Check your woodworking library

[spearfox]

I became interested in woodworking author R.J. Cristoforo. I noticed that he has several books over the years covering lots of subjects. Some of the books are no longer available. My local library does not have any of his books. I was thinking of asking the local library to purchase some of his books.

My questions to the group are: Is this author a worthwhile "read"? Could anyone recommend certain books by him?

My main interest were some of his books pertaining to jigs and fixtures, but while researching his name I found he is involved in tools, toys, housebuilding and a wide assortment of wood related subjects.

P.S. The family went to the R-us toy store this weekend. The kids tried to load the basket with books and had to be pried away from the area. The books were science, reference and learning type books. It was a little freaky but made me proud.

[Ernie Jurick]

It's De Cristoforo. His table saw book was my bible when I was getting started, but I've noticed that the last revision of it was in 1987. Most of his other books are out of print. I think there are newer and better books available-- De Cristoforo's are sound, but poorly laid out and illustrated.

Funny you should mention it. I was looking at some woodworking books on Amazon this morning and was struck by how dated De Cristoforo's work looked compared with other books, especially those from Taunton Press.

-- Ernie

[Charlie Self]

spearfox asks:

Get 'em. Cris was pretty much the dean of DIY writers, until his death a couple years ago. He was an accomplished woodworker, excellent writer, fine photographer, and wrote a slew of books and articles over the years.

A lot of his books are being updated and upgraded. I've got a couple of his jig books, as well as a few others, and find them uniformly excellent. If his subject matter hits an area where you need information, I'd say go for it.

Charlie Self

I think we agree, the past is over. George W. Bush

[Charlie Self]

Every book from the '50s, '60s, '70s, '80s and much of the '90s looks dated by the new books being issued. New printing technology, etc. DeCristoforo's books are being re-invented, and are even more worthwhile than ever before...if it's pretty pitchers what turns ya on, then a lot of the b&w stuff from the previous century will strike you as worthless.

Layout is better today: blame that on Pagemaker and QuarkXPress. It's one helluva lot easier to change a layout with either of those programs, even for the partially ept like me, than it is to go back 10 or 20 pages and make changes in blues or waxes.

Charlie Self

I think we agree, the past is over. George W. Bush

[Lenny]

[HarryM]

He [De Cristoforo] can often be found on alt.coffee. harrym

[Charlie Self]

I don't think so. David may be. R.J., no.

Charlie Self

I think we agree, the past is over. George W. Bush

[Sbtypesetter]

-Rick

I invented the internet. -Al Gore