Which woodworking books are must own? [Archive] - Sawmill Creek Woodworking Community

View Full Version : Which woodworking books are must own?

Mark Blatter

02-11-2011, 11:50 PM

Just read the thread on where to keep woodworking books, manuals and magazines, which got me thinking, which books are really must own?

I have a $25 gift card for Borders Books that has been sitting quietly in my wallet for nine months. I dislike buying most books that I read as I have found only a few worth owning long term (too many moves over the years have kept me weeding out the books that don't matter so much). I use the library a great deal and find most of my reading material there.

I need to spend this gift card and am trying to decide what to buy. A good reference guide perhaps, or maybe a design book, but then I think there may be something I haven't even considered. I own the Taunton Press three book series, Furniture, Shaping & Joinery. (Some how I actually asked for and received the Furniture and Cabinetry book twice....go figure)

So boil it all down and if you could only have three books, what would they be?

Jamie Buxton

02-12-2011, 12:22 AM

Bruce Hoadley Understanding Wood. Understanding the physics of wood is essential to woodworking.

Bill Davis

02-12-2011, 4:24 AM

+1 to Understanding Wood. It's not only good but most dog eared of any book I have - not just woodworking.

Russell Sansom

02-12-2011, 4:36 AM

For me,
#1, Ernest Joyce's "Encyclopedia of Furniture Making." Hands down as a reference for almost all woodworking.
#2 All three of the Krenov notebooks.

ian maybury

02-12-2011, 5:14 AM

+1 on Bruce Hoadley, although I guess in the end the best book in the world is the one containing the information you need at a given moment. :)

Some books that deliver a reasonably comprehensive overview of techniques at a sufficient level of detail to be useful:

1. Tage Frid Teaches Woodworking, books 1,2, and 3 - written as a course in basic woodworking. (a little 80s feeling, but very to the point and none the worse for it)

2. Classic Joints with Power Tools, by Yeung Chan - beautifully clear and concise.

3. Taunton's Complete Illustrated Guide to '________' series - three books covering 'Using Woodworking Tools', 'Furniture and Cabinet Construction' and 'Finishing'. (insert the topic where the hyphen is for individual book titles)

Design is possibly the other major area that comes to mind, but I don't know if there is a single overview book that's at the same time at a professional (as opposed to coffee table) level.

There's lots of other great books (some of which are hugely inspirational), but they tend to deal with more focused topics...

ian

Brian W Evans

02-12-2011, 9:04 AM

Ron Kellison

02-12-2011, 9:41 AM

"The Fine Art of Cabinetmaking" by Krenov

Mike Barney Sr

02-12-2011, 10:29 AM

For the practical and scientific side of woodworking, Bruce Hoadley's "Understanding Wood", and for the other side, George Nakashima's "The Soul of a Tree".

Frank Drew

02-12-2011, 10:36 AM

For me,
#1, Ernest Joyce's "Encyclopedia of Furniture Making." Excellent reference book, updated a while ago by Alan Peters, whose own book "Cabinetmaking, The Professional Approach" is also well worth reading.

I'd also highly recommend George Ellis' "Modern Practical Joinery"; the "modern" in the title is a bit misleading, since this book was written in 1902, but remember, that was at one of the highpoints of British woodworking, when traditional methods were still the norm and hand skills were still very high, but machinery was beginning to take some of the drudgery out of the work. With many excellent illustrations, this is really a "bible" of the trade, as it used to be practiced.

Peter Quinn

02-12-2011, 10:39 AM

Tage Frid Teaches woodworking has almost everything you need to know about the hows of wood working. Nobody has done it better since IMHO. The cabinet makers apprentice by Krenov is inspirational if not instructional. Illustrated cabinet making by Bill Hylton shows you how to read drawings and what to build from a basic classic repetoir. Those three are a good primer on How, what and why.

Rick Moyer

02-12-2011, 10:39 AM

James White

02-12-2011, 11:20 AM

This may come in handy. Expires 2/14/11. You must be a Borders Rewards member but it is free.

http://www.bordersmedia.com/coup/20110211sa40.html?cmpid=SA_20110211

Kent A Bathurst

02-12-2011, 12:57 PM

Hoadley, as mentioned already. For sure.

I really like Jewitt's Finishing [Taunton]

On power tools - Duginske's Band Saw. They ain't all that complicated, once a bright guy 'splains 'em.

Hand tools - I've got Hack's Handplane Book, and Ron Hock's The Perfect Edge.

On Design - I've got all of Robert Lang's Craftsmen Furniture set [plus, Bob hangs out here on the Creek from time-to-time]. 'Course, I do a lot of A+C stuff - if that's your thing, these MUST be on the shelf, IMO. YMMV.

For general drooling - recently released new edition [after 25 yrs or so] of Roger Billcliffe's Charles Rennie Mackintosh Complete Furniture etc, etc. However, a $25 gift certificate isn't even a reasonable down-payment on this book, but it is the only one like it. Anywhere. Ever. Oughta be on a coffee table upstairs, but it ain't gonna leave my shop.

Hmmmm.........guess you need to add one zero to your budget..... maybe increase the first digit also........:D

Took many years for all these to make it to the shelf, of course. And, there are certainly others on that same shelf.

Jim Rimmer

02-12-2011, 10:27 PM

I also like the Taunton series, but since they've already been mentioned...

Understanding Wood Finishing by Bob Flexner (http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Wood-Finishing-American-Woodworker/dp/1565235487)

It's a nice mix of theory and practical advice. Definitely my go-to book for finishing questions.
+1 - great book. i refer to it a lot.

Also, if you have a bandsaw, Duginski's book. If you don't have a BS but are thinking about getting one, get Duginski's book and read it first.