This is one of the classic books on craftsmanship and design. In it, David Pye explores the meaning of skill and its relationship to design and manufacture. Cutting through a century of fuzzy thinking, he proposes a new theory of making based on the concept of good workmanship and shows how it imparts all-important diversity to our visual environment.

For years, woodworkers have turned to Fine Woodworking magazine, in particular the popular annual Tools & Shops issue, for advice about setting up their woodworking shop. This book is a collection of the best of those workshop articles from the last 10 years. It covers all aspects of setting up a shop from choosing a location and adding heating and cooling, through accessories and storage options to how to use the shop safely and comfortably. Also included is advice on workbenches, jigs and fixtures, and dust collection. With such a wide range of topics and shops represented, this book will appeal to all woodworkers from newbies just setting up a shop to veterans who want to make better use of the shop they already have. You'll learn how to: build a small, sturdy workbench heat and cool your shop work at the right height set up a dust collection system outfit your shop with an essential clamp kit transform a prefab

Clear concise manual by noted naval architect offers a portfolio of designs for 16 basic wooden craft -- rowboats, sailboats, outboards, runabouts, a hydroplane, and more. Detailed illustrated instructions for amateur boat builders cover selecting a design, choosing and assembling building materials, building and finishing. 15 halftones. 49 line illustrations.

'It is more motivating to make something that you genuinely desire, to create an object that you want in your home. The things we choose to have around us say something about who we are, but things we have made ourselves do that even more strongly. I want every project in the book to be something that the reader wants to make, to work really well in use and be something that can be proudly shown to others.' Tom Trimmins This wonderfully practical book is aimed at anyone looking to balance their busy lives by mastering core woodworking skills. Working with wood will challenge, stimulate, relax and reward - and you'll be proud to display the beautiful objects you've made with your own hands. Here you'll find a range of practical and pleasing projects to display around your home. Initially you'll need a small collection of readily available tools - as your skills develop and expand, so too will your tool collection. Every project has step-by-step instructions, and you'll learn about the properties of different woods, design techniques and how to fix-up vintage tools. The book mainly uses hand tools as they're cleaner, take up less room, are quieter and offer less potential for accidents than power tools.

Detailed instructions, illustrations for carving animals, flowers, figures, more. Tips on tools, techniques, painting, finishing, exhibiting.

Find fast answers to woodworking questions! From fasteners to finishing, angles to adhesives, this portable guide is packed with helpful charts, lists and illustrations to move your woodworking projects along. Need to compute an odd joint angle, select appropriate hardware, or pick the right finish for a project? You can consult this book for solutions to those dilemmas and many more. It's the ideal size to stash in a toolbox or bench top, where you will refer to it again and again.

FEATURES

- Dozens of charts and lists providing key woodworking facts, figures and formulas at a glance

- Clear, quick-reference illustrations of angles, joints, mouldings, fasteners and more

- Demystifies woodworking math, including conversions and geometry

- Portable, durable format perfect for hands-on use in the shop

Woodturning is as popular as ever -- a constantly growing segement in the woodworking world and one of the most wide-reaching woodcrafts among artists and hands-on crafters. It s appeal is based on the short learning curve, the minimal equipment, and the sheer joy of learning to make something out of wood with one s own hands. But, unlike a lot of crafts that rely on individuality and creative thinking, the initial techniques of woodturning must be mastered. While at first liberating, these same techniques can eventually be confining because in mastering them, one must follow the lead of others. At a certain point, woodturners can feel that mastering the techniques has become the end in itself as they lose sight of their true pursuit: to create one s own original style. In fact, some woodturners, who believe they aren t creative enough, will simply continue to master techniques while imitiating the style of others. Terry Martin, the author of The Creative Woodturner and a woodturning artist, instructor, and photographer for over thirty-years, believes this goes against the fundamental nature of creating and being an artist. There is no right or wrong and the pursuit of originality should be the goal of every woodturner. Best of all, creativity can be learned and the ability to think and see in one s own artistic style can be achieved. The Creative Woodturner is not your usual how-to woodturning book. It won t tell you what a chuck is, how to sharpen a scraper, or how to turn a goblet. Instead, this book is a how-to for unlocking curiosity, how to break the rules, and for following one s own artistic path with confidence. Designed to give readers a wide-persepective on creativity, The Creative Woodturner begins first with insightful commentary, quotes, and examples from the woodturning and art community that will both inspire and inform. In addition, the author shares his Idea Tools: questions to ask during the planning and creative process that are as important to the creation of the woodturning project as any equipment in the shop. Finally, 16 one-of-a-kind projects from boxes and vessles to bowls and one-of-a-kind scultpures are featured that will spark the creative mindset of any woodturner. Each project is documented with instructions and crisp photography highlighting the key steps, techniques, and tasks necessary for completion. In taking the reader through each project, the author pulls back the curtain on his woodturning magic and shares his vision and how the Idea Tools and creative thinking emerges in each project. An inspiring and enjoyable read not only for woodturners, but for any artist, The Creative Woodturner will anyone to think and see differently so time is spent at the lathe or whatever creative pursuit it is -- creating the original ideas instead of imitating someone else."

Expert inexpensive guide to building wooden birdhouses includes detailed coverage of wood selection, hanging and supporting birdhouses, inspection and cleaning, proper placement, attracting specific species, construction of pest guards, more. Step-by-step instructions, clear diagrams; only simple hand tools needed. 63 illustrations.

The latest Scandinavian publishing phenomenon is not a Stieg Larsson like thriller; it s a book about chopping, stacking, and burning wood that has sold more than 200,000 copies in Norway and Sweden and has been a fixture on the bestseller lists there for more than a year. Norwegian Wood provides useful advice on the rustic hows and whys of taking care of your heating needs, but it s also a thoughtful attempt to understand man s age-old predilection for stacking wood and passion for open fires. An intriguing window into the exoticism of Scandinavian culture, the book also features enough inherently interesting facts and anecdotes and inspired prose to make it universally appealing. The U.S. edition is a fully updated version of the Norwegian original, and includes an appendix of U.S.-based resources and contacts.

Whether you've just unpacked your first table saw or have been using one for years, this complete guide features essential and up-to-date information needed to set up and tune your table saw and expand your table saw skillset. Featuring all of the most critical table saw techniques, including preparing lumber, selecting and truing blades, mastering basic to advanced cuts, and joinery techniques, this revised edition also features updated and exclusive information on new SawStop technology, as well as other safety products, tips, and precautions, new table saw types, new aid projects, and more. With step-by-step instructions and detailed diagrams, you'll also complete 10 custom table saw projects to put all your acquired techniques and skills to use.

Easy-to-follow instructions and diagrams for building dozens of attractive, practical birdhouses -- from a one-room house for bluebirds to a forty-two-room structure for purple martins. Also contains a supplement with easy projects for novices, among them houses made from such common objects as gourds, flower pots, and tin cans. 56 plates; 4 figures.

Build furniture the way your ancestors did! Do you enjoy the satisfaction of creating things entirely by hand? Immerse yourself in the world of traditional woodworking as period furniture expert Zachary Dillinger walks you through the hand-tool-only construction of six pieces of classic American furniture. From preparing stock by hand to period-correct joinery methods, you'll learn how our forefathers built furniture--and why they did things the way they did. Within these pages you'll find: An overview of the historical development of major furniture styles from the 1960s through to the mid-19th century--and the European influences from which they evolved. Instruction for period-correct woodworking techniques. Six detailed furniture projects covering popular period styles. Traditional approaches to finishing touches including insights into upholstering by renowned teacher Michael Mascelli and advice from Nancy Cogger of Londonderry Brasses for choosing period-accurate hardware. With Saw, Plane & Chisel shows you how period furniture was made, explains how furniture styles developed and in turn helps you build excellent, realistic heirloom pieces.

This book presents a collection of 140 plates for mouldings from bedsteads, cabinets, cupboards, and more.

'Somerville knows more about wooden barn construction than almost anyone alive.'-The Telegraph 'A joyful reminder of why nature, being outside, being together and creating beauty is so good for the soul.'-Kate Humble, broadcaster and author of A Year of Living Simply 'For all our advances, it's hard to deny the modern world brings with it new ills of disconnection and disenfranchisement, but here in Barn Club they've found their cure.'-Barn the Spoon, master craftsman and author of Spon Nature meets traditional craft in this celebration of the elm tree, beautiful buildings and community spirit. Barn Club calls on us to discover our landscapes more intimately and to explore the joys of making beautiful things by hand, together. When renowned craftsman Robert Somerville moved to Hertfordshire, he discovered an unexpected landscape rich with wildlife and elm trees. Nestled within London's commuter belt, this wooded farmland inspired Somerville, a lifelong woodworker, to revive the ancient tradition of hand-raising barns. Barn Club follows the building of Carley Barn over the course of one year. Volunteers from all walks of life joined Barn Club, inspired to learn this ancient skill of building elm barns by hand, at its own quiet pace and in the company of others, while using timber from the local woods. The tale of the elm tree in its landscape is central to Barn Club. Its natural history, historic importance and remarkable survival make for a fascinating story. This is a tale of forgotten trees, a local landscape and an ancient craft. This book includes sixteen pages of colour photographs, and black and white line drawings of techniques and traditional timber frame barns feature throughout.

This is the most essential information from the first six volumes of "Taunton's Complete Illustrated Guide" series. Now in paperback, this step-by-step shop reference, culled from the first six volumes of "Taunton's Complete Illustrated Guides", covers all of the fundamental techniques every woodworker needs to know. Organised for quick access, this book makes it easy to find the information you are looking for. Over 1,200 photos and drawings illustrate how to accomplish essential woodworking tasks from setting up a shop to finishing. This book helps woodworkers of all levels choose the right method and tools to bring great results, pleasure and satisfaction to working with wood.

Featuring projects from the 19th and 20th centuries, this woodworking handbook presents family-friendly shop projects from a bygone era. Each project - many of them toys from a simpler time when boys were trained to use tools to create useful objects - comes with a cutting list and dimensioned drawing. Projects include a New Year's Eve rattle, a cannon that shoots marbles, a kite string reel, a pop-gun and whistle, a bow and arrow, a sword, and a magic box. This evocative guide not only instructs aspiring crafters to construct, but also provides finished products that entertain.

The shaper is a stationary woodworking machine used to produce decorative mouldings, edges, and joinery. Every production shop has always had a shaper, but now advanced home woodworkers are increasingly likely to own one of these versatile machines because they are affordable and because they greatly expand the capability of a shop. A shaper, however, is one of the trickiest woodworking machines to operate properly and safely. This handbook explains hundreds of shaper techniques and illustrates each with drawings and photos. Advice is offered about what to look for when buying a shaper, and maintenance, troubleshooting, and tune-up are also covered.

Treehouses have always been a symbol of imagination and adventure, but despite the traditional stereotype, treehouses are not just for children and children's stories. Well built and in the right spot, they can add real value to your home and lifestyle. Beloved for centuries as ramshackle palaces of backyard escape and fun, the modern-day treehouse has evolved from more traditional structures, in the process morphing and expanding its agenda to capture the heart and soul of a new breed of acolytes. Versatile and endlessly adapting, it gives us a unique opportunity for creative expression and an individualistic challenge. It enables us to build on 'unbuildable' plots, create unusual business models and even use it as a form for art installations. Using high-end interiors, landscape and lifestyle photography and styling in the specially commissioned images (photographed in all seasons and weather conditions), the book includes 35 treehouses with different budgets and styles, from the rustic that seem to disappear into the foliage to the futuristic made out of contemporary materials. Embracing a world-wide approach, the seeds of inspiration in this book come from far and wide: from contemporary minimalist treehouses, recycled urban structures in backyards, bespoke Welsh hideaways and glass walls in the African wilderness to cabins perched on trees in the scented lavender fields of southern Italy. Creativity and vision definitely anchor each and every one of them firmly to the ground. The accompanying narrative for each of these projects will give information about the location, the owners and their inspiration as well as style notes. Word count: 25,000

Discover the huge possibilities to be found in a small house Whether you re building from scratch or retrofitting an existing structure, these 50 innovative floor plans will show you how to make the most of houses measuring 1400 square feet or less. Gerald Rowan focuses on efficient layouts and creative ways to use every inch of your space, including closets, decks, porches, bathrooms, attics, and basements. Artist renderings bring each house's exterior to life, and detailed interior drawings illustrate special space-saving features. "Compact Houses" includes one- and two-floor designs and plans with one to three bedrooms."