Understanding Wood: A Craftsman's Guide to Wood Technology In this essential reference for woodworkers, R. Bruce Hoadley explains everything from how trees grow to how best to cut, season, machine, join, bend, and finish wood. Why do miters open and glue joints loosen? How do you get a really sharp edge? Examples of problems and solutions help woodworkers puzzle through their own projects, while full-color photos and helpful tables illustrate key points. Product Review- This book takes you from qualitative to quantitative understanding by means of accurate, readable explanations and a minimum of fuss. For instance, after explaining why a house settles, Hoadley shows us clearly how to estimate how much it will settle and what a knowledgeable builder could do about it. Or take this simple woodworking situation: you are building a towel rack from two side pieces of white pine drilled to accept a maple dowel. Exactly how much wider should the hole be than the dowel so that expansion and contraction due to moisture changes in the bathroom won't split the sides? A little time spent with this book will give you the ability to answer questions like these, quickly, exactly, and with authority. No more guessing about the effects of moisture, temperature, finish, and loads on wood: just look up the data in the clear and handy tables and graphs Hoadley provides and do the simple calculations. -William A. Huber

4.

Tauntons Complete Illustrated Guide To Finishing Taunton's Complete Illustrated Guide to Finishing features advanced techniques on controlling and adjusting color, disguising defects, and repairing finishes. This clear and comprehensive volume for woodworkers includes 850 color photos as well as 30 color illustrations. Product Review- Just about everything you need to know about finishing from basics to advanced is covered. Every topic is illustrated with full-color photos and line drawings when needed. Plenty of hints, off-page references and guidance. Topics are covered in anywhere from a half-page with three photos to whole chapters. Jeff and his wife, Susan, the photographer, have gone out of their way to show every process and product talked about. Every chapter is organized the same way, which may be the way of Taunton's new, "Complete Illustrated Guide to..." If you are only going to buy one book on finishing, or if you have a whole shelf full, you need to buy and read this book. -Keith Mealy

5.

Understanding Wood Finishing: How to Select and Apply the Right Finish (American Woodworker) For more than 18 years, Bob Flexner has been inspiring woodworkers with his writings and teachings on wood finishing. Now, from this best-selling author comes the long-awaited and completely updated second edition of Understanding Wood Finishing - the most practical, comprehensive book on finishing ever published. Product Review- A friend loaned me a copy of this book when I was trying to figure how to stain a cherry cabinet without the typical splotchy results one usually gets with this difficult-to-stain wood. This book not only addressed that problem, it gave several techniques to deal with it. Flexner even explained why different brands of stain would have different results. I was so impressed I bought my own copy. No other book I've seen does such a great job of explaining the technical aspects of how finishes work, and what protection each kind of finish provides, while keeping the text easy to follow and understand. This makes it a great book for learning about the many different stains and wood finishes. -SH

6.

Tauntons Complete Illustrated Guide To Turning Taunton's Complete Illustrated Guide to Turning features step-by-step descriptions for an abundance of wood turning techniques, including both spindle and faceplate methods. Over 900 color photos accompany detailed, hands-on instructions for turning wood, including how to use lathes, turning tools and materials, chucks, as well as sharpening tools. Product Review- I've avoided lathe work for a great many years, satisfying my lust for sawdust by cabinetry and furniture. But in the back of my mind there has always been a little voice that would ask me 'why not?' every time I looked at a block off wood with beautiful grain. Well I finally broke down and spent the sizable amount of money needed to buy and equip a good lathe. "While I'm waiting for it to be shipped," I thought, "I'll read a book about it." After all this is how I've taught myself just about everything else. Let me preface the remarks I'm about to make with the fact Turning, by Richard Raffan, is an excellent introduction to the subject of turning. The book is an inexhaustible resource for learning about the lathe, its tools, wood, preparation and the main varieties of lathe work - spindle, end grain, and face. There is even a bit on sanding and finishing. Well illustrated, I don't think you could do better for starting out and shop reference. -Marc Ruby

7.

The Perfect Edge: The Ultimate Guide to Sharpening for Woodworkers (Popular Woodworking) Nearly every operation in woodworking uses a piece of steel between the woodworker and the wood. This steel needs to be cared for and sharpened for the best results. "The Perfect Edge" is an up-to-date book on sharpening every woodworking tool, using the latest sharpening stones, tools and techniques. The author brings more than twenty-five years of experience, working with demanding customers and staying on top of the latest trends. Product Review- Woodworkers are bombarded with ads for a bewildering array of gadgets, machines, abrasives and "sharpening systems." Which one is the right investment? Ron explains them ALL and divides them into categories anyone can understand. You will have to "read between the lines" a bit though. The publishers are wary of offending their advertisers. So Ron must temper his critiques with practical compromises. He can't come outright and say, "this is the best way to sharpen planes" or "This system sucks." He must offer alternatives and show pictures of all manufacturer's products. The reader is left to use Ron's impartial facts and make his own decisions. If you do not like to think for yourself, or rather someone just tell you what to buy, you won't like this book. If you are capable of culling useful facts and applying them, you will gain immensely and save boatloads of cash on tools and sharpening gear. -G. Conner

8.

The Workbench: A Complete Guide to Creating Your Perfect Bench In this fresh and contemporary look at the world of workbenches, Lon Schleining takes us on a guided tour of a wide variety of classic, modern, and specialty benches and offers hundreds of options for choosing or building that perfect bench and its accessories. The Workbench looks at the classic subject with a focus on helping readers find the right bench and accessories for their needs. The object is to guide the reader through making critical choices, including whether to buy it or build it. Even long-time woodworkers dream of the perfect bench and the time to build it, and for them the real enjoyment is in the planning. With 279 color photos and additional illustrations, this book provides in-depth information along with the inspiration to fulfill workshop dreams.

Product Review- Though I am a huge fan of Scott Landis' book on this subject, I think I like this book even better. Because I will soon build my third and final bench (yes I am a dreamer), I have been reading a lot about this subject lately. This book does a great job of grabbing your interest, showing you the thought process you should use to determine what design and features are best for you, and then showing many beautiful examples of hard working benches in scores of woodworking shops. Three things stood out to me as I read this book. The color photography is excellent, the text is well written, and the whole package culminates in giving you the inspiration to go out and build that new bench you have always wanted. In response to the notion that there is too little detail here, I say that this book is not intended to be a set of plans for one to construct a bench. this is an idea generating book, so you won't have to say later "Gee I wish I had thought of that before I built my new bench." -Scott Pointon

9.

The Complete Illustrated Guide to Joinery Learn how to make every practical woodworking joint in every possible way with the step-by-step photo essays in this book. Professional furniture maker and Fine Woodworking contributing editor Gary Rogowski covers it all -- from standard techniques to variations -- in this complete visual reference to joinery. Product Review- Although I feel the book is intended for intermediate woodworkers, I believe this book would be of use to a 'beginner' as well because it gives the reader something to shoot for. It has hundreds of photos of beautifully crafted joints. Some of these joints I have never seen before. Joints like the "Cogged Scarf" is not only imaginative but looks fun to make. This is a joint that I would probably never thought about until this book. That is how I started in woodworking. I saw something that I wanted to make and I went about learning how to do it. Some people are unhappy because of the detail of instructions. Well the joints are explained with text and pictures. I would agree that the book does not 'hold your hand' on every single step. But then how many of us have learned woodworking by reading a book? We learned it by getting outside and doing it. What is nice about this book is that it gives you the basics of what you need to know to make the joint and the rich color photographs that show you what you could achieve. -Jack B. Welch

10.

Puzzle Boxes: Fun and Intriguing Bandsaw Projects (Popular Woodworking) The only way to make a more popular book on making boxes is to add a puzzle. And not just any puzzle, spring loaded, hidden drawer puzzles! These bandsaw puzzle boxes have it all. The book takes two, popular small-project styles (boxes and puzzles) and combines them into some mind-blowing projects. With a small amount of instruction and some practice, the reader will be able create amazing puzzle boxes using wood that would usually be thrown away as scrap. There are 12 projects of increasing difficulty, as well as a section on how to choose the best wood and how to apply finishes.

Product Review- I have been making band saw boxes for years. Some of them have bordered on "puzzle" boxes but I always wanted something a little more in depth and thorough as far as instruction. When I saw that this book was being released I immediately reserved a copy and eagerly anticipated its arrival. I have yet to try all the designs in the book, more out of an equipment limitation than any lack of completeness on behalf of this book. The basic design is solid and once the basics are comprehended, further experimentation can follow. The only thing keeping this book from scoring a solid 5 stars is the fact that not every woodworker has the availability to use a paddle sander and a large vat of finish. There are other ways around these though so they aren't a major drawback. -Charles S. Holzheimer