The Woodwright's Eclectic Workshop [Paperback]

Roy Underhill (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1991

For more than ten years, Roy Underhill has taught the techniques of traditional woodcraft, or 'how to start with a tree and an axe and make one thing after another until you have a house and everything in it.' Through his popular PBS series, The Woodwright's Shop, and his previous books, Roy has inspired millions—from professional craftspeople to armchair woodworkers—with his talent, knowledge, and enthusiasm.

Roy returns now with his fourth book, The Woodwright's Eclectic Workshop. It features step-by-step instructions for many projects featured on the television series in recent years, including such popular projects as the Adirondack chair, tavern table, folding ladder, rocking horse, lathe, and kayak. All projects are illustrated with photographs and measured drawings.

The book also includes colorful descriptions of what it was like to be a tradesperson who made a living by hand, working with the tools and methods Roy describes on television and in his books: carpenters, joiners, wheelwright, millwrights, chairmakers, and blacksmiths. As Roy puts it, he wants to examine 'the old paths in the way that they were originally taken: not as adventuresome recreations but a profession that put food on the table and clothes on the kids.'

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

The longtime master housewright at Colonial Williamsburg, Roy Underhill is the leading authority on old-time woodworking techniques. He created The Woodwright's Shop for public television in 1979. The series, produced by the University of North Carolina Center for Public Television, has aired nationally since 1981, with thirteen new programs introduced each year. Roy is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and holds a master's degree from Duke University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 246 pages
• Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press (November 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807843474
• ISBN-13: 978-0807843475
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #624,079 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Man Is A God!!!!, November 27, 2002

By 

Michelle Ciccariello - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Woodwright's Eclectic Workshop (Paperback)

If I were trapped on the proverbial desert island, there is no question which book I'd bring... because with Roy Underhill's book, to paraphrase the master himself: you begin with a tree and an ax and you end up with a house and everything in it. Nobody does it better in wood, and this is another fantastic and inspiring book, like his others. I bought this book for my husband. After it arrived, I skimmed through, and ended up reading the whole thing, cover-to-cover... Roy Underhill's writing style is so addicting, you can't put the books down. And if you are lucky enough to live in a place where trees grow, you MUST own this book... all of his books. We live in the desert... no trees here... but we are both so inspired by these ideas that we are movng to a place where trees grow. If you know anyone who loves working with wood, begin getting these books for that person. Get them all. Do it as soon as possible.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eclectic!, March 18, 2009

By 

M. Henley - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Woodwright's Eclectic Workshop (Paperback)

Roy writes with a real flair and a touch of humor. I really enjoyed this book, however, this is not a project book for a wood worker where you're going to find instruction on how to build things, there are no real plans, etc.

That's because craftsmen didn't work to plans. Roy is promoting a entirely different way to approach woodworking from an age where straight leg dividers and morticing gauges were the the primary measuring tools.

I've worked several projects this way now and, in fact, I find it MUCH more relaxing to work this way.

Way to go Roy .... you've shown me a whole new world. (But I still like Japanese saws better than old crosscuts)

5.0 out of 5 stars St Roy, September 21, 2008

By 

Michael Flaim - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Woodwright's Eclectic Workshop (Paperback)

Reading any of Roy's book is like doing math without a calculator. You can do it faster and easier with modern technology, but you won't truly understand the process with machines alone. You can't read the grain with a random orbital sander nor can you split down the strength of the grain with S4S kiln dried lumber. The section on making a wide crown molder was the most inspiring part of the book.