The projects in this book are no-nonsense, straightforward pieces designed to improve both your workshop and your woodworking skills. When learning to build a set of sawhorses, youll become familiar with a circular saw. And as you build a workbench, youll become more skilled with the circular saw and learn the ins and outs of a router and biscuit joiner as well. When you make a stand and outfeed tables for your table saw, youll learn to join a case piece using biscuitsa task youll encounter repeatedly as a woodworker. Building a router table, youll learn another common method for building cases: using the table saw to cut dadoes and rabbets.

Whether youre interested in building bookshelves around the house or framing up a shed out back, this book walks you through building the basic accessories youll need to make your shop run as smoothly as any good tool.

Introduction
Tools and Materials
Sawhorses
Workbench
Table Saw Workstation
Router Table
Storage
Sources
Index

When I started woodworking as a kid, my father kept all his tools in the laundry room. He had a circular saw, a jigsaw, chisels, and screwdrivers, even a small lathe and a small bandsaw. To use them, usually on Saturday afternoons, wed move them out to the back deck and run an extension cord through the kitchen window. It wasnt elaborate, but it was a good place to learn the basics. And we spent hours theresweating in the summer and wearing long johns in the winter. Twenty years later, my one-car garage is what many would still consider a modest workshop. But its more than enough for me.

Whether youre working on your back porch or in an expansive basement shop, chances are youre there for the same reasons I am: You enjoy the peace and quiet, the satisfaction of doing it yourself, and the pride that comes from building something you know will be handed down from your children to theirs.

Whatever your shop space, youll enjoy your time there a lot more if it has efficient workstations and smart organization. That will turn your shop into an inspiring space, where work progresses smoothly and hours pass by without your noticing. I hope this book will be a step in that direction for you.

The projects in this book are no-nonsense, straightforward pieces designed to improve both your workshop and your woodworking skills. When learning to build a set of sawhorses, youll become familiar with a circular saw. And as you build a workbench, youll become more skilled with the circular saw and learn the ins and outs of a router and biscuit joiner as well. When you make a stand and outfeed tables for your table saw, youll learn to join a case piece using biscuitsa task youll encounter repeatedly as a woodworker. Building a router table, youll learn another common method for building cases: using the table saw to cut dadoes and rabbets.

Not only will your skills grow, but your tool collection will grow as well. A dark table in the corner of your shop is not a tool, but a workbench with a vise and a bench stop is. Likewise, a benchtop table saw will cut wood, but its precision and usefulness multiply when you incorporate it into a smart workstation design.

Whether youre interested in building bookshelves around the house or framing up a shed out back, this book walks you through building the basic accessories youll need to make your shop run as smoothly as any good tool. And working on your own shop is the best place to hone your woodworking skills. In the process of outfitting your shop, youll learn all the basics of woodworking. And if you make mistakes, youre making them on a 2x4 or a few dollars worth of plywood instead of that antique board from a tree felled at your great-grandfathers house. If theres a misaligned screw or an unfaired edge, hey, its just shop stuffbefore long itll be covered in sawdust anyway. The important thing is that youre learning and enjoying yourself.

Customer Reviews from Amazon

Very good, right to the point helps without needless "chitchat". Detailed with essentials. Would reccommend this to beginners and those who want to review basic ideas/projects.
Nola A. Stover

This is definitly a book for those just getting started in setting up a shop. Good photos and ideas on how to build the most essential items used in the shop.

Again it should be stressed this is for those just starting out.

If you're relatively new to woodworking and would like to build your skills through hands-on projects with clear instructions, this is the book for you. It contains a wealth of practical information on getting started with woodworking without spending a fortune on equipment. The author, Matthew Teague never talks down to you or uses confusing jargon. He carefully chooses projects that not only build your skills, but help you build your own workshop. You'll enjoy building your own sawhorses, workbench, tablesaw station, router table, tool cabinet and wood rack. The author carefully builds your skills as you progress to more complex projects.

I'm glad I purchased this book. I decided to resume woodworking after 20 years doing little more than normal house maintenance. Like many people, I took several shop classes in junior and senior high school, and this book allows me to re-acquire and master skills and unlike shop class, enjoy doing it. This book will help you get started the right way.

Matthew Teague does a wonderful job of giving you the tools to get started in woodworking and some really good practical projects for your home shop. The writing in the book is straight forward and easy to read. The project plans and instructions are top notch. I have recently purchased several books on this topic and I have defiantly found this one to be the best and a great buy.

An excellent book for someone like me who is getting started in woodworking. The skill building sections are very good. Having built a couple of the projects, I've found the directions to be complete and accurate. Maybe some of the critical steps could have received bold type or more emphasis.

Buy this Book  Add to Cart

Reviews provided by data from Amazon.com