For those who are just starting out as woodworkers, there may seem to be a dichotomy between hand tools and machines. Once, a hand tool enthusiast labeled me when I was a custom cabinet maker as just a “wood machinist” and he wasn’t completely wrong. I must admit that I was a little hurt because I started out in woodworking with a firm background in hand tools, but to make a living and support my family, most of my work at the time was just using machines.
So why are hand tools important? When I was the staff instructor at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Rockport, Maine, all of the longer courses began with a two week segment on hand tools and learning to cut dovetails by hand. The reason for this is that it teaches you to see straight, square and level, and it forces you to pay attention to minute detail. It teaches your hands to connect with your brain so that your brain can direct your hands in detailed, accurate movements. It also begins the connection between the hands and the creative parts of the brain.
That connection between the hands and the creative part of the brain is absolutely essential. When I have an inspiration for a piece of furniture or sculpture, the next thing that has to happen is the process of design, and that process begins with sketches. Here is where the hand to brain connection is so important. As I sketch, new ideas constantly flow out of my brain and into my hands. You don’t even have to be good at sketching or formally trained in drawing. I can always tell when a student has skipped this step and has designed directly on the computer. I myself am fairly skilled at the most powerful 3D design program, Solidworks, but I don’t use it until a design is fairly well fleshed out by the process of sketching, making samples, scale mock-ups and full size models. I once worked for an engineer who wanted to design everything in CAD first and then make prototypes based on it, so then all changes would have a record in CAD. It may seem to make sense, but it is antithetical to the creative process.
Machines make all of that time-consuming labor required to prepare wood so much faster and easier. It can be fun to square up a board using all hand tools maybe once or twice, but if you want to make more than a few pieces of furniture in your lifetime, a jointer, planer and table saw are essential. So every tool has its place; there are times when hand tools are what you need, and times when machines are what you need. The dictum should be whatever it takes to make the most expertly designed and crafted piece of furniture in the most efficient way.