Practice makes perfect

Why not get your self a dvd or a good book on sharpenning it’s worth it you should have a mortice gauge but you can make your own quite easily the older designs are the best. Try to keep things simple, and keep going even if all you make is firewood at first you will eventually make something stunning.
I say that beacause I have faith that one day I eventually will lol Alistair

-- excuse my typing as I have a form of parkinsons disease

On the “which hand tools to buy”, I think you need to tell us a little more about what you want to accomplish. I’d say “get a dovetail saw and a good flat chisel”, but I like dovetails and carcases, you may want to chip carve.

On sharpening, I feel you can make your own tool guides. I’d also suggest looking up the “scary sharp” system on Google. Lots of good suggestions there.

-- Dan Lyke, Petaluma California, http://www.flutterby.net/User:DanLyke

Thanks for the advice. I have purchased the book by Peter Korn; right now I can’t for the life of me remember the first part of the title, the last part of the title was Mastering the Essentials of Craftsmanship. I’m going to practice making mortises and tenons and then dovetails. I’d also like to practice some hand planing. Any advice on good brands or what to look for in these types of tools at an estate auction?

-- No Farmers = No Food

Popular Woodworking put out a book titled: Hand Tool Essentials; it is an excellent guide and very informative on the use of hand tools and their applications. I think it is approx $24, well worth the money.

-- "You get what you inspect, not what you expect"

A power saw & a jigsaw are are good start. Both can be used freehand as well as mounted under a table or bench. An electric drill is a must.
If you search the LJ’s site you should find some good tips on honeing chisels. Good luck with whatever you do. Don’t forget the ear, eye & dust protection.

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python

If you have $200 take a look at the WorkSharp 3000

http://www.amazon.com/Work-Sharp-WS3000-Wood-Sharpener/dp/B000PVHIMW/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1223728360&sr=8-1

An amazing tool for sharpening chisels and hand planes. And its easy to use.

-- Say what you mean and mean what you say.

After trying several methods of sharpening I have to agree with Icemizer the WorkSharp 3000 is the way to go.

-- Only the Shadow knows....................

Without a whole lot of initial expense, you can purchase wet/dry sandpaper and use it for sharpening purposes. Adhere a sheet of paper to a flat surface such as a thick plate of glass with an adhesive such as 3M 77. Start with something like 220 or 320 grit and work up through 400, 800, and 1200. Keep the paper wet with a rag or sponge.

There are inexpensive honing guides that you can purchase for around $10. This will enable you to put an extremely sharp and square edge on your hand plane irons and chisels.

With this KISS approach you can buy used hand planes and chisels at garage sales, sharpen and tune them up, and get on with some serious woodworking on a very low budget.

-- "Heaven is North of the Bridge"

And if we’re going to be silly (I assume that much of your decision on hand tools is a function of price, which would put this right out of your range), this is the hand tool I lust after most.

-- Dan Lyke, Petaluma California, http://www.flutterby.net/User:DanLyke

Along with a few chisels and a hand plane or two you will need a couple of saws. Rather than purchase used saws, which are difficult to sharpen, go down to your local hardware store and purchase a mid-length hand saw, preferbly with around 12 teeth per inch for fine cuts. Then look for a 12” to 14” long back saw, the more teeth per inch the better. You’ll also need a combination square. I have found that the Pro models made by Empire Tool in Milwaukee (www.empirelevel.com) offer exceptional accuracy for a very modest price. You can probably come up with a used work bench and vice for next to nothing.

Many years ago, my first woodworking projects were a cherry knick-knack shelf with four drawers, and a 4’ x 4’ bookcase. My “workbench” was an old table, and I made all the cuts by hand saw, and the rabbets & datos with hand chisels. Pilot holes for screws were drilled with an old hand crank drill. I didn’t feel the least bit deprived and both projects are still in use.

-- "Heaven is North of the Bridge"