Lately I’ve been incorporating hand tools more and more into the projects I’m working on. I was recently exploring ways to make rabbets for a serving tray I’m working on as a Christmas gift. There are, of course, numerous ways to make them. I was in the mood to make mine by hand.
As luck would have it – and because I’m the book editor – I happened to have an advance copy of a great new book “Hand Tool Basics” by Steve Branam. It explains several ways to make rabbets by hand from using a chisel to saws to various handplanes.
Here’s a video of Branam showing how to use a selection of planes to make this handy joint.
Of course, the book covers much more than rabbets. “Hand Tool Basics” features tons of great techniques for using and caring for a wide array of tools including chisels, saws, planes and tools for marking, measuring and sharpening. You can pre-order the book at ShopWoodworking.com.
Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality.
Obviously, I’m looking forward to grabbing that book being a noob DIY woodworker. But I really liked was the embedded video that showed different planes to use for cutting out the rabbets, especially the last plane that had a cross-grain nicker. Great video.