First tools

[Mauser06]

The others advice is right on as usual.   


You really don't need much in the way of chisels to get going. 


Your first build you will accumulate various tools...drill bits, taps, files, rasps etc. 

Im on my 3rd build and have some specialized tools just to make life easier...but 90% of the time I have the same 2 chisels and 2 rasps or a scraper in my hands. 

I have a bunch of chisels and gouges now...but for most of the inletting, I only ever use a few. All mine are full sized.  Though my first build was done with a cheap flex cut palm set. I didn't even have a vice for that build lol.

[bnail]

Finally getting everything into perspective and not feeling so overwhelmed.  have my Bench up and a vise ID'd. my next focus is on Sharpening skills and accoutrements.  figure I won't be inletting a @!*% thing if my chisels aren't up to snuff.
Got my eye on a 3 stone set of DMT Diamond Stones.  and going to set up a glass Pane with Emory cloth ala Paul Sellers.  I have an old Stock Blank that must be 20 years old by now upon which I can practice.
 anyone have experience with DMT Diamond Stones?

[Mark Elliott]

DMT continuous diamond stones are mostly all I use these days.    I have 6" ones for gravers and chisels and 8" ones for plane blades.   The smaller stones are Duosharps in extra course/course, and fine/extra fine.   The larger ones are Diasharps in course and fine.   I mostly use the fine stone for touch ups on scrapers and chisels.  I hone the chisels after on a leather strop loaded with Simichrome.   Diamond stone cut very fast as compared to Arkansas stones.    The also don't get grooves in them. 

[Willbarq]

Seriously, horse shoeing rasp. Files , files, files. Double cut, single cut, needle file set.(Junk store if you got one.) File card. Rubber mallet.

  A little wisk brush for wisking away file dust.Even a stiff paint brush would work. Metal rulers. pencils, pencil sharpener.... a nice vice, workbench  about waist high.

The work bench shouldn't move, the vice and some wood scraps to clamp in the vice. Some wood workers screw clamps. The wooden ones, about three.

Sorry this is so random. The ideas were coming fast and these were priority tools coming to mind.

[Craig Wilcox]

You have the right idea with those diamond plates.
Years ago, I was young and dumb, like most of us.  I sharpened my one chisel on one of the old two-sided carborundum "stones", and didn't have or use a vise.  That chisel was just sharp enough to be forced through the wood, not sharp enough to cut cleanly.  It WAS sharp enough to get into my finger, and get stuck in the bone.  The Doc at the ER told me to get some Arkansas stones, and also showed me the proper angle to use to get a SHARP blade!
And now I primarily use the diamonds - they are even better than my stones!

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

With regards to sharpening, particularly plane irons and chisels, I suppose one can get by with just stone:  natural, composite, or diamond, but I cannot do without my bench grinder, which was one of my very first tool purchases.  For me, the hollow grind is essential in sharpening.  Perhaps others have no need for the bench grinder, but I do.  I bought a Wissota in 1970 and it was $100 then...an outstanding tool.