Complete Guide to Woodworking

The ultimate guide to woodworking: a complete guide to essential tools and key techniques plus 5 inspiring projects.

Want to get into woodworking but don’t know where to start? Then this is the book for you. Designer-maker-teacher Chris Tribe walks you through the processes step-by-step, answering all your questions along the way. What tools do you need? How do you use them? What wood should you use and where can you get it from? And how do you give it that professional finish?

You will find out all about setting up a workshop, mastering the essential woodworking techniques and making and finishing some specially designed projects to put your new skills into practice.

Chris’s detailed instructions will show you how to use hand tools as well as portable power tools. And his ‘troubleshooting’ clinics that appear throughout the book will explain what to do if things don’t turn out as expected and how to get your project back on track.

The book concludes with 5 inspiring projects that will put your new skills to good use, including some striking skeleton shelves, an oak side table and a stunning mitred memory box.

Previously published as The Complete Guide to Woodworking (9781782215714).

Book Contents

Introduction p. 6
Workshop safety p. 7
Chapter 1: Wood and the Workshop p. 8
From tree to wood p. 10
From log to board p. 12
My 10 favourite woods p. 14
Man-made boards p. 18
The workshop p. 19
Introducing hand tools p. 20
Workshop materials p. 35
Introducing power tools p. 38
The work bench p. 46
Workshop-made tools p. 48
Chapter 2: Using Hand Tools p. 50
Sharpening edge tools p. 52
Planing p. 58
Measuring and marking p. 66
Sawing p. 70
Chiselling p. 73
Clamping and holding p. 76
Chapter 3: Using Power Tools p. 80
Drilling p. 82
Using a circular saw p. 86
Using a jigsaw p. 93
Using sanders p. 94
Chapter 4: Routing p. 96
Getting started with the router p. 98
Making the cut p. 104
Routing circles and arcs p. 111
Work aids for routing p. 114
The router table p. 116
Chapter 5: Jointing p. 124
Halving joint p. 126
Lap joint p. 129
Mortice and tenon joint p. 135
Housing joint p. 144
Edge joint p. 151
Dovetail joint p. 153
Mitre joint p. 166
Dowel joint p. 174
Biscuit jointing p. 180
Domino jointing p. 185
Chapter 6: Veneering p. 188
Choosing veneers p. 190
Preparing veneers p. 192
Jointing veneers p. 195
Preparing the substrate p. 204
Laying the veneer p. 206
Chapter 7: Finishing p. 212
Finishing tools and materials p. 214
Finish preparation p. 216
Staining p. 221
Finish application p. 222
Chapter 8: Projects p. 226
Breadboard with knife p. 228
Skeleton shelves p. 230
Oak side table p. 236
Workshop cabinet p. 242
Memory box p. 248
Glossary p, 256
Index p. 258
Credits p. 261