Here is a collection of books on woodworking with hand tools. These books will cover topics such as making your own, repair, using hand tools to build furniture, information, and techniques.

Hand Tool Books Page 1, 2, 3

Book Index Page

The Workbench Book (by Scott Landis)

If you want to build your own workbench, you should first read this book. It superbly covers the world of workbenches and provides a lot of insight into the history and function of workbenches. It gives you all the information you need to decide what kind of bench to build and how to build it. Scott Landis' knowledge, experience and love of the craft of woodworking, and his respect for the workbench, made the book a joy to read.

There are seven essential skills of woodworking that you must know to succeed. What are these
seven essentials? 1. Buy a quality handsaw. 2. Measure and mark wood carefully. 3. Crosscut and
rip hardwood boards by hand. 4. Edge-joint and surface a three-foot plank by hand. 5. Keep your
tools sharper. 6. Perfectly cut a mortise-and-tenon joint by hand. 7. Master a single finishing
technique before trying others. The secret is a balance between your skills on particular tools and
machines and your experience in improving your craftsmanship and design. You'll learn the seven
essentials faster if you practice them with hand tools, and that's what you get here--a basic
woodworking course that focuses on the true priorities and principles arising out of your love and
mastery of wood.

Hand tools are the classic way to work with wood. You feel a saw cutting crisply through the wood, a plane taking gossamer-thin shavings, or a chisel gently gouging out carving a groove. And hand tools are often a better choice than power tools, offering a degree of control and precision no machine can match. Best of all, using hand tools leaves a personal mark on your projects. But with thousands of hand tools to choose from, which ones do you really need? Of those, which are good-and which are better? And how do you use them to ensure the best results? The answers to
these questions-and many more-are in this comprehensive resource. Here are the tools that serious woodworkers turn to on a daily basis, as well as how to use and care for them. Every woodworker, whether beginner or pro, should keep this reference guide near the workbench.

"A workbench isn't simply a table or surface for assembling work--it's a tool that must itself work actively along with the person using it....Explore the common materials used to make workbenches, the basic construction methods, and several traditional bench designs, including a joiner's bench and a classic Scandinavian-style cabinetmaker's bench....instructions and plans for...a number of bench accessories such as drawers and storage bases, hold-downs, bench hooks, a shop stool, and a carver's screw....A useful primer for woodworkers ready to tackle construction of their first serious workbench...."--Woodshop News. ". . . be a very fine reference source . . . . a wide variety of design options . . . . valuable . . . ."--Fine Tool Journal. 160 pages, 339 b/w illus., 8 x 10.

A longtime woodworker's illustrated guide to the tools of the trade and how to use them. For those who would like to have the benefit of a woodworker's extensive experience with hand tools, this is the book to own. Crammed with practical information, it is the next best thing to looking over a craftsman's shoulder as he works with his tools, asking questions and getting straight answers in plain language, seeing how each tool is held and manipulated to get the best work out of it. From bit brace, chisel, and mallet to saws, specialized planes, drawknife, and spokeshave, Aldren Watson describes in detail the actions of the tools basic to good woodworking. All the procedures are explicitly illustrated with handsome line drawings, and an appendix gives plans and dimensions for making a workbench and other necessary pieces of shop equipment. With 450 b/w illustrations by the author.

This remarkable book by the even more remarkable Roy Underhill will inspire you to forget the breathing and ear protection apparatus and get out your hand tools! It has to be the singularily most inspiring woodworking book available. Enjoy the soft smells and quiet sounds of real craftmanship.

The host of the popular public television series, The Woodwright's Shop, offers twenty handcrafting projects from the American woodworking tradition, arranged to build new skills for the apprentice woodworker, with easy-to-follow photographs.

The third wordworker's instructional book from Roy Underhill, creator of PBS's "The Woodwright's Shop." Illustrated.

Yet another book from Roy Underhill. His instructional books on traditional woodworking are a great resource to many of us who enjoy using hand tools in place of power. Another great read.

With his popular PBS series The Woodwright's Shop and his three previous books, Roy Underhill has inspired millions. In his fourth book, Underhill features step-by-step instructions for many projects featured on the television series in recent years. All projects are illustrated with photographs and measured drawings.

Hand Tool Books Page 1, 2, 3

Book Index Page