Hayward for Beginners

[Saint Simon]

As a relative beginner to all this making things out of wood, and as a self-taught beginner too, books have been critical to my progress. Up until yesterday I lent heavily on The Wood Joiners Handbook, Allen, and Illustrated Cabinetmaking, Hylton. Both really good, detailed books.
However, digging through the small library of books in my school D&T prep. room yesterday I stumbled upon Cabinet Making for Beginners by CH Hayward. Life will never be the same again! I have others of his books but this was new to me and what a revelation. As with the other books I have by him the illustrations are beautifully clear and he seems to cover, in what is quite a small book, all the key issues I feel I need guidance with.
If, by the time I hang up my dovetail saw for the last time, I have mastered just some of this "for Beginners" book I will be very content.
Simon

 

[Cheshirechappie]

Hayward had the enviable gift of being able to convey quite complex information in a few simple words. He also had the benefit of a full apprenticeship in the trade. Consequently, he remains one of the finest woodworking writers of all time.

I stand to be corrected, but I vaguely recall reading on Chris Schwarz's blog that Lost Art Press are negotiating to republish some of Hayward's books. This won't happen for a couple of years - if at all - but will be very welcome if it does. Secondhand Hayward books are not available cheaply unless you're very lucky.

 

[marcros]

Secondhand Hayward books are not available cheaply unless you're very lucky.

They are not too bad. I bought the veneering one a few weeks back for a couple of quid. Some are cheaper than others, and other sellers are available!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=ntt_athr_ ... evancerank

 

[AndyT]

+1 to all of the above. I have almost all of his books, and have not had to pay over the odds for any of them, but the Schwarz effect is clearly visible in the prices being asked for some of them now.

The big difference is that his descriptions really do take you through how to do something, where so many books just give you a line drawing and leave it at that. I think the reason why is that he was a properly trained woodworker with wide experience before he took up writing - and editing The Woodworker - so he wasn't just re-hashing material from other books.

 

[Harbo]

I've got several of his books that I picked up cheaply in the past but have not been searching recently.
It's a name that I always look out for when I do.

Rod

 

[bugbear]

His "Junior Woodworker" is particularly good. If you're worried about the title, buy a copy, scribble out "Junior" and write in "Beginning".

I won't tell if you don't.

BugBear

 

[Cheshirechappie]

Actually, fellers, you're quite right - secondhand Hayward books are available at quite cheap prices, though some seem more elusive than others.

The list of Hayward books I've managed to identify so far is:

Antique or Fake?
Cabinetmaking for Beginners
The Complete Book of Woodwork
English Period Furniture
Junior Woodworker
Practical Veneering
Staining and Polishing
Teach Yourself Carpentry
Tools for Woodwork
Woodwork Joints
The Woodworker's Pocket Book
Practical Woodcarving and Gilding

I suspect this list is not complete. Can anybody add other titles, please?

Edit to add - Found some more!

The Home Handyman
The Complete Handyman
The Handyman's Pocket Book
Making Wooden Toys
Making Toys in Wood
Period Furniture Designs
Antique Furniture Repairs
English Furniture at a Glance
English Rooms and their Decoration at a Glance (2 vols)

Any more?

 

[Jacob]

"English Furniture at a Glance"
"English Rooms and their Details at a Glance"
A few more here

He's got a chapter on veneering in vol 5 of "Joinery and Carpentry" ed Greenhalgh - a very excellent set of books BTW. A must-have in fact. Grab em if you see em.

At its height (early last century I suppose) the woodwork industry was massive compared to today, with an army of people learning and being taught - hence the large number of top notch books such as Ellis and other writers to match.

 

[AndyT]

How about this one that I bought recently? Hayward's name's not on it but it's definitely his style of writing and illustration. It's a 46 page pamphlet, produced to war economy standards, describing how to make things from salvaged or scrap materials. But I bought it because I liked the cover so much!

 

[AndyT]

Also have a look at this list, which is where I read about the pamphlet shown above

http://www.woodworkinghistory.com/manual_author18.htm

for a descriptive list and biography.

 

[Corneel]

If that is a war publication, where did the guy on the front get his pipe tobaco?

 

[AndyT]

If that is a war publication, where did the guy on the front get his pipe tobaco?

:lol: Maybe he grew his own!

Or else it is just part of the image of good times coming back - leisure time, chickens, daughter playing, woodwork to do!

 

[bugbear]

Also have a look at this list, which is where I read about the pamphlet shown above

http://www.woodworkinghistory.com/manual_author18.htm

for a descriptive list and biography.

Wow - a Hayward Bibliography. Now there's a target for anyone with slight OCD/completionist/perfectionist tendencies.



BugBear

 

[bugbear]

How about this one that I bought recently? Hayward's name's not on it but it's definitely his style of writing and illustration. It's a 46 page pamphlet, produced to war economy standards, describing how to make things from salvaged or scrap materials. But I bought it because I liked the cover so much!

I think "How to make Woodwork Tools" is in the same format/series.

http://toolemera.com/Books%20%26%20Book ... plans.html

BugBear

 

[AndyT]

I think "How to make Woodwork Tools" is in the same format/series.

http://toolemera.com/Books%20%26%20Book ... plans.html

BugBear

Indeed it is.

The last page of my booklet has a list of the series - I think it's safe to assume that pretty much all of these would have been Hayward's work:

 

[AndyT]

Also have a look at this list, which is where I read about the pamphlet shown above

http://www.woodworkinghistory.com/manual_author18.htm

for a descriptive list and biography.

Wow - a Hayward Bibliography. Now there's a target for anyone with slight OCD/completionist/perfectionist tendencies.



BugBear

Not just for Hayward, but for lots of ww authors across several centuries, with excursions into what was published in magazines too.
Do have a read around the rest of the site - it's huge, and includes all sorts of good things. I get a strong impression that its author is pulled in several directions at once when looking at what to explore next, so it will never be tidily finished, but it's an impressive attempt at being comprehensive across its stated subject matter.

I did put a link to it in the sticky of on-line books and plans, but it's good to have a reason to draw better attention to it.
It uses frames for navigation (which is a bit unusual these days) - to start at the top, use this link

http://www.woodworkinghistory.com/

 

[Tony Spear]

Four and Ninepence inc. postage - they're having a Giraffe! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: