My Favorite Power Tool Accessories: Hand Tools

I’m a “hybrid” woodworker. I refuse to choose hand tools over power tools, or vice versa. My ultimate goals are accuracy and efficiency. So in my shop, hand tools finish what power tools begin.

Hand tools complement and complete work begun with power equipment.

Most folks I talk with in the woodworking hobby seem to follow a similar path. They start out by emulating what they see on television, which is of course, power tools. Eventually, whether through magazines, web sites, forums or local clubs, they hear other woodworkers raving about the virtues of hand tools.  Not wanting to miss out on something great, they usually head out to the nearest hardware store and purchase their first plane, typically a bench plane or a small block plane.

Their first attempt at using the tool actually becomes a pivotal point in their development: a three-pronged fork in the…