In his second book, Fidgen presents more hand-tool woodworking projects for the home and workshop. The projects have a distinctive retro look, recycling designs from our not-so-distant past. He has reconceived the classic library card catalog (converted to use for kitchen storage); a clever medicine chest does double duty as a four-bottle wine tote; and his gentleman’s valet is an elegant clothing stand with a profile that harks back in time. In the opening chapters, Fidgen discusses the benefits of working in an unplugged woodshop, considers the sources of design inspiration, offers advice on the critical importance of sharpening, and even explains how to make hand tools using only hand tools.

    And the authors have emerged with armloads of pearls for readers.Instead of serving up a list of formulas with magical names (i.e. the Golden Section, the Rule of Thirds) that will transform the mundane into perfection, George R. Walker and Jim Tolpin show how much of the world is governed by simple proportions, noting how ratios such as 1:2; 3:5 and 4:5 were ubiquitous in the designs of pre-industrial artisans. And the tool that helps us explore this world, then as now, are dividers.The key to good design is to master these basic “notes” – much like learning to sing “do, re, mi.” How to do this is the subject of the first three-quarters of the book. It offers exercises, examples and encouragement in opening your inner eye, propping it up with toothpicks and learning the simple geometry that will help you improve your design.The last quarter of “By Hand & Eye” takes these principles and puts them into practice by designing nine projects that are decidedly contemporary – proof positive that design isn’t reserved for highboys and 18th-century Philadelphia side chairs. The projects show all of the book’s design principles in full flower, and yet the projects are small enough and simple enough (for the most part) that you can use them as a way to explore the book’s concepts without risking a lot of wood or time in the process.

    Strong, appropriate, and well-fitting joints are one of the hallmarks of the skilled woodworker. Making them properly requires intelligent planning, accurate marking out, and a sufficient degree of care in the cutting, fitting, and final assembly. A methodical approach is essential, and that is what this book provides. Professional woodworker John Bullar takes us through choosing the appropriate joint for the purpose to assembling finished pieces. We learn about timber selection, tools and adhesives, but above all we learn the working methods and habits that are needed to achieve consistently good results. The traditional hand techniques that are still the essential foundation of the woodworker’s skill are fully explained. The section on machine-made joints covers every power tool needed for joints and how to get the best results from everything from a biscuit jointer and bandsaw to the router.

    Planes can process timber in its rough state, bring boards up to a glimmering smoothness, cut rabbets, dados, grooves and other joints, and trim wood with a precision that has yet to be matched by power tools. Yet many woodworkers both beginners and professionals are intimidated by choosing the right tool, sharpening its cutter and putting it to use. And that's why Christopher Schwarz, the editor of Woodworking Magazine , wrote this book. Handplane Essentials contains everything you need to choose the right tool for your budget and project, take it out of the box, sharpen it and use it successfully. The chapters in this book have been compiled from more than 10 years of the author's writing on the subject of handplanes in magazines, trade journals and blogs. Here's what you'll find inside the 312 pages: The Basics Learn what the different handplanes are used for. Decode their crazy numbering system so you can focus instead on what each tool does. And figure out what specific planes you need in your shop. Sharpening Learning to hone your cutters to a keen edge is the secret to getting your planes to work. Handplane Essentials shows you how to get this done no matter what sort of sharpening system you use now. Techniques Learn how to flatten individual boards, panels and even enormous tabletops with just a few bench planes. Learn to use specialty planes to cut grooves, rabbets and other joints. History Philosophy If you understand historical practice, you'll be a better handplane user even if you choose to reject the traditional methods. Learn to pick a wellmade old tool based on how it is made. Reviews Find out who makes the best highquality tool, whether it's a 50 plane from India or a 5,000 plane custommade by a machinist in Scotland. The author has tried them all.

    But you do need intimate knowledge of how our raw material grows and – more importantly – how it responds to its environment after it has been cut and dried.This knowledge allows you to tame the wood into the shapes that you have envisioned in your head. And it ensures that your furniture will endure the seasons and age with grace and aplomb.That is we are particularly pleased to announce the latest book from Lost Art Press: “With the Grain: A Craftsman’s Guide to Understanding Wood” by Christian Becksvoort. This is the book about wood that we wished we’d had when we started woodworking.It is, above all, succinct, easy to understand and perfectly suited for the furniture-maker. As important as what is in its 144 pages is what is not. It’s not a detailed analysis of cell growth. It is not a heap of tables and equations for figuring truss loads in residential construction. It is decidedly not a scientist’s approach to the material.Instead, “With the Grain” contains the facts you need to know at the lumberyard, in the woodlot and in the shop. It gives you enough science so you understand how trees grow. It explains the handful of formulas you have to know as a furniture-maker. And it gives you a hearty dose of specific information about North American species that will inspire you. Becksvoort encourages you to use the trees in your neighborhood and makes the case that just because you cannot find catalpa at the lumberyard doesn’t mean it’s not a good furniture wood.You’ll learn to identify the trees around you from their silhouette, leaves and shoots. And you’ll learn about how these species work in the shop – both their advantages and pitfalls.Becksvoort then takes you into a detailed discussion of how wood reacts to it environment – the heart of the book. You’ll learn how to calculate and accommodate wood movement with confidence and precision. And you’ll learn how to design furniture assemblies – casework, drawers, doors and moulding – so they will move with the seasons without cracking.There’s also a chapter on how to manage a small forest or copse of trees – how to care for them, encourage them to thrive and harvest them. You’ll learn the basics of cutting, stacking and drying the wood, if you should ever have the privilege of harvesting your own lumber.

    Although the full monastery reconstruction will not be completed until 2030, one of the primary temples, the Picture Hall, has been wholly restored employing the same woodworking technology used to create the original building. This new edition of an architectural classic is by Azby Brown—one of the world's leading experts on Japanese architecture. It contains a new preface and many new text materials and photographs—most of them now available in color for the first time. Azby Brown chronicles the painstaking restoration of the temple through extensive interviews with the carpenters and woodworkers along with original drawings based on the plans of master carpenter Tsunekazu Nishioka.An inspiring testament to the dedication of these craftsmen and their philosophy of carpentry work as a form of personal fulfillment, The Genius of Japanese Carpentry offers detailed documentation of this singular project and a moving reminder of the unique cultural continuity found in Japan.