Crafts & Hobbies

Learn to Build Furniture the Japanese Way

Japanese Furniture Projects in Solid Wood teaches the reader five solid-wood projects for the home, developed and first published in Japan. Translated from the original Japanese, the projects are the work of Mitsuo Fujimoto, a custom furnituremaker located in Akiruno City, Tokyo.

These projects include two stools, a table, an audio rack, and a cabinet. The author covers basic equipment, basic milling, and construction. The projects incorporate a mix of Western power tools and Japanese hand tools. The designs are not complicated but require some woodworking skills. The projects look simple but are very satisfying to make because they do involve a certain amount of hand tool use, which will sharpen the beginning woodworker’s skills.

Over 800 step-by-step photographs guide the reader through the completion of each project. Key Points in each project are called out in the photographs and captions to alert the reader to various procedures. The designs are quite straightforward but they offer the woodworker a chance to explore various processes that will expand their understanding of the craft of furniture building. For example, the book teaches the reader about the construction of octagonal legs, angled leg attachments, angled mortise and tenon joints, biscuit joinery, and pattern routing.

New and improved! A skill-building introduction that helps beginning woodturners master basic woodturning techniques on their own.

Written by a professional woodturning instructor with over two decade’s teaching experience, A Lesson Plan for Woodturning, 2nd edition, is a systematic, skill-building introduction that helps beginning woodturners master basic woodworking techniques on their own.

The new and updated 2nd edition provides a complete, self-directed course in woodturning safety, tools, and techniques that will help any beginning woodturner learn the basics on his or her own time. Using methods proven in the classroom, A Lesson Plan for Woodturning provides the equivalent of three semester-length classes in one book.

Designed to give readers a thorough grounding in every essential woodturning technique, this book is systematically organized to teach basic skills that are building blocks for mastering more complex tasks. Each lesson features projects designed to develop the specific skill discussed. The structure, order, and specific exercises are based on classroom-tested experience in teaching woodturning to both adult and younger students and are well-tested in the classroom.

New to the second edition are fresh woodturning projects (including one on pen turning), additional instructional lessons on best practices for beginning turners, and special advice for woodturning teachers who are looking to instruct woodturning beginners.

Each project is thoroughly documented with step-by-step instructions, illustrations, and photographs, showing the specific tasks, positions, and cutting motions needed to successfully complete the project. The projects are simple, direct, and focused on skill development. Readers can easily develop their own similar projects following the same general steps.

Over 65 fun, useful, and beautiful home woodworking projects for the kitchen: cutting boards, trivets, spoons, kitchen stools, and more!

Dress up your kitchen—and make it more functional—with these stylish, easy-to-make kitchen projects for the home woodworker. Master woodworking craftsman Ken Horner presents his best designs for useful items for the kitchen: cutting boards, trivets, spoons and spoon holders, spice shakers, trays, glass holders, candlesticks, kitchen stools, coasters, trays, bowls, baskets, knife holders and more.
br>Step-by-step instructions and illustrations make each project simple to complete while building your woodworking skills. Kitchen Projects for the Woodworker will give you the plans and confidence to make your kitchen functional and fun.

Making a door is easier than you think—here's everything you need to know to build a door that will last for years and you'll use proudly every day.

Few pieces of furniture, save perhaps chairs, work as hard as doors. Building them to last, especially exterior doors, takes knowledge and experience that don’t come from making other types of furniture, such as tables and bookcases. Doormaking: Materials, Techniques and Projects for Building Your First Door by woodworker Strother Purdy gathers all the information and guidance that both beginning and intermediate woodworkers need to be successful making their first door.

While covering the construction of the eight most popular doors, Doormaking starts first by addressing the fundamentals: the basics of good design and proper construction technique, the pros-and-cons of common materials including wood and sheet goods, interior and exterior finishes, hardware and the fine points of hanging doors.

Once those key elements are covered, Doormaking offers project chapters that walk the reader step-by-step through the construction of eight essential doors, explaining design and material choices in specific contexts, tool options and other considerations. The first four projects are easily accessible to a beginner while the remaining projects offer up some more challenging details for the intermediate woodworker. Also included are sidebars containing amusing anecdotes and mistake stories—each delivering tips as well as details for hanging a door—and an inspiring gallery of doors that are sure to inspire.

Doormaking: Materials, Techniques and Projects for Building Your First Door is a must for any woodworking hobbyist, professional craftsman, or DIY homeowner.

Create stunning works with this comprehensive introduction to the amazing art of segmented woodturning.

Segmented woodturning offers endless possibilities for expressing your creativity—the challenge is the precision and inventiveness required to produce pieces of artistic merit. In The Art of Segmented Woodturning, award-winning woodturner Malcolm Tibbetts provides a comprehensive introduction to this fascinating art that will help any woodworker technically proficient and eye-catching works.

Segmented turning, also known as polychromatic turning, often is used to produce varicolored geometric designs in turned shapes such as bowls, vessels, and other turned objects. Segmented turning usually requires the construction and use of a number of different jigs to precisely cut and combine the woods being used for the turning. The Art of Segmented Wood Turning covers all of the required jigs and each step-by-step process involved in making and using them.

Accuracy is critical in segmented work because the number of pieces that must accurately fit together can magnify an error. Tibbetts explains in detail how to achieve the necessary accuracy both in cutting and combining the many individual pieces. The reader will not only learn the secrets of accurately cutting segments but will also learn about ring segments and building and using a sanding jig, as well as a sled jig for the table saw. The design process is explained, as is the necessity of creating a blueprint of your project.

The Art of Segmented Wood Turning also contains sections of interest on stave construction, lamination trickery, and how to build zigzag rings and diamonds. Step-by-step instructions along with hundreds of color photographs clearly explain how to accomplish the sometimes complicated tasks involved with segmented turning. There are explanations and expert guidance on how to miter the completed rings, sphere-turning techniques, building a porthole-style ring, inserting diamonds and round designs, and even on how to transform a sphere into a vessel.

The Art of Segmented Woodturning is truly the bible of segmented turning and includes all of the information woodturners need to complete stunningly beautiful projects.

The definitive guide to recreating the special look of Greene & Greene furniture.

Considered among the highest achievements of the American arts and crafts movement, Greene & Greene furniture is famous for its refined details and striking design. The special beauty of Greene & Greene design has been impossible to reproduce because of the rarity of the original pieces. But now, in Greene & Greene: Design Elements for the Workshop, modern craftsmen can recreate the authentic Greene & Greene look in their own projects.

Nationally recognized furniture maker Darrell Peart provides intermediate and advanced woodworkers with step-by-step instructions for classic Greene & Greene details, including ebony plugs, cloud lifts, leg indents, brackets, and pulls. Over 200 photographs and drawings show readers the fine details of Greene & Greene design, while photos of contemporary designs inspired by Greene & Greene provide design ideas and inspiration. Biographical sketches are included for Charles and Henry Greene, Peter and John Hall (who built most of the furniture), and competing furniture maker Gustav Stickley.

Unique and comprehensive, Greene & Greene: Design Elements for the Workshop is a must-have for every fan of the Greene & Greene style.

Woodturning is as popular as ever -- a constantly growing segment in the woodworking world and one of the most wide-reaching woodcrafts among artists and hands-on crafters.  It’s appeal is based on the short learning curve, the minimal equipment, and the sheer joy of learning to make something out of wood with one’s own hands.

 But, unlike a lot of crafts that rely on individuality and creative thinking, the initial techniques of woodturning must be mastered. While at first liberating, these same techniques can eventually be confining because in mastering them, one must follow the lead of others. At a certain point, woodturners can feel that mastering the techniques has become the end in itself as they lose sight of their true pursuit: to create one’s own original style.  In fact, some woodturners, who believe they aren’t creative enough, will simply continue to master techniques while imitating the style of others.  

Terry Martin, the author of The Creative Woodturner and a woodturning artist, instructor, and photographer for over thirty-years, believes this goes against the fundamental nature of creating and being an artist.  There is no “right” or “wrong” and the pursuit of originality should be the goal of every woodturner. Best of all, creativity can be learned and the ability to think and see in one’s own artistic style can be achieved.

The Creative Woodturner is not your usual “how-to” woodturning book. It won’t tell you what a chuck is, how to sharpen a scraper, or how to turn a goblet.  Instead, this book is a “how-to” for unlocking curiosity, how to break the rules, and for following one’s own artistic path with confidence.   

Designed to give readers a wide perspective on creativity, The Creative Woodturner begins first with insightful commentary, quotes, and examples from the woodturning and art community that will both inspire and inform.  In addition, the author shares his Idea Tools: questions to ask during the planning and creative process that are as important to the creation of the woodturning project as any equipment in the shop.  

Finally, 16 one-of-a-kind projects – from boxes and vessels to bowls and one-of-a-kind sculptures – are featured that will spark the creative mindset of any woodturner.  Each project is documented with instructions and crisp photography highlighting the key steps, techniques, and tasks necessary for completion. In taking the reader through each project, the author pulls back the curtain on his woodturning magic and shares his vision and how the Idea Tools and creative thinking emerges in each project. 

An inspiring and enjoyable read not only for woodturners, but for any artist, The Creative Woodturner will anyone to think and see differently so time is spent at the lathe – or whatever creative pursuit it is -- creating the original ideas instead of imitating someone else.

Waterstones sharpen all your woodworking tools better, easier and quicker than ever before. Master craftsman Ian Kirby teaches you a series of logical steps for putting a perfect edge on planes, chisels, knives and carving tools. This is the only sharpening book that shows you exactly how to hold the tools, where and how to stand, and how to move.

You will learn:

What bevel angles are best and how to achieve them.

• How to test for sharpness.
• How to choose and equip a grinder.
• How to build a special bench for sharpening.
• Which waterstones to buy.
• How to sharpen and polish a perfect edge.

Woodworking with sharp tools is pure pleasure. With sharp tools you can lay out and cut joints that fit, and you can plane the wood perfectly smooth for finishing. With sharp tools, you will immediately become a better woodworker.

The classic work on the tools and spirit of the Japanese master craftsman.

In Japan, a woodworker spends years learning to use his tools with great speed and skill. Only after he has proved his mastery can he proudly call himself a shokunin, a master craftsman.

Japanese Woodworking Tools brings the traditions and training of the shokunin to the Western world. Calling on his own apprenticeship as a tategu-shi (sliding-door maker), and on 40 years of woodworking experience, Toshio Odate here offers a complete guide to Japanese tools: thin saws that cut on the pull stroke, laminated chisels with hollowed backs, marking tools, waterstones, axes, hammers, and almost 50 different planes.

Odate shows shows how each tool works, how it should be cared for and how it is meant to be used. He also shares stories and reminiscences that help bring home the traditions and spirit associated with each tool.

Whether you're a curious beginner or an adventurous professional, Japanese Woodworking Tools will show you a whole new world of exciting craftsmanship.

Spark your child's creativity with the beautiful art of woodcarving!

Woodcarving is the perfect art for nurturing a child's creative spirit. Requiring nothing more than a few simple tools and a little inspiration, woodcarving allows children to express their imagination while fostering manual dexterity and a sense of accomplishment. Carving for Kids is a child-centered introduction to woodcarving with 11 skill-building projects for children ages 4 to 17.

Carving for Kids emphasizes safe handling of cutting and carving tools, and all project should be done with adult supervision, but children will be able to complete these age-appropriate designs all by themselves. Ranked by age level, the 11 projects in Carving for Kids range from carving a name stamp (for the youngest woodworkers) to carving a face (for teenage craftspeople). Easy, step-by-step instructions guide children to the joy of coaxing shapes and figures from solid blocks of wood. Carving for Kids also provides information on computer-aided pattern-making, teaching children who face learning challenges, and methods for instructing kids of any age group, from elementary through high school.

Carving for Kids is a great way for you and your kids to learn together—and you'll share your child's pride and confidence when you see your young carver create unique handicrafts.

The first book on 3D printing just for woodworkers, with practical advice on how to fabricate your own tools and parts … and save money!

The blossoming technology of 3D printing isn't just for techies—a 3D printer is also the ideal tool for the traditional woodworker. Why waste money buying tools and parts when you can fabricate them yourself with your own 3D printer? You can save hundreds or even thousands of dollars by making your own tools—what's more, you can 3D print your own custom tools and parts that meet your unique needs.

3D Printers for Woodworkers is the perfect introduction to 3D printing for the woodworking hobbyist, covering the history and development of 3D printing and offering detailed comparisons of 3D printer models so you can confidently choose the right 3D printer for your needs. 3D Printers for Woodworkers also includes numerous screenshots for tools useful to woodworkers, plus information on 3D printing molds and hardware such as drawer pulls, hinges, slides, and shims.

Comprehensive and user-friendly, 3D Printers for Woodworkers is the ideal book for all woodworkers who want to save time and money while producing exceptional results.

Learn How to Use Dyes and Chemicals Like a Pro

If you’re a woodworker looking to take your skills–and your next project–to a higher level of craftsmanship, you might want to consider coloring your wood with chemicals and dyes instead of stains. Unlike stains that can trap light and obscure grain patterns, chemicals and dyes, when handled properly, are one of the best methods for enhancing a wood’s color or accentuating the grain pattern. A classic technique that’s been practiced for centuries, coloring wood is a sure way to infuse a “wow” into your woodworking efforts. 

With expert guidance by Brian Miller, a professor of Wood Technology who teaches an actual course on coloring wood, The Art of Coloring Wood removes any and all intimidation of working with chemicals and dyes and is the perfect entry point for anyone looking to move on from simple stains to learn the art of coloring wood for dramatic effect. To keep the information accessible and relevant.

The Art of Coloring Wood focuses on the six most popular woods used by woodworkers–maple, quartersawn white oak, mahogany, walnut, cherry and alder–and outlines the unique characteristics with regard to coloring each.  After the six woods are outlined, The Art of Coloring Wood moves onto the supplies needed, including brushes, sandpaper, and much more, before proceeding into the easy-to-follow and engaging chapters on the different chemicals and dyes that will make your woodworking shine. The beauty of The Art of Coloring Wood is Miller’s simple approach that makes the chemistry very easy to understand. Each chapter offers recipes, insights, and many “a-ha!” moments that make learning about chemicals and dyes both fascinating and within easy reach.

With the helpful sidebars throughout the book offering tips, mistakes, and countless nuggets of information, The Art of Coloring Wood will have you understanding the methods and many worthwhile reasons for coloring your wood while chomping at the bit to get a project completed so you can finish it with style and flair.

A safe, fun, and creative introduction to woodcarving for children age 4 and up

Your child's eyes will light up when they see what they can make with the beautiful and fun projects in Let's Carve!, a safe and easy introduction to the art of woodcarving for kids age 4 and up. Requiring only a few tools, inspiration and adult supervision, the projects in Let's Carve! are kid-safe and designed for beginners, but your children will be able to complete these age-appropriate designs all by themselves.

Learning the simple and beautiful art of coaxing shapes and figures from wood will fill your child with the joy of accomplishment, while teaching life-long skills your child will cherish forever. From simple clothespin chompers to string puppets to a waddling push penguin, each of the 16 core projects in Let's Carve! includes a basic version and an advanced version for kids who want more of a challenge. Many of the projects also provide alternate ideas that can be applied to new projects.

With its quick results and cumulative skill-building, Let's Carve! will awaken the creative spirit in your child, foster hand-eye coordination, and build confidence as your young carvers turn out unique handicrafts. Let's Carve! will give your child an experience they'll treasure and foster a life-long love of creativity.

Learn to make traditional Japanese sliding doors and screens for your home!

The construction of shoji—Japanese sliding doors and screens—requires great skill and attention to detail. However, the task is within the reach of amateur woodworkers, and the results will add grace and serenity to any interior. With Toshio Odate’s help, woodworkers can tackle this traditional craft with confidence. 

Odate, who served a craftsman’s apprenticeship during his youth, unites traditional insight and technical mastery in a way that anyone can understand. Making Shoji includes step-by-step instructions, illustrated by photos taken at every stage of the work, give detailed information on how to prepare materials, lay out joints, cut the parts, and assemble two shoji projects: the common sliding screen with hipboard, plus an intricate transom featuring the beautiful asanoha pattern. Building on this foundation, Odate gives construction details and notes on eight shoji variations. Technical chapters cover the Japanese mortise-and-tenon joint, shoji paper, and homemade rice glue.

Drawing upon his unusual life, Odate includes richly moving stories of his sometimes harsh apprenticeship in post-War Japan, an era almost incomprehensibly far from our own. These revelations help put traditional Japanese woodworking techniques and attitudes into their cultural context. Odate’s authentic account thus will enhance every woodworker’s library.

A comprehensive guide to the rewarding craft of chairmaking

The often-intimidating art of chairmaking is explained in this book of expert patterns and tips for creating seven elegant chairs. Through each project, craftspeople learn increasingly complex skills that build upon each other, making the manual a complete education in all of the basic chairmaking techniques. The straightforward plans and methods make the designs--such as a child's ladderback chair and even armchairs--accessible for home woodworkers. Illuminating discussions of construction and design fundamentals, along with an appendix on oils and waxes to give projects the finishing touch, round out this exploration of the art of building comfortable chairs.

Easy-to-build, affordable, beautiful, durable, fun furniture projects kids will love!

Give your child a unique gift of a lifetime—without breaking your checkbook—and you and your kid will have fun making it! Building Unique and Useful Kids’ Furniture: 24 Great Do-It-Yourself Projects gives complete step-by-step instructions for building 24 professionally designed one-of-a-kind children’s furniture projects that are easy to build and your kids will love.

You don’t need advanced skills. You don’t need specialized tools. You don’t need expensive materials. All of these projects can be built using basic tools and materials from any home improvement store. Step-by-step instructions and color photos show you exactly what to do—and many projects are labeled “Kid Friendly,” so your child can safely help you build it, developing their skills and confidence.

These projects will fill every room of your house with kids’ furniture that is cleverly designed, attractive, whimsical, safe, with timeless design that look fresh 20 years from now, giving your kids a lasting legacy to pass on to their kids.

Learn to elevate and perfect your cabinetmaking skills!

Sharing his legendary techniques for coopered doors, dowelling, dovetail joints, frame-and-panel work, latches, hinges, fittings, and other cabinetry details, in The Fine Art of Cabinetmaking, master woodworker James Krenov elevates cabinetry to a true art.

With continual themes of perfection of technique and building to the limits of one's skill, this authoritative resource provides in-depth instruction for mastering the craft of cabinetmaking. A bevy of topics, including the proper way to sharpen and hone tools, hollow grinding methodology, and obtaining proper grinding angles, are detailed in this comprehensive cabinet-making sourcebook. Lessons devoted to using and understanding various woods, including common or exotic pieces, learning how to read grain, and the pros and cons in working with air-dried wood versus kiln-dried wood, will educate any level of woodworker. Chapters devoted to resawing as well as problems and concerns due to moisture content and wood movement are also included.

Beginning with the most essential part of cabinetry—selecting and preparing wood—Krenov shares his beliefs about the integrity of the material being the first priority so that the subtle use of figure and color will enhance the design. He shows how first-rate execution and flawless finished surfaces are the hallmarks of his work and can be in yours when you discover his secrets. In the end, true inspiration and masterful skill have never come together so exquisitely as in Krenov’s work.

An easy and fun introduction to the essential outdoor skill of bushcraft whittling.

In Bushcraft Whittling, master whittler Rick Wiebe shows step-by-step how anyone with a common pocketknife, a hatchet, and an itch to do something with their hands can make projects that are fun, eye-catching, and useful. Bushcraft Whittling will show you the tools you need (all available at any hardware store), the right cutting techniques, carving safety, how to select the right wood, and how to make dozens of useful items at your campsite.

Everyone who spends time in the outdoors—campers, hikers, ramblers, hunters, fishermen, skiers, and any kind of sportsman—needs to master the art of bushcraft whittling. Additionally, bushcraft whittling is the perfect low-effort introduction to the fun and relaxing hobby of whittling, as well as an excuse to use that fun knife you just bought.

If you're an outdoorsy person—or even if you just want to be an outdoorsy person someday—Bushcraft Whittling is a must-have book.

"Gary Rogowski leads us gently but surely upon the path to a type of success we may not have previously considered. (Hint: it involves blisters)." --Nick Offerman

In an era when there are countless competing claims on one's attention, how does one find the internal focus to be creative? For master furniture craftsman Gary Rogowski, the answer is in the act of creative work itself. The discipline of working with one's hands to create unnecessarily beautiful things shapes the builder into a more complete human being.

In the tradition of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and Shop Class as Soulcraft, Rogowski's Handmade is a profound meditation on the eternal value of manual work, creativity, human fallibility, and the stubborn pursuit of quality work. Rogowski tells his life story of how he became a craftsman and how years of persistent work have taught him patience, resilience, tolerance for failure, and a love of pursuing beauty and mastery for its own sake.