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Celebrate the joys of working with wood in your own home studio or wood shop.
The Woodworker’s Studio Handbook is a comprehensive guide to the artistry, design, and skills all woodworkers need to propel their hobby to the next level.
Master woodworker Jim Whitman walks you through planning your work space, helps you select tools and the right wood for the right projects, and gets you comfortable with your tools so you feel at ease in the studio and ready to experiment—all with gentle instruction and reassuring humor. His 20 teaching projects make you feel like a seasoned craftsman from step one, regardless of your experience level.
Learn about the importance of proper planning, measuring twice so you just have to cut once, and how to make the most of your wood. Above all, get ready to get your hands dirty: woodworking is about play just as much as precision!
The Woodworker’s Studio Handbook:
Jim Whitman has been working with wood for more than forty years. He started woodworking as a hobby while directing his graphic design studio in Clifton, New Jersey. In 1973, Jim and his family moved to a farm in rural Lafayette, New Jersey. Jim built a barn to house his wood shop hobby. During this time, he was introduced to the Peters Valley Craft Education Center in nearby Layton, New Jersey. He was inspired by many great teachers taking classes from some of woodworking's eminent personalities such as Tage Frid, Sam Maloof, Jere Osgood, Mack Headley, and Toshio Odote. Jim was so passionate about the mission of teaching crafts that he served on the Peters Valley Board of Directors for twenty years. In 2001, Jim retired from his graphics business and the Peters Valley Board to continue with his ever increasing woodworking commissions as well as teaching and consulting. Jim says, "I am so lucky to be able to work at what I love."
Introduction
CHAPTER 1: Setting Up the Studio
Work Space
Laying Out Your Shop
Storage
Visual Glossary of Shop Machinery
Controlling Your Environment
Visual Glossary of Hand Tools
Safety Considerations
CHAPTER 2: The Wonders of Wood
Wood Is Where You Find It
Plywood and Other Composite Panels
Recycled Wood
Veneers and Exotic Wood
Wood Lot and Backyard Lumber
Technique: How to Prepare 8' Boards for Air Drying
CHAPTER 3: Project Design
Getting Started with Design
Drawing Your Plans
Building Scale Models and Prototypes
Creating a Cutting List
CHAPTER 4: Wood Joinery
Common Techniques: Joinery
Hardware Basics
Choosing Glue
Wood Project: Hand-Cut Through Dovetails to Join a Shadow Box Frame
Wood Project: Make a Presentation Box Using the Miter Joint
Wood Project: Hanging Euro-Style Wall Cabinet
Wood Project: Shaker-Style End Table with a Drawer
CHAPTER 5: Bending Laminated Wood
Overview of the Lamination Process
Wood Project: Laminated Wood Salad Tongs
Wood Project: Making Larger Laminated Shapes
Wood Project: Veneered Flower Pendant
CHAPTER 6: Routers
Basic Router Styles
Router Bits
Technique: Using Routing Patterns and Templates
Wood Project: Making Decorative Inlays
Using a Router Table
Router Safety
Technique: Build Your Own Router Table
Technique: Routing Cope and Stick Joints for Door Frames
Wood Project: Dovetails Made with the Router
CHAPTER 7: Carving Wood
Styles of Carving
Learning to Carve
Selecting Wood
Choosing Your Carving Tools
Sharpening: The Secret to Carving Success
Setting Up Your Project
Beginning Your Project
Wood Project: Leaf Scroll
Wood Project: Eagle’s Head
Wood Project: Simple Flower
CHAPTER 8: Turning Wood
Materials for Turning
Tools for Turning
Wood Project: Turning a Spindle
Wood Project: Turning a Bowl from Green Wood
CHAPTER 9: The Final Finish & Gallery
Surface Preparation
Hand-Applied Finishes
Correcting and Preventing Mistakes
Wood Project: Finishing the Laminated Wood Salad Tongs
Wood Project: Finishing the Veneered Flower Pendant
Wood Project: Finishing the Shaker-style End Table
Wood Project: Finishing the Shadow Box Frame
Wood Project: Presenting the Presentation Box
Wood Project: Finishing the Hanging Euro-style Wall Cabinet
The Woodworker’s Gallery
Appendix I: Measurement Conversions
Appendix II: Estimating Template
Resources
Glossary
About the Author
About the Photographer
Acknowledgments
Index
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