Woodwork Books

turnertina

In reply to a post from Carpainter I have started a new thread on books relating to woodwork.

Maybe people can tell us about their favourite books and what they get from them.

At the moment I am going through some great woodturning ones. I also have some very interesting carving books. One of my favourites at the moment is Donna La Chance Menke entitled "The Ultimate Bandsaw Box Book".
I had never seen anything like the boxes that she has made. They are made from a solid piece of wood which is cut apart and the centre removed. Then it is reassembled and carved into anything your imagination allows!
I also have a lot of woodwork project books and D.I.Y. ones, which allow me to pick up ideas and use them my own way.
So, tell us about the books that grace your shelves or are stored under your workbench!
Jac

carpainter

Great idea for a new thread turnertina, thanks. During the week I got my latest delivery: "The Handplane Book" by Garrett Hack. This book explores the origins of the woodworking plane and documents pretty much every type of plane that was ever made or in use at some stage, right up to the present day. Great book and something of a modern classic in this subject I believe. A great favourite of mine is a very old RAF carpentry textbook (by Evans if I recall correctly) which was a study text for apprentices; full of beautiful line drawings and details of long forgotten techniques and designs; it is a book I often refer to in my work. I've a lot of titles from the Taunton stable, including various guides on other trades like "drywalling", "tile setting" etc which I've found very informative. David Charlesworth's 3 books on furniture making are a revelation. Unfortunately it seems impossible to get a new copy of Ernest Joyce's "bible" on the subject of cabinet making, but I live in hope. The first woodwork book I ever bought was the "Collins Complete Guide" bought in The Building Centre Bookshop, London, in 1997, the year I met my wife, great book and we're still happily married!

Alun

This week, I have mostly been reading ...

"Turned Boxes, 50 designs" by Chris Stott

Lots of tiny, intricate, fiddly stuff .. a contrast to big bowls, plus it's a puzzle remembering what order to do everything in, especially when making boxes with hollowed lids. I have to run over everything a dozen times in my head before I even start turning!

Fingalian

Good idea turnertina.

Have a well thumbed copy of Joyce( 4th edition revised by Alan Peters). Very handy book. Like carpainter I'm a big fan of Tauntons, so I have a lot of their books from finewoodworking/finehomebuilding,folks their instructional dvds are the DB.Couple of books by James Krenov, The Fine Art of Cabinetmaking and With Wakened Hands. Must get my hands on A Cabinetmakers Notebook.
Currently reading (always reading!) Irish Country Furniture 1700-1950 by Claudia Kinmonth, Yale University Press. Sublime. If you are live in Ireland and like woodwork, you have got to read this book.
Currently trying to get my hands on Workbenches: From Design and Theory to Construction and Use :Christopher Schwarz.

Got a lathe for Christmas , very addictive, any pointers on books I should be reading?


Saw one of those boxes( in a magazine) you were talking about,have you tried it yourself?

Anyone interested in starting a lending library?

carpainter

Fingalian wrote: »

Currently reading (always reading!) Irish Country Furniture 1700-1950 by Claudia Kinmonth, Yale University Press. Sublime. If you are live in Ireland and like woodwork, you have got to read this book.

Fingalian, I couldn't agree more; I was given a copy of this book ten years as a gift when I left an old employment; lovely book. I've never bought an instructional woodwork DVD, is there any particular one that you would recommend?

Carpainter

Fingalian

Hi Guys,
Yep lovely book, fascinating read. You know they have some nice old Irish furniture in Collins Barracks?
Have a good few Tauntons Dvds. Mark Duginske 'Mastering your Bandsaw' very good. ditto for Kelly Mehler 'Mastering your Tablesaw'. One from FineHomebuilding 'Installing Trim' (Craig Savage) good info on setting up and use of SCMS,how to cope corners, scribing skirtingboard , clever use of rebate plane etc.

http://store.taunton.com/onlinestore/catalog/woodworking/DVDs

Keep meaning to get one from that Canadian dovetail wizard Rob Cosman, but have yet to get around to it.........

I see Garret Hack a lot in FineWoodworking, nice shop that fella has!! How are your Lie Nielsens working out?

Cheers.

JoeB-

That 'Irish Country Furniture' has been on my shopping list for a while... (£16.67 from Book Depository)

Some books I like are Jim Toplins 'Building traditional kitchen cabinets'.. some great info and advice in it.

Also I have a great book on Shaker furniture (some Shaker history too)...
The Shaker Legacy: Perspectives on an Enduring Furniture Style
Author(s): Christian Becksvoort
Some great photos in it, general all around interest for any furniture makers.

If you need books to show clients examples of styles you can do and you like traditional painted kitchens then
Country Living The Perfect Kitchen (country Living)
Alexandra Parsons

also

101 Kitchens
from the BBC, very cheap at 5 Euro or so, free delivery from Book Depository....

And Joyce's 'Techniques... ' is brilliant... (exact same as 'Enclyclopaedia...' so don't buy both!) mine is 4th edition and was bought recently enough (few years) so should still be available...

Finally 'World Woods in Colour' by Lincoln is pretty good, has a photo of the timber at top of the page and info below, general info and technical info... one timber per page.. maybe 200 or 250 pages in all... some other info too but not a huge amount... quite expensive at about £22 but still good if your clients need to choose a timber, easier than 200 offcuts. One photo isn't really enough however, there can be variation and different cuts so that's a bit of a disadvantage...

Cheers
Joe

carpainter

Fingalian,
To be honest I haven't really put the LNs through their paces yet, I'm very strapped for time with the full time job and young kids etc. However I keep reassuring myself (and my good lady wife) that I'm building up the toolkit now for the future when I do have the time!

Carpainter

turnertina

Hi Fingalian,
I have two favourite woodturning books with great step by step instructions: "Woodturning Tips and Techniques" by Carol Rix, and "Turning Green Wood" by Michael O'Donnell.

I have a book on workshop ideas called "Smart Workshop Solutions" by Paul Anthony, also a website where you can download a plan for as little as €4 is www.plansNOW.com
I have ordered one for my lathe and intend to build it very soon.
Havent got around to making a bandsaw box, but it's on my to-do list.

Carpainter,
I have DVD boxset by Jimmy Clewes called "Turn it On" - fantastic! (though the title sounds a bit dubious, you should have seen the shop assistant's reaction in my local music store when I asked her if she could order it for me!!) I could only manage to get it online at Jimmy's website.

Must get my hands on the Irish Country Furniture, sounds interesting,

Jac

Fingalian

Hi Gang,
Some great reads there, that's the rest of the year sorted for reading material. Joe, that Book Depository site is great and free shipping! never would have stumbled across them, thanks. I have that Jim Tolpin book and very good it is too. Carpainter, I hear you man, same deal here, maybe we should get tee shirts that say 'So much wood ,so little time'. Jac, both of those look good ,must get them. I'm only turning handles for tools at the mo but it is very enjoyable.Alun, I think that is part of the attraction of working wood, working out the creative process in your head before you tackle it.

Cheers
Simon

Fingalian

http://www.woodworking-magazine.com/images/SEPT2004_WM.pdf

dubtom

I used to be in a book club and have a good selection of anual type books from woodsmith. At the moment I'm retuning my shed,in other words getting rid of the crap,when I've finished I intend to do some of the projects I've been reading up on lately,like scraper holders and funnily enough you should mention them Fingalian,tool handles. BTW, do you have a source for brass piping and sheets in Dublin, I know copper is easier to get but brass looks classy.

Fingalian

Mornin dubtom,
Nope don't know anybody that sells brass pipe in the size you need ( I presume you want it for ferrules?). I was making handles for some socket chisels so have not needed it yet.

These ones look a bit flimsy:-

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=30021&cat=1,41504

I'll ask one of the fitters in work on Monday, I'm sure I saw them using brass pipe recently.


F.

irishthump

Two books I have to recommend are:

The Workshop Book
The Workbench Book

Both written by Scott Landis.

Dubtom, I suggest you have a look at the Workbench Book since you're thinking of a new bench.

boysie39

Dubtom, I believe that you can get pieces of copper and brass fittings in most Plumbers /Hardware shops that will make great ferrulls for tool handles. Regards Boysie.