Review on Lumberjack Tools Home Beginners HSBK1: Master the Art of Woodworking by Joe Patterson

This tool can become a tool that takes some getting used to. after i received it. I fell a plum tree along with many other things and I basically picked it up and put it on top of the firewood pile. After getting this tool I thought about using it on wood trim to try it. In about a week I'll have about a dozen benches, saws, tools, etc. I had a big pile of scrap wood, but it's almost gone now. used them to make benches out of maple and spruce. I am attaching a few photos. Notes: 1. You really need a good way to clamp the wood you are using the tenon on. Impossible to hold hands.2. You really need a big drill to fire a tang drill with a handle to hold. When the bit catches the wood, which will surely happen, you will feel like your hand will be ripped off if you don't use the handle.3. Setting up a tenon tool to cut the desired size tenons is a trial and error process. The spikes seem to be too small.4. The Forstner bit is quite difficult to use. It has a nice long neck, a good thing, but it feels boring compared to other Forstner bits made from the same wood. For the price of the kit, this should be better.5. The Book of Plans isn't that good. Not bad either. He has some interesting plans, but I think it would be more helpful if the company took a little time to create some videos that match the plans, as well as some videos that would help do some of the more complex carpentry work, that are possible, and maybe some jigs to help build the elements in the plans.6. Do not run the tenoner backwards IF it is stuck. It will turn. Instead, take a mallet and hit the bottom edge until it comes loose. If you hear the beat "creak," you may have to let go of it before it gets stuck. You will understand this when you hear and feel it.7. There is no slot in this version of the bolt drill, so you don't know how deep you put the bolt. The more expensive version has a depth slot. I'm not sure if it's really that important. Since I use almost any piece of wood that is the right size, I end up with very "rustic" legs that sometimes spread everywhere. For this reason, I always start with very long stems and cut the ears to full length. Once they are in the groove, I either cut them to length and blind spline them, or I cut flush to the top and spline them. Later I level the bench, mark the legs and cut them to length. All in all this is a pretty good kit.