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Woodworking Basics - Mastering the Essentials of Craftsmanship - An Integrated Approach With Hand and Power tools Paperback – October 1, 2003
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Woodworking Basics presents an approach to learning woodworking that has proven successful for hundreds of people who have taken the author's introductory course over the past 20 years. Peter Korn's method helps new woodworkers learn the right techniques from the beginning. More experienced woodworkers can use it to master the classic furniture-making skills key to fine craftsmanship. Korn includes two attractive and useful projects -- a small bench and a side table with a door and drawer ― providing you the opportunity to practice skills and develop confidence with tools.
This book provides a step-by-step introduction to all aspects of woodworking, including:
- Safe use of woodworking machinery
- Correct use of hand tools
- Milling a board four-square
- Cutting a mortise-and-tenon joint
- Cutting dovetails
- Print length192 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherTaunton Press
- Publication dateOctober 1, 2003
- Dimensions8.5 x 0.44 x 10.88 inches
- ISBN-10156158620X
- ISBN-13978-1561586202
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About the Author
Korn is the director of the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Rockport, Maine, which offers hands-on workshops in woodworking. He is the author of Working with Wood (The Taunton Press, 1993.)
Product details
- Publisher : Taunton Press (October 1, 2003)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 192 pages
- ISBN-10 : 156158620X
- ISBN-13 : 978-1561586202
- Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
- Dimensions : 8.5 x 0.44 x 10.88 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #160,146 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #31 in Power Tools (Books)
- #105 in Carpentry
- #162 in Woodworking Projects (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
PETER KORN is the founder and former Executive Director of the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship, a non-profit woodworking and design school in Rockport, Maine. A furniture maker since 1974, his work has been exhibited nationally in galleries and museums. Born in 1951, Korn grew up in Philadelphia, where he attended Germantown Friends School. He majored in history at the University of Pennsylvania. More information is available at www.peterkorn.com
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The first 70 pages introduce the reader to wood, joinery and (power and hand) tools. The reader learns a great deal without being intimidated by too much detail. The sections are a bit terse (particularly sharpening), but the simpler introductions are appropriate to the scope of the book. There are other books that specialize in the topics of advanced machine use, hand planes and sharpening. Korn's book has just enough to get you going without making you feel it is too complicated to proceed.
The first project, milling a board four square, is a fundamental task of woodworking that deserves the attention it gets in this book. Korn does a superb job of providing step-by-step instruction using hand tools or power tools. For me, Sharpening was the first "project" in the WW class I took since it is also a fundamental.
The second and third project is to take the boards you dimensioned and do some basic joinery (before working on any furniture). First, the basic mortise and tenon and then the through-dovetail joint. Joinery is also a fundamental, and these particular joints are the most widely used. Korn takes us step-by-step through the process with plenty of clear photographs showing the technique. The milled boards are long enough that the reader can practice the joints several times. Each time your joints will get better, and you will gain valuable experience and confidence.
The last 80 pages include two small projects, a handsome stool and a side table. These projects are big enough to introduce several more fundamentals without being too complex that the reader will never finish. The stool introduces half-blind dovetails, pinned tenons, glue-up procedure, and basic finishing. The side table introduces basic carcase and drawer/panel door construction. Again, all steps are well documented with plenty of photographs.
The author has a vast experience not only in woodworking, but also, and perhaps more importantly at this level, in *teaching* woodworking. He can explain the various concepts and techniques very eloquently, precisely and concisely. The descriptions are so accurate that it feels like you are actually seeing it done - no, doing it yourself, even though you are (like I was) sitting in a train. The pictures are also excellent, and the balance between text, pictures, drawings and sidebars denotes first-class editing.
From a macro level, the book is also carefully structured. The first part describes the properties of wood and how they affect woodworking. Then machines are explained one by one, followed by hand tools (I would have done it the other way around, but never mind). After that, the student is taken through a number of basic exercises, in many cases giving various choices of hand tools and machines. Finally, there are a couple of projects.
Be warned, reading the book takes some effort on your side. Especially if you are unfamiliar with technical terms, which are always introduced before they are used in context, you will have to look them up again in the index, which is by the way complete and functional. The author's writing is packed with information (which is good), and he is explaining difficult operations so you sometimes have to read the same paragraph twice to understand how to do things properly. When later projects build on previously-learnt material, the reader is referred to the specific page instead of repeating the explanation.
Five stars, well deserved.
One complaint I have at the author. He says to try to find a place you can pick through the stacks of wood and select your own boards that is the way he does it. He then complains about the quality of even FAS wood not being very good. As proof he offers that he once picked through a thousand feet of cherry and only found three "excellent boards". Guys who will pick through a thousand board feet and then buy three lousy boards are the problem. The reason often the only thing that is left is twisted and knotty are because of guys like this author.
Wood is a natural product. You take the good with the bad then you cut around the imperfections or better yet hide them on the inside.
If everyone only bought the best boards, think how many more trees would need to die in order for everyone to fulfill his wood needs. Now I'm by no means a tree hugger but I don't think wasting is right and I don't think leaving all the bad stuff for the next guy is right either. I am guessing this author is a democrat since he has no ethics about what he leaves in his wake or the amount of time he takes in the store being in the way while other people may want to buy lumber, but by the way he acts about cutting trees until he finds the perfect one you would never know it.
When I buy boards I take pretty much what is on top and buy extra so I can deal with the imperfections in a natural product. I get my stuff, get out of the way, and leave the pile in good shape for the next customer so it doesn't fall on top of him. I request my fellow woodworker's behave in a similar civilized manner.
Top reviews from other countries
About the book, good start for beginners. It includes soo many basic guides for woodworking. You won't regret getting one. All the best 👍🏼