Customer Reviews

The New Router Handbook

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book was my first purchase. It helped me choose a router, glean ideas for a shop built table, and helped me decide on some commercial jigs. This book is the most comprehensive guide to routing available.

It has paid for itself by helping me avoid poor quality bits and accessories. In addition, I was able to gain a great deal of router skill in a short period of time. It is practically he only power tool I use other than a table saw, thanks to the techniques presented in this book.

I had this book recommended to me by a friend, and he was 100% right about its usefulness. I received a router for Christmas and bought this book shortly after. You'll be amazed at how many things a router CAN do, if you only know how!

Very informative and complete. I would almost recommend buying this book BEFORE buying a router; it may save you from wishing you had bought a different router.

This is the only router book I own, and there isn't anything on the subject that isn't covered. If you want a step by step project book like the first guy, this isn't it. There isn't a jig or fixture that isn't covered. This book is an exhaustive study of the router and an excellent reference for anyone who owns or wants to own a router.

I'd give this book five stars if only some of the best tips weren't scattered a bit across the many excellent chapters. To get the full value of this great book, you really have to read, or at least skim, all of it. But, if you do, you'll know enough to start building all kinds of things that would be hard or impossible without a router. And, unlike many of the how-to woodworking books I've read, Spielman doesn't seem to have any quirky personal interests that dominate the text. This book is written well, covers the right ground, has good illustrations, and goes just a bit beyond basics to let you know what's waiting when you've mastered the first set of skills you'll need.

This might be the least useful book I have ever purchased on any subject. While there is a heavy emphasis on router hardware, the book has a 1993 copywright and most of the referenced hardware is no longer in production; and of course, current hardware is not mentioned. For information on jigs, there are far better sources which include plans and specs for actually building the jig--see the Nov. 2004 issue of Wood magazine, for example. And the author stops short of providing sufficient information to actually accomplish a task, such as making dovetail joints. I've gone through the book from front to back, and back to the front again, and have yet to find anything of value beyond a few insignificant tidbits. A more useful and up to date book is "Router Joinery Woorkshop" by Carol Reed.

Great book. Loads of pics, but I wish they were in colour so that some of the details could be clearer. Good section on commercial router tables and other specialist router accessories. Covers all aspects of routing techniques - many are quite advanced and could be explained with much more detail for novices like me.

I'm a beginner when it comes to such advanced things such as routing. I bought a router, then bought this book. This is the definitive work on this subject, as far as I am concerned. It contains something for everyone. At 384 pages, with 1,054 b/w photos, some simple, some very detailed, a full range of topics from the history of the router to projects you can build, this is a great buy from ...(the website at a great price!) It's easy to see how come this book has sold over 1 million copies! Spielman has published over 30 other books, many dealing with router projects - so he saved some of his expertise to publish it elsewhere - good for him. I will investigate those books of his as well.

Bought this book yesterday and have already read 1/2 way through. It is great,,, starts off with the basics the router, bits, whats avaliable pros and cons. You name it this book has it. I am just starting out and I learned more in a day of reading this book than I thought was possible. A MUST for the beginner like myself.

i have had the pleasure of reading his work before, this book covers alot and it will keep me busy a good long while , i like the way it is writen, and he takes time to explain what is writen, and the photos go a long way in enhancing the subject if you can only buy one book about using a router get this one,