Working Wood, Not Machining It If you're more interested in working with wood rather than machining it, you will be relieved to learn that expensive powered machinery isn't required to build furniture. You can also forget the dust masks, face shields and hearing protection since many of the safety concerns related to woodworking—the use of power tools—are eliminated. In this book, you'll learn to set up a hand-tool woodworking shop, then discover the toolset, practice the skillset, and understand the mindset—effectively completing a comprehensive course in hand-tool woodworking.

This is the first book devoted to authentic architectural projects and built-ins for period-style homes. Homeowners and builders alike will have the essential information and plans they need to build 13 projects of varying difficulty. Projects include a chair rail, window seat, door and window trim, and period baseboard.

In this age of machines, handtools remain the best way -- often the only way -- of creating beautiful details, perfect fit, and final finishes. With handtools, there are no technical nor creative limits so the woodworker is liberated from the artistic constraints often imposed by machinery.

Did you know? The three most fundamental and essential tools can't be bought. Sanding is the slowest, most tedious, and most counterproductive way to prepare a surface for the clearest, richest finish. The absolute strongest bends are made without bending the wood. A scrap of tarpaper and a chunk of scrap wood comprise one of the most precise layout tools available to a woodworker. There is no such thing as a mistake in woodworking. Well, neither did I when I started working wood more than 30 years ago. But I sure wish I had learned these and a host of other essential woodworking concepts and techniques a lot sooner than I did - it would have saved me much anguish and frustration. However, I wasn't able to learn these fundamentals from books, shop classes, or TV woodworkers. Instead, I was fortunate enough to work with and learn from members of the last generation of traditionally apprenticed cabinetmakers and boat builders. The 60 essential lessons from the trade that I have recorded in this book are the first things I teach to my own kids in the hope that they will enjoy, as I have, a life of working wood with immeasurable pleasure, passion and purpose - and a minimum of wicked awful mistakes. Jim Tolpin

Rustic Italian style meets Scandinavian design in this stunning collection of simple woodworking projects. Woodworking husband-and-wife duo Andrea Brugi and Samina Langholz invite you into their magical world, where their Scandinavian sensibility for clean design is balanced with organic and aged imperfection inspired by their Tuscan home. Discover some of their key woodworking techniques through twenty simple projects for useful and decorative objects for the home—from cutting boards and simple doorstops to benches and dining tables. With striking photography, step-by-step instructions, and information on the types of wood and tools required for each project, you’ll have everything you need to start handcrafting your own woodworking masterpieces that celebrate the beauty of uniqueness and combine modern design with rustic warmth. “Our ethos is very simple: do more with less; let each project unfold organically; always be open to possibilities; welcome mistakes and learn from them; let simple, found, and readily available materials embolden your design and decisions.”—from the introduction

For woodworkers, hand tools put the emphasis on the process of woodworking rather than the result. Yet hand tools also are essential to the highest level of craftsmanship, bringing a refinement to work that machines alone cannot produce. Whether using hand tools alone as a source of pleasure, quality, or efficiency, or in combination with machines, woodworker can trust the information in Woodworking with Hand Tools, a collection of 35 articles from the experts at Fine Woodworking magazine. In Woodworking with Hand Tools, expert craftsmen explain how they choose, sharpen, and use every kind of hand tool. There's advice on tool maintenance, techniques for getting the most from the tools, and projects made using hand tools. With clear photographs, drawings, and step-by-step instructions, Woodworking with Hand Tools will be a useful and necessary resource for anyone who works wood.

Get started with simple, useful, handcrafted woodworking projects for everyday people—with only 12 basic tools! Lots of people want to try woodwork, but they get intimidated by dangerous power tools and difficult techniques. Good news: there are lots of ways to work with wood and anyone can get a few tools and start making projects. Everyday Woodworking starts at the very beginning—with wood. How can this common material make everything from furniture to houses? What makes it so strong? Why does it break? More importantly, what can you do to a piece of wood? Sometimes we cut it with a saw. Other times, we split it with an ax or shave it with a knife. This book explains why we choose each tool and how to pick the right cut for any project. As Rex likes to say: "Trust me, it’s not hard." Once you get a few tools and learn some simple techniques, you’ll start making things right away. You’ll begin with a simple mallet and some wooden wedges and then advance to splitting green logs into usable lumber. Next you’ll pick up a knife and a drill and after just a little practice, you’ll be making things you can give to your friends; things they’ll actually use: A wooden butter knife A desk organizer A few pieces of sturdy furniture Sawhorses A small workbench Each project is shown step-by-step with the beginner in mind. The projects are simple but not primitive. Everyday Woodworking will give you skills that you can build on as you grow as a craftsperson.

Learning to use hand tools is the foundation to understanding the craft of woodworking The third volume in Graham Blackburn's Illustrated Workshop series, Traditional Woodworking Techniques is a clear and practical introduction into the art of hand tool woodworking and furnituremaking, as well as an invaluable reference to the fundamental aspects of the craft. Even if you have never made a single piece of furniture before, Traditional Woodworking Techniques will guide you through the selection of materials, the complexities of dimensions and wood movement, the choice of joinery, and the mysteries of pleasing design. Starting with just a few basic handtools, a beginner will progress from simple but useful projects, such as a bookcase, box, and chest, to more advanced items like tables and chairs--furniture to be rightly proud of. Whether you work your way through every project, or simply dip into a particular area, such as the detailed chapters on miters, dovetails, mortise-and-tenons, splayed joinery, or drawermaking, Traditional Woodworking Techniques will lay the foundation for a thorough understanding of the woodworking craft. Illustrated with over 400 of the author's iconic detailed line drawings, and complete with an annotated select bibliography, this fully indexed book is an essential part of any woodworker's toolkit.

The Genius of Japanese Carpentry tells the story of the 1200-year-old Yakushiji monastery in Nara and the dedicated modern-day craftsmen who are working to restore what has been lost to the depredations of time, fire and warfare. Although the full monastery reconstruction will not be completed until 2030, one of the main temples, the Picture Hall, has been completely restored employing the same woodworking technology used to create the original building. This new edition of an architectural classic is by Azby Brown—one of the world's leading experts on Japanese architecture. It contains a new preface and many new text materials and photographs—most of them now available in color for the first time. Azby Brown chronicles the painstaking restoration of the temple through extensive interviews with the carpenters and woodworkers along with original drawings based on the plans of master carpenter Tsunekazu Nishioka. An inspiring testament to the dedication of these craftsmen and their philosophy of carpentry work as a form of personal fulfillment, The Genius of Japanese Carpentry offers detailed documentation of this singular project and a moving reminder of the unique cultural continuity found in Japan.