Woodwork: A Step-by-Step Photographic Guide Hardcover – 1 Mar. 2010

I purchased this book for my husband who has recently taken to building furniture. He started with a few basic things, bookshelves, small cabinets, but when he got to doing drawers he started talking about his desire to have more knowledge about dovetail joints and about adding brackets to items, various router cuts etc. Being the complete novice I am, I went looking in a book store for a book for him. I came across this book and was impressed by the volume the book had. Amazon as usual was significantly cheaper than the £25 they wanted in a book store (i got it for £10) It starts at the beginning and by beginning I mean the bare bones basics of wood work - like what a saw is, and what a drill is! It starts fairly basic about building and finishing and by the end of the book it is going through the complicated joints, recessing brackets etc. There is a lot of detail and a lot of photos along with step by step guides on how to complete tasks along with the best tools to use. I had no idea there were so many different saws in existence! I found the book really interesting having a look at it. There were a lot of techniques they showed that really do add to the look of the particular item of furniture. My husband has found it incredibly useful and has been referencing it for a bed build he is currently planning. I feel this book is ideal for someone looking to further themselves in wood work, and is ideal as you can have next to no knowledge about it to benefit from this book. I would highly recommend to someone looking for a book about building furniture or woodwork in general. This book is an excellent guide through techniques and I may have even learned a thing or two having gone through it!

This is a beautifully crafted and inspiring book for anyone who wants to get into humble hobby that is woodworking. Each page is wonderfully laid out, photographed and presented. There's a fantastic introduction to the majority of tools any new woodworker is going to need at the start of the book. It gives enough detail about the tools to be clear about what they are and what they're used for but concise enough to not be boring and aid you in wanting to and go away and do your own research.There is also a wonderful section about all the different types of soft and hardwoods one would typically come across. All again consistently and beautifully photographed. Concise but useful information is given about the types of woods, what sort of projects you'd typically use them for, difficulty to work with etc.You're then lead into the step by step tutorial sections which start off with more simple projects and work their way up to projects which quite a level of involvement and detail to them. Each project directs you to the type of wood most suitable to complete the project as well the quantities/lengths required and your also guided as to the tools required to complete the job.All in all I really enjoy flicking through this book, its very inspiring I find. I'd recommend it for anyone who's interested in taking up woodworking or someone who just appreciates a well crafted book on a subject matter they enjoy being involved with.

An absolutely brilliant, beautifully (may I say "stunningly") illustrated book that takes you on a tour-de-force across virtually every aspect of woodworking with manual tools. It starts with the tools, takes you on to materials such as many different types of wood, and leads you to a vast range of projects, from simple to extremely advanced. Each technique is explained in depth, with a step by step approach and many detailed and high quality full color illustrations. I am amazed how much detail some authors and publishers pay to their craft, and this is a towering achievement of the craft of bookmaking, celebrating the traditional art of woodworking. Highly recommended for anyone just starting out with wood working or wishing to advance their expertise.

Bought this for my brother - he's an experienced DIY er and good at woodwork - so some of this is a bit simple for him - but it does have the more complicated stuff around joints, etc and some interesting projects to work on with a range of difficulties. And he has found it helpful in setting up his own home workshop. Its beautifully laid out - DK always seem to do that. I think if someone is already skilled at joinery its probably too basic - but for someone who is learning, or not trained in carpentry it would be very useful.

This is a truly wonderful book. The information is well chosen and very well organised; the text is accessible; the photographs are excellent and very instructive. (A small but very useful detail for foreign readers: units are both British and European.) The subtitle is: "The Complete Step-by-Step Manual" - it really lives up to its name. Such a wealth on information as well as insights that can come only from a rich experience and love for their trade, which the authors clearly have in abundance! Highly recommended!

What can I say? Quite a lot! 5*****. Excellent book. Very easy to follow, with well considered photos at the right angle. So you are able to follow each project and advice easily step by step. Plenty of images,pages full of ideas, tool and timber choices. Advice on safety, tips and suggestions on looking after your tools. So good, I even bought another copy for my Carpentry Tutor to use with his students. You won't be disappointed or buy better. A must. Thank you.

Nice sturdy heavy book, really great ideas in here with step by step guides.

Just what I wanted. This book covers everything from types of wood (and their usages), veneers, joints and the tools you will need. It also has a large project section that breaks the build process into a series of steps i.e. design, cutting the wood etc and then the actual 'build' process which is described in detail by utilising a step by step high quality photographic guide. I'd give it 5 stars for content, layout and the quality of the book in terms of pictures and the cover.