The other day I saw in the obituary section that Tage Frid had passed away. I believe it said that he died at age 88 after suffering for many years from Alzheimer's.
Very impressive obit. I've never owned any of his books, but I'm tempted to order his Tage Frid Teaches Woodworking which is out of print. Any comments on it's value today with all the power tools we now have available.
Are you assuming that the book only covers handwork? It dosen't.
Most of the power tools used today have been available for quite some time. Routers were in use not long after electricity was available. Circular and band saws were around before electricity!
Tage Frid wasn't THAT old.
Get the book, many of the methods in it involve a common sense mix of power and hand tools. In fact, there are some very down to earth, low buck setup tips in it as well.
Barry
Most impressive: his video "handmaking dovetails" Taunton press.
kees
"Dustmaker" wrote in news:40a279db$0$3039$ snipped-for-privacy@news.rcn.com:
A combined Tage Frid Teaches Woodworking, Vols 1&2 as a trade paperback was available as recently as 18 months ago, when I bought a copy. An excellent investment, in my opinion. I think there was a copy on the rack at the local Rockler store recently....
Not to start a religious discussion, but understanding how a Neander would do something makes a Normite stop and consider, before blindly plugging in the latest offering from Delta/Jet/General/etc. Not that he/she doesn't proceed with the power tool, but does so with the understanding that there are various methods and paths to success.
Sometimes, the proper power tool setup takes so much longer than the hand tool method, and offers less control. When I'm doing one of something, I tend more often to use hand tools.
Back on topic: Tage Frid had much to offer, and his books are a refreshing change from some of the newer fare.
Patriarch
Frid's books are still timely. In truth, the only innovations since he wrote them that I can think of are biscuit joiners and carbide bandsaw blades.
Check out his sections on steaming and bent laminations; they are still up to date. Some things never change.
I still refer to Palladio's, "Books of Architecture" and his body is pretty damned cold.
I don't know if Ernest Joyce is still alive, but his "Encyclopedia of Furnituremaking" gets thumbed by me on a regular basis.
Don't know if Eric Sloane is still with us, but, "A Reverance For Wood" was and is a tremendous source of inspiration to me.
I wouldn't be the one to put Brother Krenov in a too-early grave, but a hundred years from now his wisdom will still be current.
There are re-prints on things like Staircases and Circular Work and Joinery that revivify texts that are over a hundred years old - because nothing better has been written in the intervening time.
WoodDorking is an ancient craft - what Tage Frid taught is pretty modern stuff.
Regards, Tom.
Thomas J.Watson - Cabinetmaker (ret.) tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet (real email)
The guy had a gleam in his eye and a sense of humor which he used often if that tape is any indication. He seemed to take the craft seriously but not himself - unusual for one with his reputation in woodworking.
Who do you think will be the follow up examples of woodworkers to emulate or be inspired by? (Maloof and Krenov aren't spring chickens and Gary Knox Bennett hopefully won't be one of The Next Generation)
charlie b
Strother Purdy, Garrett Hack, Blaise Gaston, Michael Puryear, Michael Fortune
And if you meniton Gary Bennet Knox (and I'm glad you did), then you should also thing of Jere Osgood.
From what I've found on Jere Osgood via google, having Gary Bennett Knox name in the same sentence as Jere Osgood puts my teeth on edge. Mr. Osgoods work clearly show an exceptional design sense AND the skills to execute them - equisitely. His pieces seem whim- sical without being gimmicky.
Couldn't find any pieces by Garret Hack - just lots of links to things related to his book(s) and articles.
Thanks for your list of woodworkers who may be the next generation of masters/teachers/role models
charlie b
Don't get me wrong. I consider Jere Osgood the best cabinetmaker in the world. I was at a symposium in Boston this winter, where both Jere and Garry were included. Neither had any problem being "lumped" with the other. Both had works on display, and I assure you, they were exceptional.
I spent some time with Jere, and he of course said his work there (a really complex series of compound curves) were the result of patience. If you add in some real talent you might get there.
Garrett is a member of the New Hampshire Masters (or some similar name). He is also an exceptional teacher.
Everyone seems to forget about the other two, who do absolutely remarkable work. Both have websites.
Strother Purdy is at strotherpurdy.com; gaston at blaisegaston.com. I've seen Strother's work up close, and it is really amazing stuff.
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