Welcome to The Hackberry! In a nutshell, The Hackberry is a blog about my journey through hand tool woodworking. Here I will discuss the projects I’m working on, the techniques I’ve learned, the tools I use, and hopefully much more.
Who am I? I am an engineer in the San Francisco Bay area with a full-time day job. Woodworking has been my hobby for many years but it was not until recently that I discovered woodworking using primarily hand tools. Initially, I was drawn to hand tools because I live in a small apartment with only a balcony that I can use as my workshop. Loud and messy power tools were simply not an option. Since then, I have been amazed at what can be accomplished using tools and techniques that are often over a century old. Modern tool manufacturers try to convince us that we need expensive dedicated tools and a large workshop to build anything out of wood. I hope this blog will convince you of the incredible things that can be made with just a saw, a chisel, a plane, and your hands.
Being an amateur woodworker means that I try to approach woodworking from a fresh perspective. Consequently, the solutions I describe in this blog may not always be the most conventional. In addition to what I’ve learned over the years, I try to think of novel solutions to problems given the constraints I have and will share anything that is worth mentioning. If you have a better way of doing things, let me know! It is my hope that this becomes a lively community, not just a static blog.
Once again, welcome!
