WoodWork Step by Step 2nd

Wood has been fundamental to the development and survival of humankind throughout

history. Trees have provided us with the essentials for living—oxygen, food, warmth,

medicine, and shelter—as well as offering the raw ingredients for key markers of cultural

progress, such as paper, furniture, musical instruments, and works of art. Even today, in

a world of sophisticated technology and materials, we use wood for much of our work

on buildings and furniture because of its versatility, beauty, and availability.

Because of this long tradition, wooden furniture has a rich and diverse heritage of styles,

while examples that are centuries old can be found all around us—in museums, antique

stores, or galleries. This range of styles and sense of tradition and craftsmanship offers

the modern woodworker an inspirational archive to draw upon, whether designing or

constructing their own pieces.

 

Creating furniture by hand is a skill that has to an extent been supplanted by the

development of power tools and machinery, yet the importance of using hand tools

cannot be underestimated. Tools may have advanced in sophistication throughout

history, but the fundamentals of woodworking have not changed significantly over

the centuries, and this age-old craft is still the cornerstone of all furniture making. Of

course, it is possible to make furniture entirely by machine, but this requires a large

workshop and a very large wallet. By contrast, hand skills allow you to create furniture

within a limited space and with a limited budget while experiencing the pleasure of

working closely with wood to craft an object of your choice.

 

Woodwork Step by Step celebrates the joys of creating furniture. It provides a core

grounding in the fundamental woodworking skills and techniques, and the use of both

hand and power tools; showcases a catalog of the various types of timber available and

their individual working properties; and supplies you with achievable, yet challenging,

projects. Whether you are a novice or more experienced in the art of carpentry,

Woodwork Step by Step is an essential addition to your bookshelf.