5 comments about The Toolbox Book: A Craftsman's Guide to Tool Chests, Cabinets, and Storage Systems (Craftsman's Guide to).

1. Tolpin is a refreshing change from the old bland how-to's that have been republished with outdated material year after year. This book is no exception. I love how the author takes you through the history and evolution of the toolbox. The color pictures are gorgeous.(Or maybe it's the toolboxes?) This is a must own for any tool lover. A great gift idea for that person you know with the messy shop!



2. I just received this book. Wow! Because of all the good reviews, I expected a good book. This is one beautiful book and is way above my expectations. I would have been satisfied if it only contained photographs and illustrations without the text, they are very clear. I have not purchased a book that has impressed me as much as this one, ever. I can only add my positive comments to the many reviewers before me. It is well worth your investment whether you just want to scan through a beautiful book or are a serious craftsman wanting to build fine furniture for your tools.



3. Lots of pictures, ideas, descriptions and this book serves its purpose of giving me ideas on current and future projects.
   
   Recommended



4. I'm setting up my first workshop. I bought Scott Landis' Workbench Book for guidance on building my workbench and this book for guidance on workshop tool storage. I found Landis' book extremely useful, but this one did not really have what I was looking for.
   
   This book is called the Toolbox Book for a reason. While the subheading is "A Craftsman's Guide to Tool Chests, Cabinets, and Storage Systems," the focus of the book really is (often spectacular) handcrafted toolboxes. Only one chapter -- 14 pages -- is devoted to "Designing In-Shop Tool Storage," and much of that is about the generic design process (how to make a story stick, how to draw your design first, etc).
   
   So if you're a novice like me looking for practical workshop tool storage ideas, I don't think this book is worth the money. I definitely didn't learn any more here than I have just browsing woodworking sites on the internet.
   
   None of this is a knock on the book, really. It's a beautiful, well-written book that's gotten glowing reviews from other readers for a reason. But I think its audience may be more limited than the subheading, and some of the other reviews, might lead you to think.



5. Mr. Tolpin combines his journalistic background with imagery and thoughts of both the useage and construction of the Toolbox. Everything from Masterfull pieces in the Smithsonian Institute to Ancient functional pieces are discussed and illustrated. Due to this book, I have decided to build a pair of wall mounted boxes to display old tools and bring comonly used tools to a better location when I'm working.

5 comments about The Workbench Book: A Craftsman's Guide to Workbenches for Every Type of Woodworking.

1. Seeing various ways to lay out workbenches is nice and this book fulfills that mission.



2. For me this is a coffee table book. Alot of history and research about workbenches from the middle ages on up till now. Not much information or diagrams on building benches.



3. Very fine expository writing for those interested in the history of and current state-of-the-art woodworking benches and accessories. Enclosed plans are a nice plus. The resource section is excellent. Well researched, well written, photography is exceptional.
   
   EIM



4. A very complete workbench guide with just enough history, lots of technical info, and with high quality pictures and drawings.



5. Informative and readable. Obviously a labor of love. I give it 5 stars even though the Tom Caspar-inspired design I've settled on didn't come from this book.

1 comments about Sloop: Restoring My Family's Wooden Sailboat--An Adventure in Old-Fashioned Values.

1. This book was a gift and I could not put it down. Through a narrative the author draws into question our modern frentic lifestyle and finds folks who are able to find fulfillment doing what they love. The boat would seem to be the focus of the book, but the value is in the relationships with the other characters. I loved the soul searching when faced with the decision to restore the boat to museum quality versus making it functional again. An easy read, this is the first book I've read to completion in a long time.

5 comments about Art Of Japanese Joinery.

1. I found this book to be very thoughtfully arranged a bit of experience mixed with the heart concerning how joints are made and for what reason.



2. The photographs and many diagrams in this book (most of the book in fact is gorgeous glossy photos of the different joints described) expose and beautifully illustrate the Japanese people's many intricate forms of joinery. The author explains the basic concept behind each joint but does not provide details on how to make the cuts that form it. The joints illustrated here are those most commonly used by Japanese "carpenters" and provide an excellent basic overview of what the joints look like and how they fit together. Readers looking for a how-to book will prefer "The Complete Japanese Joinery" by Hideo Sato and Yasua Nakahara.



3. An excellent insight to Japanese Joinery containing inspiring photographs of brilliantly crafted examples



4. Dear Sirs,
   
   The books arrived in a good condition and are more interesting than I thought.
   
   Thank you.
   
   I.Henriette



5. Excellent historical and technical information.
   Very well illustrated with photographs and drawings (orthographic projections).
   Table of contents, no index.
   
   This book should appeal to many individuals with a very wide range of construction interests, including architect, designer, carpenter, cabinet maker and artist. In fact Japanese woodworkers guilds, again refining ancient Chinese practices, have created a practice that is as much art as technology in designing and making both joints and the tools to create them. Information on the tools is brief but the variety alone would necessitate another complete book.
   
   This presentation of Japanese joinery represents fully only a few (48) of the many joints created by Japanese woodworkers since 200 BC (perhaps 400 remain "common"), however each presentation includes sufficient pictorial, historical and descriptive detail to understand the incredible skills that were necessary for this evolution of useful joinery.
   
   How serious you feel about architecture, design or cabinetry is not genuinely important to the reader of this book. All readers will acquire some new appreciation for incredible craftsmanship and a stimulated interest in the Japanese technology that remains alive in the oldest wooden structures remaining on Earth.

5 comments about Hand Tool Essentials: Refine Your Power Tool Projects with Hand Tool Techniques (Popular Woodworking).

1. If you love hand planes this Book is for you.If you love or even like hand tools you will love this book.New or old tools this volume will let you know how to use ,care for them or rebuild them.Very good pictures and clear text as well as a little bit of tool lover in the authors.Any wood worker will like this book as I did and read it cover to cover.Good work people MM



2. As a neanderthal, non-electric woodworker, I found this book to be a boon of relavent information (not that there is anything 'wrong' with power woodworking). Lot's of books I've seen are geared to collectors of hand tools, but this one is about using hand tools. It's practical, accessible information for doing real work. Anyone wishing to get their arms around hand tools (sorry, bad metaphor) should own this work.



3. Knowing that this was basically just a collection of Popular Woodworking articles, I was prepared to be underwelmed. Talk about disappointment! I HATE being wrong like this! In short, this is a truly impressive collection of information that looks more like a group of knowledgable hand tool experts put together, rather than just articles grabbed and put together in a book form.
   
   The book is laid out in a logical way, starting with a "Why Handtools" section, going into sharpening (a must for any hand tool user), then saws, chisels, and the like. The last section are a couple of projects that blend hand tools and power tools well, and that will serve any workshop well for years to come. Honestly, the beautiful tool cabinet of Christopher Schwarz's is worth the cost of the book by itself!
   
   This is a must have for, I believe, any woodworker. There's no preaching about hand tool supremacy, nor any reference to "quaint" ideas of woodworking. Instead, this book offers the modern woodwork a glimpse of the realms where hand tools still excel, and how they can be incorporated into the modern workshop. At the same time, it shows how a hand tool only shop can still produce quality work equal to that of the powered shop.



4. This is a great reference book. While I learned allot just browsing, it was most valuable when I wanted to reference a couple things and found that they were there and in sufficient detail to answer my questions. For me, there is possibly a little much on various forms of sharpening, but then that is s topic that seems to have as many ways as there are people to talk about it.
   
   I have a Stanley cabinet scraper and I became convinced that they didn't work worth a hoot. Then, reading that section, I learned I had prepared the blade wrong, changed it, and feel like I got a new tool out of the deal. Great value



5. This book is awesome. If you only get one book on using hand tools, get this one.

5 comments about Black & Decker Easy Wood Furniture Projects: 32 Step-by-Step Projects for the Home (Black & Decker).

1. I bought this book for my boyfriend and it is well worth the money. There are many many projects - very practical ones like a night stand, table, bench, etc. But there are also projects like a wine cart and an island. ...



2. It is a well written book with good instructions but I really did not see any of the project that I would want to build. I think a bit more imagination as well as some ways to dress up the projects would have made the book a bit more useful.



3. I bought this book as a gift for my father and was very impressed by the patterns it had. There was a lot of practical things and that is what I had wanted. The price was great too!



4. That was the main allure for me. I went shopping and bought some nice hand tools to get started in woodworking. I figured that if I wound up not liking it, I would still have useful hand (power) tools for around-the-house type stuff. Well, I got hooked. You'll make some mistakes, and quickly see the value of a table saw, but you will see what you're capable of and hunger for more. Most of the projects are glued and screwed together, with plugs to conceal the screw holes, so "serious" woodworkers don't consider this a serious book. But it is nice because you get gratification fairly quickly. Even though these projects are built of high grade plywood and S4S lumber, they're still sturdier and higher quality than the cheap particle board crap that is sold at Wal*Mart. Give it a try. You'll like it. It will reel you into our world. ;)



5. I bought this book a while ago and have made several of the items in it including a couple of the cedar chests and the table. Overall this is a great book for beginners. The projects only require a circular saw a sander a jig saw and basic tools. This is a good introduction into woodworking. The stuff isn't fancy but it is homemade and that is a satisfying feeling to know that you made your own furniture.

2 comments about Mastering Woodworking Machines (Fine Woodworking Book).

1. This is a great book, that will help you learn how to tune up your woodworking machines. It is written with wit and some very dry (Wisconsin) humor. The entire book is very readable and informative on woodworking in general, and on tuning woodworking machines in particular.

   I read the whole book, and used the information on tuning the table saw in great depth. I was able to take an old Taiwanese table saw that had serviceable tolerances, and tune it to maximum performance. Initially, I concentrated on measuring the run-out of the arbor to decide whether the machine was worth keeping at all. It was. A year later, after moving, I went back to this reference and found a problem with the trunion alignment. In so doing, I also found and fixed a potentially dangerous problem with the blade raising mechanism. Once identified, it was easily fixed, but I wouldn't have had the courage to look without the confidence inspired by the author's careful treatment. He made the process seem simple, and encouraged patience and perseverance in approaching the tune-up task.

   All of this was very necessary in the case of my old saw.

   The best sections, in my opinion, are the table saw and band saw, but he covers a number of machines, including the router, shaper, and jointer.




2. ,precision and efficiency. If you have invested in woodworking machines, you want and need to get the most out of them. In Mastering Woodworking Machines, Mark Duginske shows you how to choose, set up, and tune your machine for safety, precision, and efficiency. His common-sense techniques will help you avoid frustrating mistakes and put you in complete control of your woodworking projects.

   Duginske's systematic approach picks up where owner's manuals leave off, and it applies to all brands and makes of machinery. You'll also learn how to prepare stock effectively and how to produce the joints and cabinet parts you need without any expensive add-on jigs. Whatever you want to make in your shop, you'll work more efficiently with Duginske at your elbow. (As quoted form the FWW site).

5 comments about Wood.

1. Andy Goldsworthy creates forms that echo the patterns of nature so completely the viewer is almost convinced that mother nature herself made them, rather than human hands. Goldsworthy's sculptures are more than works of art. They become integral yet fleeting parts of the lanscape that surrounds them. His shapes are fluid and delicate, and his ideas are deceptively simple,yet appear to defy both time and gravity. His experiments in Wood are gentle and thought-provoking, and prove that beauty exists all around us. Looking at his book makes me appreciate the trees, rocks, and water all around us. Andy Goldsworthy honors the earth with his quiet, sculptural meditations.



2. This book is so cool! I studied about Andy Goldsworthy for Art, and he is my fav artist. What he does is different and is not boring. When you look at his art it makes you think. They look so beautiful and peacful.



3. Goldsworthy's art isn't what he makes. It's what he does to things that are already there to make them fresh and beautiful to the jaded eye of an average human. Simple things work best in his art, evoke more raw emotion and longing: he lines tree branches with dandelions and red maple leaves; he hangs large snowballs in trees; ribbons of leaves trail off into the water and spiral icicles circle tree trunks. It's all so simple and captivating, it's really quite astounding. Goldsworthy's art is fleeting. The only reminders of his non-permanent works are photographs. In Wood, Goldsworthy goes beyond the confines of this material and shows us his mastery with the entire spectrum of natural media - snow, ice, rock, leaf, etc. The book is subdivided into sections dealing with each specific medium, the last being Tree - each work is centered around a low-lying branch of a large oak. Nevertheless, I must say that this collection of Goldsworthy's art is slightly inferior to his Collaborations with Nature, which is a better first choice if you are unfamiliar with his principles.



4. It's a big and invigorating book. If you like earth art this book (and there are others) offers some of the best of Goldsworthy. The concepts and execution are as inventive as they are cerebral. While I've never seen his work in person the photos and narrative of this book really feel like they capture the detail. In other ways the book itself is as well presented and printed as any book of art I've seen. If you can't afford it (it was expensive for me) try and get your local library to invest. It would be a great contribution to your local enclave.



5. All the books featuring the works of Goldsworthy are stunning. His work is unexpected and a joy to anyone who loves nature.

5 comments about The Complete Guide to Home Carpentry : Carpentry Skills & Projects for Homeowners (Black & Decker Home Improvement Library).

1. This book doesn't include any text about stairs. I guess most complete homes don't need stairs. I find this book more of a coffee table book than a book I can count on for howto information.



2. Had to give 1 star to off set the other reviews. My problem with most of these carpentry books is their lack of conviction to a topic. I have been a carpenter for way longer than 4 years (the accepted journeyman level). In truth it takes a lifetime to keep up with new practices and master traditional techniques. If you need to read 93 PAGES OF 277 on what a particular tool is or how to set up a saw then you really are not ready for complete carpentry. You need to develop your understanding of the tools.
   
   Taunton Press is my recommendation for high quality information. Most of their publications assume you know how to use your tools. I would like to see quality books on specific skills. The complete all in one would have to be text book size and come in volumes. One good example is Lewis Vogt Carpentry 3rd edition. Used in construction management courses.
   
   This book is just fluff. A weekend warrior might find some good info to improve his garage or better use his tools.



3. I bought this book for a garage project of mine and the decent reviews it had. I must say the reviews are well deserved. This book offers plenty of photos and well explained "how-to" guide lines. Detailed explanation with photos of all the tools you'll need for your project. I can now do my projects with confidence considering I am a novice at carpentry. Excellent choice for the novist.



4. received book in a timely manner and in excellent condition



5. The Complete Guide to Home Carpentry : Carpentry Skills & Projects for Homeowners (Black & Decker Home Improvement Library) Item appears to be very thorough; great illustrations!

5 comments about The Pen Turner's Workbook: Making Pens from Simple to Stunning.

1. I recently bought this book. I has good examples that cover from the easiest pens to more complex ones (segmented for example). It's really good in showing step by step pictures on how to turn and finish pens. I covers all of the materials available in the market and it provides instructions for one finishing technique that seems to be reliable. It does not cover CA finishing, which is a common practice as well. It has a nice chapter about FAQ's and troubleshooting. It also has a few pages on how to market your products. It is not complete but it has more information than other books. If you are going to buy just one book, this is the one of choice!



2. I Have just bought a Rikon mini lathe and am very much a beginner. This book is perfect to help the beginner set up shop, select the correct tools, explains how to use them, and the basic steps to making pens. Several specific projects are also given at the end, some basic, and a few that are very advanced. Very good illustrations, and easy to read. This book was extremely helpful to me.



3. I'm new to pen turning and this book was all I needed to get started. It also had some great ideas for more advanced pens. Well illustrated and clearly written.



4. This is a great book, it will answer many of your pen turning questions. It will also inspire you to go on to bigger and better projects.



5. Can't beat the advice and instructions, step by step with a world of expert suggestions and photos. Shows how to make many pens I never thought I could, {not that I have yet}, but I've been at a few and can see the HOW at least now..! Thanks. G-G