Woodwork: A Step-by-Step Photographic Guide to Successful Woodworking
In the machine age there is a particular pleasure in working with wood, which Woodwork celebrates, both in the easy-to-follow instructions for mastering the core skills and in the projects at the end of the book that demonstrate them.
The first chapter details the properties of the most commonly used hardwood and softwood lumber, so that woodworkers can make an informed decision about matching the qualities of a wood to its intended purpose. This is then followed by a chapter on a
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The Big Book of Weekend Woodworking: 150 Easy Projects (Big Book of … Series)
Every woodworker will want to own this colorful, information-packed, mammoth resource for weekend crafting. It’s filled with 150 classic projects, and features an introductory section that walks readers through the various planning stages. It’s all covered: selecting the right wood, working with patterns, gluing, and finishing. Novices can effortlessly make simple mirrors, shelves, clocks, and jewelry boxes, while those with slightly more advanced skills can try the small cupboard, blanket chest
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Best book for a beginner I’ve found,
I am in the process of learning how to woodwork. I’ve looked at all the woodworking newbie books that are common in the chain bookstores as well as some older ones in a few used bookstores. The genre template is consistent and has two major parts: first there is a breakdown of tools and techniques basic to woodworking, then there are step-by-step guides to projects that utilize those tools and techniques.
If you are looking for this sort of book, Woodwork is far and away the best I have found. Here are three reasons:
1: The furniture that it shows you how to make actually looks nice. I had not purchased other books of this sort because I couldn’t find the motivation to build the ugly furniture they promised to guide me through step by hideous step. I like furniture styles like Shaker, Arts and Crafts, anything by Thomas Moser, etc. … and I really like the options presented in this book.
2: It’s photographic. Where other books have line drawings this book has quite recent looking color photos. The step-by-step guides have multiple pictures for each step. When trying to learn this hobby on our own there are so many basic instructions that take forever to complete when there is not a picture handy of what it looks like to accomplish the task. Bottom line: lots of well-chosen pictures.
3: The steps are broken down… REALLY broken down. For the simple, handsome tool box that the book guides its reader through, for example, “fitting the hinges to the lid” is broken down into six sub-steps. For those six steps there are a total of 8 pictures on the page. These instructions cross-reference the technique guides earlier in the book in case you feel like taking a break and reviewing the ins and outs of the dovetail joint.
As far as I’m concerned this book is perfect for what it is: a beginner’s introduction to woodworking. I’m sure a more experienced person than myself could fault it for not being comprehensive, but my reading suggests the field is so vast that any book you pick up is bound to have things in it not covered elsewhere. I plan on this book being my main companion in the shop for at least the next year as I work through its projects and improve my skills.
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Best All in One Woodworking Book Period!,
I rarely write reviews but I feel so strongly about this book that I had to take the time to write this one. Woodworking has been my hobby for about the past 10 years and in that time I have purchased A LOT of woodworking books. Surprisingly I have never heard of this book before. I found it browsing the woodworking section of my local bookstore. At first I was reluctant to pick it up because a.) the all in one type woodworking books usually cover many topics but none of them very well and b.) I thought my skill level was beyond anything that I could learn from an all in one type book. Well I am happy that I didn’t let my ego get the best of me and I decided to pick up this gem. There are many things that I like about this book but my favorites are: a.) It has great pictures b.) they primarily use hand tools but they also use power tools when appropriate c.) they cover almost all topics of woodworking and provide the meat of these topics so you will rarely need to go to another source for more information and d.) it’s hardcover. The only bad thing I can say about this book is the authors are British and if you are American some of the terminology is different. It’s really a minor point. I recommend ALL woodworkers own this book (not just beginners), although it would be the first book i would recommend to a beginner if i was asked for a recommendation. Out of all the woodworking books I have it is one of the few books I keep in my shop for quick reference (along with Tage Frid and Charles Hayward). If my house/shop was burning down and I could save only one book on woodworking this would be the one. My only regret is that I didn’t find this book earlier in my hobby because it would have saved me a lot of headaches, bad joints, glue failures, cursing, etc.
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A great reference book,
I had borrowed this book from the local public library. Right away I knew it was a good one to own so I ordered it from Amazon. If you’re a wood worker this is one to keep as a reference, no matter your skill level.
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This is a great book!,
I have a LOT of books and magazines full of plans for all sorts of things, but this one really stands out. So many quick easy projects you run across out there are for things that are outdated or are just plain dumb. This book is different – - the plans are for things that are actually useful and good-looking, things you’ll want to make, and be proud of. As soon as I got the book I proceeded to make a bunch of the photo stands as Christmas gifts. There are some really simple items that can be made with a minimum of tools, and others that will be of interest to those with a shop full of power tools. These projects are especially great for those times when you don’t want to spend several weeks building something. They’re just fun projects that only require a day or two to complete, with a minimum amount of wood and expense. I highly recommend this book!
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This book rocks!,
This book has so many projects in it that some are bound to interest you. The problem with books that feature, say 25 projects, is that if you find 10% of them interesting you get 2-3 projects out of the book. This has 150 projects. If you find 10% of them interesting then you walk away with clear instructions and pretty detailed plans for 15 projects. This book is well written and includes sections on finishing and material selection. I own many “project” books. This book outshines them all by a wide margin. Joinery is pretty basic and the projects run from beginner to intermediate, with most of them being the former. One point that I feel compelled to mention, however, is that most projects in this book require a machine (or hand tool) that will cut curves. Just buy it!
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Great source of simple projects that make great gifts,
I just got started in serious woodworking, and was looking for a good book to get me started with small projects to cut my teeth on. This was it. I’ve already completed a couple of the items and have more on my to-do list. The drawings are excellent, the instructions are, for the most part, helpful and accurate, and the materials lists are simple and low cost. The bulk of my Christmas gifts this year are going to come from making projects found in this book.
If you or someone you know is just getting started, this is the book to give them for a bunch of great project ideas that will build skills without incurring a bunch of costs.
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