Acknowledgements And References

The new woodworking books are here, the new woodworking books are here! 20 copies fresh from the publisher.

I like to give credit where credit is due. These are the acknowledgements and references for the information in my book, Hand Tool Basics.

I'm a self-taught woodworker. That really means I had many teachers, the many live demonstrators and authors of books, videos, and magazine, online forum, mailing list, and website articles who have provided useful information.

Use the information I provide as a starting point. There's plenty more than what I cover; woodworking is a global activity with centuries of history, creating an infinite variety of techniques. I hope that I'll give you the skills and knowledge to be able to assess and incorporate any new information you find.

In general, the tools and methods I show in the book follow American and English woodworking styles. Continental European and Asian styles share many of the same techniques, but there are some differences in the tools. Where information is available, I strive to show historically accurate methods. In general it's safe to assume everything I show has at least 100 years of history. Some things have 2 or 3 hundred. Dovetails date back to the ancient Egyptians.

We are but the custodians of knowledge, passing it on to the next generation.

Acknowledgements

Below is the list of my teachers, in roughly chronological order. These are my primary references. They offer a range of perspectives that don't always agree with each other but still manage to get the job done, showing that it's worthwhile to look at the variety of techniques available.

If you'd like further information on any of the topics I cover in the book, I highly recommend seeking out their work, or even better, a chance to spend time with them in classes or demos. It's always good to have an opportunity to watch someone closeup and drink in the details. Just one new detail about an otherwise familiar technique can make it worthwhile.

My memberships in the Society of American Period Furniture Makers (SAPFM) and the Guild of New Hampshire Woodworkers (GNHW), as well as the Lie-Nielsen Open Houses and Hand Tool Events, have given me a number of opportunities to meet and watch some of them.

Don Weber: Don's cover story in the April, 2004 issue of Popular Woodworking is what set me off down this path. He built a table from a log using nothing but hand tools. I was absolutely enthralled. It took me a few years of fumbling around to gain traction, until I started following…

Christopher Schwarz: As the editor of Popular Woodworking, it was Chris' articles on hand tools that put me on the road to success, in particular his articles on sharpening and planing. His books and videos form the core of my woodworking library. He went on to found Lost Art Press, where he continues to publish excellent books and videos on hand tool woodworking. He changed my woodworking forever, and gave me the knowledge to start appreciating other teachers, like…

Roy Underhill: When I first saw Roy's PBS show The Woodwright's Shop, long before I knew anything about hand tools, I thought this guy was bouncing off the walls like a superball shot from a cannon. But once I started learning, I realized every episode was crammed with a breathtaking amount of pure gold. His books and DVDs are another core component of my library. While I'll never be the showman he is and be able to do a half-hour video in one take, I've taken a number of cues from his show in my instructional format.

Philip C. Lowe: I've been following Phil's articles for as long as I have Chris Schwarz's. He's what I call a museum-class woodworker, because when museums need to restore or reproduce a finely detailed period furniture piece, he's at the top of the list. He ran the furniture-making program at Boston's North Bennet St. School for 5 years before starting his own Furniture Institute of Massachusetts, and is the winner of the SAPFM 2005 Cartouche Award. I got to know him when he gave a series of live demonstrations to SAPFM members on building several magnificent furniture pieces.

Michael Dunbar: Mike ran the Windsor Institute in New Hampshire, where he taught chairmaking. He's published a number of articles in Popular Woodworking. He takes a very no-nonsense attitude, as exemplified by his "Sensible Sharpening" method of sandpaper on flat substrate. His repeated frustration at having students show up to classes with basic tools they didn't know how to sharpen or use was what led me to start teaching. My goal was to provide that basic knowledge so people could get on with the more advanced topics of the specialized classes offered by others.

Charles H. Hayward: One of Chris Schwarz's heroes, Hayward was editor and "one-man publishing phenomenon" of The Woodworker from 1936 to 1966. He wrote a number of practical books that are simply spectacular. Anything you can find by him, don't hesitate, just get it! In fact, Chris has since anthologized several volumes of his writings from The Woodworker.

Robert Wearing: Wearing, another of Schwarz's heroes and an acquaintance of Hayward in Hayward's later years, wrote an excellent book that has been re-released by Lost Art Press. This was the source of the three classes of saw cuts terminology.

Bernard E. Jones: Jones wrote two encyclopedic books in the 1910's-20's which have been reprinted several times, one of which is now available from Popular Woodworking.

Garrett Hack: Garrett is a professional woodworker and author in Vermont. I've always loved his designs. He's a master of unique stylistic details done with hand tools.

Jim Kingshott: Kingshott was a British woodworker who put out several outstanding books and videos in the 1990's. He's like your favorite uncle. But of course, Bob's your uncle!

Adam Cherubini: Adam's "Arts And Mysteries" column in Popular Woodworking was a huge influence on my work. With his emphasis on 18th-century work, he showed me I could do everything by hand starting from the raw lumber, and taught me how to use wooden handplanes.

Patrick Leach: Patrick is one of the Internet's premier antique tool sellers, with everything from $20 user planes to $10,000 collector's items. He's partly responsible for the unusually large number of chisels you see on my tool wall; his house is dangerously close to mine. But he's also the definitive reference for information on antique Stanley tools. His website www.Supertool.com is encyclopedic, covering the entire line from the late 1800's through the first half of the 20th century.

Pete Taran: Like Patrick, Pete is another encyclopedic source of antique tool information, this time on saws at www.VintageSaw.com.

Erik Von Sneidern: And like Pete, Erik is another antique saw specialist, focusing exclusively on Disston saws at his Disstonian Institute, www.DisstonionInstitute.com.

Aldren A. Watson: Watson was a professional woodworker, author, and illustrator in Vermont.

Lie-Nielsen Staff: YouTube videos from founder Thomas Lie-Nielsen and demonstrators like Deneb Pulchalski, along with live demonstrations at their Hand Tool Events, cover a great deal about how to use and maintain their tools. I think this educational component is an important part of the company's success, completing the connection with their customers.

Alan Breed: Al is another museum-class woodworker. He's the guy high-end auction houses call when they want a reproduction of an antique that's on the block for millions of dollars, so the sellers will have something to fill the empty spot. He runs the The Breed School in New Hampshire, and is the winner of the SAPFM 2012 Cartouche Award. For a number of years, he's been incredibly generous sharing his time and knowledge in a series of live demonstrations to the GNHW Period Furniture Group on building period pieces.

Paul Sellers: Paul is a British woodworker who put out an excellent book and DVD series. He used to run New Legacy School of Woodworking in Penrhyn Castle, North Wales, possibly one of the coolest school venues around. He's another very no-nonsense guy, attempting to demystify the craft and bring it to the masses without complicated methods.

Christian Becksvoort: Christian is a professional woodworker and magazine author in Maine who specializes in hand tool work.

Peter Galbert: Peter is a professional chair maker in Massachusetts. He's also an inventor, creating several very useful tools and versions of existing tools. He was the one who showed me how to get the most out of a wooden spokeshave, and watching his YouTube videos resulted in a huge improvement in my turning skills on the lathe.

References

Some of these may be difficult to find because they're out of print. But they may be available used or as reprints.

Books (including a few useful references from authors not listed above)

Bickford, Matthew Sheldon

Mouldings In Practice, 2012

Blackburn, Graham

Jigs & Fixtures For The Hand Tool Woodworker, 2014

Fine Woodworking

Working With Handplanes, 2005

Hampton, C.W., and Clifford, E.

Planecraft: Hand Planing By Modern Methods, 1934

Hayward, Charles H.

Cabinet Making For Beginners, 1948 (several editions)

The Junior Woodworker, 1952 (don't let the title fool you, it's for any beginner!)

Woodwork Joints, Revised Edition, 1979

Hoadley, R. Bruce

Understanding Wood, 2000

Hock, Ron

The Perfect Edge: The Ultimate Guide To Sharpening For Woodworkers, 2009

Jones, Bernard E.

The Complete Woodworker, 1920?

The Practical Woodworker, 1920? (reissued as a 4-volume set)

Kingshott, Jim

The Workshop, 1993

Sharpening: The Complete Guide, 1994

A Woodworker's Guide To Joints, 1998

Krenov, James

The Fine Art Of Cabinetmaking, 1977

Laughton, Ralph

Success With Joints, 2005

Popular Woodworking

Hand Tool essentials, 2007

Rae, Andy

Choosing & Using Hand Tools, 2002

Schwarz, Christopher

Workbenches: From Design & Theory to Construction & Use, 2007

The Joiner And Cabinet Maker, 2009 (with Joel Moskowitz, update of 1839 anonymous original)

Handplane Essentials, 2009

Sellers, Paul

Working Wood, 2011 (also available as a set with 7 DVD's listed below)

Underhill, Roy

The Woodwright's Shop: A Practical Guide to Traditional Woodcraft, 1981

The Woodwright's Companion: Exploring Traditional Woodcraft, 1983

The Woodwright's Work Book: Further Explorations in Traditional Woodcraft, 1986

The Woodwright's Eclectic Workshop, 1991

The Woodwright's Apprentice: 20 Favorite Projects From The Woodwright's Shop, 1996

The Woodwright's Guide: Working Wood with Wedge & Edge, 2008

Watson, Aldren A.

Hand Tools: Their Ways And Workings, 1982

Wearing, Robert

The Essential Woodworker, 2010

Whelan, John M.

The Wooden Plane: Its History, Form, And Function, 1993

Videos

Kingshott, Jim

Bench Planes, 1996

Special Planes, 1996

Mortise & Tenon, 1996

Dovetails, 1996

Schwarz, Christopher

Coarse Medium & Fine, 2005

Building Furniture With Hand Planes, 2007

Handplane Basics: A Better Way To Use Bench Planes, 2009

Sellers, Paul (available as a set with his book above)

Working Wood: Woodworking Essentials 1 and 2, 2011

Working Wood: Master Sharpening, 2011

Working Wood: Master European Workbenches, 2011

Working Wood: Master Housing Dadoes, 2011

Working Wood: Master Mortise & Tenons, 2011

Working Wood: Master Dovetails, 2011

Underhill, Roy

The Woodwright's Shop, Seasons 1-31 (and counting, starting in 1980)

Online Forums

These are an excellent way to join with like-minded people to learn and discuss hand tools, their use, and how to deal with problems. In fact, as my skills developed, it was seeing the questions posted on these from beginners struggling through the same learning curve I had climbed that motivated me to put together a video course and book.

Some forums are extremely active. Participation is global, with people coming from all different cultural backgrounds.

I found these to be a great asset in my learning. Just be prepared for a wide range of information, often conflicting! You'll have to learn to sort through it. That's where I came up with the concept for my "Fistfights And Fundamentals" segments.

These are moderated forums to ensure that everyone stays on their good behavior, but discussions can get heated and feelings can get hurt. Read their policies and spend some time lurking (Internet-speak for reading without responding) before you join in. Don't take things personally, and don't make things personal. Be polite. Remember that different people have different experience, training, and opinions.

There are others besides these, in English and many other languages, as well as Facebook groups such as Unplugged Woodworkers.

www.SawmillCreek.com (US) - Neanderthal Haven forum.

www.WoodNet.com (US) - Woodworking Hand Tools forum.

www.LumberJocks.com (US) - Hand Tools forum.

www.UKWorkshop.co.uk (UK) - Hand Tools forum.

www.WoodworkUK.co.uk (UK) - Hand Tools forum.

www.WoodworkForums.com (Australia) - Hand Tools - Unpowered forum.

Thank You To The MBTA!

Finally, I'd like to thank the MBTA. Other than the shop work and photography, I did nearly all the work for this book and the original video series while riding the Commuter Rail. Yes, I wrote a book on the train! I did all the video editing, photo selection, and writing on my Mac laptop an hour each way to and from work in Boston.

Thank you to all the folks who took care of my commute and gave me a safe, warm place where I could focus on woodworking!

Intro Hand Tools: References

Go: Intro Hand Tools Main Page | Table Of Contents

References are normally listed at the end, but I want to give credit where credit is due and show you where you can go for more information. I've distilled things into primary and secondary references below, in roughly chronological order.

All of the individual images are links taking you to a source where you can buy the item online. I earn a small commission from sales as a referring site. But more importantly, the authors and associated people who put time and effort into them, and who are trying to earn a living from them, are rewarded for their efforts. Without their hard work, this information might have been lost. By supporting them, you enable them to produce more.

Primary References
Secondary References

These are the sources I've learned from over the past 4 years. I continue to learn from them as I progress and go back to re-evaluate them.

Primary references are the ones I feel provide the best instruction for the beginner trying to learn the fundamental techniques. Secondary references provide supplementary information or are good substitutes if the primaries aren’t available.

The books range from reprints of centuries-old historical works through early- and mid-20th century to contemporary. That provides nice historical continuity and different perspectives. Some are no longer in print but are available used. Two nice recent trends are the digital publication of historical works in the public domain, and republication of out-of-print classics; these help make obscure or out-of-print materials accessible to the rest of us.

The online forums listed on my links page are an excellent additional resource. You can dig through huge treasure troves of knowledge, and post questions to a wide base of fellow woodworkers. Just be prepared for the occasional stormy rough and tumble of conflicting opinions!

Some Comments
These aren't the only worthwhile references. They just happen to be the ones that I own and think are good for getting started. There are many other good books and videos available; I don't mean to imply that they're not useful by their absence here.

Of the contemporary authors, I'm most partial to Chris Schwarz and Roy Underhill. Chris' work has completely transformed my hobby, and he got me to pay attention to people like Roy, who's been out there waving his arms at us for nearly 30 years.

Occasionally you'll see some pretty baldly-stated opinions about what works and what doesn't, especially in the forums. I always take anything that claims to be "the best method" or "the only method worth knowing" with a grain of salt. There are also opinions of the "that just doesn't work" type, even when someone has been doing perfectly fine using it.

There are many ways to do the same things. That's why it's good to use multiple sources. In addition, each teacher has a different emphasis and presentation. Details that might not be apparent in one may show up better in another.

That also answers the question, "If these books and videos are so good, why are you doing your own version?" I have my own interpretations to offer, skewed to the beginner, since I was only recently a rank novice myself. I still have plenty of room for improvement, but I know enough to get people going and spread the knowledge.

I like to know the variety of options available. Then I can select the one I feel is most appropriate to the situation, given the tools available. As a hobbyist, I'm also free to try a method purely on whim, without deadline pressure or the need to earn a living from it. I may or may not decide to continue using it.

Keep an open mind. You never know when a method you've previously rejected may be the only way you can get a particular job done.

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Primary References

Books

The Joiner and Cabinet Maker, by Anonymous, Christopher Schwarz, and Joel Moskowitz, 1839, republished 2009. The original edition described how a boy could become an apprentice, taking the reader through three progressively more advanced projects. Moskowitz has added historical context and footnotes for the modern reader, and Schwarz has gone through building the projects, with photos. This excellent book is a rare glimpse into woodworking 180 years ago; the tools and methods are still used. Between the original text and Schwarz's updated build descriptions, its stepwise progression is particularly suited to the beginner, making it a good introductory course all on its own. Available with or without DVD containing slideshow and SketchUp drawings.

The Complete Woodworker, edited by Bernard E. Jones, c1917, republished 1980. Mostly lives up to its title. Covers a variety of basic techniques and joinery, though the writing of this era was rather stilted. Includes a number of good illustrations and quaint photos of workmen in vests and ties. Available used.

The Junior Woodworker, by Charles H. Hayward, 1952. Much more clearly written, reflecting the style of the later era. This superb book, written for boys, is really for any beginning woodworker regardless of age or gender. It contains excellent illustrations. Hayward wrote a number of other very good woodworking books as well. Available used. This is one that really needs to be republished!

The Essential Woodworker, by Robert Wearing, 1990, republished 2010. Covers basic skills with exercises, then goes through the techniques of table, carcase, and drawer/box construction.

The Complete Dovetail, by Ian Kirby, 1999. Covers a progression of dovetail styles with detailed drawings and photos. Also covers basic stock preparation, with good advice on practicing techniques.

 
The Woodwright's Apprentice, 1996
The Woodwright's Guide, 2008, by Roy Underhill. The two most recent companion books to the long-running PBS series "The Woodwright's Shop", and I believe the most practical of them for someone learning hand tool skills. Apprentice contains a number of projects that start using basic techniques and work up from there. Building them in order would constitute a fairly complete course in woodworking. Guide is a spectacular detailing of skills from the felling of trees through a variety of fine joinery. While the initial raw timber processing may not be of use to most readers, the rest of the book is extremely useful. Rather than projects, it focuses on the individual techniques.

Hand Tools: Their Ways and Workings, by Aldren A. Watson, 2002. A superbly illustrated and detailed compendium of hand tools showing basic usage, including a chapter on sharpening a variety of items.

Choosing and Using Hand Tools, by Andy Rae, 2002. A photographic compendium of hand tools. You'll be envious. Just don't  think you need to own everything shown! Also contains plans for several shop projects, including a knock-down version of a Krenov-style trestle sawhorse.

Working With Handplanes, by the editors of Fine Woodworking, 2005. A collection of articles on setup and usage, including specialty planes, spokeshaves, and scrapers.

Success With Joints, by Ralph Laughton, 2005. Covers a range of joints with detailed photos.

Hand Tool Essentials, by the editors of Popular Woodworking Magazine, 2007. An excellent collection of articles covering a broad variety of hand tools and techniques. You may not appreciate it all at once, but I found myself returning to this book repeatedly as I advanced step by step and found another article more interesting than the last time.

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Magazine Back Issues

Popular Woodworking, April, 2007 (Digital issue) containing the article "Sensible Sharpening" by Mike Dunbar. He explains how to use sandpaper on a flat substrate for freehand sharpening, and goes through sharpening a variety of tools. This was the article that moved me away from jigs when sharpening, though I now use India stones.

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Videos and CDs

Handplane Basics, by Christopher Schwarz, 2009. A followup to Coarse, Medium, and Fine (see below) that does a better, more focused job of showing basic handplane usage. His best video, this one really distills it down to essence.

The Arts and Mysteries of Hand Tools, by Adam Cherubini, 2009. The complete collection of Cherubini's wonderful "Arts and Mysteries" column from Popular Woodworking magazine through August, 2009. Covers a range of basic topics and projects. A couple of the columns also appear in Hand Tool Essentials.

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Online Resources

The Three Kinds of Saw Cuts, by Christopher Schwarz, Lee Valley/Veritas Woodworking Newsletter Vol. 1, Issue 5, July 2007. Details third- through first-class saw cuts, the coarse, medium, and fine of sawing, as Schwarz originally read in Robert Wearing's The Essential Woodworker.

Coarse, Medium, and Fine, by Christopher Schwarz, 2008. Distinguishes between handplanes as coarse, medium, and fine tools. This first crystallized the proper setup and order of use of bench planes for me.

Sharpening Plane Irons and Chisels, by Christopher Schwarz, 2008. Details sharpening with jigs and waterstones. While I now use India stones without a jig, this was the article that finally set me on the road to good sharpening.

How to Clean a Saw
Saw Filing--A Beginner's Primer
The How's of Setting Saws
by Pete Taran. Restoring and maintaining hand saws, from his Vintage Saws Library of Fine Tool Journal articles.

Sharpening Part 1: Plane Irons
Sharpening Part 2: Flattening Stones, Notes on Chisels and Re-establishing the Primary Bevel
Videos with Deneb Puchalski of Lie-Nielsen Toolworks using waterstones and jigs.

Saws Part 1: Techniques and Sharpening a Rip Saw
Saws Part 2: Sharpening a Cross Cut Saw and Setting Saw Teeth>
Saws Part 3: Jointing, Care & Maintenance>
Videos with Tom Lie-Nielsen of Lie-Nielsen Toolworks.

Shoulder Planes Part 1: Setup
Shoulder Planes Part 2: Use and Care
Videos with Angie Kopacek of Lie-Nielsen Toolworks.

Sharpening A Cabinet Scraper , by Dougal Charteris. Video showing a simple and effective method. This was what finally enabled me to get shavings from a scraper.

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Secondary References

Books

The Art Of Joinery, by Joseph Moxon, with commentary by Christopher Schwarz, 1678, republished 2008. Schwarz describes this as the earliest English-language book on woodworking. He does a nice job of bringing the presentation up to date for contemporary readers. Moxon is sometimes criticized because he wasn't actually a woodworker, and he made some technical mistakes. But what I find most fascinating is that over 330 years later, the tools and methods described are still used.

The Practical Woodworker, edited by Bernard E. Jones, c1918, republished 1983. A companion book to Jones' The Complete Woodworker, covering additional advanced techniques and projects. Contains a nice chapter on workshops, with workbench styles that show up in later work by Underhill and Schwarz. Available used.

Planecraft, by C.W. Hampton and E. Clifford, 1934, republished 1959 and 1997. Apparently originally published by the Record tool company, covers some history, basic setup and usage, as well as use of specialty and combination planes.

 
The Woodwright's Shop, 1981
The Woodwright's Companion, 1983
The Woodwright's Work Book, 1986
The Woodwright's Eclectic Workshop, 1991, by Roy Underhill. The earlier companion books to the "The Woodwright's Shop". These range all over a variety of traditional woodworking skills.

Japanese Woodworking Tools, by Toshio Odate, 1984, republished 1998. While I'm not using Japanese tools or methods here, this excellent book is one of the few covering them.

Practical and Decorative Woodworking Joints

Practical and Decorative Woodworking Joints, by John E. N. Bairstow. Quickly moves past beginner stage, but describes a number of joints, including several intricate Japanese styles. Something to work up to.

The Wooden Plane, by John M. Whelan, 1993. Encyclopedic illustrated guide to all types of wooden planes, including a catalog of molding profiles. As well as a brief history, it includes glossary for plane terms from 5 countries. Based on prices, appears to be out of print.

Green Woodworking, by Drew Langsner, 1995. A superb book on working wood in the green state (i.e. recently cut, before it has dried). The projects are more rustic and the techniques are much different from cutting and joining dried wood, but they're well worth knowing. Available used.

Understanding Wood, by R. Bruce Hoadley, 2000. The encyclopedia of wood technology.

The Seven Essentials of Woodworking, by Anthony Guidice, 2001. While this has excellent information, it also has some strong opinions. Guidice uses German bowsaws rather than English saws.

Tool-Making Projects for Joinery and Woodworking, by Steve A. Olesin, 2005. A nice collection within the range of the beginner.

Handplane Essentials, by Christopher Schwarz, 2009. A collection of Schwarz's articles on handplanes, covering tool selection, sharpening and setup, basic and specialized techniques, and tool reviews. A couple of the articles also appear in Hand Tool Essentials.

Made By Hand, by Tom Fidgen, 2009. Some basic instruction, building a Krenov-style trestle sawhorse, followed by a number of very nice contemporary projects. And his pile of books sure looks a lot like mine!

The Perfect Edge, by Ron Hock, 2009. I hadn't originally included this book, because when I looked at it at the bookstore I was already familiar with the information he presents on sharpening by hand. However, I did buy a copy when I wanted information on blade metallurgy; this is an excellent beginner's reference. There's similar coverage of abrasives, and a comprehensive survey of powered sharpening systems, as well as every sharpening doodad on the market. He also covers tuning and restoring several types of old tools. So there's bound to be something in here you don't already have from other resources.

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Videos

Coarse, Medium, and Fine, by Christopher Schwarz, 2005. An expansion of the concepts covered in the article by the same name, demonstrating handplane usage.

Building Furniture With Hand Planes, by Christopher Schwarz, 2007. Setup and use of handplanes building a small Shaker cabinet.

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Online Resources

How To Make Woodwork Tools, by Charles H. Hayward, c1945. Available as a free download from Toolemera Press. Another nice selection of toolmaking projects within the range of the beginner.

The Woodwright's Shop, videos with Roy Underhill. Several recent seasons of the program. While his presentation can seem haphazard, he crams an enormous amount of incredibly valuable information into a short time. Try to keep up!