Woodworking for Dummies

by Jeff Strong

You've seen a few shows on TV, and working with wood looks like it could be quite entertaining and rewarding. After all, you get to create something that you can proudly display to your friends and family. But where and how do you begin to move from expressed interest to hands-on experience?"Woodworking For Dummies" shows you how your raw building materials stack up, with everything you "wood" need to know about hardwood, softwood, plywood, veneer wood, plain-sawn wood, rift-cut wood, quarter-sawn wood, solid wood, man-made wood, and more. This down-to-earth guide gives you the goods on how boards are made from trees and the characteristics of hardwood and softwood species, plus all the buzz on:
Gearing up with the right tools
Putting safety first in your workshop
Using adhesives and glue
Working with wood joints
Smoothing it out by sanding and filling
Adding color with stains and paints
Protecting your work with topcoats

Whether you want to put together a simple plywood bookcase or an incredible solid oak dining table, "Woodworking For Dummies" can help you get organized as you craft your plans for a piece that'll reflect your personal touch. You'll discover how to:
Measure and mark your wood
Distinguish among saw designs
Choose and use sharpening tools
Home in on hot melt glue
Speed things up with modern frame joints
Get down to the nitty-gritty on nails
Apply water-based polyurethanes

This handy reference packs in essential information for the novice woodworker and some advanced tips and tricks to jumpstart any woodworker's existing skills. Includes detailed illustrations and how-to photos.

Genres: Woodwork, Nonfiction

388 pages, Paperback

First published October 31, 2003

Reviews

[Dmitry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very motivating book. While reading, I've started and put through to results two projectsю

[Martin Orliac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for beginners

Great resource for beginners although some of it seems a little outdated. Would love to see it re-edited with updated resources and tools!

[Humphreydunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely worth reading and extremely helpful for beginners and those wondering what it's all about. The problem comes with the large number of tools one needs before you can even start to contemplate whether this is a hobby for you. A better approach might be to pick one tool and then show what a true beginner can do with that in order to create some enthusiasm for woodworking.

[George Noland II]

The book had some useful information for a novice like me, but it is a bit out of date.

[Jeffrey Henning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for beginners!