By Leighton Klein, Globe Staff, 3/18/2004
If household problems and projects are confusing, the solutions can sometimes seem worse. So much -- or so little -- variety and seemingly no way to understand it all.
The best place to start is at your neighborhood hardware store or a specialty store such as Rockler Woodworking. Wander the aisles, poke around, ask questions. There's no substitute for being able to see and touch, particularly if you're just starting out. After a couple of Saturday afternoons, you'll be swapping jargon with the best of them. From there, where you go is up to you.
TOOLS, SUPPLIES
Your local hardware store. There's a universe to explore here. Nuts and bolts, drills and duct tape, paint and power tools. Beware of stores that have more home furnishings than hardware, however -- the first thing such places generally quit stocking is know-how.
Rockler Woodworking and Hardware. Your place to go for woodworking tools, hardware, instruction books, and publications. They also have a dreamy selection of hardwoods. The staff is knowledgeable and helpful, and will stay with you as long as you need or leave you alone to putter. The website and catalog are weighted toward hardware, which was how the company got its start 50 years ago. 2154 Mass Ave, Cambridge; 617-497-1136; www.rockler.com.
Pearl Art and Craft. An excellent source for drawing, painting, drafting, and craft supplies, and the store's staff makes shopping quite the experience. 579 Mass Ave, Cambridge; 617-547-6600; www.pearlpaint.com.
The Tool Shed. Not much bigger than a walk-in closet, this Waltham treasure sells nothing but used tools. Great for basic hand tools and consumables such as drill bits; you can also occasionally find great deals on power tools. The prices are breath-takingly reasonable. 471 Main St., Waltham; 781.647.7970.
Garret Wade. Established in 1975 and based in New York, they're a good source for higher-end power woodworking tools and accessories. 800-221-2942; www.garrettwade.com.
Craftsman Studio. Styling themselves as an old-fashioned hardware store on the web, their easy-to-use site features a straightforward selection of handtools and supplies, including Norton waterstones. 888-500-9093; www.craftsmanstudio.com.
McMaster-Carr. If you're looking for something on the industrial end of the scale, McMaster-Carr has a staggeringly large inventory -- everything up to and including continuous leather belts for your steam-powered lathe. Their website is faultless, they often ship things the day they're ordered, and if you need to return something, there's no restocking charge. 330-995-5500; www.mcmaster.com.
DoItYourself.com. They claim to be the largest hardware store on the Internet, and there's certainly no lack of selection in most areas. Watch out for their somewhat confusing website and draconian return policy, however. 866-835-5643; www.doityourself.com.
eBay. The great garage sale in the sky. Before you set your mind on something, do your research. Look at both active and completed items to get an idea of what a fair price would be, check the sellers' feedback, and ask questions before bidding, not after. Most of all, be willing to wait; when something that's truly in good condition does show up for a good price, strike with confidence. www.ebay.com.
Antique stores. A lot of interesting items can be found in New England's antique stores. The Cambridge Antique Mart, the shops of Essex, and even tiny Warren, Rhode Island, offer a surprising variety of tools. The prices and quality oscillate wildly; if you're patient and assiduous, however, you can stumble on the sublime.
TOOL MAKERS
Lie-Nielsen Toolworks. Stanley Works long ago gave up making anything that could be called a plane, but in 1981 Lie-Nielsen Toolworks thankfully came to the rescue. Based in Warren, Maine, they make dozens of planes and other hand tools to standards never imagined by Stanley. Route 1, Warren, ME; 800-327-2520; www.lienielsen.com.
Lee Valley Tools. Lee Valley sells their own line of Veritas tools -- planes, guides, clamps, and even workbenches -- as well as a wide variety of woodworking and gardening supplies. They also offer an extensive selection of hardware, including such fascinating items as several boatloads' worth of perfect-condition Swedish hinges that lay forgotten in a New York warehouse for 60 years. 800-871-8158; www.leevalley.com.
Diefenbach Benches. This company is a great source for beautiful American- or German-style workbenches. Be ready to spend, but what you buy will last a lifetime. 800-322-3624; www.workbenches.com.
MATERIALS
Anderson & McQuaid. A one-stop source for hardwood, mouldings, flooring, and much more. They'll even create custom moulding profiles. 170 Faucett Street, Cambridge; 617-876-3250; www.andersonmcquaid.com.
Boulter Plywood. As carpenters like to say, one of the great advantages of plywood is that it's "stable" -- resistant to warping, solid, and as close to flat you'll find this side of a geometry class. Boulter stocks plywood from marine-grade sturdy to cabinet-quality refined, plus a range of hardwood. 24 Broadway, Somerville; 617.666.1340; www.boulterplywood.com.
Turner Steel. They have a $25 minimum order, but beyond that, the choice is yours: bars, sheets, tubes, flats, cutting, drilling. 128 North Main St., West Bridgewater; 800-521-8881; www.turnersteelcoinc.com.
Admiral Metals. "Supplying aluminum, brass, copper, bronze, beryllium, stainless steel, and more -- since 1950," their website says modestly. They're pleasant and helpful on the phone, there's no minimum purchase, and they deliver. 11 Forbes Road, Woburn; 781-933-8300; www.admiralmetals.com.
COURSES
North Bennet Street School. Knowledge is power, and Boston's North Bennet Street School is a place to get both. Start with a course in tool sharpening; from there, all good things flow. 39 North Bennet St., Boston; 617.227.0155; www.nbss.org.
Boston Architectural Center. Offers continuing education courses in architecture, interior design, historic preservation, and much more. 320 Newbury Street, Boston; 617-262-5000; www.the-bac.edu.
New England School of Architectural Woodworking. Among other things, they offer a six-week summer program for the non-professional that teaches woodworking and organization skills as well as how to set up one's own shop. 1 Cottage St., Easthampton; 413-527-6103; www.nesaw.com.
Worcester Center for Crafts. Weekend seminars on dozens of crafts, including woodworking, ceramics, glass, refinishing, and decorative painting. 25 Sagamore Rd., Worcester; 508-753-8183; www.worcestercraftcenter.org.
Center for Furniture Craftsmanship. They have a great reputation and give courses in furniture making, design, carving, turning, and other skills. 25 Mill St., Rockport, Maine; 04856; 207-594-5611; www.woodschool.com.
Heartwood School. A Berkshires institution since 1978, the school offers courses in traditional house construction, cabinetmaking, joinery, and other skills. Johnson Hill Road, Washington; 413-623-6677; www.heartwoodschool.com.
OTHER RESOURCES
New Yankee Workshop. OK, so it's a television show, but they've been around for 16 years, the advice is generally good, and the projects interesting. PBS (Channel 2), Saturday at 1 p.m.; www.newyankee.com.
Fine Woodworking. Founded in 1975, this magazine was a big part of the rebirth of woodworking in this country and they're still the leader. The articles are written by experienced woodworkers and all designs are shop-tested. 800-888-8286; www.finewoodworking.com.
Women in Woodworking. This web site is source for women interested in working in wood. Included are sections on basic knowledge, important tools, and common questions. Sponsored by Ann Jackson Rockler, the head of Rockler Woodworking. www.womeninwoodworking.com.
This article has been reproduced with permission of Leighton Klien. This article is not to be reproduced with out the permission of Leighton Klein or the Boston Globe Newspaper Company.
