Do You Need to Read "Working Wood" or "Essential Woodworking Hand Tools"

I'm thinking of buying a good general woodworking book (I'g a relative amateur). I'k trying to brand a selection between Robert Wearing's "Essentials of Woodworking" and Paul Sellers' "Working Wood 1 & ii - The Artisan Grade". Tom Fidgen'due south "The Unplugged Workshop" is another possible choice, as is Jim Tolpin'due south "The New Traditional Woodworker". I intend to work mostly with manus tools. I already have "Hand Tools", by Aldren Watson. Which one would yous recommend?

moved to NH as it's more suited here than the carvers forum.

Those are all practiced choices. Sellers' and Toplin's stuff may be a picayune more beginner-oriented, with the Wearing book (IMO) more of a reference blazon. I take not gone through Fidgen's book, but take heard good things about it. Sellers' book has lots of proficient, close up photos that show exactly what he is describing equally to tools and techniques and is very helpful for someone starting out and/or tin correct those who have been taught an incorrect/inefficient technique. Toplin'due south volume is a more of a somewhat less intensive cover of beginner's tool needs and techniques. Wearing'south book is something that tin be reached for to testify which joint may be best used for a particular situation and (I am not sure on this) the technique best utilized for that articulation. It does not accept the detail of the Sellers book, just is one that may likely be used more so over the years after some experience is acquired. Sellers and Toplin can start you off, and then possibly may not be referenced much later on.

My disclaimer is that I haven't read whatever of the books you mentioned - most of them didn't be when I was learning. Only I think looking at YouTube videos featuring the authors is probably a good way to go an idea of (i) whose arroyo to woodworking you most resonate with, and (2) who all-time explains things in a manner that you lot understand.

For example, I really wish that Paul Sellers had been around when I was first getting into this a couple of decades ago. If I'd had someone to tell me that all you need is a #4, a panel saw, a couple of chisels etc. ... and lots of Practise, I would have saved a lot of money on tool aggregating. I somewhen gravitated to a more than minimalist approach, but only later buying a lot of stuff that information technology turned out I didn't demand.

I've gotten a lot of use out of Wearing'southward other book, on woodworking jigs and fixtures. He was a no-nonsense guy.

On the other hand, we had Tolpin's "The Toolbox Book", which, along with Scott Landis' "The Workbench Book" were things you kept under the bed to expect at when nobody else was effectually. Not tons of data, but ... cute pictures. (Of form, we all read them for the articles...)

And we had a bunch of Roy Underhill books, which were a different kind of porn. YMMV, but, while these were a lot of fun to read and look at, for a guy in the close-in suburbs of NYC, an arroyo that begins each project with "Become out into the wood and discover a tree ..." isn't that useful...

Personally, I actually enjoy both Tom Fidgen and Paul Sellers. Don't always agree with everything they say, but I really enjoy them.

10:41 AM

Hand tools require a lot of touch and feel. I retrieve pictures and words in books are a poor way to learn COMPARED to videos and dvd'south (and of course, personal teaching). The key is understanding and achieving 'sharp' blades. That's so subtle, I submit it'll have you 10 books and and then a bunch of trial and error vs. following live activeness.

To that terminate, I suggest you lot invest in buying or watching for free videos. I like David Charlesworth's set, but in that location are enough of others.

Then I would seriously salvage up a little $$ to take a grade on learning the fine points of apartment, sharp, and how to saw. The best would exist one-on-1 instruction. A few sessions will do miracles for your agreement, goals, and ability. From at that place, everything else is icing.

Check Lost Arts Press. I similar Hand and Eye.

Personally, I would give more consideration to videos than books. I've bought several paw tool books and while I've learned from them, the all-time mode IMO is to see someone actually using and didactics.

You don't need to spend $$'s on classes. I've learn a LOT of mitt tool ww'ing from watching project videos like Paul Sellers, etc. on You Tube.
FineWoodWorking has an first-class set of videos although mostly power tools there is some hand tools stuff there.

Paul Sellers covers the most particular.
I'd recommend watching some of his gratuitous videos online. These tend to focus on technique, just will give you an idea if you lot larn well from them. He as well has a subscription service where he takes viewers through projects, with an equivalent amount of detail. Doing some of these build-forth projects seems like a viable style to get going. His books are surprisingly similar, only less dynamic. Might exist adept every bit a reference once you've done a projection or two.

Tolpin has less detailed technique, and a bit more than inspirational philosophy and some projects intended to help effectually the shop of a new handtool woodworker. (Ane of my favorite books of all fourth dimension is his "Woodworking Wit and Wisdom" -- although it largely focuses more on the philosophy)

I only picked up Sellers book from my local library - one of the amend bones instructional books bachelor. But I concur with the majority in that YouTube videos are far more beneficial than a book when information technology comes to technique as long equally the person doing the video is competent and not pimping products (again Sellers comes to heed, as does Nib Schenher). Chris Schwarz is great merely I don't think he has too many freebies. The Lie-Nielsen instructional videos, while geared toward their tools, are very good. Oh yeah, and a lot of do on flake wood. To piggyback on Prashun's comment, one book I would immediately purchase is The Complete Guide to Sharpening, past Leonard Lee. A precipitous tool makes life a lot easier and woodworking more fun. I'd besides consider either purchasing or borrowing from the library The Handplane Book, by Garrett Hack. It won't teach you much about woodworking techniques merely will save y'all a lot of money by explaining in particular what each plane/spokeshave does and foreclose you from cascading down the slippery slope of buying unnecessary tools.

3:50 PM

Something to consider

"General woodworking" isn't a particularly interesting thing to learn in and of itself.
That's stuff like learning how to prep gum joints, saw wood, some basic joinery and some basic finishing.

Generally - it's a lot more fun when yous first doing woodworking that interests you.... And almost none of that stuff precisely fits into "general woodworking" per-se....

What practice you want to actually exercise? Make boxes? Woodwn spoons? Bread boards? Toys? Turn pens, bowls, and stuff like that? Make musical instruments? Casework and furniture? Outdoor furniture?

And then say for example - y'all want to plough pens... You won't really put as well much fourth dimension into fancy box joinery or fool with instance work.... Merely y'all better know how to joint up all the little scraps into the blank then it doesn't blow up on the lathe. You better learn how to turn small blanks with thin profiles and be able to hit specific shapes and dimensions so it all assembles and put a good finish on it... But you won't have to worry with how a guitar supports 150lbs of string tension or getting a rocking chair to rock right.

I haven't read any of the books yous list. I do agree with others here that videos are extremely helpful. I have watched everything Paul Sellers has on YouTube and take learned a corking bargain although I am more of a "hybrid" woodworker. I know these aren't on your list but I buy used through Amazon for a little over $30 all three of Tage Frid's books. The books have you through joinery to article of furniture making and I proceed to use them for reference.

This is a good thread. I was considering buying a book, lately I've been watching Paul Sellers on YouTube. Lots of great stuff in those videos. All I need now is a #iv plane and a saw.

I thought Vic Tesolin'southward book, The Minimalist Woodworker, is a dandy starter book. Essential Woodworking Hand Tools by Paul Sellers is also excellent.

With hand tools, sharpening is a must-have skill, and then I would also highly recommend The Perfect Border by Ron Hock.

And go to know the Lost Fine art Press web site - as you get deeper into reading about woodworking, they are a treasure trove of good reads.

TedP

Meghan merely posted an excerpt from Wearing's volume on her blog. Information technology will give you an idea of what Essentials of Woodworking is like:

https://web log.lostartpress.com/2017/03/23/sawing-tenons/

Matt

Tin't recommend Sellers stuff enough. After y'all principal the nuts, you might discover you disagree with some of the things Paul promotes, but that's his goal. To get y'all to that point so you can start working on your own; and solving things a unlike fashion.

His classic "All you need is a #4" is a swell case. That's not necessarily true, but he is so emphatic near it because he wants to break downward barriers to entry and get people working.

The volume you have by Watson is the all-time of the bunch IMHO. Books are good use of time 1/ii hr before you go to bed-I find reading helps me relax in a fashion that videos practice not, and I sleep better when I read a little chip before turning in.

I would suggest Anarchists Tool Box by Christopher Schwartz earlier whatsoever of the books mentioned by the OP. Sellers Volume is actually skillful simply nearly too detailed, Fidgeons books are skilful but they are more than java table books for a rainy Sunday afternoon when you don't feel like going to the shop or going exterior...

And ditto what anybody else hither said. You lot will get farther working in the shop and making mistakes with hand tools than reading virtually them.

Law Thewene1970

Do You Need to Read "Working Wood" or "Essential Woodworking Hand Tools"

Relatively new hand woodworker - books

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