Best of
Woodwork

2008

The Woodwright's Guide: Working Wood with Wedge and Edge


Roy Underhill - 2008
    Now, in his seventh book, Roy shows how to engage the mysteries of the splitting wedge and the cutting edge to shape wood from forest to furniture.Beginning with the standing tree, each chapter of The Woodwright's Guide explores one of nine trades of woodcraft: faller, countryman and cleaver, hewer, log-builder, sawyer, carpenter, joiner, turner, and cabinetmaker. Each trade brings new tools and techniques; each trade uses a different character of material; but all are united by the grain in the wood and the enduring mastery of muscle and steel.Hundreds of detailed drawings by Eleanor Underhill (Roy's daughter) illustrate the hand tools and processes for shaping and joining wood. A special concluding section contains detailed plans for making your own foot-powered lathes, workbenches, shaving horses, and taps and dies for wooden screws.The Woodwright's Guide is informed by a lifetime of experience and study. A former master craftsman at Colonial Williamsburg, Roy has inspired millions to just say no to power tools through his continuing work as a historian, craftsman, activist, and teacher. In The Woodwright's Guide, he takes readers on a personal journey through a legacy of off-the-grid, self-reliant craftsmanship. It's a toolbox filled with insight and technique as well as wisdom and confidence for the artisan in all of us.

The Woodland Year


Ben Law - 2008
    The Woodland Year provides a fascinating insight into every aspect of sustainable woodland management, including the cycles of nature, seasonal tasks, wild food gathering, wine making, mouthwatering and useful recipes, coppice crafts, round-pole timber-frame eco-building (pioneered by Ben), nature conservation, species diversity, tree profiles, and the use of horses for woodland work.This is a profound book that is both practical and poetic. It describes a way of life that is economically and ecologically viable and sets a new standard for managing our woods in a low-impact, sustainable way. As such, it holds some of the fundamental keys to how we can achieve a lower-carbon society.

Trim Complete: Expert Advice from Start to Finish


Greg Kossow - 2008
    Of course, that includes the interior trim and molding that's so crucial to the inner beauty of your home.Trim Complete delivers all the information you'll need to handle these important projects like a pro.With detailed instructions and over 800 step-by-step photos, expert carpenter Greg Kossow shows you how to complete every possible trim project, from simple baseboards to complicated casings. He even includes hard-to-find advice about complex crown moldings and creating custom moldings.By tackling real-world situations just as you'd encounter them, the author shares proven tips, techniques and valuable trade secrets -- always helping you anticipate and solve any problems that may occur.