Reddit mentions: The best woodworking books

Indian Nationalism, a collection edited by S Irfan Habib. Just finished reading it a couple of days ago, top notch stuff. Includes essays/ speeches by many of the most freedom fighters and it's amazing how idealistic and positive about the future most of them were.

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.in/Indian-Nationalism-Essential-Irfan-Habib/dp/9386021056/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1521845962&sr=8-3&keywords=indian+nationalism

Oh, geez. Not Ana White. She doesn't know the first thing about joinery and her stuff is to woodworking as heating a can of spaghetti is to cooking. It is inadequate and doesn't teach you anything you need to know.

If you want to do some real woodworking, start with Tage Frid's books. Tage teaches you how to do real joinery both with hand and power tools. Traditional joinery is the difference between something left out for trash collection in a few years and a piece of furniture that gets used for 300 years. (Yes, well-made furniture will last that long or longer.) Screws and pocket jig stuff just doesn't hold up the way joinery techniques that have been used for hundreds of years will. Further, traditional joinery is not difficult and doesn't take much more time.

Second, learn about proportions and design. A good place to start is with the number Phi, also known as the Golden Section. There are other ways to proportion, but Phi always gives pleasing results. If you've never heard of 1.618 before, it's a little mind-blowing. You'll start seeing it everywhere.

Once you start sketching things out using Phi and using traditional joinery, you'll be making beautiful things that last for a very long time. Do not waste your time with crap. Make something wonderful that will still be in your family 200 years from now.

I would highly recommend This Book . He goes through the basics in detail and then spends quite a bit of time on the more decorative stuff. I knew nothing about flooring when I started and I was able to put this together before moving into our house. The hard part is getting your floor prepped, leveled etc.. Once you have a nice flat surface, laying out the floor and nailing it down are relatively easy if you have the right tools (most of which can be rented). I don't like the look of pre-finished boards so I finished myself. They make a sander called U-sand with DIY people in mind, it is much more forgiving than a drum sander although it takes a little longer. I am happy with the results I achieved and very glad I didn't spend to have someone else do it.

Awesome, thanks for the reply. I browsed your comment history some and it seems that you've been to quite a few NPs out west. Is there any we should steer clear of due to too harsh of conditions? Or for other reasons? I'm definitely planning on picking up a copy of Nat Geo's National Park Guide or something similar to help with the search. Recommend any books/guides in particular?

this is a fantastic book that tells you about all the common power tools.


it also tells you how to do things you wouldn't expect you should be able to do, like making a bowl on a table saw.


one of the cool things about this book is the plans for all the jigs, like how to turn a $50 hand held circular saw into a table saw, or a router into a jointer/planer.

There's nothing you can't do without the right tools, patience and some will to learn. With that being said, I can't recommend Taunton's Press books enough. YouTube videos and online tutorials are good, but these books are so well made, easy to follow and make for fantastic handheld references:

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Wiring Complete

Plumbing Complete

Carpentry Complete

Trim Complete

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Start small. Take it one project at a time. There's nothing that you see on a DIY show that you can't do yourself. I'm a firm believer in that.

There's a few books you can get to start things out. If you go through them and it doesn't diminish your passion but increases it, they'll set you on course to get started on your own. They also are worth reading if you've already begun.

• The Soul of a Tree - A Woodworker's Reflections by George Nakashima
  
  
• Good Clean Fun - Misadventures in Sawdust at the Offerman Woodshop by Nick Offerman
  
  
• The Art of Japanese Joinery by Kiyose Seike
  
  
• Illustrated Cabinetmaking - How to Design and Construct Furniture that Works by Bill Hylton
  
  
• Hand Tools - Their Ways and Workings by Aldren A. Watson
  
  
• The Real Wood Bible - The Complete Illustrated Guide to Choosing and Using 100 Decorative Woods by Nick Gibbs
  
  
• Woodworking - The Right Technique by Bob Moran
  
  
• Woodworking 101 - Skill Building Projects that Teach the Basics by Aimé Fraser, Matthew Teague, and Joe Hurst-Wajszczuk
  
  Source here for this list of books with additional ones (that I haven't personally seen or read).
  
  Edit:
  Apologies if these are in the sidebar. I'm on mobile and can't view it.

Here are all the local Amazon links I could find:


amazon.co.uk

amazon.ca

amazon.com.au

amazon.in

amazon.com.mx

amazon.de

amazon.it

amazon.es

amazon.com.br

amazon.nl

amazon.co.jp

amazon.fr

Beep bloop. I'm a bot to convert Amazon ebook links to local Amazon sites.
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Both of these have good ideas and plans, well worth $30:

Reinventing the Chicken Coop: 14 Original Designs

Backyard Chickens' Guide to Coops and Tractors

I love this book: Tage Frid Woodworking Book I: Joinery

He really goes start to finish and step by step for all different types of joints. $5 used on Amazon

After 10 seconds searching in the comments, I found it. Thanks!

http://www.amazon.com/Joints-Collins-Good-Albert-Jackson/dp/0007139764/

Making Cabinets & Built-Ins: Planning Building Installing* is a very good book to learn woodworking, and it gives a beginning tool list.

You're in luck. There's really only one answer to this question. Understanding wood finishing by Flexner.

This book is a good reference to have.

> Collins Good Wood Joints

http://www.amazon.com/Joints-Collins-Good-Albert-Jackson/dp/0007139764/

All my planes are Stanleys picked up off ebay. I think I learned the most from this book by chris Schwarz and the books by Tage Frid. I just went to a Lie-Nielsen handtool event, and only tried one plane - I quickly put it down and went to something else. They're wonderful, but I really can't afford them right now.

My first real woodworking project was the blanket chest on the New Yankee Workshop. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PidhpSzs-WA

The plans for it are in the NYWS book, you can get a used copy for $4 paperback or $4.23 on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/New-Yankee-Workshop-Norm-Abram/dp/0316004537/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1375898247

Tage Frid Teaches woodworking Book I: Joinery

Tage Frid Teaches Woodworking, Books 1,2,3: Joinery; Shaping, Veneering, Finishing; Furniture making

He also sells books that give the same information. Look up The Backyard Bowyer, or just look up Nicholas Tomihama.
Here's a link to one of his books:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Backyard-Bowyer-Beginners-Building/dp/0983248109

Working in Wood https://www.amazon.com/dp/0399125507/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_KPwMBb2F6Q5FH

I dont agree with the whole of this book, but it is a complete methodology. Once you master the basics you can start to form your own opinions and methods for dealing with wood movement, finishes, etc.

If you're serious about learning classic joining techniques with modern tooling, Yeung Chang's book is indispensable.

https://www.amazon.com/Classic-Joints-Power-Tools-Yeung/dp/1579902790