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Improve your skills with the essential information that every woodworker needs to know.
- Outfitting the shop
- Using tools
- Working wood
- Milling stock
- Shaping wood
- Construction
- Finishing
- Sharpening
Woodworking is a craft that has evolved over millennia. And there are many methods to accomplish all the tasks woodworkers perform, from the low tech approach of handtools to the speed and efficiency of sophisticated machines. This book will help woodworkers of all levels choose the right method and tools to bring great results, pleasure and satisfaction to working wood.
From the Introduction
Part of the appeal of woodworking is the wide range of tasks that go into making even a simple piece of furniture. We begin by milling wood square and then dimension it to make parts. To make a piece that will endure the stresses of seasonal wood movement, we cut joints to hold the parts together. Along the way we set up, use, and sharpen tools. Finally, we apply a finish to protect the wood and bring out its beauty. And that's just the beginning. To add interest to a piece, we shape wood by adding curves, moldings, and edge treatments. And moving beyond the basic project, requires a knowledge of the architecture of furniture and cabinets. Woodworking is a craft that has evolved over millenia. It has many methods to accomplish all these tasks, from the low-tech approach of handtools to the speed and efficiency of sophisticated machines. Choosing the right method depends on many factors, including your skill level, the tools in your shop, and whether you need to work quickly or can take the time to savor the process. The process is the purpose, isn't it? It's the pleasure and satisfaction of working wood, whatever technique you choose.
This book collects in one volume the essential information that every woodworker needs to know. It's taken from the subject-specific books in The Complete Illustrated Guides series: Joinery, Furniture and Cabinet Construction, Shaping Wood, Finishing, Sharpening, Using Woodworking Tools, and Working Wood. The selections included here are my own, based on teaching woodworking classes and editing woodworking books for the last dozen years. If you don't find your pet technique, please accept my apologies. A single concise shop reference must have, by definition, limits. If you own the volumes that comprise The Complete Illustrated Guides, this book is a manual you can leave in the shop as a basic reference. If you're just starting out in woodworking, it can be your guide to the skills and techniques you'll need to master to become a woodworker. Wherever you are in your woodworking path, I hope The Complete Guide to Woodworking gives you a taste of the rich variety of ways to work wood and keeps you coming back to the shop to learn more.
- Helen Albert, Executive Editor
Taunton Books
About the Authors
Lonnie Bird, a professional woodworker specializing in period furniture, runs a woodworking school in Dandridge, Tennessee. Jeff Jewitt is a professional finisher and refinisher in Cleveland, Ohio, and a contributing editor to Fine Woodworking. Thomas Lie-Nielsen is the founder and owner of Lie-Nielsen Toolworks, which manufactures high-quality hand tools. He lives in Warren, Maine. Andy Rae, from Asheville, North Carolina, is a professional woodworker who writes frequently for woodworking magazines and teaches woodworking. Gary Rogowski, a contributing editor to Fine Woodworking, operates his own school, the Northwest Furniture Studio, in Portland, Oregon. |
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