Recommendations on a book as a gift

My brother in-law is getting a low end table saw for his birthday from his parents ($100-$200). My wife and I decided to get him a book and a feather board to go along with it. I am having a hard time finding a good book for him. My brother in-law does not have many tools. Table saw, and Drill might be all for power tools. He has no interest in getting into woodworking as a hobby. I am looking for a book that would have a few projects using the few basic power tools and 2x4's or other wood from the Borg. I have seen such books but I can't find them now. I was thinking a book with four or five projects maybe with patio furniture or simple things for the house. I am sure he will not care too much about the finer points of woodworking, wood, or tools he will just want to use the book to play with his new TS toy.

Any advice on what book to buy him would be greatly appreciated.

Reply to
Bluetobb
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How about a subscription to Woodsmith magazine. It may be that Workbench would fit the bill. :-)

Reply to
Lowell Holmes

You might want to take a look at "The Tablesaw Book" by Kelly Mehler. You can find it at Amazon:

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(I just shrunk the URL, but it'll take you there...). I've not read the book but it gets high marks from newbies and...well...oldbies? (C;. Hope this helps...

Jim

Reply to
PC Gameplayer

Reply to
Bob Bowles

That is what I went to Borders to buy him (The mehler book), but they were out of the book. Then I talked to my mother-law about it and she thinks that he won't really use that type of book. He will never make a jig and he probably will never have the saw aligned as well as it should be (unless I get a crack at it hehe). So from the discussion I gathered that what he is really looking for is just some directions to make very simple easy projects just to try out his new toy. Then it is likely it will only get used once or twice a year after that. I would just pull down some stuff from the internet but that really does not look like a gift even if it is wrapped.

I think a subscription to a woodworking magazine would pretty much be wasted on him as I doubt he would read even the first one.

BTW I am also planning on buying Mehler's book for myself. 11111

Reply to
Bluetobb

tarance notes:

Give some thought to Dover.

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John Nelson has at least one there: Easy-to-Make Antique Furniture Reproductions: 15 Small Projects

Fox Chapel is another good small woodworking book publisher.

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John Nelson (busy guy) has one coming out there shortly: A Woodworker's Guide to Making Traditional Mirrors and Picture Frames

Charlie Self

"Don't hit at all if it is honorably possible to avoid hitting; but never hit soft." Theodore Roosevelt

Reply to
Charlie Self

I hear you, and I'm not trying to convince you to get the Mehler book for him, but the picture you're painting of this guy is a little bit Homer Simpson-ish (one episode reveals an awful spice rack he made). That's fine, but one thing I thought was valuable in Mehler's book was safety information.

If dude is going to be cutting loose with a high-powered, carbide-tipped, digit-lopping Wheel Of Doom, it would be comforting to think he'd taken 20 minutes to browse a book (perhaps a library copy) that could keep him from becoming another story in a future WoodWhacking Wound Show-n-Tell thread.

Maybe somebody could make a 5-minute safety cartoon for the attention-span-impaired. Get a safety mascot, a la the NRA's Eddie the Eagle. Maybe Precious the Pushstick, a peppy persian with the fur buzz-cut down half her face.

Hmmm.

Reply to
Buttonhole McGee

bag the book idea, buy him some wood.

TomL

Reply to
TomL

It sounds like he would profit from the Reader's Digest books on home repair.

Reply to
peter

Tue, Sep 23, 2003, 4:00am (EDT-3) tarance snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com (Bluetobb) says: My wife and I decided to get him a book

I love books. And, absolutetly hate it when someone buys one for me. They never get one I like. I go along with getting him a magazine subscription - lots of pretty pictures - you did say he doesn't have many books, maybe there is a reason.

JOAT The whole of life is a learning process.

- John Keel

Life just ain't life without good music. - JOAT Web Page Update 23 Sep 2003. Some tunes I like.

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Reply to
Jack-of-all-trades - JOAT

Hummm.... No interest in woodworking + a table saw??? "First Aid" or "Selling Your White Elephants On EBay" come to mind.

-- Mark

Reply to
Mark Jerde

It does if it's bound. :) I have a comb binding machine and a laser printer, so I can get away with that. "I got you the special spiral-bound edition so it will lay flat."

No offense, but this brother-in-law of yours sounds like a total dingus. Why does he even want a table saw in the first place?

If he's not going to actually use it, then books and stuff are probably a total waste, so buy him some hearing protectors, safety glasses and dust masks.

Reply to
Silvan

Yeah, I was going to suggest a nice first aid kit with tourniquets & such.

Dave Hall

Reply to
David Hall

If he has no interest in woodworking, why is everyone so intent on buying him woodworking tools? Maybe it's just me but I always thought the best gift was something the recipient wanted. Lack of interest also tends to lead to accidents. Maybe want to rethink the gift.

Reply to
CW

Oh, really? Just wait till he feels the mighty roar unleashed by his new woodcutting beast. Forget the book. Buy him a router. If you definitely want to give a book, then find your sister's old address book. She's going to need a need a new partner very soon.

Reply to
Rob Bowman

Are you looking for the book series that uses Home Depot type lumber to make projects? Such as "2X4 Furniture: Simple, Inexpensive & Great-Looking Projects You Can Make" by Stevie Henderson? Check it out at Amazon.com or Ebay, both sell the 2x4 books often. Mostly, it's cheaper at Amazon.com.

Reply to
edfan

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