Taunton's Complete Illustrated Guide to Using Woodworking Tools (Complete Illustrated Guide Series)

Rating:
Summary: Starting Out Right
Review: It's not like me to wax poetic over a an introductory how-to book, but Lonnie Bird's tome on Using Woodworking Tools really is one of the finest effots I've ever seen. Taunton continues to set the bar with their 'complete illustrated' guides, but this one is exceptional for even that series.

The book offers 15 chapters divides into parts - 1) Wood and the Shop, 2) Outfitting the Shop, 3) Benches, Clamps, and Assembly, 4) Hand Tools, and 5) Power Tools. Each chapter lays in the basics and then goes on to provide a good deal of insight into the less obvious things one can accomplish with a given tool or process. The end result is a book that works at a beginners level, but retains its worth well into advanced woodworking.

Excellent illustration and layout are the standard here. I have a long standing gripe with books that use good looking models posing around brand new equipment, usually in the wrong position to do what they are attempting without losing a finger. One look at these photos, and you know you are in someone's shop. Not a new shop, but one that has come together over time, with an owner who values good tools new or used.

The text is thoughtful, straightforward, and well-written. In fact the only flaw in Using Woodworking Tools is that it is a bit more costly than many introductory books. But it has far more lasting value than most of its competition. I would rate this a best buy for the both introductory and shop reference use.