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First (of many, many) hand built handplanes
I built these two planes, inspired by James Krenov's book "The Cabinetmaker's Notebook", while I was a student at The Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding way back in 1996. They saw daily use for...
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Hole Saw
1 commentI am building a log home and I needed to place one end of my 10" loft joists in a blind pocket in the wall. The traditional way is to place the joist on top of the log the pocket will be cut into...
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My arm, but longer.
2 commentsMy Douglas 20 oz finish hammer is an extension of my arm. It's an effective tool (don't say it's just a hammer, some don't work well.) It's an elegant piece of design and engineering. Finally, I...
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Beefy Nail Set
3 commentsI'm not technically allowed to participate in this contest, but I thought it was a fun opportunity to share a tool that I found in the wall of an old house while helping our Editor-in-Chief, Brian...
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Remodelers Friend
As a kid, one of my first jobs on the construction site was pulling nails out of scrap lumber. Soon I graduated to demolition, and my dad showed me how to use the slide hammer nail...
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Millers Falls Breast Drill No 97
2 commentsThis drill was patented in 1911, but look at all of its "modern" features: Cordless, 1/2" keyless chuck, two speed and reversible. The drill's transmission is beyond anything built...
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One Fine Old Smoothy
While passing through Oregon, it was fun to stop and browse through the antique shops. I found a dusty old plane sitting on a shelf with a price tag of $7.50 attached. Looked kind of promising even...
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Stanley planes to make an Art Deco wall sconce
1 commentMy father apprenticed as a carpenter in England in the forties, for a man that specialized in restoring cathedral pipe organs. When his mentor retired he purchased most of his hand tools so he could...
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Old Dog - New Tricks
3 commentsWhen I heard about this contest - I immed thought of only one tool I use to this day that I cherish dearly passed down from my great grandfather - my Stanley Block Plane. This tool...
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Outstanding on your Roof
1 commentOutstanding On Your Roof My favorite wall hanging tool is this hand forged, roofing tin, standing seam bender from the late 1800’s.This tool was placed over the edge of a piece of roofing tin...
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My hammer, a well traveled jewel.
3 commentsJewel of a tool This is my hammer. I bought the loose head at a garage sale about 18 or 20 years ago, only because it looked interesting. This was prior to the Stiletto uptick in market share...
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Sears Saw
Here's my old Sears 12" bandsaw still working hard cutting tapered legs for Shaker-style tables. I make them four at a time so there are 16 legs in all with two cuts each. The "old girl" never bogs...
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Bench Hooks for Small Trim Carpentry Projects
This pair of bench hooks gets a ton of use for cutting miters, square crosscuts and other random tasks with a handsaw or hand plane
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Official Rules: Jewel of a Tool Contest
Enter photos and the stories behind your most cherished tools now to win one of three Stanley Low Angle Block Planes.
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How to Paint Fiber-Cement Siding
Painter Jim Lacey shares some tips for caulking and painting fiber-cement siding. read more
Contest Details
Update: Congratulations to our three winners! starryNight took home first with Froe-Zen in Time, Routerbit48 won second with Dad's Little Helper, and third place went to randyhowes with Old Dogs - New Tricks.
*Contest is closed.
Beginning February 1 and running through March 1, Fine Homebuilding readers can submit photos of their most cherished tools for a chance to win one of three Stanley 60-1/2 Low Angle Block Planes.
We're in search of tools with a great story behind them. Maybe it's a framing hammer passed down from generation to generation, or perhaps it's that first tool you ever bought—the one that's stayed with you through thick and thin over the years. Whatever it is, submit photos of your cherished tools, along with their stories, to our gallery contest for a chance to win.
Contest ends March 1, 2010.
Winners will be announced on or about March 5, 2010.
