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The Complete Book Of Woodworking
This is the ultimate step-by-step guide to essential woodworking skills, techniques, tools, and tips. It presents a dedicated mailing and e-mail campaign to targeted woodworking and DIY related media.From the principles of basic design to essential woodworking techniques, this comprehensive and easy-to-follow volume provides readers with all the information they need to know to become a master woodworker and have a home full of fine, handmade furnishings."The Complete Guide to Woodworking" features detailed plans for 40 stunning projects for woodworkers of all levels, plus more than 1,200 step-by-step illustrations.It also includes expert information on workshop set-up and safety, how to use tools, how to make joints, and more.
480 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 5, 2021
If you want to know something about woodworking, there's a good chance this book has a chapter (or at least a page) on your topic of interest. Approximately the first third of the book consists of an overview of tools, materials, and techniques common to many woodworking projects. The final two-thirds of the book consist of a wide variety of projects suitable to a range of skill levels.
To be sure, this is far from the most complete book on any of the topics it covers. Wood finishes, for instance, occupy a few pages of this text, while entire books can be and have been devoted to the topic. What you'll find here, though, is a sort of one-stop shop for the basics of each topic.
As such, this book may not be the most suitable for the *absolute* beginner. For one thing, the projects at the back of the book, though some are beginner-friendly, are not organized by difficulty level, so beginners will struggle to figure out where to start. Similarly, the variety of techniques presented in the early chapters could easily overwhelm the first-timer. However, if you have a little experience (even just enough to feel comfortable with some basic tools and terminology, this book will serve you quite well as a reference as you continually expand your tool collection and repertoire of woodworking techniques.
Regarding the projects in particular, I found a good mix of beginner and advanced projects, big projects and small projects, representing a variety of styles and functions. Few will fall in love with every project included, but I think there's something here for almost everyone. Furthermore, the plans are well-presented and accompanied by detailed step-by-step walkthroughs of each construction, so you'll have no trouble following along and figuring out what you need to do.
I would recommend this book for the beginner-to-intermediate woodworker. Absolute beginners might benefit more from a structured course, and more experienced woodworkers will find much of the information familiar or redundant, but everyone in that middle range could benefit from this information.
To be sure, this is far from the most complete book on any of the topics it covers. Wood finishes, for instance, occupy a few pages of this text, while entire books can be and have been devoted to the topic. What you'll find here, though, is a sort of one-stop shop for the basics of each topic.
As such, this book may not be the most suitable for the *absolute* beginner. For one thing, the projects at the back of the book, though some are beginner-friendly, are not organized by difficulty level, so beginners will struggle to figure out where to start. Similarly, the variety of techniques presented in the early chapters could easily overwhelm the first-timer. However, if you have a little experience (even just enough to feel comfortable with some basic tools and terminology, this book will serve you quite well as a reference as you continually expand your tool collection and repertoire of woodworking techniques.
Regarding the projects in particular, I found a good mix of beginner and advanced projects, big projects and small projects, representing a variety of styles and functions. Few will fall in love with every project included, but I think there's something here for almost everyone. Furthermore, the plans are well-presented and accompanied by detailed step-by-step walkthroughs of each construction, so you'll have no trouble following along and figuring out what you need to do.
I would recommend this book for the beginner-to-intermediate woodworker. Absolute beginners might benefit more from a structured course, and more experienced woodworkers will find much of the information familiar or redundant, but everyone in that middle range could benefit from this information.
June 19, 2013
Great reference book for beginner woodworkers and also contains a number of beginner projects to put the reference to practice.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews