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94 of 94 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good place to start, November 24, 2000
This review is from: Basics of Craftsmanship (Essentials of Woodworking) (Paperback)
My desire to get back into woodworking after many, many years has led me to purchase about a dozen different books on setting up shop, buying tools, woodworking techniques, etc. Now I wish I had found this book much sooner. The book itself is a collection of articles from "Fine Woodworking" magazine. For the most part, the editor's choice of articles is excellent. For example, the Setting Up Shop section has three articles: 1)outfitting a shop, 2) buying used hand tools, and 3)converting your garage into a workshop. Although I found little of interest in the 2nd article, I learned as much from the other two has entire books on the subject. I especially liked the fact that the article on outfitting a shop had the pull-no-punches opinions of 3 different woodworkers. This lets the reader see that no two experts agree on the subject, but there is enough agreement that it should help a beginner make wiser choices. The 4 articles on buying wood, sheet goods, glue, and sandpaper were all full of practical information normally lacking in other books. The Tools and Techniques sections have 13 well-chosen articles, although the collection is far from being a comprehensive survey of the subject. The only power tools covered in any depth are the table saw and router. You may want to supplement your education with other books on these topics. I found the sections on "First Projects" and "Finishes" to be a little weaker than the other parts. These articles suffer from the fact that this type of book no flow of logic from one chapter to the next. The chapters on finishing suffer from considerable overlap and some conflicting information. Still, I found the individual articles interesting. In summary, I think this book is an excellent place to start if you are new to woodworking. After buying this very inexpensive book, you can go straight to more definitive books on only the topics you have real interest in. From what I have seen, you can safely skip the other introductory books.
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47 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great info for the beginner woodworker., April 6, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Basics of Craftsmanship (Essentials of Woodworking) (Paperback)
When I started woodworking I had no idea how little I knew. Each question seemed to launch five more. What tool do I need, how much space, where do I get wood and how do I choose what I need? The list of things I didn't know enough about was endless! This new book from The Taunton Press addresses these kinds of questions. It discusses setting up a shop, what tools to buy (both power and hand tools) and shows an example of a well designed small shop. It goes on to cover among other subjects, the use of tools and materials, layout, techniques, and finishing. Also included are tips on buying lumber, an overview of sheet goods (plywood etc.), a good primer on glues and how to produce good glue joints as well as a section on sandpaper that explains in 8 pages what I have seen whole books fail to get across. Unlike other books that have tried to cover this subject, this book concentrates on the basics and doesn't try to give the reader more than they can absorb. More importantly it covers subjects that others overlook. For example the chapter on techniques covers two of the most important aspects of woodworking, layout and shop drawing. There are certainly areas where I disagree on a point or two, as I'm sure some readers will and I'm not suggesting that this is the beginning and end of your search for answers. However the information is relevant, clearly presented and easy to understand and should prove invaluable for woodworkers in the early stages of their craft.
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39 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another well-balanced text from Taunton, July 17, 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: Basics of Craftsmanship (Essentials of Woodworking) (Paperback)
If you're a complete newbie to woodworking, you may find this book is not the "starting point" you are looking for, but I would advise you to buy it anyway. The information is basic, even fundamentally important to all aspects of the craft of woodworking. Sooner or later, you're going to need to put a finish on something you've made. You'll have questions about what the advantages and disadvantages of different finishes are, or where (and which) abrasives come into the finishing process. You may get the idea that you need a shop full of bench planes, from #1 to #8, and a mass of specials. Wouldn't it be good if several experts, who have access to masses of equipment, told you, quite honestly, which planes they actually used 95% of the time? If you're committed to machines, it would be nice to know that you could get more information than your owner's manual provides about safety, jigs, setting-up for accuracy and, of course, general maintenance. This book has it all, just as the title suggests. The photos and drawings are excellent and the captions and notes informative. What I appreciate, above all, in my growing collection of Taunton books, is the balanced view that the editors take. One old-timer always cuts the dovetail 'pins' first; another does the 'tails' first. One person always uses a machine for certain operations; another prefers to hand-work the same kind of piece. The greatest strength of this book is that it will help YOU to work out how YOU want to approach the craft of woodworking. The fact that it's bargain-priced is just icing on an already delicious cake. Buy it now and enjoy it immediately, and long into the future. Happy woodworking!
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