The Fundamentals of Fine Woodworking

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Summary: A great book for hand tool and joint layout basics...
Review: This book is basically the "textbook" for the Fundamentals of Fine Woodworking workshop taught at the prestigious North Bennet St. School in Boston. It starts by talking about layout principles and the use of a reference surface. Then you move on to Wood Technology where you learn all about wood movement. Next you learn to sharpen bench chisels and planes. The section on the bench planes is particularly useful, because it covers much more than just sharpening the blade iron. You also learn how to tune-up the other parts of the plane which are just as important in getting good results. The book then goes on to show you how to flatten and square up boards using the plane, how to tune-up and properly use a marking guage, how to cut mortise & tenon and various dovetails joints by hand. The book is full of great illustrations and is very detailed in it's explanations, not only of how to do something, but why. Even though this book concentrates entirely on the use of hand tools, the concepts it describe about reference surfaces and layout are just as applicable as when you, say, setup and cut dovetail joints when using a router. If you are like I was, owning a bunch of handtools like planes and chisels, but not really knowing the proper way to tune them up and use them to get good results, then this book is for you.