Foundations of Better Woodworking by Jeff Miller (Popular Woodworking, 2012)
I write this review from the perspective of an amateur cabinet maker who, working alone in his basement shop, relies on printed and video material to learn about designing and building furniture. Because an amateur does not have the benefit of an apprenticeship or other formal training program, he or she typically has an uneven skill profile – advanced in some areas but with serious gaps in various basic skills. By systematically addressing the foundations of woodworking, Miller helps fill these gaps.
If you are someone who is thinking of taking up woodworking and wants a place to start or someone who is a beginning woodworker and needs a better grounding in the ‘basics’ then this book is for you. In fact, if you only buy one book on woodworking, then this is the one. However, even if you are an experienced woodworker, this book will enhance your understanding and appreciation of your craft.
It is organized in three main sections: ‘Understanding the Basics,’ ‘Getting a Better Sense of Where You’re Going’ and ‘Learning as You Work.’ While many other books, articles and videos tackle specific skills or types and styles of furniture, this book is unique by examining what underlies success in woodworking in general. It is well written, amply illustrated and chocked full of examples to explain the point Miller is making on a given topic. The span of material covered includes both hand tool woodworking and the use of power tools and machinery.
The first section of book offers, as you might expect, chapters about wood and using and sharpening various tools, such as chisels and saws. However, it also talks about using your body to maximum advantage and how to truly ‘observe’ not merely ‘see’ what you are doing. For example, he illustrates how you can use low raking light to show up “lumps, bumps and awkward parts” of a curved piece of wood, an essential precursor to being able to cut a ‘fair curve’ with a spokeshave.
The second section focuses on measuring and marking lines, and being able to cut and shape pieces that are flat, straight and square. Everything one does in crafting a piece of furniture from simple to complex joinery depends on a mastery of the skills presented. For examples, he shows how you can reduce errors in duplicating identical pieces by the use of a ‘story stick.’
In the final section, Miller ‘brings it all together’ starting with a chapter on making mistakes – it’s always nice to find a chapter on something you are good at! He talks about the use of continuous feedback: using all your senses to reflect on what you are doing, for example, listening to the sound the hand saw is making – being able to tell when you are using it with a good balance of speed and pressure. And he reminds us that practice is only useful as a repetition of the right way of doing something, not the wrong way.
In another excellent book, The New Traditional Woodworker, Jim Tolpin talks about the importance of the ‘mind set,’the ‘tool set’ and the ‘skill set’ for hand tool woodworking. Miller offers a way forward from the mind set to the ‘skill set’ required to design and build fine furniture.
William Smith Montréal CANADA
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This is a very informative book… the author really thinks out of the box! Never have I seen a book with as much detail… I especially enjoyed the part about the grain of the wood, and how to choose pieces of wood that will help your project be the best it can be. He goes into detail on how to go by the grain of the wood and the way it is cut to keep your projects from warping, or pulling apart, and also how to use your body to the best mechanical advantage to prevent injury and to increase your strength. Such detail! a great book!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
I have always enjoyed Jeff Miller’s books and teaching style… his chairmaking book and companion DVD have been a solid reference for me for the last 7 years. Jeff’s writing style is fresg, intellegent and well thought out. He covers topics in this book that are touched on in countless other woodworking books such as sharpening, grain directions, etc but he does it in a different light. I am a professional furniture maker and have been a woodworker for over 14 years and the way Jeff tackles these subjects is unique and I come away from each chapter with new information or at least a different way of seeing the information I have always known… The photos and diagrams are super too.
I highly suggest putting a copy of this on your reference shelf!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Foundations of Better Woodworking,
Foundations of Better Woodworking by Jeff Miller (Popular Woodworking, 2012)
I write this review from the perspective of an amateur cabinet maker who, working alone in his basement shop, relies on printed and video material to learn about designing and building furniture. Because an amateur does not have the benefit of an apprenticeship or other formal training program, he or she typically has an uneven skill profile – advanced in some areas but with serious gaps in various basic skills. By systematically addressing the foundations of woodworking, Miller helps fill these gaps.
If you are someone who is thinking of taking up woodworking and wants a place to start or someone who is a beginning woodworker and needs a better grounding in the ‘basics’ then this book is for you. In fact, if you only buy one book on woodworking, then this is the one. However, even if you are an experienced woodworker, this book will enhance your understanding and appreciation of your craft.
It is organized in three main sections: ‘Understanding the Basics,’ ‘Getting a Better Sense of Where You’re Going’ and ‘Learning as You Work.’ While many other books, articles and videos tackle specific skills or types and styles of furniture, this book is unique by examining what underlies success in woodworking in general. It is well written, amply illustrated and chocked full of examples to explain the point Miller is making on a given topic. The span of material covered includes both hand tool woodworking and the use of power tools and machinery.
The first section of book offers, as you might expect, chapters about wood and using and sharpening various tools, such as chisels and saws. However, it also talks about using your body to maximum advantage and how to truly ‘observe’ not merely ‘see’ what you are doing. For example, he illustrates how you can use low raking light to show up “lumps, bumps and awkward parts” of a curved piece of wood, an essential precursor to being able to cut a ‘fair curve’ with a spokeshave.
The second section focuses on measuring and marking lines, and being able to cut and shape pieces that are flat, straight and square. Everything one does in crafting a piece of furniture from simple to complex joinery depends on a mastery of the skills presented. For examples, he shows how you can reduce errors in duplicating identical pieces by the use of a ‘story stick.’
In the final section, Miller ‘brings it all together’ starting with a chapter on making mistakes – it’s always nice to find a chapter on something you are good at! He talks about the use of continuous feedback: using all your senses to reflect on what you are doing, for example, listening to the sound the hand saw is making – being able to tell when you are using it with a good balance of speed and pressure. And he reminds us that practice is only useful as a repetition of the right way of doing something, not the wrong way.
In another excellent book, The New Traditional Woodworker, Jim Tolpin talks about the importance of the ‘mind set,’the ‘tool set’ and the ‘skill set’ for hand tool woodworking. Miller offers a way forward from the mind set to the ‘skill set’ required to design and build fine furniture.
William Smith
Montréal CANADA
Was this review helpful to you?
|foundations of better woodworking…,
This is a very informative book… the author really thinks out of the box! Never have I seen a book with as much detail… I especially enjoyed the part about the grain of the wood, and how to choose pieces of wood that will help your project be the best it can be. He goes into detail on how to go by the grain of the wood and the way it is cut to keep your projects from warping, or pulling apart, and also how to use your body to the best mechanical advantage to prevent injury and to increase your strength. Such detail! a great book!
Was this review helpful to you?
|Great book for beginners as well as seasoned woodworkers…,
I have always enjoyed Jeff Miller’s books and teaching style… his chairmaking book and companion DVD have been a solid reference for me for the last 7 years. Jeff’s writing style is fresg, intellegent and well thought out. He covers topics in this book that are touched on in countless other woodworking books such as sharpening, grain directions, etc but he does it in a different light. I am a professional furniture maker and have been a woodworker for over 14 years and the way Jeff tackles these subjects is unique and I come away from each chapter with new information or at least a different way of seeing the information I have always known… The photos and diagrams are super too.
I highly suggest putting a copy of this on your reference shelf!
Was this review helpful to you?
|