book_video reviews

These Book/Video reviews are submitted by members of the Northwest Indiana Woodworkers Association.

The material is available in our lending library. They are meant to be a guide for other woodworkers as to what our members have found to be useful. NIWA is not responsible for these comments.

As the title says, this is a book describing how to make small boxes and it does just that. It shows the construction of eight boxes utilizing various joints such as splined, finger, dovetail, and rabbet. Carving and decorative panels are covered.

There are very good photos showing step-by-step procedure, but perhaps what I like most about it is the authors’ philosophy of woodworking. Here is a section from the introduction: “I can tell you from personal experience that developing the skills you need to accomplish you best work won’t happen overnight. There is a difference between knowledge that you get from a book and skill that takes residence in your hands.”

“As your skill develops, you’ll begin looking for greater challenges. But don’t rush the process. Take your time. Many of the best things that happen in my own work came through repetition of the same simple tasks. Watching carefully, I began to notice things: when cuts could be made more accurately, how processes could be simplified, where finishes could be improved. These things don’t come in a rush. Slow down, savor the process, enjoy the special scent of each species, and take time to feel and enjoy the texture of its grain. At the risk of repeating myself, I offer this advice: Repeat yourself. Repetition leads to refinement, and refinement leads to success.”

“The book is dedicated to the students of box making, to whom I pose this challenge: If you want to learn something and get good at it, teach it to another.”

We have the companion DVD (DVD-14.8) that covers the same material as the book, but in more detail.

Scroll Saw Toys and Vehicles by Stan Graves (B-4.19)
A complete Technique and Project Pattern Manual

While containing only forty-two pages, this book has plans, photos and instructions for building nine very interesting projects from trucks, trailers, and a motor cycle to farm and construction toys. The projects are
a little more complex than some of the toys we build for Toys For Kids, but not so complicated that they
could not be completed in a day or two. There are even instructions on how to make wheels.

Essential Woodworking Techniques - Volume 1
by Woodworkers Guild of America (DVD-11.10)

It covers Carcase and Face Frame construction, Description of materials, Cutting sheet goods, Cutting and laying out components, Set-up and cut Dadoes & Rabbets, Sanding and assembling a Case.

Submitted February 2008 by Bob Roach
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The Workshop Companion Sanding and Planing
Techniques for Better Woodworking By Nick Engler (B-27.1)

This book was first published around 1993 and only has 124 pages. The book covers the jointer, planer
(including Shopsmith), Sanders, Abrasives, Sanding techniques, Hand planes, Files and Scrapers.
The basics are still good today.

Nick gives tips on how to choose a Jointer and Planer with the proper use of each. Adjustments to the blades, safety tips, are covered as well as trouble shooting techniques. There are plans for Jointer shop made accessories. Nick discusses how to feed the wood into the planer by correctly orienting the grain of the wood. A shop made gauge for adjusting some cutter heads is discussed and illustrated.

Nick also covers how to level a board using liquid wood, a router and a jig to hold the wood and router. The book goes into how to square up a board.

In the sanding and abrasives chapter, a good foundation of knowledge is given along with different types of machines used in the sanding process. This is then expanded into the area of sanding techniques for different situations and using different machines. He gives a list of abrasives for the most popular tools, such as but not limited to, the belt sander to be used with 60 – 120 grit sanding belts. For me as a woodworker novice, his “Common Sense Procedures” were helpful.

He also lists different “Toxic woods and the potential health risks” involved with these woods as well as having some shop made “Precision Sanding Jigs” plans in the book.

He does a fairly decent job of going over the important basic information concerning Hand Planes, Files, Rasps, and Scrapers.

In the project section of the book was the gold mine of the book for me. This section contains the plans for a “Thickness Planer”, “A Scraper Plane”, and a “Disc and Drum Sander”,

I found the plans for the Thickness Sander to be well worth the used book price I paid for the book. I believe it to be a good source to begin your project plans for building your own shop made Thickness Planer.

Submitted April 2008 by Bob Philpot
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The Great All-American “Wooden Toy” Book By Norm Marshall (B-17.7)

The book starts out with about four pages of a general discussion concerning the aspects and what goes into his making of the toys in his book. It covers the wood that he uses, the thickness, surfacing the wood, the dowels, the tools, materials, wheels, gluing and clamping, mass production, pattern and templates and finally the finishes he rarely uses on his toys.

The toys and their plans in his book are basic to a slight encroachment into intermediate in design. They are meant to be played with and are not for show and tell artistry. If a club member wants some plans to make toys for the club’s Christmas toy drive, I think this book is well suited for that goal.

The toys cover the basic gambit that primarily little boys would play with. I did not see any that were entirely directed for little girls. The toys and the plans are in the areas of old cars, construction equipment airplanes, a Sternwheeler boat, and trains of the steam and diesel type.

In summary: I recommend this book because I am a beginner woodworker and I have found it to be of a benefit for a person who is just beginning his wood working hobby (like me). The book is also suited for the person who wants to build some simple toys for his little boy and does not have much knowledge in woodworking. Some of the toys manufacturing may require a jig saw, drill, table saw or a lathe.

Submitted April 2008 by Bob Philpot
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