This is amazing. The fact that your woodshop is on your balcony of your apartment, shows the ingenuity of how you utilize your space to practice your hobby, passion whatever. Incredible video and very inspiring. Thanks for this!
2024 - and I am so thankful for your videos. Still very green and most videos talk about how they had less and got to where they are but very very few show it or quickly become un relatable with tools they’re sponsored by or by showing and encouraging perfection like results. That’s great and all but as a newbie following and setting those standards it’s nearly impossible to make progress and kinda leads to wanting to quit due to it not being good enough. It also makes me personally take everything super serious which also causes me to stop before I start or quit if I haven’t figure out how to do something perfectly. I know this is a me thing but again like to thank you for these videos.
At last an American who hasn't got a fully equipped joiners shop and does things by hand, for that alone I am subscribing. I live in a small single bedroom flat(no veranda) so I will have to work in a corner of my bedroom. I am a retired chippy(carpenter) with western tools , but a full sized bench is impossible, tried B&D workmate, the noise and constant racking made that idea a no no, So i am now exploring Japanese style but using my western tools, although i do have some Japanese saws. So am going to make a Japanese beam bench on saw horses(taller than yours) and learn to plane sitting, using my weight to hold things steady. They say you cant teach an old dog new tricks, Well i'm 70 now and unless i win the lottery(which i dont do) I am going to have to adapt if i want to continue working wood, Might even try one of those Japanese planes. P.S Going bare foot is NOT an option though Lol.
You poor baby. Get thee to a library. Ask a librarian to teach you the use of Google and youtube. You'll find all kinds of small shop tours, small space builds on balconies, bedrooms.Some have so little space that they take what they need out the sidewalk or greens to work. Look to your own resources and affairs and not on the resources of others. You can do this.Come in out of the rain! Or do your crying in the rain. At least no one will see the tears you are crying while inside you are dying. God bless.
Thanks. Very helpful. When I was younger, we did all our work sitting on the floor, and holding with out feet. My friend made a short work bench you could sit on, and it passed for coffee table. Not only did the work bench have a double duty, the living room was also a work shop.
Great work Man! Do you have any training in traditional Japanese joinery? Or, rather, can you make any recommendations for other good sources to learn from? Cheers!
Which Japanese saw do you recommend for cutting 4x2 inch beams ? Great no-nonsense, highly versatile design. I think I do the same design but use 9x2 inch wood to get a higher more comfortable (knees less bent) sitting. Body weight on wood means better stability than on western saw tables, and more joinery by 'body feel skill' is introduced into the work. What other uses are there for the short saw horses please ? Thanks a lot.
Love the video and your positive attitude. Great inspiration for someone that also lives in an apartment and loves Japanese tools. What is the depth of the lumber you used here? I'm going to try my hand at this. Keep up the great work! And pay no mind to the negative comments- I get a lot of crap for not using power tools as well. Their loss! I do it for the journey, not the destination- that's just an added bonus
Bon Kant that's a very good question. My opinion is that it's always wiser to buy a few high quality tools and learn to use them very well. 4 quality chisels and 2 quality planes will always serve you better than a bunch of cheaper tools that require tedious tuning. What do you think about a video where I just give some thoughts on the topic?
I have a few videos in the works right now. I only have 1 day a week to make these so I have to plan things out pretty far in advance. I'll put one together and try to answer the question in a bit more detail.
You mean the beam thingy? those are just glued together. You flatten them out as best as possible and them glue them together with your glue of choice.
I actually did a video on it a month or so ago. If you look under my past videos there's one called "building a japanese planing beam". That's the one where I put it together and talk about how it works.
I feel like those brace bits really need sharpened. I’ve drilled 1-1/2” holes with mine and didn’t struggle half that much. Also worth noting that you lever the tools against finished surfaces a fair bit which will mar your projects; I struggled with that a bunch when I started out which is the only reason I noticed it. I do really like the simplicity of the project and your video inspires me to give a pair of these a try :)
Thanks for watching. On pieces like this that are going to get scratched scuffed cut and dinged up alot I don't worry too much about keeping them clean.
If you're backing the blade out of the block you tap the back of the wood. If you're making the depth of cut deeper you tap the metal and if you're adjusting the side to side movement you tap the metal on the sides
I get them from various sources, ebay is decent but you have to know what you need to look for. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't. Check out facebook buy/sell/trade groups, Antique shops are good as well, look around at local tool swaps and you might find something, you never know!
Yeah, just a little awkward to lug around but crazy sturdy and stable-VERY important attributes for a saw horse/portable work table. Use it as a floating bench in my shop. Plan on mounting my chainsaw chain sharpener and mini router table to it with thumbscrews for easy install/removal as needed.Wish I had 2, anybody want to buy me one 😃?
Old carpenters were not completing with automation and their skills were the highest on the market place. Today there are carpenters who do a mixture of both hand and automation that can produce products to the same standards only far faster. I can produce a table from rough lumber planks all by hand in about a day. With machines and hand I can produce the same table in half a day with a lot less physical effort. There is nothing wrong with using a power drill/circular saw along with hand tools.
They did actually. They stayed solid up until this year in February when the Great Freeze forced me to burn just about all of my spare wood to keep warm when we lost our power. But yes the lamination worked fantastically and they stayed together and solid the entire time I had them.
Interesting that you live dangerously with your bare feet. I agree with your dislike of single use equipment. I apply that philosophy in-doors, except for a bread toaster.
off course it does. when i wrote my comment i just found a piece which i glued some time ago, from maple, seriously bent 5-6 mm on 800 mm , probably some grain issues there too...
+Daniel Silvis Tools are not meant to look pretty. They are meant to be functional. I have tools that over 100 years old that look like rotten apple core.
If you have a back problem then staying away from this based on medial advice might be the correct thing to do. But if you have a sore back with no diagnosis then woodworking like this could well be part of your rehabilitation exercises but you would need to seek medical advice and the help of physios.
That's a Japanese saw horse!? Okay. So...now instead of sitting on the ground and bending your back forward. You can now sit on the ground, and keep your back straight up! Cool! 😐
Barefoot??!!?? Really??!!?? do you know how hard I work to get my kid to wear shoes in the shop??? If he sees this video, I'll never hear the end of it!!
Well, it's harder to hold your workpiece steady if you're wearing shoes. Traditionally Japanese woodworkers would use their bare feet as clamps. If you work slowly and deliberately with these hand tools you should be just fine - also if your working surfaces are this low to the ground the impact of something falling on your feet is much less.
Yes, so lazy bastards would do some work Lol, But seriously, Power Tools are not safe in restricted spaces(I'm a carpenter so i know what i am talking about)
Safety isn't all there is to life. If you spend all your time being "safe" you'll never have any adventures. I know you're not trying to be a jerk but this video is nearly a year old
Je trouve ça abuser , essayer de travailler comme les Japonnais, avec un "semblant" de leur technique et méthodes de travail. Tu devrais commencer , par apprendre celle Anglaise , plutôt que d' essayer quelque chose qui disons le , ne te sera jamais accessible. Je dis ça aux vues de ton travail simplement. Et même, personnellement je trouve que c' est leur faire déshonneur... Tu niques tout là...
2023 now. I miss these early videos you made. Fun and relatable. Hope you can resume again.
This is amazing. The fact that your woodshop is on your balcony of your apartment, shows the ingenuity of how you utilize your space to practice your hobby, passion whatever. Incredible video and very inspiring. Thanks for this!
2024 - and I am so thankful for your videos. Still very green and most videos talk about how they had less and got to where they are but very very few show it or quickly become un relatable with tools they’re sponsored by or by showing and encouraging perfection like results. That’s great and all but as a newbie following and setting those standards it’s nearly impossible to make progress and kinda leads to wanting to quit due to it not being good enough. It also makes me personally take everything super serious which also causes me to stop before I start or quit if I haven’t figure out how to do something perfectly. I know this is a me thing but again like to thank you for these videos.
At last an American who hasn't got a fully equipped joiners shop and does things by hand, for that alone I am subscribing. I live in a small single bedroom flat(no veranda) so I will have to work in a corner of my bedroom. I am a retired chippy(carpenter) with western tools , but a full sized bench is impossible, tried B&D workmate, the noise and constant racking made that idea a no no, So i am now exploring Japanese style but using my western tools, although i do have some Japanese saws. So am going to make a Japanese beam bench on saw horses(taller than yours) and learn to plane sitting, using my weight to hold things steady. They say you cant teach an old dog new tricks, Well i'm 70 now and unless i win the lottery(which i dont do) I am going to have to adapt if i want to continue working wood, Might even try one of those Japanese planes. P.S Going bare foot is NOT an option though Lol.
You poor baby. Get thee to a library. Ask a librarian to teach you the use of Google and youtube. You'll find all kinds of small shop tours, small space builds on balconies, bedrooms.Some have so little space that they take what they need out the sidewalk or greens to work. Look to your own resources and affairs and not on the resources of others. You can do this.Come in out of the rain! Or do your crying in the rain. At least no one will see the tears you are crying while inside you are dying. God bless.
Thanks. Very helpful. When I was younger, we did all our work sitting on the floor, and holding with out feet. My friend made a short work bench you could sit on, and it passed for coffee table. Not only did the work bench have a double duty, the living room was also a work shop.
Kiki Lang My missus would need to get a ceiling repair man in, because if I used tools in the living room she would hit the f@*##@ roof.
I guess that's better than hitting you.
Good looking result. The planing stop is a real winner also.
Thanks Tony!
Thanks for sharing and the Paul Seller's heads up. :)
I like how you think and your setup and skill is getting better with time. God Bless.
I don’t know if Toshio Odate would approve, but I am impressed!
Japanese style and manual tools, congratulations, very good job !
Nice and chunky! They must be satisfying to use.
Thanks! They do plop down with a certain aplomb.
nice, loving the foot clamp method!
Thanks sir! oddly enough it helps keep the number of clamps I need very low
GG Woodwork Hey,the barefoot clamp works for me.I have 2 clamps,the 11wide size.
I like your set up! Thank you.
“Can eat you are” is the google closed captions of Konnichi Wa! Awesome, LOL!
Nice toolbox. Thanks for the vid, really appreciate it.
Confucius say “Man who holds wood with bare foot needs to keep tweezers handy”
A wise man speaks when he has something to say, a fool speaks because he has to say something.
Beautiful!
Hahahaha
I do like how you make tools to work with not just for looks
Nicely done...Excellent presentation...
Jett Keyser arigato!
Well done mate!
Gracias Mik!
Yet another great video upload from you....easy and clear explanation !!!!!
Thanks for watching!
Good job....I must expand my horizons and try some of these!!!!
They are alot of fun. Thanks for watching
Do you live in Japan?
I don't, I live in an apartment
Thank you Sir.🎉
Most welcome
Ha ha ! Paul Sellers refrence; nice work; i like your attitude
looks great, but i would have a sore back from working that low to the ground all the time :-).
Thanks Jorgen! it's just a matter of getting used to it, as with all things
Great work Man! Do you have any training in traditional Japanese joinery? Or, rather, can you make any recommendations for other good sources to learn from? Cheers!
Muy buen trabajo.Para trabajar siempre hay que tener una buena comodidad.gracias por tu aporte
Estoy contigo Enrique! Comodidad, herramienta afilada y ganas :)
Gracias Enrique!
Thank you.
cool video thanks !
Which Japanese saw do you recommend for cutting 4x2 inch beams ? Great no-nonsense, highly versatile design. I think I do the same design but use 9x2 inch wood to get a higher more comfortable (knees less bent) sitting. Body weight on wood means better stability than on western saw tables, and more joinery by 'body feel skill' is introduced into the work. What other uses are there for the short saw horses please ? Thanks a lot.
Incredible safety boots. Even better than jandals. There like an extra pair of hands put to good use.
You can make that boring bit razor sharp with a fine file. It will make your job easier.
Love the video and your positive attitude. Great inspiration for someone that also lives in an apartment and loves Japanese tools. What is the depth of the lumber you used here? I'm going to try my hand at this.
Keep up the great work! And pay no mind to the negative comments- I get a lot of crap for not using power tools as well. Their loss! I do it for the journey, not the destination- that's just an added bonus
Thanks for watching! I appreciate the encouragement as well. Have an awesome day!
Secret? Look for flaws and nots before you strike your cut lines? Nice build. God bless.
Would you say that the “lower end” Japanese chisels/planes are still worth it? Like the $50-$80 range on Amazon?
Bon Kant that's a very good question. My opinion is that it's always wiser to buy a few high quality tools and learn to use them very well. 4 quality chisels and 2 quality planes will always serve you better than a bunch of cheaper tools that require tedious tuning. What do you think about a video where I just give some thoughts on the topic?
thanks for the response. i would love a video on that topic as i am trying to decide if those products are worth it on a budget
I have a few videos in the works right now. I only have 1 day a week to make these so I have to plan things out pretty far in advance. I'll put one together and try to answer the question in a bit more detail.
cool, now I know what to do with palletwood blocks that I scrapped from work
perfect wood to use!
I am Just starting out...how did you join the 4 2x6's for the base of your saw horse?
You mean the beam thingy? those are just glued together. You flatten them out as best as possible and them glue them together with your glue of choice.
Can you tell me how you made the "sitting" workbench that youre sitting on?
I actually did a video on it a month or so ago. If you look under my past videos there's one called "building a japanese planing beam". That's the one where I put it together and talk about how it works.
thanks
I feel like those brace bits really need sharpened. I’ve drilled 1-1/2” holes with mine and didn’t struggle half that much. Also worth noting that you lever the tools against finished surfaces a fair bit which will mar your projects; I struggled with that a bunch when I started out which is the only reason I noticed it. I do really like the simplicity of the project and your video inspires me to give a pair of these a try :)
Thanks for watching. On pieces like this that are going to get scratched scuffed cut and dinged up alot I don't worry too much about keeping them clean.
Lemongrasspicker I got you. Thanks for taking the time to reply :)
Nice build!
I thought for those Japanese block planes you just tap the front or back of block instead of tapping the actual metal for adjustments
If you're backing the blade out of the block you tap the back of the wood. If you're making the depth of cut deeper you tap the metal and if you're adjusting the side to side movement you tap the metal on the sides
Tables were a technological advancement.
That is an interesting statement
Where do you get your tools, please?
I get them from various sources, ebay is decent but you have to know what you need to look for. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't. Check out facebook buy/sell/trade groups, Antique shops are good as well, look around at local tool swaps and you might find something, you never know!
Ah yes, there's always a strategically located knot. Domo
Indeed sir, indeed
Yeah, just a little awkward to lug around but crazy sturdy and stable-VERY important attributes for a saw horse/portable work table. Use it as a floating bench in my shop. Plan on mounting my chainsaw chain sharpener and mini router table to it with thumbscrews for easy install/removal as needed.Wish I had 2, anybody want to buy me one 😃?
Those old carpenters earned their money didn't they?
Sam P indeed they did
Old carpenters were not completing with automation and their skills were the highest on the market place. Today there are carpenters who do a mixture of both hand and automation that can produce products to the same standards only far faster.
I can produce a table from rough lumber planks all by hand in about a day. With machines and hand I can produce the same table in half a day with a lot less physical effort.
There is nothing wrong with using a power drill/circular saw along with hand tools.
thought it was a how to basic video , kept waiting for the eggs to fly
OK, it's been four years. Did the lamination stabilize the beam through weather changes?
They did actually. They stayed solid up until this year in February when the Great Freeze forced me to burn just about all of my spare wood to keep warm when we lost our power. But yes the lamination worked fantastically and they stayed together and solid the entire time I had them.
I could tell you were working off the condo balcony
Yup, that's where the work happens.
squirrels like nuts....
Are those foot clamps up to health and safety standard lol.
Yes lol
Needs a planing stop to plane a planing stop. Lol.
lol
A nail is the traditional way
Every time I work with cedar "cypress" the shavings remind me of Onion peelings. Lol.
likewise! Thanks for watching!
Nice leg.
Safety first.
third
Is this The Onion Woodworking ?
xl onions aren't lemongrass
Interesting that you live dangerously with your bare feet. I agree with your dislike of single use equipment. I apply that philosophy in-doors, except for a bread toaster.
being made only from 2 pieces of wood do not guarantee that they will not bend :P
me miself indeed, but it does help to keep them flatter than a single piece
off course it does. when i wrote my comment i just found a piece which i glued some time ago, from maple, seriously bent 5-6 mm on 800 mm , probably some grain issues there too...
That's alot of bend in that. Is there enough thickness to plane it out and get it straight again?
Why Knot?
おもしろい
a true Japanese wood worker, works barefooted.😂
Ivan gomez indeed sir, indees
Butchery
Can't make projects without butchering some wood! Thanks for watching!
+Daniel Silvis
Tools are not meant to look pretty. They are meant to be functional. I have tools that over 100 years old that look like rotten apple core.
do you prefer the japanese saws or the western ones?
I only use Japanese saws. So I prefer them
Bill Gates made the comment about the lazy worker.
Japanese wear shoes. Konichiwa.
Yes they do. O genki deska?
Déjà , tu devrais prendre ta scie Japonnaise à l' endroit avant d' essayer de rivaliser mdr
I'm not competing with anyone?
Definitely not for me. My back and back side would kill me for this one. GET some SHOES on.
If you have a back problem then staying away from this based on medial advice might be the correct thing to do. But if you have a sore back with no diagnosis then woodworking like this could well be part of your rehabilitation exercises but you would need to seek medical advice and the help of physios.
That's a Japanese saw horse!? Okay. So...now instead of sitting on the ground and bending your back forward. You can now sit on the ground, and keep your back straight up! Cool! 😐
yes...?
Barefoot??!!?? Really??!!?? do you know how hard I work to get my kid to wear shoes in the shop??? If he sees this video, I'll never hear the end of it!!
Maybe if I wear some flip flops he'll compromise?
Coincidentally, flip flops have become his go to "Can I just wear" request every time I remind him that "shoeless in the shop" is not permitted.. :-)
Howard Hiers haha! Very nice. Well if it helps maybe I'll do a build with some steel toe boots on to help change his mind.
NOT BAREFOOT MY FRIEND 🖐🖐 THEM STEELTOES 😂😂😂😂 OSHA APPROVED 👍👍👍👍
Well, it's harder to hold your workpiece steady if you're wearing shoes. Traditionally Japanese woodworkers would use their bare feet as clamps. If you work slowly and deliberately with these hand tools you should be just fine - also if your working surfaces are this low to the ground the impact of something falling on your feet is much less.
Bare feet? No safety!
What's an island boy to do? Buy shoes?
omg.. barefeet next to that saw..
ZodiacProd those saws do have a taste for blood. Can never be too careful
it was frightfully nail biting ;)
Lol
God gave us power tools and beer for a reason...
Indeed he did
Lemongrasspicker is it because he also gave us too many fingers and toes?
Yes, so lazy bastards would do some work Lol, But seriously, Power Tools are not safe in restricted spaces(I'm a carpenter so i know what i am talking about)
What is it with Bare feet,,,,???? Really put me off 😱😱😨😰😷💩💩💩💩
Thanks for watching! appreciate the support!
Lemongrasspicker so make him a deal. If he will put up with your feet, then you let him watch your video in boxers.
A wise man once said, "if the women don't find you handsome, they should it least find you handy." 😹
Dude! Wear some shoes!
Because....... why?
I don't know...safety? Not trying to be a jerk.
Safety isn't all there is to life. If you spend all your time being "safe" you'll never have any adventures. I know you're not trying to be a jerk but this video is nearly a year old
You are dangerous.
k
Je trouve ça abuser , essayer de travailler comme les Japonnais, avec un "semblant" de leur technique et méthodes de travail. Tu devrais commencer , par apprendre celle Anglaise , plutôt que d' essayer quelque chose qui disons le , ne te sera jamais accessible. Je dis ça aux vues de ton travail simplement. Et même, personnellement je trouve que c' est leur faire déshonneur... Tu niques tout là...
Vous n'êtes pas japonais.
Vous n'êtes pas japonais.
You talk too much.
k
What is the right amount to talk?