Ralph’s essential hand tool tips
A SCRAPER BEATS SANDPAPER
To get wood smoother than sandpaper can, Ralph uses a cabinet scraper. Also known as card scrapers, these simple pieces of steel cut micro-thin shavings of wood. They’re great for repairing scratches, final shaping or prepping a surface for finishing. Scraping can be hard work, but the reward comes when you apply the finish; the grain shows much more clearly and vibrantly than it does with sanded wood.
PERFECT MITERS FOR SMALL STUFF
Ralph uses this small Zona miter box to repair trim details on antiques, cut bracing for acoustic guitars and even install base shoe. Making cuts like these on a powered miter saw not only can be dangerous but also risks destroying delicate, and maybe irreplaceable, pieces of trim.
MARK WITH PRECISION
A marking gauge, which cuts tiny lines into the wood, is far more precise than a pencil. The fence can be set so you can make the same mark over and over with the same precision. Ralph always uses marking gauges when he’s mortising for hinges. When it comes time to “hog out” the wood, his chisel falls perfectly into the line made by the gauge.
PLANE A PERFECT GLUE JOINT
Making a “spring joint” is easy, and when it comes time for glue-up, you’ll only need one clamp! Ralph places two boards back-to-back in a vise and very lightly dishes the edges with a No. 4 bench plane. This creates a slight gap in the middle when he places the two boards together for glue-up. Then one clamp is all he needs to create a perfectly tight glue line.
MAKE SAFE AND ACCURATE CUTS
The Nobex 180 miter saw is a modern version of the old-fashioned bow saw, but attached to a precision miter box. It’ll cut 2x4s, crown molding or even delicate trim just like a powered miter saw, but it’s much safer and doesn’t throw dust everywhere. Plus, you certainly don’t need earplugs to use it. This saw is a little pricey—about $200 at leevalley.com. And Ralph strongly suggests upgrading to the razor-sharp Japanese Ikeda blade ($50).
ANGLE YOUR HAND PLANE
Instead of pushing it straight, Ralph will angle the hand plane just a little. This lowers the angle at which the blade meets the wood, helping it slice through the grain much more easily. Getting into this habit takes a little practice, but the effort is worth it.