sharpening




Stones




Grinders




Buffer




Holders




bear tex




auger file




Nagura




Drywall screen




Plate glass




Wood Stone Holder with wedge



Strop




Small grinding bits



Green rouge




diamond hones




wheel dresser




pin jig for drawknife grinding



magnet jig for drawknife grinding



diamond paste










Planes




Scrub




#4




#5




#7










Drilling




Drill and charger




Bits




bit and brace




irwin extension bit















Measuring and Marking



Clear Rulers




Protractors




Black rules




Extension rule




Bevel boss




Spindle blocks




Aluminum straight edges



Carpenter pencils




Accuscribe




Assembly




String




Irwin quick grip clamp



Tenon chamferer (carpenter pencil sharpener)


Rubberbands




Reamers




Holding Jigs with v notches for drilling undercarraige


Mirrors




Dead Blow




Hammer




Bevel Squares




Steel plate with holes for sizing tenons


square




target for sighting mortise drilling



tenon taperer




plumber reamer




extra bends
















Misc




Wax




Pencils




Cyanoacrylate




Foil




Gluepot




Measuring spoons



Chip brushes




Spring clamps




Shavehorses




Heat gun




iron




Steamer, pot, reservoir



5/8 dowels




Tape










Scraping




scraper jig




Scrapers




Burnisher




Oil




Files





I'm sure you will have a couple of questions which I can answer in the comments page, plus you can tell me which tools you can't live with out. Cheers!

13 comments:

Ray said...

Add under misc.
Backhoe
Loader with forks

mckenzie said...

drywall screen?

Peter Galbert said...

The drywall screen is used with the plate glass to flatten stones, and finish up any drywall mudding you may have undone.

John McAlevey said...

Peter- I think you need to channel your inner John Brown and simplify your tool kit.-John

Peter Galbert said...

John,
I thought I was!!!

Unknown said...

250 grit diamond plate for flattening my stones. Can't live without it. Flat stones= faster more accurate sharpening= back to work sooner.

I want that fancy 50 compartment tool chest too. Are you going to have that in the next blog? CAD Plans and all? :P

Peter Galbert said...

Caleb,
I was using the shapton flattening plate last week and loved it, but the price is choking me! What kind of plate do you have?

Unknown said...

Mine is the 3x8 DMT dia-sharp extra coarse. I believe it was $53. Great value compared to the other choices and it has done just fine. I take a couple of passes over my water stones ever time I go to use them and that seems to maintain them well. I don't even bother doing the pencil marks anymore since so far a few swipes seems to keep it flat.

Keith Gotschall said...

Ha, Peter, this is your shipwreck kit? Your going to sink the boat! Of course with this many tools at your disposal, you can probably build a boat as well as the captains chair!

Peter Galbert said...

Keith,
I was just kidding about the survivor bit, it's actually every tool I use in my shop! The survivor kit would be an ax, a drawknife, a froe and a bit and brace, maybe a saw if I can use the lifeboat! Oh yeah, and a radio.

Unknown said...

Well considering Pete is surviving as a chairmaker in the real world I would say the list should be a list of every tool in his shop being a real "survivor kit".

Heck maybe that would be a good title to your memoirs... Chairmakers Survival Guide by Peter Galbert. :) Well, its better than "Chairmaking for Dumbies" though I could use that one too.

Scott -- said...

No Kassay in the book list? I use it much more than Santori. Interesting.

Peter Galbert said...

Scott,
I do like the Kassay book and have referenced it a bunch, it would be a fine addition to the list