Hits: 2581
I recently found a YouTube channel that motivated me to purchase some planes and a couple of hand saws so I could learn some basic hand tools skills. I’ve tried a few times to cut handcut dovetails and use hand planes, but I’ve had less than great results. After watching Matt Estlea’s channel, I’ve learned some great techniques that helped me dramatically with my hand tool skills. He has great videos on sharpening and set up as well as practical techniques for using the tools.
A few weeks ago, he started a series to build a box with handcut dovetails using only hand tools. I decided to follow along. I’m quite pleased with the results. I’m not finished yet -- one of my projects interrupted my progress, but I managed to do all the planning and joinery with only hand tools. It’s been a lot of fun, and I’ve learned so much. The dovetails definitely started out pretty rough but got better with each set. If you’re interested in improving your hand tools skills I highly recommend watching some of his basic videos and perhaps even trying out his online school. https://www.mattestlea.com/school