Basic Woodworking Book Suggestions

Fleemo -

Check out the latest Fine Woodworking - it has an article on several books that would be part of a great WW library. I got started with Tage Frid's books, and you can find them on FWW's site.

Good luck, and welcome to the group!

John Moorhead

Fleemo,

The following woodworking title I would suggest for various reasons.

The fist book to get you started and covers very practical woodworking techniques and answers many beginners' questions and some would have to be "The Complete Book of Woodworking". This is the ISBN # softcover

The next book will help you do what you will recognize as an important and unavoidable part of woodworking, which is jig building. These things assist you in complete certain task quickly and accurately. The title is "200 Original Shop Aids & Jigs for Woodworkers". The author of this title is Rosario Capotosto.

The last title I will suggest will supplement the other titles and help you comprehend tools, power and hand and their usage. Also when you have complete read these title take some more time to read other books they help explain others gap, like proper staining techniques, how to maintain tools, why use this wood type for this project, differences between nominal size and other wood dimensions. Let's not forget wood terms like S4S etc.

That last book title is "The Encyclopedia of Wood Working" edited by Mark Ramuz.

Lex

Tue, Jan 4, 2005, 10:32am (EST-3) snipped-for-privacy@comcast.net claims: I'm looking for suggestions on woodworking books that cover the absolute basics such as power tool safety, clamping methods, simple projects, and basic techniques for beginners. I've enjoyed Better Homes and Gardens' Step-By-Step Basic Carpentry, and would like to expand my library on the topic.

Sigh. You go to your local library. Read what they've got. Anything you like enough to want a copy, you go to a bookstore and buy one - or Amazon, or somewhere else on line. Try some used bookstores too.

JOAT EVERY THING THAT HAPPENS STAYS HAPPENED.

- Death

I was impressed by this book

The author gives a series of projects, each one designed to develop a specific skill. Notice that you can get a used copy for $9 + shipping.

snipped-for-privacy@comcast.net wrote in news:1104863534.958806.203850 @z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com:

I like the "Essentials of Woodworking" slipcase set ... essentially a series of articles on basic topics out of FWW:

Peter Korn's book: Woodworking Basics: Mastering the Essentials of Craftsmanship

Thanks, JOAT, for speaking up for the local library, an amazing institutuion. That's where I got my basic information and found books I wanted.

I just saw a news report on the situation (IIRC) in Salinas, Calif. (home of John Steinbeck, no less). The city is closing it's libraries because they lack funds and the public has turned down all recent funding increases. I fear for our democracy (one of the reasons I think my old "civics" class may have been worthwhile--it taught the connections between the civil institutuions and the political. I don't think many people realize what "public library" really means to our society.)

Vote to support your local library. (I'm not a librarian, just a citizen.)

Dan

On 4 Jan 2005 10:32:14 -0800, snipped-for-privacy@comcast.net calmly ranted:

Give Greg's site a looksee, then take a list of titles to your local library to see if they have them. Read those first (the entire Dewey 684 section covers woodworking, BTW, so pick some out which tickle your particular fancy) and see which of those you'd like to add to your library. Landis' "The Workbench Book" is one that every woodworker should own.

I use mine all the time, for books, magazines, misc, movies. Heck, I've already paid for it!

Barry

Thank you all for your suggestions. Getting a preview on Amazon.com shows that they look very promising.

Regarding the library, that's the reason I inquired here about good books. Sadly, the book selection at my local libraries is downright pathetic. If I want a quality book (or one published within the last 15 years) I have to go buy it myself.

Thanks again.

-Fleemo

Wed, Jan 5, 2005, 10:20am (EST-3) snipped-for-privacy@comcast.net claims: Sadly, the book selection at my local libraries is downright pathetic. If I want a quality book (or one published within the last 15 years) I have to go buy it myself.

Nah, you don't. My local library is small. So, the county library is about 9 miles down the road. If they don't have it, they can borrow it. My local library can borrow too, but they take a lot longer. Or, there's a major college about 20 miles the other way, with a major library, and their library is open to the public - but only students can sign out books.

JOAT EVERY THING THAT HAPPENS STAYS HAPPENED.

- Death

On 5 Jan 2005 10:20:21 -0800, snipped-for-privacy@comcast.net calmly ranted:

Also look for the books used.

Hamilton has copies of Alex Bealer's "Old Ways of Working Wood" for $7.95, and if you mail in the order, the total shipping is only $3.50--no matter how many books you order. I have half a dozen Taunton books from there, all for under $8 each. You'll soon find that Taunton puts out a very high quality book and you will start collecting them pretty quickly.

Go to the library and view some of the woodworking books anyway. You'd be amazed at how most of the technical stuff about wood hasn't changed at all in centuries. Carpentry and cabinetmaking books from the 60s are still mostly valid today, though many of the glues, woods, laminates, and composites are different.

-- "Menja bé, caga fort!"

All the more reason to support library taxes--so little money for so much knowledge....Also, once you locate the books you want, make suggestions to the local library's book buyer--once they know someone's gonna read it they'll more likely buy it. Also, most libraries will allow inter-library loans, so if the local doesn't have it they can maybe get it for you. These places are for our use--we've paid for them; make 'em work for you! Dan

I still have my college ID. I wonder if I can still check out books? I still look like that, sort of. A little.

Wow, 18 was a long time ago. And yes, I know, twice as long or more for you other geezers.

Not sure they meet your criteria but ... Two that come to my mind are :

Cabinetmaking and Millwork by John Louis Feirer