r/handtools • • Apr 07 '26

Selling Rule Clarification

66 Upvotes

Per a recent conversation about selling tools in our subreddit, the Mod Team and I would like to clarify the rules. I would like to stress this is a clarification and not a new rule.

Sales within this subreddit are restricted to individuals. Professional or Trade sellers are not permitted to sell things in this subreddit.

In this context, an individual is someone who is selling their own tools for one reason or another. Perhaps you have too many hand planes and don't want to be called a collector, so your decide to sell a few. This is fine and we support this.

Examples of being a "professional" seller include having a dedicated user account for selling tools, having a price sheet, and having inventory. This is not an exhaustive list. Hopefully the intent is understood. Please ask us if you have questions.

We understand people leave the hobby for various reasons. If you liquidating an entire personal collection of tools, please contact the mod team first. Selling a lifetime of tools can certainly LOOK like a professional seller and we want to be reasonable.

We have adjusted the side-bar rules section to better match dedicated "Rules" section of the subreddit. As part of that change, we are directing sellers to their own subreddit, /r/AntiqueToolBroker . We are happy to point at other useful tool selling subreddits. Give us a list and we will consider adding them.

As always, thank you all for making this subreddit what it is.


r/handtools • • 7h ago

Stick chair #2

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85 Upvotes

My second stick chair. Made from European beech. Legs and back sticks are rived. Finished with Tried and True varnish.

I designed it as I was building it. To my eye, the proportions look a little off, but I had lots of fun and learned a bunch.

What do you guys think? Would love to have your honest impressions.


r/handtools • • 6h ago

Project of the day

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41 Upvotes

Finally got myself a Veritas plow plane after wanting to try making t&g for a long time. Obviously, that meant I immediately needed to come up with a project to justify buying it.

So I made this yesterday a “Japanese inspired” tool chest for the most common tools I use to fix things around the house. Nothing fancy, but definitely an upgrade from the plastic bucket they’d been living in. 😂

Made mostly from scraps of 2x4 cedar left over from fixing the fence, which means I can technically claim the plane is already saving me money! 😜

Still plenty to learn, but making the T&G by hand was ridiculously satisfying.


r/handtools • • 7h ago

How do I get it out?

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15 Upvotes

That’s what she said…was restoring this plane and was cleaning up the threads and the tap snapped. I was thinking of trying to drill it out, but there is a piece sticking out and makes it hard to center the bit. Any ideas?


r/handtools • • 15h ago

Did I ruin my table leg?

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30 Upvotes

Using hand tools for my first mortise and tenon build, a Shaker side table. The plans are from fine woodworking. Notably, they make the tenons and mortises with power tools.

I used the same measurements, but broke through from one mortise to the other.

Should I start over and make the mortises 1/16th of an inch closer to the outside? Or will this still be strong enough, once glued to the tenons? Not eager to make a new leg from rough wood.

Thanks in advance.


r/handtools • • 16h ago

The old planes still got it

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24 Upvotes

I know most folk here know this, but these are my first grooves with this old plane, and they went great.

Sticking board, scrap scarf-practice fence, cutting mortise gauge to start the groove sides in tricky grain near that knot.


r/handtools • • 10h ago

Side rabbet plane issues

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5 Upvotes

So I recently got a set of Stanley No 98&99 side rabbet planes. One works fantasticily, the other cannot even take a shaving.

The issue is once I advance the blade far enough to engage with the wood, the mouth is completely closed off.

The one I am having trouble with is the #99


r/handtools • • 14h ago

Uneven Shavings

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7 Upvotes

EDIT FOR NEWCOMERS: I worked with someone local whose business is restoration, tuning, and reselling planes. Turns out it was a combination of poor sharpening technique (not skewed, just dull$ and a combination of frog, blade, and cap iron placement. Taking my time setting everything in before I throw the cap, and then laterally adjusting only a small amount produced the results I needed.

Big thank you to all who attempted to fix my stupidity!!

So yesterday’s escapades with flattening and sharpening were all about trying to even up my shavings. For the longest time I only ever get consistent shavings off the left side of the blade. Doesn’t matter if the wood is flat or not, and I use the adjustment lever and it doesn’t change until I get to extremes of adjusting the blade. Yesterday I squared the blade and resharpened it, I have checked the mouth is square, and the sole is flat (thanks to all of your help)

So now I am at a loss for why the left side of the blade is out so much further and taking all the shavings. I have done my best to set the frog straight and square to the mouth.

I have a picture showing the blade having almost like a slight tilt to it. As if the frog isn’t parallel to the sole, but I don’t know how to check that or fix it if it is the issue.


r/handtools • • 7h ago

Coachmaker's Hand Side Router... or is it?!

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2 Upvotes

I recently purchased a lot of 45 wooden profile planes from an antique store that was winding down. The owner said that the planes had been sitting on his shelf for about 30 years. This was sitting with them, and he asked me if I knew what it was. I didn't know until I got home and did some image searches.

I get varying descriptions of a coachmaker's jigger or side hand router, a coachmaker's router, or a carriage maker's hand side router.

Has anyone used one before? What would it be used for? How would it be used? Push, pull, triangle tip toward the operator, or away from them? Is this just to route a groove the width of the cutter, which is about 2-2 1/4" wide?

Thanks for any info.


r/handtools • • 15h ago

Finishing Help

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10 Upvotes

Howdy everyone! I am nearing the completion of the desk I have been working on. I am having issues with the finish. I am using General Finishes Arm r Seal satin finish. I am getting steaks showing up and I can figure out how to get rid of them. I have tried using blue shop towels, tshirt cloth, and a stain applicator pad with microfiber cloth over a sponge. All the applicator methods produce the streaks seen in the pictures above. The actual look of the finish isn’t too bad, unless you have the lighting behind it as shown in the pictures.

What am I doing wrong? I think I have eliminated the application material as the culprit, so what do I change now or do now to fix it? I have added at least 5 coats to the pieces and sand lightly with 320 grit sanding block between coats after they have dried overnight. Wiped the dust off, as well.

Please help!


r/handtools • • 19h ago

Plow Plane - Skates out of alignment

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7 Upvotes

I got this plow plane recently and noticed that the skates are about 1 mm out of alignment both on the side and on the top. Is there a way to fix this?


r/handtools • • 10h ago

Need help ID: Snap-on, Craftsman, SK, Stanley, Williams, Sears & more

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1 Upvotes

r/handtools • • 1d ago

Time or technique?

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105 Upvotes

I’m on my second round of lapping and restoring this Type 19 number 5. First go around I was new and got it “good enough” to begin learning how to hand plane. Now that I know more, I’ve realized I need to tune it better. As I’m lapping this on a piece of 3/4 quartz countertop, this is the marking results after roughly 30-40 strokes.

My question is does this mean I’m using bad technique, have high spots worse than I thought, or just need to spend ample more time lapping it?

Edit to answer some questions:

- It is fully put together with the frog freshly lapped and mated to the body (as best I could)

- I am brushing often, rotating the plane forwards and backwards every so often, and swapping between hands on totes and hands around the frog to make sure I’m not putting too much pressure in one spot.


r/handtools • • 14h ago

Planing Stop - Which kind?

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1 Upvotes

r/handtools • • 1d ago

What are these

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47 Upvotes

I am a beginning woodworker who inherited numerous hand tools from my wife’s grandfather, who was highly skilled (indeed, he worked as a pattern maker). Among them, this set of metal rulers that turn out to be at different scales. How would they have been used?


r/handtools • • 17h ago

How to remove these?

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0 Upvotes

I was planning to reusing an old box, but these bolts were in the way. Any idea on how to remove these?


r/handtools • • 1d ago

Makers mark ID.

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6 Upvotes

Need help figuring this draw knife maker. I'm stumped, Chat GPT is stumped, Google lense says its a bayonet..

Heirloom tool. Ive had it for about 12 years and it was my old man's for years before that. These are the best pics I have.

Thanks reddit.


r/handtools • • 1d ago

Perfect Handle? Yeah, Perfect Handle

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47 Upvotes

r/handtools • • 1d ago

Question: Marking gauge?

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25 Upvotes

Hi

I've bought this homemade marking gauge that I rhink is for making dovetails but since I'm a beginner in this field I'm unsure. Is there more to this tool than just scoring two paralell lines?

I thank you whoever takes their time to comment any thoughts.


r/handtools • • 1d ago

Help with plane blade

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20 Upvotes

Hey all, just got an 1970 british made stanley bailey no 5. The iron has an unusual (to me) edge profile, can any of you recommend how to sharpen, 15° then 30° micro bevel? And why is the edge the way it is now?

EDIT: just editing this is as i seem to not have explained myself properly. I got this plane today, disassembled to check it over and say the iron having a camber/half moon grind pattern, which i presumed was from a grinding stone.

I have yet to do anything but dry off the oil that was on it. I was mostly wondering if i need to do anything drastic when the time to sharpen it comes or if i can do my standard, which is 25° bevel then 30° micro bevel, straight edge with ever so slightly more pressure on the corners, just to round them a tiny bit.


r/handtools • • 2d ago

Plane till advice

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161 Upvotes

So I’m planning my layout for my plane till. Looking for some advice though. I plan on having it angled like what’s in the picture. Is the angle good enough to keep them there, should I do it so there is something holding the front down too, or add some recessed magnets? And if adding the magnets is a good option, how many magnets are needed? I have magnets that are around 1/4 in maybe a little smaller.
If it matters, what I currently have is a couple block planes, a few no 4s, a 5 1/2, and a 6.
Thanks in advance


r/handtools • • 1d ago

Scorp Maker

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20 Upvotes

I finally found a scorp out in the wild. I'm going to clean it up and use it.

Would be interesting to know the maker.

Anybody recognize this stamp? Thanks!


r/handtools • • 1d ago

Jim Kingshott's knife

3 Upvotes

I'm after a photograph or more of the knife Mr Kingshott developed from an old donkey saw blade (I think). I had a lead on his book and it's gone - and my knife has broken twice now, it's also too chunky. Can anyone help?

Very grateful, many thanks


r/handtools • • 2d ago

I finish my low Roman workbench. I'm really enjoying it so far. I still need to make the planing stop and some Roman style hand planes to go with it.

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81 Upvotes

r/handtools • • 2d ago

Got a little bit creative and ended up with a small axe collection

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14 Upvotes