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The Joiner and Cabinet Maker: His Work and Its Principles
"The Joiner and Cabinet Maker" is a huge book – with more than 370 pages of detailed handtool instruction, including many processes that have not been covered before in the early woodworking literature. Though this sounds impossible, please read on.
Let's begin in 1839. In that year, an English publisher issued a small book on woodworking that has – until now – escaped detection by scholars, historians and woodworkers.
Titled "The Joiner and Cabinet Maker," this short book was written by an anonymous tradesman and tells the fictional tale of Thomas, a lad of 13 or 14 who is apprenticed to a rural shop that builds everything from built-ins to more elaborate veneered casework. The book was written to guide young people who might be considering a life in the joinery or cabinetmaking trades, and every page is filled with surprises.
Unlike other woodworking books of the time, "The Joiner and Cabinet Maker" focuses on how apprentices can obtain the basic skills needed to work in a hand-tool shop. It begins with Thomas tending the fire to keep the hide glue warm, and it details how he learns stock preparation, many forms of joinery and casework construction. It ends with Thomas building a veneered mahogany chest of drawers that is French polished. However, this is not a book for children. It is a book for anyone exploring hand-tool woodworking.
Thanks to this book, we can stop guessing at how some operations were performed by hand and read first-hand how joints were cut and casework was assembled in one rural England shop.
Even more delightful is that Thomas builds three projects during the course of his journey in the book, and there is enough detail in the text and illustrations to re-create these three projects just as they were built in 1839.
Here's what you'll find in our expanded edition of this book:
• A historical snapshot of early 19th-century England. Moskowitz, a book collector and avid history buff, explains what England was like at the time this book was written, including the state of the labor force and woodworking technology. This dip into the historical record will expand your enjoyment of Thomas's tale.
• The complete text of "The Joiner and Cabinet Maker," unabridged and unaltered. We present every word of the 1839 original (plus a chapter on so-called "modern tools" added in a later edition), with footnotes from Moskowitz that will help you understand the significance of the story.
• Chapters on the construction of the three projects from "The Joiner and Cabinet Maker." Schwarz built all three projects – a Packing Box, a dovetailed Schoolbox and a Chest of Drawers – using hand tools. The construction chapters in this new edition of "The Joiner and Cabinet Maker" show the operations in the book, explain details on construction and discuss the hand-tool methods that have arisen since this book was originally published.
• Complete construction drawings. Lost Art Press drafted all three projects in SketchUp to create detailed drawings and cutting lists for the modern woodworker. This will save you hours of decoding the construction information offered in "The Joiner and Cabinet Maker."
Let's begin in 1839. In that year, an English publisher issued a small book on woodworking that has – until now – escaped detection by scholars, historians and woodworkers.
Titled "The Joiner and Cabinet Maker," this short book was written by an anonymous tradesman and tells the fictional tale of Thomas, a lad of 13 or 14 who is apprenticed to a rural shop that builds everything from built-ins to more elaborate veneered casework. The book was written to guide young people who might be considering a life in the joinery or cabinetmaking trades, and every page is filled with surprises.
Unlike other woodworking books of the time, "The Joiner and Cabinet Maker" focuses on how apprentices can obtain the basic skills needed to work in a hand-tool shop. It begins with Thomas tending the fire to keep the hide glue warm, and it details how he learns stock preparation, many forms of joinery and casework construction. It ends with Thomas building a veneered mahogany chest of drawers that is French polished. However, this is not a book for children. It is a book for anyone exploring hand-tool woodworking.
Thanks to this book, we can stop guessing at how some operations were performed by hand and read first-hand how joints were cut and casework was assembled in one rural England shop.
Even more delightful is that Thomas builds three projects during the course of his journey in the book, and there is enough detail in the text and illustrations to re-create these three projects just as they were built in 1839.
Here's what you'll find in our expanded edition of this book:
• A historical snapshot of early 19th-century England. Moskowitz, a book collector and avid history buff, explains what England was like at the time this book was written, including the state of the labor force and woodworking technology. This dip into the historical record will expand your enjoyment of Thomas's tale.
• The complete text of "The Joiner and Cabinet Maker," unabridged and unaltered. We present every word of the 1839 original (plus a chapter on so-called "modern tools" added in a later edition), with footnotes from Moskowitz that will help you understand the significance of the story.
• Chapters on the construction of the three projects from "The Joiner and Cabinet Maker." Schwarz built all three projects – a Packing Box, a dovetailed Schoolbox and a Chest of Drawers – using hand tools. The construction chapters in this new edition of "The Joiner and Cabinet Maker" show the operations in the book, explain details on construction and discuss the hand-tool methods that have arisen since this book was originally published.
• Complete construction drawings. Lost Art Press drafted all three projects in SketchUp to create detailed drawings and cutting lists for the modern woodworker. This will save you hours of decoding the construction information offered in "The Joiner and Cabinet Maker."
373 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
14 people are currently reading
202 people want to read
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* They are officially published under that name
* They are traditional stories not attributed to a specific author
* They are religious texts not generally attributed to a specific author
Books whose authorship is merely uncertain should be attributed to Unknown.
See also: Anonymous
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 18, 2017
It's nice that other people are even weirder about woodworking than I am. Schwarz & Moskowitz (S&M) certainly are & they made this old text a complete treat that any woodworker will love.
It starts out with a great introduction & then a short Historical section. Both set the stage well for the text that follows.
The Original Text is an anonymous account of being a joiner's apprentice in the early 1800s comprising about 1/4 of the book (100 pages). It's amazingly readable & would have been worth it on its own, but a lot of common knowledge of the times is taken for granted. S&M fill in the blanks with perfectly placed footnotes. Many are rather long, but all are extremely helpful. For instance, amounts of pay are well explained & fit into the context of the times. Also, a lot of old techniques & the reasons they were used. I've read a few other books of this nature, so some of the historical lessons were a review, but they were always succinct & informative. Even when I knew the information, I didn't feel as if it was repetitive.
The Construction section is another 100 pages & takes the reader through all 3 projects that were described in the original text built today with pictures. Shwartz & his 8 year old daughter made them. He taught her as they went along & learned himself. Again, there is plenty of historical data such as a deeper look into old nails.
The last section is Further Reading which has an epilogue, bibliography, & an appendix. I skimmed the last parts, but will keep the book close to hand & in mind for future reading.
This is a fantastic book for any woodworker & I'd highly recommend it for the beginning woodworker. There are a lot of excellent lessons to be learned & they're very well described.
It starts out with a great introduction & then a short Historical section. Both set the stage well for the text that follows.
The Original Text is an anonymous account of being a joiner's apprentice in the early 1800s comprising about 1/4 of the book (100 pages). It's amazingly readable & would have been worth it on its own, but a lot of common knowledge of the times is taken for granted. S&M fill in the blanks with perfectly placed footnotes. Many are rather long, but all are extremely helpful. For instance, amounts of pay are well explained & fit into the context of the times. Also, a lot of old techniques & the reasons they were used. I've read a few other books of this nature, so some of the historical lessons were a review, but they were always succinct & informative. Even when I knew the information, I didn't feel as if it was repetitive.
The Construction section is another 100 pages & takes the reader through all 3 projects that were described in the original text built today with pictures. Shwartz & his 8 year old daughter made them. He taught her as they went along & learned himself. Again, there is plenty of historical data such as a deeper look into old nails.
The last section is Further Reading which has an epilogue, bibliography, & an appendix. I skimmed the last parts, but will keep the book close to hand & in mind for future reading.
This is a fantastic book for any woodworker & I'd highly recommend it for the beginning woodworker. There are a lot of excellent lessons to be learned & they're very well described.
September 29, 2017
The Joiner and Cabinetmaker itself—that is, the 19th-century book—is a beautiful, very readable story about the sort of work an early-to-mid-19th-century joiner's apprentice might find himself doing and the environment in which he might be doing it. The lifestyle presented is romanticised and idealised—protagonist Thomas's master and colleagues are uncommonly kind, and fellow apprentice Sam is a convenient Goofus to Thomas's supremely capable Gallant—but the three projects Thomas is shown to complete are genuine and replicable by the reader. It's a very practical look at pre-electricity woodworking, not suffering from the familiar cultish bullshit many modern hand woodworking proponents like to peddle.
It's also only about a quarter of the Lost Art Press edition, with the remainder being a little bit of historical context (or aiming to be; a regrettable proportion of it is pseudo-history) and a lot of Christopher Schwarz replicating the three projects and advertising at you. There's no value in any of these additions—Thomas already did a better, much more succinct job of anything Schwarz and Moskowitz are trying to do—and my star rating isn't about them. If you can find (the text of) the original The Joiner and Cabinetmaker—which should be in the public domain rather than $36—just read that.
It's also only about a quarter of the Lost Art Press edition, with the remainder being a little bit of historical context (or aiming to be; a regrettable proportion of it is pseudo-history) and a lot of Christopher Schwarz replicating the three projects and advertising at you. There's no value in any of these additions—Thomas already did a better, much more succinct job of anything Schwarz and Moskowitz are trying to do—and my star rating isn't about them. If you can find (the text of) the original The Joiner and Cabinetmaker—which should be in the public domain rather than $36—just read that.
July 4, 2019
Schwarz and Moskowitz presents this work of an anonymous carpenter that was published in 1839 as a guide for boys wanting to take up the trade. This portion was written in a narrative form, an oddity in itself, and currently the only one available from this period. It follows Thomas thru his apprenticeship, his work for a young lord! that includes a packing case and school box as well as building a chest of drawers. Addition material was added by the modern authors that expands on the society of working Victorian England from a slight later period based on writings by Mayhew and other reformers. This is the first half of the book, and is a great peek into the life of an early 19th century carpenter.
In the second half, Schwarz gives more detailed instructions on building the three projects, including photos and drawings. All three are a bit weird and a bit out of the ordinary, Included is information on working with cut nails, hide glue and milk paint, useful and until recently not well covered by most DIY (except Furniture Making Plain & Simple). I'm tempted to build the chest of drawers, I'm using a blanket chest right now for everything and it's not as organized as I'd like. The school box would be a fun gift project, most people like unique, small boxes.
A tiny 1/2 size chest
Like all Lost Art Press books, the printing and binding are first class, making it a pleasure to handle while reading. Get it from the publisher direct, a used copy is more expensive than a new one and Amazon wants $140 for a $36 book!!! There seem to be a few libraries that carry it, count yourself lucky if you can get a copy that way. A great read.
In the second half, Schwarz gives more detailed instructions on building the three projects, including photos and drawings. All three are a bit weird and a bit out of the ordinary, Included is information on working with cut nails, hide glue and milk paint, useful and until recently not well covered by most DIY (except Furniture Making Plain & Simple). I'm tempted to build the chest of drawers, I'm using a blanket chest right now for everything and it's not as organized as I'd like. The school box would be a fun gift project, most people like unique, small boxes.
A tiny 1/2 size chest
Like all Lost Art Press books, the printing and binding are first class, making it a pleasure to handle while reading. Get it from the publisher direct, a used copy is more expensive than a new one and Amazon wants $140 for a $36 book!!! There seem to be a few libraries that carry it, count yourself lucky if you can get a copy that way. A great read.
April 30, 2020
The Joiner and Cabinet Maker is a mash up of a 1830's day-in-the-life-of historical fiction and a pre-industrial woodworking how-to book. The book records the life of Thomas, a joiner's apprentice, as he learns the trade through both instruction and experience. The author evidently was an experienced craftsman as the book is very detailed in the techniques that Thomas learns, giving a rare view into the shop practices and methods of the time. Moreover, he presents all this in a delightful manner that never failed to bring a smile to my face.
The Lost Art Press reprint fills out the text with a healthy amount of footnotes to provide context to some of the things that might be unfamiliar to people living 180 years removed from the culture being described. Additionally, Christopher Schwarz undertook to relive the experience of Thomas by building (and documenting) the three projects that Thomas is described as making during his apprenticeship. Schwarz's writing and the extensive accompanying photography really illuminates the techniques described in the book to the degree that any beginner would be well on his way to producing quality product by following the instruction in this book.
The Lost Art Press reprint fills out the text with a healthy amount of footnotes to provide context to some of the things that might be unfamiliar to people living 180 years removed from the culture being described. Additionally, Christopher Schwarz undertook to relive the experience of Thomas by building (and documenting) the three projects that Thomas is described as making during his apprenticeship. Schwarz's writing and the extensive accompanying photography really illuminates the techniques described in the book to the degree that any beginner would be well on his way to producing quality product by following the instruction in this book.
July 17, 2024
This was an audio book, as read by orator pour l'excellence and preeminent television woodworker, Roy Underhill. The Joiner And The Cabinet Maker published by Lost Art Press is a short book written by an anonymous tradesman; it was first published in 1839. It tells the fictional tale of Thomas, a lad of 13 or 14 who is apprenticed to a rural shop, that builds everything from built-ins to more elaborate veneered casework. The book was written to guide young people who might be considering a life in the joinery or cabinetmaking trades, and every page is filled with surprises and not far removed from the apprenticeship I served in the 20th century.
Roy's telling of the story is magical and in 2011, a teacher of autistic students approached LAP about an audiobook of the original 1839 text to help teach craft history. Their students weren’t able to read the book, but they could listen to it. "So we asked the inimitable Roy Underhill to help us out."
He brought not only his hand-tool knowledge but his excellent thespian training to the project.
Roy's telling of the story is magical and in 2011, a teacher of autistic students approached LAP about an audiobook of the original 1839 text to help teach craft history. Their students weren’t able to read the book, but they could listen to it. "So we asked the inimitable Roy Underhill to help us out."
He brought not only his hand-tool knowledge but his excellent thespian training to the project.
June 22, 2022
I'm glad I got this through Inter-Library Loan instead of buying it. While interesting, I'm not sure I would have felt I got my money's worth. Half the book can be appreciated for its historicity, supplemented by introductory material and footnotes from Christopher Schwarz and Joel Moskowitz. The other half contains guidance from Schwarz for building the 3 pieces featured in the 19th-century work. IMO, the real value is to be found here in the many tips that Schwarz shares. I always find his prose style a delight.
July 6, 2018
A reprint of an 1839 book about a fictional Joiner's apprentice named Thomas. This was part of a series of books describing various trades.
The original text is a fun read but the addition of chapters after that section really elevate the book. Thomas builds three projects and after the original text Chris Schwarz walks us through building each in a more modern "how to" style.
This book could easily serve as a basic course in hand tool work if supplemented by a few other sources, Wearing for instance.
The original text is a fun read but the addition of chapters after that section really elevate the book. Thomas builds three projects and after the original text Chris Schwarz walks us through building each in a more modern "how to" style.
This book could easily serve as a basic course in hand tool work if supplemented by a few other sources, Wearing for instance.
November 6, 2022
Beautifully constructed piece and exciting to see that hand tool operations that apprentices learned almost 200 years ago (and the tools) are exactly what we do today when working wood by hand
March 16, 2012
An interesting look at being a joiner's apprentice in early 1800s England, with some historical context and a walk thru the projects described in the original text. Oriented to the hand tool woodworker, it contains a number of insights in pre-electrical tool use. Beautiful execution by Lost Art Press as usual.
December 2, 2015
This isn't amazing literature, but this edited edition is awesome. I found the history fascinating, and now I'm going to start on my apprenticeship! Thank you for all the hard work and research that went into this edition.
September 12, 2013
Great way to help get started in hand tool woodworking.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews