All woodworkers worth their sawdust know that joinery - good, bad, or indifferent - tells the unvarnished truth of how well a piece is made and how skilled the maker is. As a result, joinery is always a hot, and sometimes controversial, topic because even the masters will agree that there is no one right way to do it. Over the decades, no one has proven better at teaching readers how to make beautiful, enduring joinery than Fine Woodworking. This comprehensive and practical book demystifies the all-important subject of choosing, designing, and cutting woodworking joints. It's packed with insightful information and tricks of the trade that will advance the work of novices and seasoned craftsmen alike. Because whatever your skill level, there's always room for improvement when it comes to joinery.

One of the problems that confronts all woodturners is how to turn a spiral. In this new book, Bill Bowers provides the answer. Richly illustrated and explained in simple terms, the book gives the novice as well as the expert all necessary information to fashion gallery-quality spiral-turned works of art. Innovative applications of stains and shapes are demonstrated on plates, platters, and bowls. Multiple tips turning delicate spirals as well as hand-threaded chasing are included. Various combinations and permutations of techniques are applied to standard turnings to make unique artistic pieces. These exquisite, turned pieces are utilitarian, except for one, and extremely beautiful. The gallery provides ideas for the turner's own creative endeavors. This well-illustrated book truly offers the basics of turning spirals and should be on the bookshelf of every woodworker, carver, and turner.

With over 220 beautiful color photos and concise text, this book presents all the steps necessary to create a stunning entry table that blends the clean lines and aesthetics of Shaker and Japanese furniture to make a distinctive, eye-catching form. More than just a "how to" book, it shows the entire designing and building process, including instructions for legs, stretchers, top, and finishing. Additionally, the author shares the most important lessons he has learned in over 20 years of designing and making furniture. Woodworkers and all who are passionate about fine furniture will want to build this table.

This title presents professional techniques to bring your furniture back to life. It offers complete instructions for dismantling and rebuilding chests, polishing, waxing and staining, how to repair tops and feet, and how to rebuild drawers and doors. It includes a fascinating history describing how chests and cabinets have evolved over time, as well as advice on buying and using tools, equipment and materials. Projects include repairing a split top, replacing a bracket foot, repairing a glazed door, correcting a minor twist, restoring desk drawers, and repairing a grandfather clock. Chests and cabinets often endure a hard life, and over the years the working parts can be damaged through wear and tear. This book provides complete instructions for repairing chests, drawers, doors and desks, all photographed at a leading antique restoration workshop. Projects include replacing drawer runners, cutting a dovetail joint, repairing a sliding tambour, refitting a door, and polishing a 19th-century desk. Detailed information is given on how each piece of furniture is constructed, and how it can be dismantled and reassembled. Illustrated with over 400 beautiful photographs, the book will enable any restorer to learn how to mend antique furniture.

The router is the most useful and versatile of all woodworking power tools. Lightweight and inexpensive, it is a must-have tool for the workshop where it can be used to shape, joint and cut materials especially when using jigs and templates. Router Jigs and Templates will show you, the budding craftsman or seasoned woodworker, everything you need to know to get the best out of this effective and valuable power tool. Anthony Bailey, expert with the router, takes you through the basic set-up and the fundamental techniques; explores the difference between freehand and table routing; and looks in-depth at the practical uses for functional jigs and templates. The techniques can be learned quickly and easily through the combination of Anthony's approachable writing style and expert knowledge, ensuring that the skills you learn will stay with you and give you the confidence to create your own impressive pieces of work, whether you feel like having a go at creating a chess or draughts board, a roller-front breadbin or an attractive picture frame .Includes: - The basics of the router and how to get the best from it - Troubleshooting common problems with router set-up - Invaluable advice on personal protection equipment and good working practice - Expert guidance on freehand and table routing, including improving accuracy - Clarification on the difference and purpose of jigs and templates - How to make jigs and templates, from the simple to the more complex - Easy-to-follow techniques suitable for woodworkers of all abilities - 8 practical projects for the home that vary in difficulty, including a coffee table, a dolls' house and dovetail drawer

Wood speaks to Dick Sing. With his skill as a woodturner, and his keen understanding of both the lathe and the wood, Dick has created a number of projects which offer something a little different. In this new book, he leads the turner through four projects which are easy enough for the beginner and fun enough for someone with experience. They also are very successful at craft shows. With step-by-step instructions illustrated with clear full-color photographs, he helps the turner discover the shape of a delightful little clock holder in a piece of wood and turn out a finished piece which would add character to any desk or table. He also provides instructions for a candle dish, a desk set with a base, a pen, and a letter opener, and a bookmark. Each project is covered completely, including numerous tips on style and finishing techniques, and a knowledge of wood, including some exotic woods which make striking finished projects.

This title includes shop tested expert advice from American Woodworker on how to build 50 attractive & functional woodworking projects for all areas of the house, from storage for the kitchen and the outdoors, to furniture and heirlooms. With a variety of style and skill levels included, there is something for every woodworker in this book. Step by step guidance, workshop tips and plans for projects that can take a few hours to a weekend to complete, make this an ideal resource for woodworkers looking for a new project or wanting to spruce up their home.

Saws, Planes, and Scorps is an exploration and celebration of high-quality hand tools for woodworking and the stories of the people who make them. Organized by the basic tools and beautifully presented with gorgeous photographs from the boutique makers and small factory makers, this book is an engaging, inspiring, and informative exploration. Saws, Planes, and Scorps is a celebration of splendid, high-quality tools from the best woodworking hand-tool makers active in North America, Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand.

These lesson plans were devised as a result of the author's experience of teaching carpentry toolmaking in East Africa, and include guidelines for lessons on theoretical aspects of toolmaking, as well as practical demonstrations. Students should already be familiar with basic woodworking techniques, including the preparation of timber, marking out and cutting joints, and the construction of simple items of furniture. There is also advice on simple blacksmithing techniques followed by demonstration plans for the metal parts of tools to aid the teaching of this aspect of toolmaking. The book is intended for students of woodworking and metal-working skills in developing countries, and their teachers and trainers.

This book examines the pros and cons of the local production of carpentry hand-tools as opposed to their importation. In seeking the best strategy to adopt it also outlines the previous methods adopted by VSO and Intermediate Technology who have much experience in this area. Published in the VSO ECOE Programme series.

Here's a step-by-step finishing school, featuring 14 different techniques for refining your wood surfaces. All of the tools and methods needed to successfully change the image of any wooden surface are provided. More than 200 color photographs accompany the text. In addition, there are instructions for restoring damaged finishes. The projects are arranged in order, from the most basic to the very advanced, and a color gallery provides a final look at all of the finishes. This book is an invaluable resource for everyone wishing to finish their wood up right.

If you'd like to learn to carve in relief, this comprehensive guidebook will teach you everything you need to know. With some sharp tools, a smooth piece of wood and this new book, you'll soon be confidently carving exquisite animals, landscapes, flowers, borders, Celtic knots and more. Acclaimed carver and instructor Lora S. Irish takes you step-by-step through simple carvings on a practice board to introduce all of the essential cuts, contouring and smoothing steps used in basic relief woodcarving. 10 original new project patterns are accompanied by clear in-depth instructions and dozens of how-to photographs. Each design is presented both as an outline pattern for tracing directly onto wood, and as a detailed sketch to guide your work. A stunning photo gallery of finished projects is included to offer further inspiration.

Following the success of their first book, Sculpting Traditional Bowls, Rip and Tammi Mann bring this new book to those who love this ancient craft. With step-by-step, fully illustrated instructions they lead the craftsperson to a beautiful handhewn octagonal bowl. In the gallery are a variety of contemporary bowls that can be made using the same techniques, though some will require the skill that comes from experience. They include octagonal bowls, bowls in the shapes of states, and bowls with natural exteriors. Rip and Tammi use only hand tools, the bowl adze, a bowl shave and a carver's hook. They begin with a blank and conclude with an oil finish process that makes the bowls beautiful and perfectly safe for use with food. Each step is illustrated in color, with a complete description of design and technique concerns. Both the beginner and the experienced woodworker will enjoy the creation of these functional, beautiful pieces.

Master the art of multi-axis spindle turning! This book offers a strategy for understanding multi-axis turning and the many options available to create unique forms. Dill, a self-professed "experimental turner," takes readers step by step through this complex area of turning. Working in multiple axes on a spindle can be confusing, but as Dill teaches the "hows" of turning spindles as systematic building blocks for future work, turners can finally make this skill their own. Hundreds of photos and diagrams offer detailed guidance, and explain the variables-axis placement, profile, orientation of the new axis to the center axis, and so on-and how they apply to each "quadrant" of multi-axis work. Split and thermed turning methods, planning tips, tricks of the trade, and a three-sided cup or vase project help you succeed. Concepts come to life as Dill shows examples of not only her work, but the work of other expert turners.

Wood for Woodturners (revised edition) is the updated edition of the successful book by Mark Baker catering specifically for the turner. The book describes 50 of the world's most important woods for turning and goes into great detail with regard to physical characteristics, working qualities and availability. Colour photographs throughout illustrate different qualities of grain and figure. An additional 100 woods are considered more briefly. This revised edition is fully updated throughout with new images and a resources section, and it also includes new material on green wood and sustainability.

Ron Ransom returns to the North Pole in his latest carving book on Santas. Here, through detailed instructions, step-by-step color photographs, and clear patterns, anyone can learn to carve the traditional holiday figure using simple hand tools. Painting techniques are also described in full, along with tips on "antiquing" your Santas, and many carving and painting hints on how to make small improvisations on the projects to make them all unique. Some of the Santas included here are a torch-bearing "Olympic" Santa, a Santa on skis, and a Santa with snowman. A color gallery at the end of the book shows the finished results in detail. Ron's latest look at St. Nick is a great way to get creative for the holidays, whether you are just learning or are an old hat at carving.

This handbook describes a range of hand tools and simple muscle-powered machinery appropriate to developing countries where abundant labour can offset the problems of limited funds or unreliable sources of energy for mechanization.

This is a colourful gallery of finished work provides further inspiration for green crafting. Wood Pallet Projects shows how anyone can upcycle salvaged pallet wood to create truly one-of-a-kind projects. Maverick craftsman Chris Gleason combines sound woodworking techniques with a hip designer's sensibility to unleash the limitless possibilities of the common skid. Inside you'll find 15 of his inspired projects for rescuing and repurposing pallets. He shows how to construct both indoor and outdoor furniture in a variety of styles, along with other useful items such as a birdhouse, a toolbox and even a ukulele. The author provides important advice on how to make sure that your pallets are safe and not sprayed with harmful chemicals. A colourful gallery of finished work provides further inspiration for green crafting.

Dick Sing has directed his creative wood turning skills to the design of six attractive projects with variations. Three variations of bottle stoppers and decorative jar lids can transform the practical into the beautiful. The weed vase and the small mirror can make charming gifts; the spinning top and baby rattle will delight any young child. Instructions for each project along with step-by-step photographs make these fun projects easy to learn and fun to do. Variations provide a challenge for the more experienced turners,and a gallery with numerous examples encourages the adventurous to experiment.