Who here has the "Woodworking Bible"?

[Joe Jensen]

I was very blessed to grow up with a father who believed one could do anything you wanted if you put your mind to it. When I was 8 years old, my dad decided to build an addition on the house, a new expanded kitchen. He'd never done anything like that before so he went to the library and checked out some books on how to build houses. Over the next year we built the addition. Once it was finished we needed kitchen cabinets so he bought a book on cabinet making. This one came from the Reader's Digest Book club, I think it cost one dollar. The book, Cabinetmaking and Millwork by John L Feirer, is amazing. It looks like a college text book on cabinetmaking. It contains most of what you have read in any other book on buidling furniture and it covers every aspect.

Who here has this "Bible"?

[michael merlo]

hey joe (where ya goin' with that gun in your hand?)

had never heard of it til now. so...... on your recommendation, i ordered one from a students online used book sale ....... paid 80 cents for it. sounds like a worthwhile addition. my father had many old books that are gems .... doubt that i could find this one there. thanks

[Neil Lamens]

Hey Joe..........or to follow-up with Mr Merlo above aka: Jimi H:

Put my hand right on it. Made a paper bag book cover for it many, many many, years ago.

He also has a book done with Hutching called "Carpentry and Building Construction"

Good book to have in the library, pretty much hits all processes and materials..........Neil

[Rick Lizek]

I bought mine 30 years ago. It's not bad but I would recommend other books for rookies. It's quite a bit outdated as far as the tools and technologies available today. It was more a text book for vocational students in it's day. For a buck it's well worth it though. It's handy to see soem of the older machines from the factories such as stroke sanders etc. Doesn't tell much on the finer points of using such machines is my only complaint.

[Joe Jensen]

Hey Joe..........or to follow-up with Mr Merlo above aka: Jimi H:

Put my hand right on it. Made a paper bag book cover for it many, many many, years ago.

He also has a book done with Hutching called "Carpentry and Building Construction"

Good book to have in the library, pretty much hits all processes and materials..........Neil

I agree it's outdated with respect to current tools. I think it was originally published in 1950 or so. But, it has great detail on things like how to align bandsaws, how to set everything with a planer. How wood moves, etc. It's like 600 pages.

[Michael Fross]

It's worth buying just for the dated photographs! They are amazing!

I have it and really like it as a reference. When I first got it, I thought I would just read it cover to cover like so many of my other books, but I couldn't do it. It's very dry reading.

However, it's packed with info, so if you don't mind reading it small piece by small piece and use it as a reference, it's amazing.

Michael

[Joe Jensen]

hey joe (where ya goin' with that gun in your hand?)


Hmm, not sure what that's about :eek:

[John Hoelmer]

I bought that book 30 years ago when I was in high school and as I recall at the time it was one of THE books on cabinetmaking to get. It was written as a text book for high school shop and vocational courses.

[J.R. Rutter]

I've gotten it from the library, and almost bought used copies. It is a good overview of the state of the art circa 1960 (or whenever it was published). More interesting than useful for me. I agree with Rick that it would have been nice to get more detailed information on the big industrial machines.