May 102013
The New Traditional Woodworker: From Tool Set to Skill Set to Mind Set (Popular Woodworking)
Working Wood, Not Machining It If you’re more interested in working with wood rather than machining it, you will be relieved to learn that expensive powered machinery isn’t required to build furniture. You can also forget the dust masks, face shields and hearing protection since many of the safety concerns related to woodworking—the use of power tools—are eliminated. In this book, you’ll learn to set up a hand-tool woodworking shop, then discover the toolset, practice the skillset, and under
List Price: $ 26.99
Price: $ 14.46
Find More Woodworking Products
Apprenticeship in a book,
I don’t often read a woodworking book cover to cover. Usually it’s just one or two sections that interest me enough to add to my library. Tolpin’s new book “New Traditional Woodworker” is an exception. Reading it felt like I was sitting down to a marvelous feast and I didn’t want to miss a bite. Half way through I had the realization that he accomplished something very difficult to capture in print. This book is essentially an apprenticeship in hand tool woodworking. Jim takes you under his wing and helps you build a succession of fundamental skills while simultaneously outfitting your workshop with a nice collection of essential workbench accessories. Each successive tool and skill raises the confidence and competence to take on richer and more challenging projects. Jim approaches skill building from three angles. The right tool set with an overview of essential hand tools and their proper use. The right mindset with solid instruction about how to make those tools work to their potential. Finally, the skill set to bring it all together at the workbench. If you are new to hand tool woodworking this is an excellent roadmap. Even accomplished hand tool users will find useful guidance and perhaps the inspiration to finally trick out your workshop with a set of tools any journeyman would be proud to own.
Was this review helpful to you?
|Great way to get started using hand tools in your shop,
As a high tech professional, I use woodworking to relax and escape the day to day stress of the work environment. Working with hand tools is a great way to get in touch with your work with the added benefit of no noise or dust in the workshop. This book discribes the tools and shop equipment that you will need to set-up a hand tool based shop and then leads you through a series of projects that teaches you how to get in the right framework of mind and use the tools with proper technique to complete the project. This book is highly recommended.
Was this review helpful to you?
|Excellent resource for hand tool woodworkers,
For those of us who would rather not put up with the noise and mess of power tools (or expense), this is the best book I’ve found for someone interested in woodworking with hand tools. Although it is oriented towards furniture making, but the skills used in that are easily transfered to rougher carpentry. About the only complaint I have about this book is that it’s not long enough. I would have liked to see more details and further information about hand woodworking techniques (but there are other books that cover those things well). Like other Jim Tolpin books, this one is full of excellent color photos and loaded with relevant information written in a easily readable, straightforward style.
You get theory and practical advice on tool and material selection, and a number of practical projects to get started on building hand woodworking skills and knowledge. The only thing better would be to attend the school Mr. Tolpin teaches at, but for those of use with limited recourses or time, this is a good start. Highly recommended.
Was this review helpful to you?
|