Matt Estlea
Tool Maintenance and Techniques
In this section you will learn everything you need to get started in hand tool woodworking, including the terminology and jargon that comes with it. By the end of this section, your tools will be sharp, set up beautifully, and your journey into fine woodworking will have begun.
How to Saw Correctly
An essential skill for hand cut joinery. This lesson will teach you how to accurately start a cut, follow a line, and cut straight and square. This is where most beginners fall at the first hurdle and begin enforcing bad habits that are challenging to correct later.
How to Saw Correctly
You will learn:
- How to start the cut
- How to follow a line
- How to cut straight and square
- Body positioning and movement
How To Sharpen a Chisel
Despite often being advertised as being ‘ready out of the box’ chisels will always benefit from further sharpening to improve their accuracy and safety. Working with a blunt chisel will not only butcher your work off the bat, but can also result in serious injury.
What Tools Do You Need?
You will learn:
- How to grind a primary bevel
- How to hone a secondary bevel
- How to lap a blade
- How to maintain an edge
- Budget sharpening setups
How to Chisel Correctly
A chisel is one of the most widely used tools in all areas of woodworking. But there are some very simple changes, that even experienced woodworkers can make, that makes your chiselling far easier, accurate and more efficient. Learn the techniques here!
How to Chisel Correctly
You will learn:
- Holding the chisel
- Where to position your line of sight
- Achieving efficient power transfer
- Avoiding common injuries
How To Sharpen a Plane
Is sharpening a plane really that different to sharpening a chisel?
Yes. Yes it is. There is one fundamental difference that sets the two processes apart. And this subtle change makes a massive difference when using the plane; as you will see later in the Online School.
How To Sharpen a Plane
You will learn:
- How to grind a primary bevel
- How to sharpen a camber
- Why we sharpen a camber
- When not to sharpen a camber
- Blade modifications and types
How To Setup a Plane
Now that your blade is sharp, it’s time to start producing those super fine shavings! To do this, we need to get your plane set up for a light, even cut that can be difficult to achieve without proper guidance. Let’s make your planing as enjoyable as it should be.
How To Setup a Plane
You will learn:
- How to attach the chip breaker
- Mechanisms within a plane
- How to get the blade square
- How to adjust depth of cut
- Avoiding common mistakes
How to Plane Correctly
Can it really be that hard to plane correctly? Well as many of my students have proven, yes it can be. Planing correctly involves a mixture of correct body positioning, balance and pressure, and even presenting the tool to the work properly. It also saves a lot of energy!
How to Chisel Correctly
You will learn:
- How to hold the plane
- Positioning the plane
- When to skew the plane
- Pressure and body movement
- Keeping surfaces and edges flat
How to Use a Marking Gauge
Surprisingly, of all the tools that my students use, the marking gauge seems to be the one that causes the most issues to begin with. Why is this?
How to Use a Marking Gauge
You will learn:
- Differences in cutting and marking gauges
- Progressive cuts
- Angle and position of the blade
- When to remove gauge lines
Filing and Cleaning Hinges
Are you looking for a way to instantly increase the perceived value of your boxes and cabinets? This tutorial will show you how. (Hint: It’s not as simple as polishing them)
Filing and Cleaning Hinges
You will learn:
- The problems with cheap hinges
- How to tune hinges
- How to finish hinges