Woodworking Basics: Mastering the Essentials of Craftsmanship [Paperback]

Peter Korn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2003

Based on a two-week course in woodworking fundamentals offered at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Camden, Maine, this book takes a traditional approach to teaching, with the idea that learning basic skills is essential to craftsmanship. In the process, the book covers all the bases--from working with hand tools to cutting dovetails. Includes two complete projects: a bench and a small cabinet.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Taunton Press (October 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 156158620X
• ISBN-13: 978-1561586202
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,106 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #66 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > How-to & Home Improvements
  • #71 in Books > Professional & Technical > Engineering

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

117 of 117 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Good For the Self Taught Woodworker, May 23, 2006

By 

Jason T. Amsden (Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Woodworking Basics: Mastering the Essentials of Craftsmanship (Paperback)

I have found it difficult to find a book with actual exercises to build hand skills in an organized manner. I think many self taught woodworkers have peaks and valleys of skills due to the nature of "solo woodworker" learning (project plans and piece meal magazine articles). Sometimes my inefficient methods have taken more time and wasted more wood than I would care to admit.

This book is based on a course taught at a school under the author's direction. Though I am sure the live course would be vastly superior, I find this book to be an excellent guide. I would not pass it by if you are completely self taught with years of experience and/or successful projects under your belt. It is a great reinforcing tutorial. If I could have done it all over again I would have started with the course or bought this book.

89 of 90 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read this book first!, July 31, 2006

By 

Steven Vela (Colorado, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Woodworking Basics: Mastering the Essentials of Craftsmanship (Paperback)

Having muddled my way through about 6 years as a hobbyist woodworker, I wish I would have found this book first. It provides excellent instruction on basic woodworking techniques, but it also unashamedly recommends the surprisingly few, but high quality tools one needs to produce beautiful furniture. Had I read this book first, literally hundreds of dollars in unnecessary or substandard tools wouldn't be cluttering up my shop today!

Additionally, this book will teach you how to hand and machine cut several woodworking joints using step-by-step narrative and clear, color illustrations. Not only will the book serve the beginning woodworker, but will challenge the more experienced craftsperson to take his or her work to the next level.

I just had the pleasure of taking Peter Korn's class at his school in Maine, and was surprised at how closely it follows this text. While no book can substitute for the interactivity of a two week course, actually going through the process of completing each one of the projects in this book will be time and resources well spent. Even experienced woodworkers would not be wasting their time in going back to the basics and perfecting their techniques and execution.

I highly recommend this book.

88 of 95 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars More of a project book, February 8, 2007

By 

Tony - See all my reviews

This review is from: Woodworking Basics: Mastering the Essentials of Craftsmanship (Paperback)

This book is basically a collection of projects, and then explanations of the various techniques used for each step. Good if you want to make an end table, but not that useful overall. A better book to learn all the different woodworking techniques would be The Complete Manual of Woodworking by Albert Jackson, et. al., which contains everything this does (explained and illustrated much better), and much more.