As clear as a book can be., 24 Sep 2007
As a small woodland owner and aspiring wood turner I found this book inspiring. A no nonsense, clear, step by step manual for planning and making a selection of objects from green wood. The information given regarding tree growth is helpfull in enabling the reader to select the best wood for turning and the photographs and associated text are very clear and informative during the entire process from design, planning, material selection, making the piece, sanding, drying and finishing. Six projects are shown in detail from bowls to goblets with some interesting tips and tricks. As a novice wood worker this book gives me hope that I too can make use of this often free resource. Time to go shaving.

Good wood book, 13 Jan 2003
I really enjoyed this book.
Combining photographs and line drawings in an easy to understand manner enables the reader to get to grips with what the author is explaining very quickly.

As the title suggests the nature of green timber is also explained in a very accesible manner.

Green Turning Explained, 06 Nov 2000
Are you fed up with the exhorbitant prices being demanded by suppliers for turning blanks and squares? Green timber can be obtained for next to nothing. The author takes us through the mechanics of the living tree and explains how to obtain, use and store unseasoned timber. The comprehensive descriptions and illustration of turning projects enable even comparative novices like me to produce quality items. This book fills a gap in the woodturning library.

As clear as a book can be., 24 Sep 2007
As a small woodland owner and aspiring wood turner I found this book inspiring. A no nonsense, clear, step by step manual for planning and making a selection of objects from green wood. The information given regarding tree growth is helpfull in enabling the reader to select the best wood for turning and the photographs and associated text are very clear and informative during the entire process from design, planning, material selection, making the piece, sanding, drying and finishing. Six projects are shown in detail from bowls to goblets with some interesting tips and tricks. As a novice wood worker this book gives me hope that I too can make use of this often free resource. Time to go shaving.

Good wood book, 13 Jan 2003
I really enjoyed this book.
Combining photographs and line drawings in an easy to understand manner enables the reader to get to grips with what the author is explaining very quickly.

As the title suggests the nature of green timber is also explained in a very accesible manner.

Green Turning Explained, 06 Nov 2000
Are you fed up with the exhorbitant prices being demanded by suppliers for turning blanks and squares? Green timber can be obtained for next to nothing. The author takes us through the mechanics of the living tree and explains how to obtain, use and store unseasoned timber. The comprehensive descriptions and illustration of turning projects enable even comparative novices like me to produce quality items. This book fills a gap in the woodturning library.

A UK view of an American book, 16 Mar 2006
I have had my router for 3 years and have used it a great deal recently but this book was packed with some eye opening tips on gaining more from its use.

It contains views from American users with some great tips to maximise the use of my router. From simple tips of fence positioning to templates for hinges and carpentry joints.

Packed with useful information and highly recommended.

As clear as a book can be., 24 Sep 2007
As a small woodland owner and aspiring wood turner I found this book inspiring. A no nonsense, clear, step by step manual for planning and making a selection of objects from green wood. The information given regarding tree growth is helpfull in enabling the reader to select the best wood for turning and the photographs and associated text are very clear and informative during the entire process from design, planning, material selection, making the piece, sanding, drying and finishing. Six projects are shown in detail from bowls to goblets with some interesting tips and tricks. As a novice wood worker this book gives me hope that I too can make use of this often free resource. Time to go shaving.

Good wood book, 13 Jan 2003
I really enjoyed this book.
Combining photographs and line drawings in an easy to understand manner enables the reader to get to grips with what the author is explaining very quickly.

As the title suggests the nature of green timber is also explained in a very accesible manner.

Green Turning Explained, 06 Nov 2000
Are you fed up with the exhorbitant prices being demanded by suppliers for turning blanks and squares? Green timber can be obtained for next to nothing. The author takes us through the mechanics of the living tree and explains how to obtain, use and store unseasoned timber. The comprehensive descriptions and illustration of turning projects enable even comparative novices like me to produce quality items. This book fills a gap in the woodturning library.

A UK view of an American book, 16 Mar 2006
I have had my router for 3 years and have used it a great deal recently but this book was packed with some eye opening tips on gaining more from its use.

It contains views from American users with some great tips to maximise the use of my router. From simple tips of fence positioning to templates for hinges and carpentry joints.

Packed with useful information and highly recommended.

Demystifying bandsaws, 22 Jan 2004
It's said that a bandsaw is a simple machine, but it's a big scary thing if you've never used one! The Bandsaw Book demystifies buying, adjustment and use with excellent illustrations and helpful text. Whilst based on the US market, European machines are not ignored and the content is generic to all makes. Most useful!

As clear as a book can be., 24 Sep 2007
As a small woodland owner and aspiring wood turner I found this book inspiring. A no nonsense, clear, step by step manual for planning and making a selection of objects from green wood. The information given regarding tree growth is helpfull in enabling the reader to select the best wood for turning and the photographs and associated text are very clear and informative during the entire process from design, planning, material selection, making the piece, sanding, drying and finishing. Six projects are shown in detail from bowls to goblets with some interesting tips and tricks. As a novice wood worker this book gives me hope that I too can make use of this often free resource. Time to go shaving.

Good wood book, 13 Jan 2003
I really enjoyed this book.
Combining photographs and line drawings in an easy to understand manner enables the reader to get to grips with what the author is explaining very quickly.

As the title suggests the nature of green timber is also explained in a very accesible manner.

Green Turning Explained, 06 Nov 2000
Are you fed up with the exhorbitant prices being demanded by suppliers for turning blanks and squares? Green timber can be obtained for next to nothing. The author takes us through the mechanics of the living tree and explains how to obtain, use and store unseasoned timber. The comprehensive descriptions and illustration of turning projects enable even comparative novices like me to produce quality items. This book fills a gap in the woodturning library.

A UK view of an American book, 16 Mar 2006
I have had my router for 3 years and have used it a great deal recently but this book was packed with some eye opening tips on gaining more from its use.

It contains views from American users with some great tips to maximise the use of my router. From simple tips of fence positioning to templates for hinges and carpentry joints.

Packed with useful information and highly recommended.

Demystifying bandsaws, 22 Jan 2004
It's said that a bandsaw is a simple machine, but it's a big scary thing if you've never used one! The Bandsaw Book demystifies buying, adjustment and use with excellent illustrations and helpful text. Whilst based on the US market, European machines are not ignored and the content is generic to all makes. Most useful!

Great woodworking text, 30 Aug 2006
This book has inspired and educated, it covers the history of tool boxes and the evolution through to practical solutions for there design and use.
If you can't find a style to suit then give up woodworking now!

Great ideas and styles, 28 Jul 2000
A great history of the toolbox with some good ideas. I hoped for some more detail on fitting out options but am still glad I own this book. I review it often for design ideas outside the realm of toolboxes.

Inspiration for building beautiful boxes, 10 May 2000
Contained within the pages of this book is everything to inspire you to have a beautiful container for holding your tools. The history starts from the earliest simple chests to hi-tech tool boxes as used in space. The photographs are very well shot, with the copy being very readable. The toolboxes shown in this book will supply more than enough material for any competent woodworker make their own unique toolbox. One section that is particularly inspiring is about work of the school in Boston. Just because a tool box is very practical it does not mean it cannot be beautiful.

Not for the faint-of-heart., 16 Apr 1999
This book is a great overview of different philiosophies and methods of making boxes for tools. No, there are not many plans cintained in it. You show me a serious woodcrafter who usually builds things from plans and not designed by themselves, and I'll show you someone 'pretending' to be a serious woodworker. I read the book cover to cover many times and used it to build my toolbox from many of the ideas in the book suited to my tastes. I plan on getting to other books in this series.

This is a great book, 05 Jul 1998
This is a great book, but is for the advanced to professional woodworker.It gives many, many design ideas but little on how to implement them. Implementation of ideas is left to the woodworker, adding to the versatility of this book.

As clear as a book can be., 24 Sep 2007
As a small woodland owner and aspiring wood turner I found this book inspiring. A no nonsense, clear, step by step manual for planning and making a selection of objects from green wood. The information given regarding tree growth is helpfull in enabling the reader to select the best wood for turning and the photographs and associated text are very clear and informative during the entire process from design, planning, material selection, making the piece, sanding, drying and finishing. Six projects are shown in detail from bowls to goblets with some interesting tips and tricks. As a novice wood worker this book gives me hope that I too can make use of this often free resource. Time to go shaving.

Good wood book, 13 Jan 2003
I really enjoyed this book.
Combining photographs and line drawings in an easy to understand manner enables the reader to get to grips with what the author is explaining very quickly.

As the title suggests the nature of green timber is also explained in a very accesible manner.

Green Turning Explained, 06 Nov 2000
Are you fed up with the exhorbitant prices being demanded by suppliers for turning blanks and squares? Green timber can be obtained for next to nothing. The author takes us through the mechanics of the living tree and explains how to obtain, use and store unseasoned timber. The comprehensive descriptions and illustration of turning projects enable even comparative novices like me to produce quality items. This book fills a gap in the woodturning library.

A UK view of an American book, 16 Mar 2006
I have had my router for 3 years and have used it a great deal recently but this book was packed with some eye opening tips on gaining more from its use.

It contains views from American users with some great tips to maximise the use of my router. From simple tips of fence positioning to templates for hinges and carpentry joints.

Packed with useful information and highly recommended.

Demystifying bandsaws, 22 Jan 2004
It's said that a bandsaw is a simple machine, but it's a big scary thing if you've never used one! The Bandsaw Book demystifies buying, adjustment and use with excellent illustrations and helpful text. Whilst based on the US market, European machines are not ignored and the content is generic to all makes. Most useful!

Great woodworking text, 30 Aug 2006
This book has inspired and educated, it covers the history of tool boxes and the evolution through to practical solutions for there design and use.
If you can't find a style to suit then give up woodworking now!

Great ideas and styles, 28 Jul 2000
A great history of the toolbox with some good ideas. I hoped for some more detail on fitting out options but am still glad I own this book. I review it often for design ideas outside the realm of toolboxes.

Inspiration for building beautiful boxes, 10 May 2000
Contained within the pages of this book is everything to inspire you to have a beautiful container for holding your tools. The history starts from the earliest simple chests to hi-tech tool boxes as used in space. The photographs are very well shot, with the copy being very readable. The toolboxes shown in this book will supply more than enough material for any competent woodworker make their own unique toolbox. One section that is particularly inspiring is about work of the school in Boston. Just because a tool box is very practical it does not mean it cannot be beautiful.

Not for the faint-of-heart., 16 Apr 1999
This book is a great overview of different philiosophies and methods of making boxes for tools. No, there are not many plans cintained in it. You show me a serious woodcrafter who usually builds things from plans and not designed by themselves, and I'll show you someone 'pretending' to be a serious woodworker. I read the book cover to cover many times and used it to build my toolbox from many of the ideas in the book suited to my tastes. I plan on getting to other books in this series.

This is a great book, 05 Jul 1998
This is a great book, but is for the advanced to professional woodworker.It gives many, many design ideas but little on how to implement them. Implementation of ideas is left to the woodworker, adding to the versatility of this book.

A MUST FOR WOODWORKERS, 03 May 2006
An absolutely first rate book for all interested in woodwork. I am not a proffessional woodworker just a keen amateur and I have found this book riveting. It covers the history, sharpening, tuning, how to use and provides a mass of information on what to look for when purchasing and renovating fine used planes. The text is easily understood by all levels of woodworker and I can not recommend thIS book more highly.

Beautifully presented, well written and very informative, 08 Aug 2001
I have had more pleasure from this book than almost any other. Lest this seem an overstatement, the quality of the book is such that it can be used as a resource for historical information or as a practical guide to the best use of handplanes. The photographs, taken with a real artistry by the photographer John S. Sheldon, link with the text to perfection. There are many sidebars (panels) that expand the detail given to a particular topic. A technical book of this quality is rare. The writing is outstanding, the text elegant and unobtrusive. For all these qualities, this book will find a place, not only on the shelves of the craftsman, but also amongst the books of those who admire good writing and design.

A beautifully illustrated tome of necessary knowledge, 14 Sep 1998
When you finally decide to defect from the world of routers, jointers and power planers, come read from this book. Garrett has taken what some would argue is an outdated tool and shown its practical use. The Handplane Book gives great overviews on the various types of planes that exist - old, new and new versions of oldies. Garrett shows you how to set many of these planes up to achieve results that power tool users can only dream of (try getting a glass smooth surface with sandpaper - read the book and you'll understand why you can't). As for the photographs, only the most beautiful tool examples were used, and were very well shot. Nice enough to put on your coffee table ;-) For any fan of manually powered craftsmanship (smoothing and shaping in specific) or those who understand the simple beauty of a hand tool, this is a must have.

Handplanes are valuable tools that should get more use., 20 Jul 1998
I have recently purchased a new Lie-Nielson plane that worked great out of the box after a little honing of the blade. It will never replace the now tuned Stanley transitional plane. This book showed me the value of a well-tuned tool, old or new, and deepened my appreciation of hand tools. Having grown weary of noisey power tools, I have shifted my focus towards more traditional hand tools. These tools don't come with manuals, which makes this book all the more valuable to have. After reading of some specialty planes. I know which I should look for while searching flea markets, garage sales, and woodworking catalogs.

This an excellent book for novice and expert woodworkers., 17 May 1998
This book covers all aspects of almost every type of handplane including their tuning, uses, and specialty items. There are many great tips that I have found invaluable. This a book that on first glance I thought would be boring or uninformative, but instead I found it to be very interesting, well written and illustrated, and of high quality.

As clear as a book can be., 24 Sep 2007
As a small woodland owner and aspiring wood turner I found this book inspiring. A no nonsense, clear, step by step manual for planning and making a selection of objects from green wood. The information given regarding tree growth is helpfull in enabling the reader to select the best wood for turning and the photographs and associated text are very clear and informative during the entire process from design, planning, material selection, making the piece, sanding, drying and finishing. Six projects are shown in detail from bowls to goblets with some interesting tips and tricks. As a novice wood worker this book gives me hope that I too can make use of this often free resource. Time to go shaving.

Good wood book, 13 Jan 2003
I really enjoyed this book.
Combining photographs and line drawings in an easy to understand manner enables the reader to get to grips with what the author is explaining very quickly.

As the title suggests the nature of green timber is also explained in a very accesible manner.

Green Turning Explained, 06 Nov 2000
Are you fed up with the exhorbitant prices being demanded by suppliers for turning blanks and squares? Green timber can be obtained for next to nothing. The author takes us through the mechanics of the living tree and explains how to obtain, use and store unseasoned timber. The comprehensive descriptions and illustration of turning projects enable even comparative novices like me to produce quality items. This book fills a gap in the woodturning library.

A UK view of an American book, 16 Mar 2006
I have had my router for 3 years and have used it a great deal recently but this book was packed with some eye opening tips on gaining more from its use.

It contains views from American users with some great tips to maximise the use of my router. From simple tips of fence positioning to templates for hinges and carpentry joints.

Packed with useful information and highly recommended.

Demystifying bandsaws, 22 Jan 2004
It's said that a bandsaw is a simple machine, but it's a big scary thing if you've never used one! The Bandsaw Book demystifies buying, adjustment and use with excellent illustrations and helpful text. Whilst based on the US market, European machines are not ignored and the content is generic to all makes. Most useful!

Great woodworking text, 30 Aug 2006
This book has inspired and educated, it covers the history of tool boxes and the evolution through to practical solutions for there design and use.
If you can't find a style to suit then give up woodworking now!

Great ideas and styles, 28 Jul 2000
A great history of the toolbox with some good ideas. I hoped for some more detail on fitting out options but am still glad I own this book. I review it often for design ideas outside the realm of toolboxes.

Inspiration for building beautiful boxes, 10 May 2000
Contained within the pages of this book is everything to inspire you to have a beautiful container for holding your tools. The history starts from the earliest simple chests to hi-tech tool boxes as used in space. The photographs are very well shot, with the copy being very readable. The toolboxes shown in this book will supply more than enough material for any competent woodworker make their own unique toolbox. One section that is particularly inspiring is about work of the school in Boston. Just because a tool box is very practical it does not mean it cannot be beautiful.

Not for the faint-of-heart., 16 Apr 1999
This book is a great overview of different philiosophies and methods of making boxes for tools. No, there are not many plans cintained in it. You show me a serious woodcrafter who usually builds things from plans and not designed by themselves, and I'll show you someone 'pretending' to be a serious woodworker. I read the book cover to cover many times and used it to build my toolbox from many of the ideas in the book suited to my tastes. I plan on getting to other books in this series.

This is a great book, 05 Jul 1998
This is a great book, but is for the advanced to professional woodworker.It gives many, many design ideas but little on how to implement them. Implementation of ideas is left to the woodworker, adding to the versatility of this book.

A MUST FOR WOODWORKERS, 03 May 2006
An absolutely first rate book for all interested in woodwork. I am not a proffessional woodworker just a keen amateur and I have found this book riveting. It covers the history, sharpening, tuning, how to use and provides a mass of information on what to look for when purchasing and renovating fine used planes. The text is easily understood by all levels of woodworker and I can not recommend thIS book more highly.

Beautifully presented, well written and very informative, 08 Aug 2001
I have had more pleasure from this book than almost any other. Lest this seem an overstatement, the quality of the book is such that it can be used as a resource for historical information or as a practical guide to the best use of handplanes. The photographs, taken with a real artistry by the photographer John S. Sheldon, link with the text to perfection. There are many sidebars (panels) that expand the detail given to a particular topic. A technical book of this quality is rare. The writing is outstanding, the text elegant and unobtrusive. For all these qualities, this book will find a place, not only on the shelves of the craftsman, but also amongst the books of those who admire good writing and design.

A beautifully illustrated tome of necessary knowledge, 14 Sep 1998
When you finally decide to defect from the world of routers, jointers and power planers, come read from this book. Garrett has taken what some would argue is an outdated tool and shown its practical use. The Handplane Book gives great overviews on the various types of planes that exist - old, new and new versions of oldies. Garrett shows you how to set many of these planes up to achieve results that power tool users can only dream of (try getting a glass smooth surface with sandpaper - read the book and you'll understand why you can't). As for the photographs, only the most beautiful tool examples were used, and were very well shot. Nice enough to put on your coffee table ;-) For any fan of manually powered craftsmanship (smoothing and shaping in specific) or those who understand the simple beauty of a hand tool, this is a must have.

Handplanes are valuable tools that should get more use., 20 Jul 1998
I have recently purchased a new Lie-Nielson plane that worked great out of the box after a little honing of the blade. It will never replace the now tuned Stanley transitional plane. This book showed me the value of a well-tuned tool, old or new, and deepened my appreciation of hand tools. Having grown weary of noisey power tools, I have shifted my focus towards more traditional hand tools. These tools don't come with manuals, which makes this book all the more valuable to have. After reading of some specialty planes. I know which I should look for while searching flea markets, garage sales, and woodworking catalogs.

This an excellent book for novice and expert woodworkers., 17 May 1998
This book covers all aspects of almost every type of handplane including their tuning, uses, and specialty items. There are many great tips that I have found invaluable. This a book that on first glance I thought would be boring or uninformative, but instead I found it to be very interesting, well written and illustrated, and of high quality.

Work with wood? Design your own bench, 18 Feb 2001
OK where do I start ....

This is a great book. Inspirational. Great photos and illustrations, well written, fascinating history, deep insight into the various uses of benches and the techniques of holding workpieces.

I bought this to inspire the design of my own bench.

Now this book might not be for everyone, so I am breaking this review into bits:

Beginner: will educate you to the history of woodworking and inspire you. Making your own bench is probably beyond you at the moment. If you have a love of woodworking, this will fire your enthusiasm.

Novice: can give you ideas for the future. There are sketches in this book, but not plans, especially not detailed router diagrams with measurements.

Intermediate: (you can design your own projects) get it. You should seriously consider making your own workbench, to your own requirements and style. This book will show you many possibilities and get your thinking.

Advanced: well you should definetely get it, and make yourself a variety of benches to suit different applications.

I really enjoy this book. I have designed my own bench with the many, many ideas from this book. I have many innovative concepts, and specific requirements - for example, I carry my bench into the courtyard, and so have a hole in the middle where I can put a beach umbrella to keep the sun off (not to mention fact that it must be light enough to lift). I also work with leather, jewelry, metal, and beads, so I need adaptability for hammering, soldering, velvet lining to prevent beads escaping, etc etc you get the picture.

This book gave me many many ideas for various means of clamping a work to the bench .. things that I can make myself, which is great. For example, there is a detailed diagram for cutting your own woodscrew, to build your own vice.

Hmmm... a bit of a warning to power tool users, however, this is not really aimed at power tool users. The benches are designed for traditional woodwork, although the techniques are still useful for you if you want to build yoru own router bench.

Note there are benches for carving as well, Japanese approaches, medieval benches ...

Overall I am very pleased with this book and I would recommend to anyone. Furthermore, I would recommend it as a present, I don't know anyone who works with wood who would not be pleased with this one, although as a present I would first recommend some of the books such as Art of Fine Tools or the Handplane book.

A must-read for every serious woodworker!, 19 Jun 1999
If you're a serious woodworker, you need a serious workbench. If you want to build your own workbench, you won't want to do it without first reading "The Workbench Book." Scott Landis superbly covers the world of workbenches and provides a lot of insight into the history and function of workbenches. When I set out to build my workbench, I didn't know what kind I wanted to build. "The Workbench Book" gave me all the information I needed to decide what kind of bench to build and how to build it. But what really surprised me about the book was that even if I wasn't planning to build a bench, it would have been well worth reading simply for the interesting story of the workbench. Scott Landis' knowledge, experience and love of the craft of woodworking, and his respect for the workbench, made the book a joy to read. I not only learned much more about workbenches than I expected; I also gained an appreciation for the craft and those who put their hearts, as well as their hands, into it. If you have even the slightest interest in woodworking, get this book! You won't be disappointed.

Truly an amazing reference., 05 Jan 1999
This is a well written book with many great ideas for workbenches. In defference to the gentleman who gave this book a review of only 2 stars I would say that while it is true that only 5 workbenches had measured drawings, there are probably twenty different workbenches discussed. There are 4 in the japanese work bench chapter alone! Although it is true that these workbenches (as woodworking projects) are probably not beginner projects. But I don't think that they're suppose to be. What I found most interesting was reading the reasons why each woodworker built his bench the way he did. You can really pick up on the different philosophies and work habits of these masters. Once you've digested these ideas it's easy to see how you could take one idea from this bench and another idea from that bench and design "YOUR" bench. Highly recommended.

Excellent investment for those who need a quality workbench., 04 May 1998
This is a well-written & illustrated book for the indvidual who desires a quality workbench. There are options provided which should satisfy any reasonably serious artisan/woodworker. The steps provided are completely adequate for anyone capable of using the workbench selected. I built a bench which utilized a tail vise, bench dogs and face vise. I did not follow any plan provided by the author, but the information given allowed me to build the exact bench I wanted. If any shopper feels the book is "pricey", consider that if your time is worth at least $1.75/hour, this book will save you more than that in time. The jig for the bench dogs and tail vise plans were, by themselves, worth the investment.

As clear as a book can be., 24 Sep 2007
As a small woodland owner and aspiring wood turner I found this book inspiring. A no nonsense, clear, step by step manual for planning and making a selection of objects from green wood. The information given regarding tree growth is helpfull in enabling the reader to select the best wood for turning and the photographs and associated text are very clear and informative during the entire process from design, planning, material selection, making the piece, sanding, drying and finishing. Six projects are shown in detail from bowls to goblets with some interesting tips and tricks. As a novice wood worker this book gives me hope that I too can make use of this often free resource. Time to go shaving.

Good wood book, 13 Jan 2003
I really enjoyed this book.
Combining photographs and line drawings in an easy to understand manner enables the reader to get to grips with what the author is explaining very quickly.

As the title suggests the nature of green timber is also explained in a very accesible manner.

Green Turning Explained, 06 Nov 2000
Are you fed up with the exhorbitant prices being demanded by suppliers for turning blanks and squares? Green timber can be obtained for next to nothing. The author takes us through the mechanics of the living tree and explains how to obtain, use and store unseasoned timber. The comprehensive descriptions and illustration of turning projects enable even comparative novices like me to produce quality items. This book fills a gap in the woodturning library.

A UK view of an American book, 16 Mar 2006
I have had my router for 3 years and have used it a great deal recently but this book was packed with some eye opening tips on gaining more from its use.

It contains views from American users with some great tips to maximise the use of my router. From simple tips of fence positioning to templates for hinges and carpentry joints.

Packed with useful information and highly recommended.

Demystifying bandsaws, 22 Jan 2004
It's said that a bandsaw is a simple machine, but it's a big scary thing if you've never used one! The Bandsaw Book demystifies buying, adjustment and use with excellent illustrations and helpful text. Whilst based on the US market, European machines are not ignored and the content is generic to all makes. Most useful!

Great woodworking text, 30 Aug 2006
This book has inspired and educated, it covers the history of tool boxes and the evolution through to practical solutions for there design and use.
If you can't find a style to suit then give up woodworking now!

Great ideas and styles, 28 Jul 2000
A great history of the toolbox with some good ideas. I hoped for some more detail on fitting out options but am still glad I own this book. I review it often for design ideas outside the realm of toolboxes.

Inspiration for building beautiful boxes, 10 May 2000
Contained within the pages of this book is everything to inspire you to have a beautiful container for holding your tools. The history starts from the earliest simple chests to hi-tech tool boxes as used in space. The photographs are very well shot, with the copy being very readable. The toolboxes shown in this book will supply more than enough material for any competent woodworker make their own unique toolbox. One section that is particularly inspiring is about work of the school in Boston. Just because a tool box is very practical it does not mean it cannot be beautiful.

Not for the faint-of-heart., 16 Apr 1999
This book is a great overview of different philiosophies and methods of making boxes for tools. No, there are not many plans cintained in it. You show me a serious woodcrafter who usually builds things from plans and not designed by themselves, and I'll show you someone 'pretending' to be a serious woodworker. I read the book cover to cover many times and used it to build my toolbox from many of the ideas in the book suited to my tastes. I plan on getting to other books in this series.

This is a great book, 05 Jul 1998
This is a great book, but is for the advanced to professional woodworker.It gives many, many design ideas but little on how to implement them. Implementation of ideas is left to the woodworker, adding to the versatility of this book.

A MUST FOR WOODWORKERS, 03 May 2006
An absolutely first rate book for all interested in woodwork. I am not a proffessional woodworker just a keen amateur and I have found this book riveting. It covers the history, sharpening, tuning, how to use and provides a mass of information on what to look for when purchasing and renovating fine used planes. The text is easily understood by all levels of woodworker and I can not recommend thIS book more highly.

Beautifully presented, well written and very informative, 08 Aug 2001
I have had more pleasure from this book than almost any other. Lest this seem an overstatement, the quality of the book is such that it can be used as a resource for historical information or as a practical guide to the best use of handplanes. The photographs, taken with a real artistry by the photographer John S. Sheldon, link with the text to perfection. There are many sidebars (panels) that expand the detail given to a particular topic. A technical book of this quality is rare. The writing is outstanding, the text elegant and unobtrusive. For all these qualities, this book will find a place, not only on the shelves of the craftsman, but also amongst the books of those who admire good writing and design.

A beautifully illustrated tome of necessary knowledge, 14 Sep 1998
When you finally decide to defect from the world of routers, jointers and power planers, come read from this book. Garrett has taken what some would argue is an outdated tool and shown its practical use. The Handplane Book gives great overviews on the various types of planes that exist - old, new and new versions of oldies. Garrett shows you how to set many of these planes up to achieve results that power tool users can only dream of (try getting a glass smooth surface with sandpaper - read the book and you'll understand why you can't). As for the photographs, only the most beautiful tool examples were used, and were very well shot. Nice enough to put on your coffee table ;-) For any fan of manually powered craftsmanship (smoothing and shaping in specific) or those who understand the simple beauty of a hand tool, this is a must have.

Handplanes are valuable tools that should get more use., 20 Jul 1998
I have recently purchased a new Lie-Nielson plane that worked great out of the box after a little honing of the blade. It will never replace the now tuned Stanley transitional plane. This book showed me the value of a well-tuned tool, old or new, and deepened my appreciation of hand tools. Having grown weary of noisey power tools, I have shifted my focus towards more traditional hand tools. These tools don't come with manuals, which makes this book all the more valuable to have. After reading of some specialty planes. I know which I should look for while searching flea markets, garage sales, and woodworking catalogs.

This an excellent book for novice and expert woodworkers., 17 May 1998
This book covers all aspects of almost every type of handplane including their tuning, uses, and specialty items. There are many great tips that I have found invaluable. This a book that on first glance I thought would be boring or uninformative, but instead I found it to be very interesting, well written and illustrated, and of high quality.

Work with wood? Design your own bench, 18 Feb 2001
OK where do I start ....

This is a great book. Inspirational. Great photos and illustrations, well written, fascinating history, deep insight into the various uses of benches and the techniques of holding workpieces.

I bought this to inspire the design of my own bench.

Now this book might not be for everyone, so I am breaking this review into bits:

Beginner: will educate you to the history of woodworking and inspire you. Making your own bench is probably beyond you at the moment. If you have a love of woodworking, this will fire your enthusiasm.

Novice: can give you ideas for the future. There are sketches in this book, but not plans, especially not detailed router diagrams with measurements.

Intermediate: (you can design your own projects) get it. You should seriously consider making your own workbench, to your own requirements and style. This book will show you many possibilities and get your thinking.

Advanced: well you should definetely get it, and make yourself a variety of benches to suit different applications.

I really enjoy this book. I have designed my own bench with the many, many ideas from this book. I have many innovative concepts, and specific requirements - for example, I carry my bench into the courtyard, and so have a hole in the middle where I can put a beach umbrella to keep the sun off (not to mention fact that it must be light enough to lift). I also work with leather, jewelry, metal, and beads, so I need adaptability for hammering, soldering, velvet lining to prevent beads escaping, etc etc you get the picture.

This book gave me many many ideas for various means of clamping a work to the bench .. things that I can make myself, which is great. For example, there is a detailed diagram for cutting your own woodscrew, to build your own vice.

Hmmm... a bit of a warning to power tool users, however, this is not really aimed at power tool users. The benches are designed for traditional woodwork, although the techniques are still useful for you if you want to build yoru own router bench.

Note there are benches for carving as well, Japanese approaches, medieval benches ...

Overall I am very pleased with this book and I would recommend to anyone. Furthermore, I would recommend it as a present, I don't know anyone who works with wood who would not be pleased with this one, although as a present I would first recommend some of the books such as Art of Fine Tools or the Handplane book.

A must-read for every serious woodworker!, 19 Jun 1999
If you're a serious woodworker, you need a serious workbench. If you want to build your own workbench, you won't want to do it without first reading "The Workbench Book." Scott Landis superbly covers the world of workbenches and provides a lot of insight into the history and function of workbenches. When I set out to build my workbench, I didn't know what kind I wanted to build. "The Workbench Book" gave me all the information I needed to decide what kind of bench to build and how to build it. But what really surprised me about the book was that even if I wasn't planning to build a bench, it would have been well worth reading simply for the interesting story of the workbench. Scott Landis' knowledge, experience and love of the craft of woodworking, and his respect for the workbench, made the book a joy to read. I not only learned much more about workbenches than I expected; I also gained an appreciation for the craft and those who put their hearts, as well as their hands, into it. If you have even the slightest interest in woodworking, get this book! You won't be disappointed.

Truly an amazing reference., 05 Jan 1999
This is a well written book with many great ideas for workbenches. In defference to the gentleman who gave this book a review of only 2 stars I would say that while it is true that only 5 workbenches had measured drawings, there are probably twenty different workbenches discussed. There are 4 in the japanese work bench chapter alone! Although it is true that these workbenches (as woodworking projects) are probably not beginner projects. But I don't think that they're suppose to be. What I found most interesting was reading the reasons why each woodworker built his bench the way he did. You can really pick up on the different philosophies and work habits of these masters. Once you've digested these ideas it's easy to see how you could take one idea from this bench and another idea from that bench and design "YOUR" bench. Highly recommended.

Excellent investment for those who need a quality workbench., 04 May 1998
This is a well-written & illustrated book for the indvidual who desires a quality workbench. There are options provided which should satisfy any reasonably serious artisan/woodworker. The steps provided are completely adequate for anyone capable of using the workbench selected. I built a bench which utilized a tail vise, bench dogs and face vise. I did not follow any plan provided by the author, but the information given allowed me to build the exact bench I wanted. If any shopper feels the book is "pricey", consider that if your time is worth at least $1.75/hour, this book will save you more than that in time. The jig for the bench dogs and tail vise plans were, by themselves, worth the investment.

New to woodturning?, 10 Mar 2005
As a newcomer to the world of woodturning, I had a hundred questions. This book answered them all! It covers all aspects from the machines and their various parts, basic techniques (without becoming a catalogue of projects or too technical), tools (even to the extent of making some of your own!), Safety in the workshop, maintenance (both tools and machine), finishing and finally, most importantly to any "newcomer", a very good glossary of terms.
All in all a very comprehensive, well written book for the newcomer hobbyist. Full of valuable sound advice and information.

Misleading Tiltle, 01 Feb 2004
I bought this book because of its title - A Complete Guide to the Machine and Its Accessories. The book is far from COMPLETE as it has absolutely no reference whatsoever to metal turning lathes, accessories or practices.

As it pictures a "Wood turning lathe" on the cover and is totally dedicated to the wood turners lathe then the cover title should state the same e.g. "A Complete Guide to the Wood Turning Lathe and Its Accessories"

Getting away from an incorrect title, the books content is very good with plenty of pictures, illustrations and examples of how to operate and use the wood turners lathe.

As clear as a book can be., 24 Sep 2007
As a small woodland owner and aspiring wood turner I found this book inspiring. A no nonsense, clear, step by step manual for planning and making a selection of objects from green wood. The information given regarding tree growth is helpfull in enabling the reader to select the best wood for turning and the photographs and associated text are very clear and informative during the entire process from design, planning, material selection, making the piece, sanding, drying and finishing. Six projects are shown in detail from bowls to goblets with some interesting tips and tricks. As a novice wood worker this book gives me hope that I too can make use of this often free resource. Time to go shaving.

Good wood book, 13 Jan 2003
I really enjoyed this book.
Combining photographs and line drawings in an easy to understand manner enables the reader to get to grips with what the author is explaining very quickly.

As the title suggests the nature of green timber is also explained in a very accesible manner.

Green Turning Explained, 06 Nov 2000
Are you fed up with the exhorbitant prices being demanded by suppliers for turning blanks and squares? Green timber can be obtained for next to nothing. The author takes us through the mechanics of the living tree and explains how to obtain, use and store unseasoned timber. The comprehensive descriptions and illustration of turning projects enable even comparative novices like me to produce quality items. This book fills a gap in the woodturning library.

A UK view of an American book, 16 Mar 2006
I have had my router for 3 years and have used it a great deal recently but this book was packed with some eye opening tips on gaining more from its use.

It contains views from American users with some great tips to maximise the use of my router. From simple tips of fence positioning to templates for hinges and carpentry joints.

Packed with useful information and highly recommended.

Demystifying bandsaws, 22 Jan 2004
It's said that a bandsaw is a simple machine, but it's a big scary thing if you've never used one! The Bandsaw Book demystifies buying, adjustment and use with excellent illustrations and helpful text. Whilst based on the US market, European machines are not ignored and the content is generic to all makes. Most useful!

Great woodworking text, 30 Aug 2006
This book has inspired and educated, it covers the history of tool boxes and the evolution through to practical solutions for there design and use.
If you can't find a style to suit then give up woodworking now!

Great ideas and styles, 28 Jul 2000
A great history of the toolbox with some good ideas. I hoped for some more detail on fitting out options but am still glad I own this book. I review it often for design ideas outside the realm of toolboxes.

Inspiration for building beautiful boxes, 10 May 2000
Contained within the pages of this book is everything to inspire you to have a beautiful container for holding your tools. The history starts from the earliest simple chests to hi-tech tool boxes as used in space. The photographs are very well shot, with the copy being very readable. The toolboxes shown in this book will supply more than enough material for any competent woodworker make their own unique toolbox. One section that is particularly inspiring is about work of the school in Boston. Just because a tool box is very practical it does not mean it cannot be beautiful.

Not for the faint-of-heart., 16 Apr 1999
This book is a great overview of different philiosophies and methods of making boxes for tools. No, there are not many plans cintained in it. You show me a serious woodcrafter who usually builds things from plans and not designed by themselves, and I'll show you someone 'pretending' to be a serious woodworker. I read the book cover to cover many times and used it to build my toolbox from many of the ideas in the book suited to my tastes. I plan on getting to other books in this series.

This is a great book, 05 Jul 1998
This is a great book, but is for the advanced to professional woodworker.It gives many, many design ideas but little on how to implement them. Implementation of ideas is left to the woodworker, adding to the versatility of this book.

A MUST FOR WOODWORKERS, 03 May 2006
An absolutely first rate book for all interested in woodwork. I am not a proffessional woodworker just a keen amateur and I have found this book riveting. It covers the history, sharpening, tuning, how to use and provides a mass of information on what to look for when purchasing and renovating fine used planes. The text is easily understood by all levels of woodworker and I can not recommend thIS book more highly.

Beautifully presented, well written and very informative, 08 Aug 2001
I have had more pleasure from this book than almost any other. Lest this seem an overstatement, the quality of the book is such that it can be used as a resource for historical information or as a practical guide to the best use of handplanes. The photographs, taken with a real artistry by the photographer John S. Sheldon, link with the text to perfection. There are many sidebars (panels) that expand the detail given to a particular topic. A technical book of this quality is rare. The writing is outstanding, the text elegant and unobtrusive. For all these qualities, this book will find a place, not only on the shelves of the craftsman, but also amongst the books of those who admire good writing and design.

A beautifully illustrated tome of necessary knowledge, 14 Sep 1998
When you finally decide to defect from the world of routers, jointers and power planers, come read from this book. Garrett has taken what some would argue is an outdated tool and shown its practical use. The Handplane Book gives great overviews on the various types of planes that exist - old, new and new versions of oldies. Garrett shows you how to set many of these planes up to achieve results that power tool users can only dream of (try getting a glass smooth surface with sandpaper - read the book and you'll understand why you can't). As for the photographs, only the most beautiful tool examples were used, and were very well shot. Nice enough to put on your coffee table ;-) For any fan of manually powered craftsmanship (smoothing and shaping in specific) or those who understand the simple beauty of a hand tool, this is a must have.

Handplanes are valuable tools that should get more use., 20 Jul 1998
I have recently purchased a new Lie-Nielson plane that worked great out of the box after a little honing of the blade. It will never replace the now tuned Stanley transitional plane. This book showed me the value of a well-tuned tool, old or new, and deepened my appreciation of hand tools. Having grown weary of noisey power tools, I have shifted my focus towards more traditional hand tools. These tools don't come with manuals, which makes this book all the more valuable to have. After reading of some specialty planes. I know which I should look for while searching flea markets, garage sales, and woodworking catalogs.

This an excellent book for novice and expert woodworkers., 17 May 1998
This book covers all aspects of almost every type of handplane including their tuning, uses, and specialty items. There are many great tips that I have found invaluable. This a book that on first glance I thought would be boring or uninformative, but instead I found it to be very interesting, well written and illustrated, and of high quality.

Work with wood? Design your own bench, 18 Feb 2001
OK where do I start ....

This is a great book. Inspirational. Great photos and illustrations, well written, fascinating history, deep insight into the various uses of benches and the techniques of holding workpieces.

I bought this to inspire the design of my own bench.

Now this book might not be for everyone, so I am breaking this review into bits:

Beginner: will educate you to the history of woodworking and inspire you. Making your own bench is probably beyond you at the moment. If you have a love of woodworking, this will fire your enthusiasm.

Novice: can give you ideas for the future. There are sketches in this book, but not plans, especially not detailed router diagrams with measurements.

Intermediate: (you can design your own projects) get it. You should seriously consider making your own workbench, to your own requirements and style. This book will show you many possibilities and get your thinking.

Advanced: well you should definetely get it, and make yourself a variety of benches to suit different applications.

I really enjoy this book. I have designed my own bench with the many, many ideas from this book. I have many innovative concepts, and specific requirements - for example, I carry my bench into the courtyard, and so have a hole in the middle where I can put a beach umbrella to keep the sun off (not to mention fact that it must be light enough to lift). I also work with leather, jewelry, metal, and beads, so I need adaptability for hammering, soldering, velvet lining to prevent beads escaping, etc etc you get the picture.

This book gave me many many ideas for various means of clamping a work to the bench .. things that I can make myself, which is great. For example, there is a detailed diagram for cutting your own woodscrew, to build your own vice.

Hmmm... a bit of a warning to power tool users, however, this is not really aimed at power tool users. The benches are designed for traditional woodwork, although the techniques are still useful for you if you want to build yoru own router bench.

Note there are benches for carving as well, Japanese approaches, medieval benches ...

Overall I am very pleased with this book and I would recommend to anyone. Furthermore, I would recommend it as a present, I don't know anyone who works with wood who would not be pleased with this one, although as a present I would first recommend some of the books such as Art of Fine Tools or the Handplane book.

A must-read for every serious woodworker!, 19 Jun 1999
If you're a serious woodworker, you need a serious workbench. If you want to build your own workbench, you won't want to do it without first reading "The Workbench Book." Scott Landis superbly covers the world of workbenches and provides a lot of insight into the history and function of workbenches. When I set out to build my workbench, I didn't know what kind I wanted to build. "The Workbench Book" gave me all the information I needed to decide what kind of bench to build and how to build it. But what really surprised me about the book was that even if I wasn't planning to build a bench, it would have been well worth reading simply for the interesting story of the workbench. Scott Landis' knowledge, experience and love of the craft of woodworking, and his respect for the workbench, made the book a joy to read. I not only learned much more about workbenches than I expected; I also gained an appreciation for the craft and those who put their hearts, as well as their hands, into it. If you have even the slightest interest in woodworking, get this book! You won't be disappointed.

Truly an amazing reference., 05 Jan 1999
This is a well written book with many great ideas for workbenches. In defference to the gentleman who gave this book a review of only 2 stars I would say that while it is true that only 5 workbenches had measured drawings, there are probably twenty different workbenches discussed. There are 4 in the japanese work bench chapter alone! Although it is true that these workbenches (as woodworking projects) are probably not beginner projects. But I don't think that they're suppose to be. What I found most interesting was reading the reasons why each woodworker built his bench the way he did. You can really pick up on the different philosophies and work habits of these masters. Once you've digested these ideas it's easy to see how you could take one idea from this bench and another idea from that bench and design "YOUR" bench. Highly recommended.

Excellent investment for those who need a quality workbench., 04 May 1998
This is a well-written & illustrated book for the indvidual who desires a quality workbench. There are options provided which should satisfy any reasonably serious artisan/woodworker. The steps provided are completely adequate for anyone capable of using the workbench selected. I built a bench which utilized a tail vise, bench dogs and face vise. I did not follow any plan provided by the author, but the information given allowed me to build the exact bench I wanted. If any shopper feels the book is "pricey", consider that if your time is worth at least $1.75/hour, this book will save you more than that in time. The jig for the bench dogs and tail vise plans were, by themselves, worth the investment.

New to woodturning?, 10 Mar 2005
As a newcomer to the world of woodturning, I had a hundred questions. This book answered them all! It covers all aspects from the machines and their various parts, basic techniques (without becoming a catalogue of projects or too technical), tools (even to the extent of making some of your own!), Safety in the workshop, maintenance (both tools and machine), finishing and finally, most importantly to any "newcomer", a very good glossary of terms.
All in all a very comprehensive, well written book for the newcomer hobbyist. Full of valuable sound advice and information.

Misleading Tiltle, 01 Feb 2004
I bought this book because of its title - A Complete Guide to the Machine and Its Accessories. The book is far from COMPLETE as it has absolutely no reference whatsoever to metal turning lathes, accessories or practices.

As it pictures a "Wood turning lathe" on the cover and is totally dedicated to the wood turners lathe then the cover title should state the same e.g. "A Complete Guide to the Wood Turning Lathe and Its Accessories"

Getting away from an incorrect title, the books content is very good with plenty of pictures, illustrations and examples of how to operate and use the wood turners lathe.

Hot tips, 25 Aug 2002
A great book for tips, tricks, jigs and general information without having to read through hundreds of magazines. Well worth buying.