Dear all,
I am a brand new subscriber to FineWoodworking and aspiring hobbyist woodworker.
What book would you recommand for a good start with hand tools?
Thanks!! 🙏
Dear all,
I am a brand new subscriber to FineWoodworking and aspiring hobbyist woodworker.
What book would you recommand for a good start with hand tools?
Thanks!! 🙏
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Replies
Vintage 2001, this is a good affordable starting point..
The Seven Essentials of Woodworking
Anthony Guidice
Thank you very much elmaduro ! I will definitely check that up.
I bought "The Why and How of Woodworking" but hasn't received it yet. So I don't know if it's a good for hand tools.
Do you have other suggestions?
Thanks again!
I have the book. It is good but not strictly a hand tool book. Mike P uses a combination of power tools and some hand tools. There are several books about the set up and use of hand planes. I would suggest getting a good book on sharpening your tools. For me a turning point to better results was learning what sharp is and how to achieve it. There are lots of books on sharpening and many articles here on Fine Woodworking.
Thank you ! Yes I took some advice from an experience woodworker in a community woodshop (where I go to learn and use the many tools I don't own myself) and he also said that sharpening tools correctly is an essential point.
I've seen this book at Taunton press : WOODWORKING WITH HAND TOOLS by Editors of Fine Woodworking.
What do you think of it?
I don't have that particular book. Taunton Press publishes good material but some times it is a collection of articles from Fine Woodworking. If you are interested in the book I would purchase it from a place like Amazon where you can return it if it is not what you expected.
agreeing that those books that are a compilation of previously published magazine articles, are too repetitive and not comprehensive enough to be a good reference.
Leonard Lee, Lee Valley founder, wrote the definitive book on sharpening. Much more information than you need and a Masters degree course on metallurgy but a good book to pick up and browse a few times a year.
Oh that's interesting! Do you have the references please?
Thank you!
And Merry Christmas...
The Complete Guide to Sharpening
Leonard Lee
ISBN 1-56158-067-8 hardcover
ISBN 1-56158-125-9 softcover
The book is printed by The Taunton Press
cheers
What I did 46 years ago, when FWW hadn't yet started, and woodworking was at a real low point, was to go to the three libraries in Champaign-Urbana Illinois and check out all the books on woodworking written before 1940. They were pretty basic, but generally good. They were a bit weak on the refined sharpening methods available now.
A note of caution: I've watched a few hand tool woodworking videos on youtube; they make it look easy when it isn't for a starting woodworker. Besides knowing how to have their tools in excellent condition, they have the manual skills developed by lots of practice that are necessary. When I started woodworking, even simple things I did I treated as an opportunity to practice for when accuracy would be important. Don't be discouraged if things don't go that well at first. However, don't be satisfied with the quality of your first attempts either. Aiming high (in the long run) and continuing to work to get better are keys to success. After all these years I still sometimes practice on a piece of scrap before I work on the real piece, just to make sure things will go all right. Enjoy the journey!
Thank you ! I do already enjoy the journey. It's a slow pace because of my busy work schedule, but I am definitely aiming for a long run. I have so many projects in mind ! Just need to decide which ones I will screw up first !
You are so right about YouTube videos... I was cutting my first dovetails this past weekend and it's much harder than it looks :-D
Cheers
The complete illustrated guide to joinery by Gary Rogowski is my go-to-book.
Thank you very much ! I will have a look at that one :-)
Yes he is very good and a fine designer too.
Essential Woodworking Hand Tools by Paul Sellers
"It is a manual for selecting, sharpening and using a selection of hand tools that are vitally important to hand tool woodworking." I haven't read it, but you can get an idea of what he has on YouTube. He aims at the beginner.
I've got quite a few at this point and if I had to pick one, it would be the Paul Sellers book. I've read it twice. My dad, who has been woodworking since he was a lad in the 1940s felt it had info he hadn't seen anywhere else.
The Guidice book is very good.
I found Paul Sellers’ Working Wood 1 &2 even more useful, even though I am not a fan of the book’s style and it seems to be silly expensive on the used book market. His Common Woodworking site replicates many of the projects and exercises from the book. I found that his approach really helped me get a better, progressive feel for the tools and understand what I was trying are trying to accomplish even though I have been playing with tools and wood for many years.
Sharpening is key, and Chris Schwarz’s Sharpen This is a very good, no non-sense guide.
Thank you! I will check Chris Schwarz's book. Paul Sellers is also on my list and I watched a few a his videos to start planning my projects.
Thanks!
Another thing you could consider is taking a class at a professionally run school. There are several that often have hand tool classes.
Ho yeah, I would love to find a good place for classes.
I am in Canada ... Do you know any good place?
I found a good community woodshop where the president of the non-profit is a former teacher... I am trying to get the most out of him ! :-D
If you are in Eastern Canada there is a place in Maine called "The Center for Furniture Craftsmanship". They have several levels of classes and often have classes committed to hand tool use. You can look them up on the internet. Google woodworking schools and see what comes up.
You might want to check out Rosewood Studio near Ottawa. I took several classes there years ago. https://www.rosewoodstudio.com/
Oh I didn't know this place! It would have been on my Christmas list... 😅
Yeah my wife gave me a class as a birthday gift many years ago. I went back for several more. Outstanding school rooted in a Krenov influence. Taking those classes absolutely changed my work and greatly strengthened a passion for building.
A plug here for Vic Tesolin's The Minimalist Woodworker. Emphasizes what one needs to get going with working wood, mostly from a hand tool approach. A friend received it for his birthday, and raves about it.
Oh yes! I have seen this book on some websites... But some comments say it's more of an essay on the importance of woodworking with hand tools than a book with guidance and good practice!
Did you have a look at it?
I did, but only very briefly. My impression was that it emphasized the means of beginning woodworking using only the essential tools—all or almost all hand tools, as far as I noticed—and some simple projects, all for use in a small “minimalist” shop. Looked to me as if he covered used of the tools, as well as sharpening, and even a little on maintenance. Though I don’t think it would suit my needs at this time, if I were just starting out, I’d almost certainly have this near to hand, I think.
By the way, a word from my own experience. When I began working wood, I wanted to know everything about whatever tool, technique, machine, etc., and I wanted to know it now, or at least before I mucked up a project. That was…unrealistic.
What I discovered was that one starts with learning/acquiring a firm grip of basic tool use; simple, reliable techniques; and basic functions of machinery, with first and foremost an emphasis on safety. And one will discover that mistakes will occur, and should generally be spelled “learning opportunities”. Experience, always accompanied by safe practice, can teach an open mind quite a lot.
The first saw bench I made was ugly as sin, rocked back and forth a bit ‘cuz the feet weren’t level, and…is still in my shop. I learned how to scribe the legs so as to level the feet, and lived with the unsightly joints. It’s useful, not pretty. And it’s nice to compare that with what I’m now capable of; I’ve got a lot yet to learn, and to become good at, but I’m much more capable than “back then”. Took a lot of practice, made a lot of sawdust and chips, a fair bit of enthusiastic and creative cussing, and more, but the journey is a fun one.
I feel exactly the same! I want to know every tool and every technique... But I've got small projects on mind that should help me focus. I want to make a ring box and a simple 4-legs desk.
But right know I am making a grained salt box just to practice joinery.
I will toss out an idea that folks may or may not agree with. There are a lot of ways to woodwork and do things even if you want to just use hand tools. The most important thing is to read some BUT to get out in the workshop and do the work. To that end, I would suggest picking one initial woodworker who you like and focusing on their way of teaching. I think for the first year or two, you might benefit from less options of how to do things rather than more. Then, after a year or two of hands on from this one individual, explore what others have to say. For something new, it is really easy to get analysis paralysis. Too many options. Many ways are good. As you progress and see other ways to do things, you will self discover when one way is more suitable to the specific project. Other times, you will do something a certain way, just becuase you want to do it that way, etc. All my two cents but I am just a hobby woodworker.
X2
Oh that's a good point! I definitely suffer from analysis paralysis ! 😅 I make some small projects but postpone the ones that are most important to me.
I find the few woodworking I do very relaxing and satisfying (even if it's bad). But it can be very scary and intimidating too. Watching too much YouTube or reading too many papers only make some projects even more scary...
I think if I had to pick one, that would be Paul Sellers...
Joe,
You opine (rightly, I think):
"I will toss out an idea that folks may or may not agree with. There are a lot of ways to woodwork and do things even if you want to just use hand tools".
Just so. And for this reason, I'd recommend avoiding the notion that there can be "a woodworking bible" or any particular priest, guru or other woodworking dogma-provider that can provide woodworking Truths and absolute certainties.
Some of the woodworking personalities mentioned in this thread are rather too dogmatic in their "advice". One is of the "my way or the highway" type whilst another imbues his every utterance with various sneers at techniques and tools not his own choices.
There are a number of very good books and videos about hand tools and their use in woodworking of various kinds. The best way to discover these is to use a Fine Woodworking on-line subscription, which not only references many of these sources but actually provides many of them. In addition, many of the techniques (including alternatives) are well-presented as exemplars in the various 4 - 8 page articles about how to make a ......
In all events, avoiding the joining of a woodworking "religion", in which The Leader insists on various ways that MUST be followed, is essential if the intended hobby is woodworking rather than belonging-to-a-cult. :-)
Lataxe
Hello DamG, I started woodworking after seeing a small cabinet by James Krenov in a museum in Stockholm. He wrote several books on woodworking. Do yourself a favour and buy them all! Very inspiring!
“[Deleted]”
The Essential Woodworker by Robert Wearing is the book I've found myself referring to more than any other. It goes through tool basics and then step-by-step of a table construction, a chest, drawer, lidded box, etc. It becomes clear that all the classic construction/joinery choices are rooted in hand tool use.
Than you! I will definitely check that one too!
Vic Tesolin's two books are excellent as are Mike Pekovich's books. I took online classes with Vic to learn how to sharpen properly. He is awesome. He tailors the instruction based on your skill level and what you want to achieve.
I also like Mike's advice similar to the comment above on trying to tearn everything at once. He says learn one new tool or one new skill per project. After a few projects, you'll be on your way!
For strictly tool related discussions on hand tools. What , why and how pick up Paul Sellers’ book “Essential Hand Tools for Woodworking”. An excellent book with a level of detail you really aren’t going to find anywhere else.
https://paulsellers.com/paul-sellers-books/
I've noticed I've responded twice to this thread over the past 6 months. Another good set of books on how to is the Lost Art Press books (5 volume set) from Charles Hayward. It contains articles written by woodworkers in an era where lots of hand tool use was still common as the machines were just starting to become more common. By being written by people who did the work, the articles are no nonsense.
I'd suggest the "Workbenches" book by Chris Schwarz. The bench is literally the foundation of woodworking. All the shiny tools in the world are no good without a flat reference surface and the ability to hold workpieces. I wish I'd purchased my copy before building my bench. I got it mostly right but made a few noob mistakes that are not easily undone.
You may want to consider Tom Fidgen. His school is in Toronto. Haven't been there, but I've enjoyed his books.
https://www.theunpluggedwoodshop.com/