How to Design and Build Your Ideal Woodshop (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

One of the best parts of woodworking is setting up a workshop; in some cases, more effort is expended here than in creating finished projects. An efficient design allows one to get the most out of their shop. Stankus provides a wealth of information on how to maximize floor space and on choosing the best electrical, lighting, or safety features are best. He also gives guidelines for locating machinery and shows sample shops for cabinetmaking, carving, woodworking, and furniture restoration. A variety of storage solutions round out this excellent title, which will appeal to most woodworkers.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Description

Designed especially for the home-shop woodworker, this guide features dozens of practical alternatives, tips and solutions for transforming attics, garages, basements or out-buildings into efficient and safe woodshops.'

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Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Betterway Books (September 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558704817
• ISBN-13: 978-1558704817
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,265,983 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

84 of 84 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This book is worth a look to anyone., August 28, 2000

By	Scott Pointon "Former Marine, Librarian, Wood... (Crest Hill, IL United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I just finished reading this book and although it is not the best book on the subject (call it a close second), I did find it a worthwhile read. There is the usual overlap of basic information which every shop set-up book seems to have, but what I found most interesting about this book was:

1. The sections detailing different considerations each woodworker must take into account based on the type of woodworking he/she wants to do (i.e. carving vs. cabinetmaking vs. crafts vs. boatbuilding, etc.)

2. The many great suggestions and tips to maximize storage space and organize your work.

3. The attention to safety issues.

4. The pictures of, and more importantly, the shop layout diagrams of some successful pro woodworking shops.

5. The budget-conscious recommendations for every step of outfitting a shop.

As I said, I do recommend this book as worthwhile reading, but for the best book I have come across on the subject, check out "Setting Up Shop" by Sandor Nagyszalanczy.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great place to start if you're planning a workshop!, April 15, 2000

By	Matthew Laun (Seattle, WA - USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book provides a good variety of examples and solutions. It also gives the workshop beginner some ideas about which tools will be most vital to their work, depending on their particular interests. I think the best feature of this book is that it demonstrates good workshop design with real examples. I haven't read some of the other workshop books, so I can't make a comparision, but I feel the book will help guide me through the entire process of setting up my own workshop. Thanks.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good but not great, April 23, 2002

By	Ira Idelson (Richboro, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Design and Build Your Ideal Woodshop (Popular Woodworking) (Paperback)

The best advice the author gives in this book is that the concept of the "ideal" workshop is the workshop that works for you. Most of us do not have unlimited space or funds to build a "dream" workshop as illustrated in many books and magazines. What you can afford and what you feel comfortable in is the ideal workshop for you. That is excellent advice.

The other topics I found interesting in this book were the floorplans of real workshops (and the owner's principal machinery listed in order of importance) and the chapter on workbenches, especially the section about holding devices.

The rest of the book is kind of thin in content. This book is priced similarly to the other 2 major books on this subject but is about half the size (in page count) which I think makes this book a little on the pricey side.