Wood Turning (Art of Woodworking) [Illustrated] [Hardcover]

John Jordan (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Time Life Education (September 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0809495163
• ISBN-13: 978-0809495160
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,405,669 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Artfully complete beginners guide, October 22, 2000

By 

Rawlins (Cedar Lake, IN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wood Turning (Art of Woodworking) (Hardcover)

This book is a how to guide that explains the fundamentals of wood turning. From the decision to start, through setting up, safety, selecting tools, wood, and basic wood turning techniques. The authors have gone to great lengths to give the beginner, like me, sufficient information to get started. Even the spiral binding is a thoughtful touch that allows the pages to stay open, a real handy feature when you are trying to grind a bevel of turn your first square stick into a reasonably round piece of wood.

Illustrations and pictures adorn every page giving visual meaning to the text. Maybe that is not the proper order, maybe I should say that the pictures and illustrations explain the text to the point that I was comfortable with my understanding of what the author was trying to explain and not afraid to try the operation or technique. Grinding a new profile on a brand-new Sorby tools could be an expensive mistake, but I did it and it works just fine.

The book is an excellent tool. It explains fundamentals. It does go into several simple projects, but the real value is in the basic fundamental information that a beginner needs to get started spinning wood and having fun. I also found that unlike other books on this subject, the authors did not seem to convey their personal prejudices for various pieces of equipment. This was refreshing, of course, it also doesn't give me any one to blame if I buy the wrong thing.

This is a Time life book, with a 1995 publishing date and I know that there have been advances in tools and equipment, however, woodturning started many years ago probably with a stick and a string and a sharp rock. So take the information put forth and seek other sources to determine what is the latest and greatest.

In the past month I have visited our local library multiple times, reviewing various books on wood turning and this is one that I will buy. Where others good? Yes, and I have already purchased one, but that was before I found this book, which will complete the information in the book that I have already purchased.