Hello all,
I'm excited to have joined the forum, and very much like the idea of building my own home. I imagine the majority of the timbers will be 8"x8" with some 10"x10" where needed. I have three years experience building timber frame gazebos where all joints are dove tailed using a router and two guides. I am anxious to begin practicing mortise and tenons, and am researching tools to buy. I am hoping for some feedback to the following questions.
1. I have little to no experience with a chisel and plan on beginning with a 1.5". What length handle do your recommend?
2. What brands should I be looking at?
3. Are there any other chisels you would recommend for making a proper mortise?
4. What about brands of leather mallet? If I were to have only one, what weight should I get.
5. I think I would like to get a chain mortiser. Have you any arguments against the idea, and/or is there a model you would recommend?
6. At work I've been using a LignaTool guide with a Stihl electric chainsaw. It makes for fast, easy, and accurate cuts, but the kit is pretty expensive. Since I will need a circular saw for making tenons, I'm thinking I will just get around a 16" and use it to sure up ends and cut timbers to length. If I were to just buy one, and I will be cutting up to 10", what size should I get and with what sort of blade? What brands should I be looking at?
7. If I were to have only one manual plane, which style and size should I get. What brands should I be looking at.
8. The same questions for if I were to have a second?
9. Aside from measuring and marking equipment, is/are there any other tool/tools you would highly suggest I start off with?

With all tools I am looking for quality at a fair price, and would appreciate any suggestions as to how to come by them on the cheap. and any insight on judging the quality of a used tool.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to read this and respond.

Just so you'll have it, I have this list that I got from the guild many years ago, about the tools needed for timber framing.

I have organized it into sections:

Tools for Timber Framing
Layout tools

Calculator (construction type and or scientific)
Chalk line or ink line
Combination square
Framing square
Lumber crayons or chalk
Misc. layout tools: dividers, compass, trammel points, Big Al (Borneman Layout template)
Pencils carpenter and regular
Stair gauges
Lay flat timber framers layout Tape measure (30 ft)
Utility knife

Hand tools
Awl
Block plane (sharp)
Boring machine & bits (1 1/2" and 2" bit) and maybe even a peg hole bit.
Brace & bit (3/4" & 1" auger, and/or set)
Clamps (24" bar or Quik-Grip type)
Corner chisel 3/4" to 1"
Crosscut & rip handsaws
Hammer (16-22 oz. smooth face)
Hand planes (rabbet, smoothing)
Levels (torpedo, 28 in. and/or 48 in.)
Outside dimension calipers
Inside dimension calipers
Sharpening files & Sharpening stone
Slick 3" or larger
Timber framing chisel (sharp, 1.5 in. and/or 2 in.)
Tool bag or box.
Various size smaller chisels
Wooden or leather head mallet (2-3 lb.)

Power tools
Circular saws (7 1/4 ", 8 1/2", or 16")
Electric hand plane (4", 6" or 12")
Extension cord (#12, 25' minimum)
1/2" electric drill & bits (1" - 1.5" auger and/or set)

Personal Safety Equipment
Ear plugs
Hard hat
Job-site drinking bottle
Nail apron or other apron
Safety glasses & Sunglasses
Work gloves
Proper work boots

Some of the items on this list may answer some of your questions.

One timber framing school instructor once told me: "there is nothing wrong with a sharp chisel." That was his answer to the question of "what brand to buy."
It really doesn't matter the brand as long as the chisel is sharp and can "hold" an edge.

1) the length of the handle is a personal preference thing.
5) I have one but mostly I use an antique boring machine. If you can afford one and want to use it then buy one. In a production shop it can be faster. On site without power a boring machine can't be beat.

Good luck with your research.

Jim Rogers

1.5" chisel will cut both 1.5" and 2" mortises, but not the other way around. It should have a socket not a tang. Length is about 6" of wood.

The 16" saw will only cut 6" deep.

Hand planes.... 4.5 jack and an low angle trim

And axe, 2.5 pound with a 28" handle, a boys axe. Also a Slick is a great tool. Hand saw, folding silky big boy.

Jim's list is comprehensive, but not everything on the list is necessary. There are a number of "nice to haves".

As Tim said, you want socket framing chisels. Not tang chisels and not parring chisels. I use all antique chisels(1.5 and 2"). Barr makes good new chisels.

For layout tools you only need a machinist square and a framing square. Starrett or Brown & sharpe for machinist(check Granger or McMaster Carr or Amazon). I like the Japanese made stainless framing square from Lee Valley. Won't rust when it gets wet- and it will.

For mallet, you want a hardwood mallet. You can make your own. I bought two turned South American hardwood ones from Foxmaple.com Mallet style comes down to personal preference.

Start with Just a 7 1/4 circ saw, and either a stanley sharptooth saw or japanese saw.

Start with the basics, and only buy what you think you need as you go along.