Reviews

It is a good beginners book. All of the parts, basic tools, and basic operations are explained.

Despite what "the most critical review" asserts (and, consequently, mistates) is that Conover "states that a minimum entry level lathe will cost you over $1,000." Page 29 of the book states that "a new entry-level lathe costs from $500 to $1000." Conover also provides tips on purchasing used-lathes. Also, the same reviewer implies that Conover is pushing Canadian products (which, as an aside, are frequently quite good). However, the cover pictures a Nova lathe, from a New Zealand-based company. Conover also describes Jet, Delta, and many other lathes from non-Canadian companies. The reviewer seems to have a problem with actual facts. My impression, Conover has written a good, easy-to-read book with a good overview of the subject. Although many topics are not covered in great detail, there simply is not enough room in one book for the myriad of topics possible under the broad heading of wood turning.

If you just bought a lathe and are looking for instructions on how to turn a spindle, find another book. One of eight chapters is on technique. Cutting a cove, the most basic technique, gets two pages. Not included in this instruction is where to place the tool rest. In a "complete" guide, I expect some step by step instruction. I own at least a dozen Tauton books, and this is the first real disappointment.

Very nice format for a starter like me! Terms & Techniques I found very helpful.

Ernie Conover is one of the best(if not the best) writer of books on using the Lathe in the United States. I have all of his work and could recommed any or all for the serious wood turner. The only other writers who would come close to Mr. Conover are two gentleman from Australia. My wood turning library exceeds 24 books, Ernie is the best.

Reviews

...especially for the price. I'm with the majority here. I think it's every bit as good as my previous Jet, and even better as it handles 15" material with ease, and with the extension bed (a must-have item, IMO) stretches it out to an unbelievable 38 inches. I checked out the welds on my tool rest, etc., and can find no evidence of breaking or cracking. The belt is snug and very smooth (previous reviewer:did you loosen the belt tension lock knob and snug up the belt?). It's quiet and does an excellent job for me. Price and free shipping! I recommend this W1752 to anyone who need a mini-lathe.

Looked at most of what is on the market , grizzly, jet , psi, and many more , and for the money, $299.99 shipped to my door and arrived on a Saturday too , you cant beat it ... Packaging was great , in-cased in foam ...... Easy to set up , in 5 minutes i was turning .... vary smooth running , and quite ..... I have a large grizzly and wanted a small bench top model and the Shop Fox is just every thing i wanted !!!!!

Let's see, where do I begin???? This lathe is a bottom of the barrel mini lathe for people who can't afford anything else. The tool rest has snappped off the shaft 6 times, the tool rest will not stay in one place while roughing a larger piece. Things seem to constantly be falling off of this thing. It is made with the cheapest steel I could ever imagine. I didn't even know that they made steel this brittle. The belt constantly slips giving this "machine" very little power. It is very unstable and flys off of the table. It's probably good for pen turning, spindle work, and small boxes.....anything else is too much for this to handle in the long run. save your money and buy something of quality.

I'd highly recommend this lathe. Great value, very accurate and smooth, easy set up (was turning a bowl within 25 minutes after it was left at the door),very stable, overall I'd say you can't go wrong

I totally agree with the first reviewer. This lathe is every bit as good as the JET series in it's class at half the price. Turned a pen this evening and it was so nice to do on a smooth running quite lathe. I also purchased a Baracuda chuck but have not used it yet. I'm thinking that this must be SHOP FOX's well kept secret. Better jump on this before they realize what they have here.

Reviews

Really decent quality set. Nice handle length and a great set - especially for a starter.

Some have complained about the wooden chisel storage box. I ordered for the chisels not the box and was surprised that the box arrived intact and is a fine compliment to the chisels. The chisels required a touch up sharpening but all in all this has been a worthwhile purchase.

A fantastic set for those just starting to turn. They hold an edge well and for a pretty long time. Only negative is that the handles are a bit short, but if you have a lathe, it's easy to turn your own longer handles! GREAT value for the price. You get a lot more than you pay for with these.

After reading all these comments, I thought I was gonna get a broken box and some crappy chisels. And i was right :) but it's not THAT BAD. As i said, you get what you pay for. I just got these a couple minutes ago so I haven't gotten the chance to test them out. And I won't be able to until Christmas. But I'm sure they're good, and sharp. On the other hand... when I opened it up I found that my 3/4" chisel (7th one from the left in that picture) was bent, more than just a little, but I'm still a rookie turner so I'm not sure if its suppose to be like that. But i highly doubt it. As for the box, It's oooook, I just have to re-glue the middle divider. And there's some strange red marker (i hope its marker) stuff on the bottom of it. That's all I've got to say about these. Hope i helped :)

Due to my inexperience I broke the 7/8 gouge on the very first day of use. While trying to turn some "yard oak", I was using the gouge on the end of the piece and had a massive kickback that broke the gouge at the handle. I contacted PSI Customer Service, told them what happened, and with in days, they sent me a replacement part. No hassles, just had to send in pictures of the broken part. Now I just need to learn the correct way to use the tools.

Reviews

I bought this lathe because most of the reviews were good, and it looked solid. Today, only after a few hours of use, maybe three or four, the motor refused to start. Flicking the switch a few times sometimes gets it going, but otherwise it's an 88 pound paper weight. While it was working I was unimpressed, the motor bogged down with little effort on any stock that was larger than a few inches in diameter. I've emailed PSI, and I'm waiting for a response to see if they can get it going again. I'll update this review when they get back to me. Edit: We took apart the VS unit today, and the switch was full of sawdust, so we cleaned it and it works again. My recommendation is to locate it somewhere it won't have sawdust falling in it, and maybe so that the switch isn't on the top. I can't really comment on the customer service from PSI because there hasn't been much time for them to resolve the issue, but I did get an email response from the customer service guy. Bumped it up to three stars because we have used it all afternoon, and it's working fine.

I'm very pleased with the lathe.just got it today and set it up as fast as i could get the box open.to my surprise nothing was broken and set-up went smooth,just had one part extra,I'm sure I'll find a use for the extra part later(chrome piece with a screw going through it 3in. long?).a few paint chips but nothing was bent or broken and all my adjustment knobs where alright as the other reviews had said their adjustment knobs where broken.one surprise was they sent a set of goggles, i was not expecting them at all,but a nice surprise.over all i am very pleased with this lathe as it is my first lathe and i hope to use the heck out of it. i bought it with the extension,i haven't put that on yet, maybe day 2 I'll put it on.the lathe has some weight to it,shipping was a 81 lbs.,and yes it did take two people to move it around.shipping was right on,i ordered it Saturday and got the extension first Wednesday and the rest of the order Thursday and the extension was a back order but i got it first? less then a week and i got my lathe,I'm real happy now

I'm not too easy to please - and I'll return anything that isn't exactly right for me (one reason I like dealing with Amazon) This lathe has passed the test as a 'keeper' -- I've had it about a month, turned about 10 different things - mostly smallish diameter (pens, handles, etc) but the power, the speed adjustability, smoothness of operation are all great. I'm just back to order the extension table so I can do even more with it. Quite a good value, I'd say.

I bought this lathe to learn the basics of turning, and to make some small projects. At first it performed fairly admirably considering the price. I turned a bunch of soup stirrers and some small spindles for various projects. The lathe worked smoothly. I had to do a small amount of filing to get the extension bed to fit to the main body, and more filing and sanding to get the tailstock to actually slide onto the extension. So the machining left something to be desired. Still, I felt I was getting a good deal for the price I paid. However, after about 2 years of very occasional light use, I was turning my first larger project. I mounted a 6" diameter 10" long maple log between centers and the lathe shook all over the place. I was able to eventually turn down to a cylinder and things smoothed out a bit. I began to turn a goblet, but as I was applying finish with light to medium pressure (enough to melt the wax but not overload the motor) the motor up and quit. Of course, I am turning this goblet for my wedding which is less than 2 weeks away so the timing isn't so convenient! I would say I put less than 50 hours working time into the motor, so that's a pretty poor performance in my book. I plan to contact the company to see if they will honor their 3 year warranty and I will post an addendum to this review. Overall advice: look elsewhere. You may think you're getting a bargain, but you'll probably end up buying another lathe sooner than you planned.

My lathe arrived with holes in its box, lots of tape holding the box together and the packing styrofoam in lots of pieces, so that I was concerned about it's condition. Fortunately, its sturdy construction survived the shipper's handling (except for one mounting foot that I had to straighten)- I'm looking forward to many hours of turning with this machine.

Reviews

The book was shipped and received promptly. Great service. Book is more than expected and would recommend to any and all that it thinking about or wanting to know more on the subject.

The book is rather idiosyncratically organized. It goes by joint family and then type, but there is overlap and gaps. For instance it doesn't mention Parsons joints and some of the joint descriptions are really lacking, like the locked miter (totally useless description). Overall better than average with very good production values, but not comprehensive and IMHO poorly organized. The index is also less than great and some of the joint descriptions are at best sketchy to useless.

Item shipped and received with in two weeks of order. I would purchase from this vendor in the future

If I was ever going to say one book comes as close to totally covering a subject this would be it. Then again I am an amateur - so maybe I am easily impressed? I just really enjoy difficult interesting projects that generally have little purpose other than my own pleasure. If this book has a fault it is in that it does not define the difficulty on some of the joints but, it is beautifully organized and about all you need other than a lot of patients and the right tools.

I find this book to be a really great illustration on how to cut every joint in woodworking that I know of and some I've never seen. I think the author does a really good job explaining and showing how to cut all these joints. I really enjoyed this book and would highly recomend it to anyone that enjoys woodworking.

Reviews

This book is a great reference for the shop. It covers pretty much everything one would need to start building furniture the right way. If you're wondering what joint to use or an alternative way of mounting shelves in a bookcase, for example, its a great go to guide.

My husband has been a carpenter for over 20 years. He knows alot, but he says theres always alot more to learn. He loves this beautiful set.

Having just taken delivery of this boxed set I can see that my workshop projects will have to wait a while so enjoyable I am finding these books to read! I was initially looking to purchase only the Andy Rae book to help in some cabinet construction work but having not bought any up-to-date woodworking books for a while I decided to buy the set. Having now briefly gone through all three books I am very pleased with my decision to purchase all. The Rae book, my book of choice, is exceptionally good with clear easy-to-understand explanations of all the subject matter accompanied by excellent line drawing illustrations back with good colour photos as required. The content layout is also very well organised and importantly the reader doesn't get bogged down in heavy text passages on techniques and the like. Importantly even just a quick skim through the various sections of the book leaves the reader with grasp of the essence of the content. This is a book which I see myself constantly dipping into and, as the writer states in his introduction, will be kept very close to my workshop! The Rogowski book on joinery is presented in a similar fashion and recieves another thumbs up although I have to confess that as an amateur carpenter I doubt the need to tackle some of the more ambitious work presented. Nevertheless, I am already rethinking of changing some of the techniques I presently use in favour of those presented by Mr Rogowski. The Bird book on shaping wood looks like becoming another very useful reference and ideas book that I shall dip into as new and more ambitious projects come along. All in all I heartily recommend this boxed set to anyone who dabbles in and enjoys woodworking, and wants to learn more from the experts in a easily understandable and practical manner. Definitely 5 stars to Taunton Press for compiling ths set.

I have almost the complete Taunton series of woodworking books and they are a joy to peruse. Filled with good ideas, tips, tools and what-all.

This collection of books, which is priced substantially lower than bookstores by the way, is really a great wealth of knowledge about woodworking in general. I enjoy woodworking, specifically I'm a carpenter so my days have some variety, but there's only so much you can figure out on your own. You'll learn something just flipping through these books. This collection really gives you a direction to go with your craft and they really help you improve.

Reviews

This is a good product for the price and works as good as the more expensive ones. The only problem is the instructions may as well be thrown away. I suggest going by the pictures only. You will have to adapt this unit for your saw but its not hard and will only take about an hour for you to figure it out.

for the money, the PSI dust collector does not even come close to collecting even 10% of the saw dust.the instructions were incomplete.i hope i can unload this on somebody for ten to twenty dollars, but i doubt it!!

I have a Powermatic 2000 with a zero clearance insert hooked up to a 3hp cyclone dust collector, and don't use the supplied blade guard. Because I was still getting dust off the blade, I thought this type collector would do two things: 1) catch more dust, and 2) provide some additional safety. It helps with the safety factor (unless I have it swiveled out of the way), but is only marginally effective in gathering more dust. Although connected in the recommended fashion to the dust collector, in practice, dust exiting the blade continues to move primarily horizontally across the board towards the user - NOT sucked vertically into the collector. This is because the unit conflicts with either the fence or the miter gauge*, effectively preventing the unit from riding close to the surface. As I spend more time working with it, a better way to operate may become obvious, but at this point, the dust collection improvement isn't significant. NOTE *: the unit can be horizontally adjusted which would change the relative position with the miter gaure/fence and allow lowering it to the wood's surface. Doing this might help improve the collection effectiveness, but adds a step to the process. Regarding the shipping: the unit came poorly wrapped/packaged - taped and torn, and material barely contained within the box. Although the pieces were all there (except one hose clamp), some were scratched. Others have previously commented on this - with no apparent improvement by the mfr. Regarding the construction: seems to be sturdy, easy to adjust the vertical movement; wouldn't pay more for one of the higher priced units if they are similarly effective. I have mine mounted to be able to swing away from the table, and it easily handles the movement without problem. The 3-star rating is based on the limited additional collection perceived, and the poor shipping method.

I have been using this table saw dust collector for several months now and have no complaints. It has greatly diminished the amount of table top dust and I believe it is a good value for the money. I took advantage of the ceiling mount option and I am happy with it. I have two blast gates arranged so that I can adjust suction between the blade guard collector and the collection hood that I placed under the blade. (I have a Sears contractor table saw and a Sears 1.5hp dust collector.) I give this product 4 stars based on price and function. Assembly was relatively easy.

Took about an hour to hook to my Powematic 66. For the price its a good deal. Box it was shipped was tore open but no parts were missing just scratched up (they should package better). Tiawian Manual Terrible so just use some common sense to assemble. Had to add a tiestrap at hose and blade guard to keep it level. There is a lot of sag on the boom at 50" so I will add some support for it. Cover is nice and works fine, keeps dust from flying into my face even without vacuum hooked up. If you want the bare minimum in a dust cover then this adequate. If I would have had more money to spend I would got one of the others. The cover lifts easily to adjust to board thickness and stays put so I am happy for what I got. I have been using my saw for 20 years without a cover but I decided to reduce my risk by trying out a cover. I feel safer and cut some boards with it with no inconvenience. I use the Beismeyer splitters and this cover fits over it fine.

Reviews

I have used two of these rolls of hookup wire. They are perfect for alarm wire and for wiring blast gates.

Reviews

I purchased this clear hose to connect my 24" dual drum sander with my dust collection unit. The sander is on wheels (should I need to move it) so I didn't want a fixed pipe to the DC. The flexible hose is great. No "chunks" are going through it so I don't have to worry about a puncture. I do think the plastic is tough enough that I could use it for the planer or jointer if I needed to. All in all, a good choice for the application I used.

By the time I hung the tubing I had 6 holes in it. Anything that touches it puts a hole in it. I would have been better off using paper. Bad bad investment I was so mad I ripped it down and chucked in the garbage. I have had my other pipe up for about 5 years bought it from Rockler thought I would redo everything and reroute a few things wrong. I do not recommend this product.

I was very hesitant about getting this hose because of the negative reviews but I'm really glad that I got it after all. It just goes to show that some people will whine about anything and everything. I found it to be a very durable hose and it's nothing like a dryer hose. I dropped a 6' ladder on it and it didn't crush it at all. Why did the whiners buy plastic to begin with? They wanted rigid conduit at a plastic hose price. It's a very good hose and very easy to work with.

Prior to the use of this material I had used dryer vent ducting to remove dust and chips. The plastic version of that is so thin that it puntures and kinks and blocks. This product is well thought out, is made out of tough and durable material that does not punture or kink. In addition it has the built in grounding wire to eliminate the problem with static electricity due to material flow.

I had no problems with this hose. Considering my last dust collection system actually was a dryer vent hose this is a much better quality and should last at least a few years. The material is 3-4x the thickness of a dryer hose.

Reviews

The product was delivered well before the expected delivery date and works exactly as advertised. I am very pleased with this product and look forward to many years of usage. My first project using the CJAWF12 was a success and I have already thought of new ways to use this device.

These say that they fit all "C" Series Chucks so I ordered a set for my NOVA G3 Chuck from TEKNATOOL, that is supposed to be a "C" Series chuck. After cleaning all the oil and crud off of them I found that the mounting screw holes are too small for the mounting screws and they have a grove in the back where it needs a ridge or key to fit the locating grove in the hard jaws of the chuck. So this makes them bass ackwards for what I needed. So if your looking for a cheaper set of jaws for your TEKNATOOL NOVA G3 Chuck, DO NOT BUY THESE. After seeing these I still wouldn't want them even if they did fit my chuck do to the gaps in the diameters that they will chuck on.

The jaws work well within their limits. I have finished the bottoms of several bowls on them and none of them have escaped despite my ham-handedness. My only complaint is that (to me) a jumbo bowl is bigger than 8". 10" would be great, 12" awesome. I am considering looking into making fatter pins to expand the holding size for inside grips.

I never would have thought when buying this product that it would be designed with gaps in the inside and outside diameters of items it can grip. When turning my first hollow cylinder, I found that by moving the threaded pegs from one setting to another that neither setting would hold my project -- one setting slightly too big and the smaller setting slightly too small. This is taking into consideration the maximum adjustment using the Barracuda 2 chuck. The threaded holes in the jaw plates are spaced far enough apart that it creates these gaps.

These jaws are built solid and are useful when cleaning up the foot of a bowl. Be careful when turning a bowl's foot to make sure you do not knock the item out since it it only gripped by the rubber feet. I have had the feet slip, causing black marks to be left on light wood.

Reviews

This is a good prodcut for the price. The only issue I have is that you have to hold the off or on button for at least a second before the dust collector will turn on or off. The button make a click when you press it but this does not mean the DC will turn off or on. So I have made it my practice to press it until I hear the DC turn on or off. THis is the long range version and my DC is less than 10 feet away. But for the sales price it was a steal.

I really like this product. In my shop, it works great, saves me lots of steps and frustration especially when I am focused on doing the next task. It works for me.

In have owned this remote control for 5 years and it has performed flawless. I have a 24' woodshop and this saves alot of time and makes using the dust collector a real convienince. I did have to replace a remote, but I was so impressed with past performance that I bought 2 extra to have around, because they are like tape measures and pencils, never close when you need them! Great product and I recommend this to anyone that wants a great tool to make woodworking a little easier on the feet!

I just purchased this switch for my 2 HP DC. The product is great. I was using my DC half the time because I would forget to turn it on before I started using my table saw. I didn't want to walk over to the DC right in the middle of a cut. Now when I have "a senior moment" and forget, the remote is sitting right on the table saw and the problem is solved quickly.

This product struck me as a little pricey (I'm pretty frugal), but I really wanted something so I could turn my dust collector on and off remotely. What good is a DC if you don't use it (out of laziness)? So I plunked down the few extra bucks for this item. I never looked back. Plug it in, slip the battery into the remote control and you're done. It works like a charm. That simple. All products should work this well. Highly recommended.

Reviews

Very basic. Arrived on time and it was as listed. Would not order again.

I'm a novice and found lots of help here, BUT this shouldn't be your only resource. I found the recommendations for magazines and other sources in the back of the book to be helpful. You do not need to buy all the power tools mentioned in this book, it is good to know they exist and what they are for. The price is right for this book and there is an Amazon online text available.

I've only been woodworking for a few months and am still very much a novice. I bought this book hoping to learn some creative, but easy methods or time saving tips, but as my title implys, this book contains only the most basic of techniques. However, this book is very good for understanding basic terminology. This was my first "for dummies" book so maybe I was expecting too much. A few episodes of the New Yankee Workshop and/or a few hours of browsing the internet and you can learn the majority of what this book covers.

I think the Dummies series really dropped the ball on this one. Woodworking for Dummies is written by a guy that tells you that he wants to start from scratch; later in the introduction he refers to himself as a tool collector and a gear junkie. That might be ok, I thought; surely he'll start from the bottom and explain the basic techniques before he gets into using the specialized equipment - the Dummies books are good at that sort of thing. Right? Wrong. Although there's a whole mini-chapter listing his assumptions - among which he tells you that he assumes that you want to learn woodworking from scratch - he never tells you that the entire book depends entirely on your already having a basement or garage workshop full of power tools. He assumes at every step that you have a table saw, a router, a router table, a compound miter saw, a drill press, a jointer, and a 12 planer. Not once does he mention the simple, traditional way of doing things with handheld tools, except to snidely deride it and say he does it "the faster, easier way." Everything in this book is written for an audience that has already accreted ten thousand dollars worth of power machinery. But here's the catch: how many people do you know that buy that many specialized power tools before knowing how to cut a straight line on a table saw? As far as I'm concerned this book is fairly worthless. Dummies, my faith in you is shaken - I'm returning this book.

A very informative and helpful look into woodworking. I recommend this as a perfect starting point in woodworking.

Reviews

You'll still be a dummie after reading this book. For those with little or no knowledge of carpentry, you won't find what you are looking for in this book.There are no photos and almost NO illustrations (or drawings), so things are just described and you'll have to imagine how it looks. For example, the vast variety of screws and nails are addressed without a single illustration! A picture says a thousand words and helps the reader to visualize and comprehend the topic, but you won't find it here.Skip this book and try Black & Decker's Complete Guide to Home Carpentry. It's loaded with color photos of the actual work you'll be doing and explains everything step-by-step.

When you read the title of this book, please take it to heart. It really is only for dummies. Who else but a dummy would need to know how to nail, how to push a button to turn on a saw, etc? There is no real information on basic carpentry skills such as the use of a framing square,framing itself, the use of leveling tools to make sure you are starting with level ground, and so on. A more appropriate title for this book would have been "Home Improvment for Dummies" as one could not take knowledge from this book and build from scratch.I will no longer purchase "For Dummies" books without checking it out at a bookstore first.

First time builders need not worry! This books explains all you need to know. From tools and uses to step by step instructions. I highly recommend this for any beginner.

Reviews

I agree with a few earlier reviewers that this is an attractive book with opaque explanations and confusing illustrations. For me, it brought to mind Stephen Hawkin's "Universe in a Nutshell", a fascinating book of impenetrable text, beautifully illustrated with incomprehensible drawings. Probably experienced cabinetmakers would read this book and nod their heads that old Andy knew what he was talking about. But I'm NOT experienced and I could not find (or maybe, understand) the answer to any questions I've had about projects I have in preliminary stages. In my quest to develop a new hobby to go with my new retirement, I have found "The Complete Manual of Woodworking" by Jackson, Day and Jennings to be way more helpful - much more clearly written with illustrations that are much easier for me to figure out.

When I started woodworking, I checked this book out, along with about forty others, from the local library. All of the Taunton Complete Illustrated Guides stood out as exceptionally informative, but this book, in particular, is incredible. As a matter of fact, well into my woodworking journey, I have found that I need to refer back often to the information in this text to solve some design problem. For example, I needed to know how to build a base for and attach French bun feet onto the bottom of a cupboard, as well as where and what types of mouldings go around the top, middle, and bottom. It has proved itself so useful that I am buying my own copy. If all you do is build from plans from which you never deviate, you really have no need of this book. But if you design your own furniture, this book shows you how everything is built and put together. And I do mean everything since ALL furniture is simply case construction or frame-and-panel construction. You will not find a single project or plan in this book, but what you will find is the knowledge necessary to create your own.

I own over twenty various books on cabinetmaking and this is probably the best of them all for construction. The information contained in this title is not only for the novice woodworker, but many aspects can be incorporated for the more advanced woodworker as well. The book is laid out in a logical 'easy to read' (and understand) manner which is well worth the investment. It would be nice to have the imperical and metric measurements side by side for those of us who live outside the US. I use my conversion calculator to suffice this minor inadequacy. Buy this book, you will not be dissapointed.

I wish I knew about this book before I started building my own furniture. Just about everything I needed to know is in this book. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to know how well constructed cabinets are made. This book offers information on various methods, using traditional joining techniques as well as modern methods.

Very good book, my only knock against it would be that some of the chapters did not go into enough detail for me, otherwise a very good book.

Reviews

This book was recommended to me by our campus wood artist. It is a good reference for beginning woodworkers, with ideas about wood and projects, tips on power tools, and some good plans for chairs, tables, and other projects. good reference to have, although may be a bit too general for advanced woodworkers.

Book covers the basics of most every aspect of woodworking. Its not a manual for the advanced woodworker, but a greatreference for the DIYr/novice. Never used a particular tool before? This book gives you enough information to use said tool with some confidence. Good section on joinery.

It might not be a new book in market but it is a very good book for the new woodworker to start from the 0. Reader can get the most of information for the new comer to know that includes of wood material, machines and skill.

I recommend this book for everybody that wants to, has or is acqainted to woodworking. Gives guidance on identifyiing wood; buying, using and maintaining hand- and powertools and all this on a high quality glossy paper. Good value for small money.

I wouldn't call this book a manual of woodworking, I'd call it a manual synopsis of 20 year old tools. All this book does is tell you about the various tools used in woodworking in the 1980's, and it does so with a pretentious tone. My favorite part of the book is the section about this new tool called the cordless drill; the author seems to think these heavy and cumbersome tools are just a flash in the pan trend. Save your money by using google to find woodworking blogs.

Reviews

After owning a home for 30 years started to do it myself, this book is a valuable reasouce. I use it all the time.

This book wasn't what I thought it would be. It was informative in some aspects but not so in other areas that I expected. Perhaps I expected too much.

This books has the content in a very clear and succinct way. The pictures help a lot!!!

This is a neat little book, despite the name 'Black & Decker', which I stay away from like the plague. When I picked this up, I had very little information on carpentry in general. This isn't a bad book to have to give you a starting point and some little projects to put together to gauge yourself. I always liked the idea of fixing up the house--but liking the idea, and being able to ACTUALLY DO IT are totally different things. So, my first project I started with was the workbench plan, and modified it a bit to suit my needs, just to see if I had a knack for this kind of thing. I can't even begin to say how much I like the plan for the workbench. It ends up making a very sturdy table. (I added locking wheels to the bottom of mine, and used 2 sheets of 3/4" MDF board as the top instead of plywood.) This book obviously isn't meant for someone who already knows it all. As the title says, 'Carpentry for Homeowners', not 'Carpentry for Carpenters'. So, if you've got some projects you want to try out, this is certainly a nice addition to your library--even if you're just a tad bit interested. The first 100 pages are just telling you what certain tools are, what they're used for, and how to use them. Kind of basic stuff, but for me, it was a good start. One thing I don't like about the book is that it's glue-bound. What I mean by that is that it's glued to the cover and all that, and so it has a tendency to flop closed on you. Hardly functional if you're trying to learn WHAT to do WHILE doing it. The easiest way to fix this is to take it to your local Kinko's, or somewhere else that binds books, and have them chop the spine off, laminate the covers, and coil bind it for you. (Be ready to pay ~$12 for this, though) Now, you have a functional book you can leave open without having to weigh it down! Here's a list of the things covered inside the book, just to let you know if it's worth it for you. Basic Carpentry: - Anatomy of a House - Preparing the Work Area - Building Walls - Soundproofing - Installing Wallboard - Installing Interior Doors - Mounting Bifold Doors - Installing a Storm Door - Installing Door & Window Casings - Installing Window Trim - Installing Base Molding - Paneling an Attic Ceiling - Installing Wainscoting - Covering Foundation Walls - Framing Basement Foundation Walls - Trimming Basement Windows Advanced Carpentry - Enlarging Openings & Removing Walls - Removing Wallboard - Removing Plaster - Removing Exterior Surfaces - Removing Doors & Windows - Removing a Non-loadbearing Wall - Installing an Attic Access Ladder - Framing & Installing Doors - Framing & Installing Windows - Installing New Window Sashes - Installing a Standard Skylight - Installing a Bay Window - Patching Wood Siding & Stucco - Patching Flooring Cabinets & Countertops - Removing Trim & Old Cabinets - Preparing for New Cabinets - Installing Cabinets - Installing Countertops - Building a Custom Laminate Countertop

This is the second carpentry book from Black and Decker I have purchased. The first was 10 years ago and the information is still pertinent. The 2008 edition provides more projects and the latest products available in the market, in addition to their excellent instructions and illustrations. This book is perfect for the beginner as well as the experience carpenter or homeowner. I recommend this book and any other complete book by Black and Decker.

Reviews

I bought these because I have a small / narrow deck (8x16) and I wanted to save as much room as possible, yet still have seating for several people and a BBQ. I was concerned about how plastic frames would look, and if they would be strong enough for what I needed. I did not build according to their direct plan, as I used 1x4's and 1x6's for a more creative look and design. I stained the wood to almost an identical color as the plastic frames so the framework would not glare out and be a focal point. The end result is a "L" shaped seating arrangement 10 feet long by 5 feet on the end. Plenty strong as I used a couple extra supports over their recommendation for saftey. I also screwed them down in a couple extra spots. The seating looks great, takes up very little space, and saved me a bunch of time. Anytone could build this. Cushions on the bottom are recommended if sitting for a long period. The seat is not real deep, and solid wood is just that, solid.

I built a 17' by 12' bench with these brackets and the same composite material my deck is made out of. It is very sturdy and does not have much wobble. I really love that they take up so little of your deck, saving you room. They are easily installed and just what I was looking for! Excellent product!!

The brackets and instructions were up to par and the assembly process was pretty straight forward. However as others have noted, the hardware, particularly the phillips head screws were a pain. I opted to use screws that either used a T-25 or T-20 drive bit. I also chose to use 5/4 cedar or pressure treated stock for the seat, seat backs, and toe kicks. I placed the brackets on 16" centers.

These brackets would probably been a really great thing...EXCEPT they are NOT Sand in color, but the ugliest, don't match anything, clash with everything shade of light olive drab you can imagine. If this does not convince you, buy one set to see for yourself. I, on the other hand, bought five and one-half sets to complete my project. Amazon gave me full credit for five sets, but I had to 'eat' the single I purchased (not through Amazon, but one of Amazons sublets). If you can find a color you can live with, these appear to be sturdy, easy to install brackets to finish your deck. These would be especially good for small decks where you want to save some room.

Great product, easy to use. I built 1 bench out of cedar and have 2 to go. Very excited to get them done...takes up very little deck space!

Reviews

In the world of a power tool for everything under the sun and instant "craftsmanship," Peter Korn's book does a masterful job of explaining when and how to use the proper tool for the correct job. As a mid-level hobbyist, this book was perfect for my need, explaining how to use both power and hand tools, when to use them and why. The safety tips were excellent as well. I especially like the project progression as a method to teach and learn the basic techniques of working with wood. The book reignited a desire for high quality work with a personal touch. The book would be a good choice for those who have never done woodworking but would like to get started, as well as for those of us who have been away from it for many years.

I took a beginning woodworking course a long time ago, but have decided to refresh my interest. Korn's book is almost identical to the structure and pacing of instruction from my course. His project based instruction and step by step approach is exactly what newcomer's need. I also like Korn's lack of pretense when presenting tools or techniques. Many books these days wax the "poetic" of woodworking with seductive images and effusive text, being little more than a showcase of very expensive premium hand tools. Korn appears to take a more modest (and affordable) approach with essential hand tools. Although much of the machinery shown in the book may be beyond a beginner's pocket book, the alternative hand tool approach is well within reach and will drive home the fundamentals of woodworking more than machine milling will. The first 70 pages introduce the reader to wood, joinery and (power and hand) tools. The reader learns a great deal without being intimidated by too much detail. The sections are a bit terse (particularly sharpening), but the simpler introductions are appropriate to the scope of the book. There are other books that specialize in the topics of advanced machine use, hand planes and sharpening. Korn's book has just enough to get you going without making you feel it is too complicated to proceed. The first project, milling a board four square, is a fundamental task of woodworking that deserves the attention it gets in this book. Korn does a superb job of providing step-by-step instruction using hand tools or power tools. For me, Sharpening was the first "project" in the WW class I took since it is also a fundamental. The second and third project is to take the boards you dimensioned and do some basic joinery (before working on any furniture). First, the basic mortise and tenon and then the through-dovetail joint. Joinery is also a fundamental, and these particular joints are the most widely used. Korn takes us step-by-step through the process with plenty of clear photographs showing the technique. The milled boards are long enough that the reader can practice the joints several times. Each time your joints will get better, and you will gain valuable experience and confidence. The last 80 pages include two small projects, a handsome stool and a side table. These projects are big enough to introduce several more fundamentals without being too complex that the reader will never finish. The stool introduces half-blind dovetails, pinned tenons, glue-up procedure, and basic finishing. The side table introduces basic carcase and drawer/panel door construction. Again, all steps are well documented with plenty of photographs.

I bought this book as a supplement when I enrolled in an introductory woodworking course (at the recommendation of the tutor), I have since completed an intermediate woodworking course and this book has been an invaluable reference. Sure I knew in principle how to make a tenon and mortise joint- but this book give lots of helpful hints and practical guides/examples. It is very clearly written and easy to follow, with wonderful pictorial guides. If you only buy one woodworking book- this should be it!

Recently got back into woodworking after almost 25 years away from it and this was a good book to review the basics.

I have done small woodworking projects such as shelves but wanted to learn more so I could possibly complete larger projects. This book has been an invaluable tool. Gives you information on different types of wood and their qualities, gives good information on tools, how to use them, which ones to buy, etc. There are lots of pictures. I learn more visually than reading. This book has all the information you need to get started. It even has a small bench project to complete. I made the bench using the book. Turned out great. This book is a must have for any novice or even experienced woodworker. I would highly recommend the book.

Reviews

After owning a home for 30 years started to do it myself, this book is a valuable reasouce. I use it all the time.

This book wasn't what I thought it would be. It was informative in some aspects but not so in other areas that I expected. Perhaps I expected too much.

This books has the content in a very clear and succinct way. The pictures help a lot!!!

This is a neat little book, despite the name 'Black & Decker', which I stay away from like the plague. When I picked this up, I had very little information on carpentry in general. This isn't a bad book to have to give you a starting point and some little projects to put together to gauge yourself. I always liked the idea of fixing up the house--but liking the idea, and being able to ACTUALLY DO IT are totally different things. So, my first project I started with was the workbench plan, and modified it a bit to suit my needs, just to see if I had a knack for this kind of thing. I can't even begin to say how much I like the plan for the workbench. It ends up making a very sturdy table. (I added locking wheels to the bottom of mine, and used 2 sheets of 3/4" MDF board as the top instead of plywood.) This book obviously isn't meant for someone who already knows it all. As the title says, 'Carpentry for Homeowners', not 'Carpentry for Carpenters'. So, if you've got some projects you want to try out, this is certainly a nice addition to your library--even if you're just a tad bit interested. The first 100 pages are just telling you what certain tools are, what they're used for, and how to use them. Kind of basic stuff, but for me, it was a good start. One thing I don't like about the book is that it's glue-bound. What I mean by that is that it's glued to the cover and all that, and so it has a tendency to flop closed on you. Hardly functional if you're trying to learn WHAT to do WHILE doing it. The easiest way to fix this is to take it to your local Kinko's, or somewhere else that binds books, and have them chop the spine off, laminate the covers, and coil bind it for you. (Be ready to pay ~$12 for this, though) Now, you have a functional book you can leave open without having to weigh it down! Here's a list of the things covered inside the book, just to let you know if it's worth it for you. Basic Carpentry: - Anatomy of a House - Preparing the Work Area - Building Walls - Soundproofing - Installing Wallboard - Installing Interior Doors - Mounting Bifold Doors - Installing a Storm Door - Installing Door & Window Casings - Installing Window Trim - Installing Base Molding - Paneling an Attic Ceiling - Installing Wainscoting - Covering Foundation Walls - Framing Basement Foundation Walls - Trimming Basement Windows Advanced Carpentry - Enlarging Openings & Removing Walls - Removing Wallboard - Removing Plaster - Removing Exterior Surfaces - Removing Doors & Windows - Removing a Non-loadbearing Wall - Installing an Attic Access Ladder - Framing & Installing Doors - Framing & Installing Windows - Installing New Window Sashes - Installing a Standard Skylight - Installing a Bay Window - Patching Wood Siding & Stucco - Patching Flooring Cabinets & Countertops - Removing Trim & Old Cabinets - Preparing for New Cabinets - Installing Cabinets - Installing Countertops - Building a Custom Laminate Countertop

This is the second carpentry book from Black and Decker I have purchased. The first was 10 years ago and the information is still pertinent. The 2008 edition provides more projects and the latest products available in the market, in addition to their excellent instructions and illustrations. This book is perfect for the beginner as well as the experience carpenter or homeowner. I recommend this book and any other complete book by Black and Decker.

Reviews

I purchased this dvd because I wanted to use up some scrap lumber - unknowing how Doug Stowe made this process so simple. I had to laugh when he talked about his equipment - the age - and yet he produces some master projects. Doug keeps things simple - gives the basis of how to do instructions and what you can come up with is many, many different styles just by changing some simple procedure in the crafting of the box. The tips are great and with this dvd you can keep busy all winter long - making something that you will be proud of. I incorporated the Green and Green style - and most of Doug's tips and came up with some fantastic boxes. My thanks to Doug for sharing his knowledge with us.

This is an excellent resource for anyone who is interested in making heirloom boxes. Everything from types of wood to corner joinery to hinge options are covered in an easy-to-understand way, and there are pictures to illustrate each step. Whether you're a novice or an experienced woodworker, you'll find lots of good information in this book. I've just finished my first box and my wife is very impressed!

This DVD and the companion Book by Doug Stowe are great box making references. I highly recommend the pair to anyone that is wanting to build wooden boxes.

Very good printing. Very good photos. And very BASIC box making. There is nothing wrong with the book. It just tells you the very basic about box making using a table saw. I bought the other book Box-Making Basics together with this book. I found that Box-Making Basics was more informative than this book although the printing in Box-Making Basics was not so colourful as this book.

Well written, easy to understand basics, and plenty of photos and diagrams. Well worth the price to expand your horizons in box making.