Taunton's Complete Illustrated Guide to Working with Wood

This step-by-step pictorial reference covers all of the techniques for working with wood. Organized for quick access, this book makes it easy to find exactly the information you are looking for. Over 850 photos and drawings illustrate how to buy lumber, dry and store it, choose joinery for durable construction, as well as how to machine, bend, and finish any type of wood.

About the author
Andy Rae worked with George Nakashima and Frank Klausz before founding his own woodworking business. He has been awarded a New Jersey Council of the Arts Fellowship for his furniture designs. A former editor of American Woodworker, Rae is also the author of The Complete Illustrated Guide to Furniture and Cabinet Construction. He currently works in Asheville, North Carolina, making furniture as well as teaching and writing about woodworking.

PART ONE: Understanding Wood

SECTION 1. The Properties of Wood
Wood Structure
Softwoods and Hardwoods
Understanding Wood Movement
Reaction Wood

SECTION 2. Identifying Wood
Identifying a Species
Distinctive Wood Properties
Tricks for Identifying Wood
Understanding Grain Orientation

PART TWO: Finding and Storing Wood

SECTION 3. Cutting Your Own Wood
Harvesting Trees
Rough-Milling Lumber

SECTION 4. Drying Lumber
Drying Lumber

SECTION 5. Buying Lumber
Handling Sheet Goods
Parts Storage

SECTION 6. Storing Lumber
Laying Out
Measuring

PART THREE: Designing with Wood

SECTION 7. Dealing with Wood Movement
Reading Moisture
Letting Wood Move

SECTION 8. Choosing Joints
Designing a Joint
Testing Your Joints
Common Joints

SECTION 9. Selecting Your Material
Drawing Full-Scale
Appearance and Strength

PART FOUR: Cutting Wood

SECTION 10. Dimensioning Wood
Milling Solid Wood
Sizing Plywood
Cutting Shapes
Cutting Veneer

SECTION 11. Working Difficult Wood
Getting Clean Cuts
Making Repairs
Flattening Veneer

PART FIVE: Bending Wood

SECTION 12. Bending Wood
Green Bending
Kerf-Bending
Bent Lamination
Steam-Bending

PART SIX: Smoothing, Gluing, and Finishing

SECTION 13. Smoothing and Preparing Wood
Planing and Scraping
Sanding Wood
Making Repairs
Preparing for a Finish

SECTION 14. Gluing and Clamping Wood
Gluing Oily Wood
Clamping Up
Gluing Veneer
Removing Glue

SECTION 15. Finishing Wood
Coloring Wood
Smoothing between Coats
Applying a Finish
Smoothing the Finish

Sources

Appendix

Index

This book is about wood, the stuff woodworkers work. To thoroughly understand the material, we need to start at the source: trees. Understanding trees and their nature can help us become much more intimate with our material and can provide a broader understanding of how to work it. This first part of the book aims to give you a basic grounding in the properties of wood, from its botanical structure and classification to its identifying characteristics as milled lumber. Becoming familiar with these basic aspects of wood will provide you with essential building blocks for creating a solid foundation for all your future woodworking.