The Essential Woodworker

[GLFaria]

After I saw several suggestions in UKW forums, I ordered "The Essential Woodworker", by Robert Wearing, from Classic Handtools.
Got it today and just browsed through it for a couple hours. It was hard to stop.

What can I say?
I wish I had known the book before I started what may only be called "messing with wood". It would have saved me many hardly funny experiences...
Now if I could only get an inexpensive copy of "The Resourceful Woodworker"...

As for Classic Handtools, their service is outstanding. After confirming the order, delivery (overseas) by Royal Mail took just three working days with a weekend in-between! Fantastic.

 

[bugbear]

Got it today and just browsed through it for a couple hours.

2 hour "browse".

Classic!

BugBear

 

[David C]

It is a great book.

David

 

[Newbie_Neil]

After I saw several suggestions in UKW forums, I ordered "The Essential Woodworker", by Robert Wearing.

I did the same and my copy has just arrived.

Neil

 

[David C]

Waring's book is an excellent one for the beginning furniture maker and I am not sure if there is anything else like it.

David

 

[GLFaria]

And to complement thanks to a reminder from AndyT I just ordered The Resourceful Woodworker. I may learn to work with wood yet, I'm only 68!

 

[Jacob]

It's OK as long as you don't expect too much of it - they are all flawed - you need a selection to bracket the target as it were.

 

[memzey]

I recently purchased the technique of furniture making by Joyce (revised by Peters). It is an outstanding book which I highly recommend.

 

[David C]

Both excellent books which will provide a vast amount of reliable information.

David Charlesworth

 

[bugbear]

Both excellent books which will provide a vast amount of reliable information.

David Charlesworth

I'm old fashioned - I prefer Hooper and Wells to Joyce (their successor) !

BugBear

 

[David C]

Jim Kingshott recommended Hooper and Wells to me but I have not studied it enough yet.

Three volumes of Joyce have been worn out in my workshop !

David

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I picked up a copy of Joyce for 50p at a car boot - unfortunately it was the same edition as the one I've already got.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Incidentally, the Hooper & Wells is still available as a reprint.

 

[bugbear]

Incidentally, the Hooper & Wells is still available as a reprint.

For those inspired by this, watch out for the 1950's edition (4th, I think) of Hooper and Wells. It was extensively re-written, as they try to come to terms with modern processes and materials.

In other words it's full of "man made composite materials". Avoid, unless you like hardboard, chipboard etc.

BugBear

 

[Phil Pascoe]

The one on Amazon is a reprint of the 1922 edition.

 

[sneggysteve]

Just got my Essential Woodworker on E bay for £7 - brilliant

 

[Steve Maskery]

I owe Bob Wearing a huge debt of gratitude for his work. He set me on the Jigs road and that way of thinking for problem solving. Not just his books but he used to write regularly for The Woodworker, IIRC.
S

 

[Cheshirechappie]

I owe Bob Wearing a huge debt of gratitude for his work. He set me on the Jigs road and that way of thinking for problem solving. Not just his books but he used to write regularly for The Woodworker, IIRC.
S

He did indeed - regular articles under the title 'Bob Wearing's Workshop'. I've no idea when he started, but they lasted at least into the 1990s. Some people doubted the existence of this mythical workshop, but it did exist - Bob did an article in the December 1993 edition of 'Woodworker' describing it. It was converted from the outside toilets and wash-houses of two adjoining cottages which he'd joined together, and measured about 25 feet by 7 feet ("rather like a railway carriage with the door in the centre"). In this he had his bench, a small sawbench, a planer, disc sander, bandsaw, radial arm saw, wood lathe, pillar drill, metalwork lathe, metalwork bench, a small laboratory sink and a grinding bench. At one time, he also did the photography for his Woodworker articles in there as well, so he had to be well organised. "This would be a comfortable workshop for one man but two would get in each other's way."

 

[bugbear]

I owe Bob Wearing a huge debt of gratitude for his work. He set me on the Jigs road and that way of thinking for problem solving. Not just his books but he used to write regularly for The Woodworker, IIRC.
S

He did indeed - regular articles under the title 'Bob Wearing's Workshop'. I've no idea when he started, but they lasted at least into the 1990s. Some people doubted the existence of this mythical workshop, but it did exist - Bob did an article in the December 1993 edition of 'Woodworker' describing it. It was converted from the outside toilets and wash-houses of two adjoining cottages which he'd joined together, and measured about 25 feet by 7 feet ("rather like a railway carriage with the door in the centre"). In this he had his bench, a small sawbench, a planer, disc sander, bandsaw, radial arm saw, wood lathe, pillar drill, metalwork lathe, metalwork bench, a small laboratory sink and a grinding bench. At one time, he also did the photography for his Woodworker articles in there as well, so he had to be well organised. "This would be a comfortable workshop for one man but two would get in each other's way."

I could have sworn he had a separate, but adjacent, room for the photos. I dimly remember an article. However, my pile of WW magazines is large, unsorted and unindexed.

BugBear

 

[Cheshirechappie]

I owe Bob Wearing a huge debt of gratitude for his work. He set me on the Jigs road and that way of thinking for problem solving. Not just his books but he used to write regularly for The Woodworker, IIRC.
S

He did indeed - regular articles under the title 'Bob Wearing's Workshop'. I've no idea when he started, but they lasted at least into the 1990s. Some people doubted the existence of this mythical workshop, but it did exist - Bob did an article in the December 1993 edition of 'Woodworker' describing it. It was converted from the outside toilets and wash-houses of two adjoining cottages which he'd joined together, and measured about 25 feet by 7 feet ("rather like a railway carriage with the door in the centre"). In this he had his bench, a small sawbench, a planer, disc sander, bandsaw, radial arm saw, wood lathe, pillar drill, metalwork lathe, metalwork bench, a small laboratory sink and a grinding bench. At one time, he also did the photography for his Woodworker articles in there as well, so he had to be well organised. "This would be a comfortable workshop for one man but two would get in each other's way."

I could have sworn he had a separate, but adjacent, room for the photos. I dimly remember an article. However, my pile of WW magazines is large, unsorted and unindexed.

BugBear

Quite right, BB. He eventually converted the cellar of his cottage into a photographic studio and darkroom. A bit more room, but still hardly palatial - or transatlantic friends would be utterly aghast at how little 'real estate' he had to work in, and amazed at how much he achieved despite this.