Measure Twice, Cut Once (Paperback)

by Jim Tolpin (Author) "Most people to whom I've shown the table pictured at right don't like it..." (more)
Key Phrases: ruled straightedge, trammel beam, crosscut box, Japanese Ryoba (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
This book teaches how to use measuring tools.

About the Author
Jim Tolpin has been a pro cabinetmaker and woodworking journalist for 30+ years, during which he’s discovered many tricks and secrets for better ways to work. He’s the bestselling author of many woodworking, home building, remodeling, carpentry, and tool books.

Len Churchill’s illustrated many building, tool, woodworking and furniture-building books. He also does work for magazines like Popular Woodworking, Canadian Woodworking and Canadian Home Workshop. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Popular Woodworking Books; Revised edition (October 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558704280
• ISBN-13: 978-1558704282
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #259,260 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good introductory woodworking book, July 8, 2001

By	Paul Martin (Albuquerque, NM) - See all my reviews

This book bills itself as a course in shop math and measurement. With a few extra chapters, it could be an excellent introduction to woodworking. Tolpin takes us through the entire process from project design and layout to developing a list of materials and cut list. He then introduces a number of layout and marking tools to transfer the measurements accurately to the wood. Next, he talks about a number of cutting techniques, followed by a chapter on preventing and fixing mistakes.

The author raises an interesting point: if you can cut the work to the proper size, it doesn't matter if you have a numeric value for the dimension. There are a number of techniques such as story poles and marking devices which do not rely on numeric values, and which can be more accurate than conventional measurements. More common measuring tools are considered as well; he shows that there is more than meets the eye even with the common tape measure.

In the section on cutting to the lines, he shows a number of basic techniques on both hand tools and power tools. There is some interesting discussion here about tradeoffs between different tool choices. He also presents some simple jigs, which I am looking forward to building. The jigs here are much simpler than the ones he describes in Table Saw Magic. For a very small book, there is a wealth of information here which will take some time to digest. I heartily recommend the book.

54 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How did I do without this book?, January 8, 2000

By	Michael LeBlanc (Connecticut, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have not yet completed reading every page of this book, but it won't take me long to do so. I have only been a woodworker for a few years, but I should have read this book on day one. I've made some very common mistakes that could have been avoided had I learned the tips herein early on. VERY insightful and intuitive advice!

I especially like the use of simple-to-craft jigs for simple tasks (tasks that take 3-4 times as long if you DON'T have such a jig to use).

I'm buying a few copies as gifts for other woodworker friends.

I heartily recommend the book.

Also - just noticed a Norm Abram book with almost the same name - haven't checked it out yet, but am buying it today to compare.

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More Than You May Think, September 25, 2001

By A Customer

This book really surprised me. I was hopeful that it didn't simply tell you how to read a tape measure. And I was right. Just about any experience level will learn something from this book but the person new to woodworking will learn the most. I'm somewhat in between beginner and moderate experience and I was impressed. You learn some really nifty tricks for getting accurate angles, finding bisecting angles, working with arcs and more.
You also learn how to lay out a project to save material (and make your work easier).
Believe me, you will enjoy reading this book. Well written, informative and lots of clear color photos and other illustrations. No sloppy, halfhearted drawings in this one.