Books on woodworking

**schmed** · 02-24-2005, 09:24 PM

Has anyone ever read David Charlesworth's Furniture-Making Tech, Vol 1 and 2? The description sounds like these would be good books to get. He apparently uses a lot of hand tools. Or does anyone know of any good books for a beginner to learn to use hand tools for the bulk of the work?

Thanks

**Limey** · 02-24-2005, 09:50 PM

you may find David Charlesworth's style of writing a little quaint...quirky..Upper class English twittish..hey but what do I know..maybe I'm just a peasant who dislikes a condescending attitude.

If you want the "bible" of furniture making then "Joyce on furniture making" is fairly comprehensive. The original text is a bit old now but the latest editions have been updated by a guy called Alan Peters..a true Craftsman with no pretentions..In any event hand tool technique has not advanced much now that power tools are more commonplace....and in someways the older books are better if they were published in the hay day of handwork.

Another excellent set of volumes is Tage Fride teaches woodwork..3 volume set which covers both machine and hand work..he was of Danish descent but grew up in the States and his terminology may be more familiar..certainly between Joyce and him every aspect is covered.

If you do buy the Charlesworth I am available for translation at a modest fee :)

Limey

**Sawduster** · 02-25-2005, 06:52 AM

I have Joyce's Encyclopedia of Furniturer Making, also updated by Peters and Spielman. That is very good and comprehensive.

Choosing and Using Handtools by Andy Rae is also pretty good.

**schmed** · 02-25-2005, 10:07 AM

Thanks for the input. I was asking about these two books in particular because I can get them both as a package deal for $25.

Where would the books you fellas mentioned be avaialble from?

And I should have asked in my original post if anyone knows of any really great books on hand cut dovetails, with a troubleshooting guide of some sort in them. I have tried a couple of times to cut them and they don't fit correctly and am really not sure what I am doing wrong. The last ones I cut were tight right at the start, but when I get the pins past the end of the tails the joint is very loose.

Thanks for the responses.

**Sawduster** · 02-25-2005, 11:13 AM

The very beginning of the saw cut is of utmost importance. You've got two lines in different planes that you need to cut to; the line across the plane that is the edge of the workpiece and the line on the plane that is the face of the workpiece.

Sounds like you're getting the cut started alright in one plane, but a little off in the other.

Here's a link to a site that has links to a bunch of good articles on woodworking. In the "Know How" section there are some sites on Handcut Dovetails that might help.

http://www.cianperez.com/Wood/WoodDo...DEX_How_To.htm