5 minutes There is a quiet moment every woodworker knows. You have just made a bad cut. The grain is tearing out on a tricky piece of red oak, or your mortise is suddenly too wide. You don’t need a YouTube video with a 30-second intro. You need an answer. Now.
Encyclopedia of Woodworking, woodworking guide for beginners, complete guide to woodworking, best woodworking reference books.
Many modern guides pretend hand tools are just for hipsters. This book treats chisels, planes, and scrapers as essential problem-solvers. The photography on sharpening a plane iron is the best I have seen—you can actually see the burr. Encyclopedia of Woodworking the complete Guide ...
That is when I reach for the heaviest, most battered book on my shelf:
If you only buy three woodworking books in your life, buy this one, buy The Complete Manual of Woodworking by Tage Frid, and buy a sketchbook. You will never need another “beginner guide” again. Have you used The Encyclopedia of Woodworking? Did it save you from a project disaster? Let me know in the comments below. Optional "Click to Tweet" (CTA) "Stop watching 10-minute YouTube ads. Grab The Encyclopedia of Woodworking instead. It’s the only guide that explains why your wood is moving while you sleep." [Link to your post] Note for formatting your blog: Be sure to add 3-4 internal links to your related posts (e.g., “Best Table Saws Under $500” or “How to Sharpen a Chisel”) and at least one external link to a reputable source (like Fine Woodworking or Popular Woodworking). Add an image of the book cover at the top of the post. 5 minutes There is a quiet moment every woodworker knows
If you have seen this book online or at a big-box store, you have likely asked the same question I did: Is this just another coffee table book, or does it actually teach you how to work wood?
After two years of using it as a professional cabinetmaker (and five years of ignoring it as a beginner), here is my honest, complete breakdown. Let’s clear up the confusion. There are several “encyclopedias” of woodworking. The one we are reviewing is the Updated and Expanded edition published by Lowe’s / Creative Homeowner (often just branded as The Complete Guide to Woodworking ). You don’t need a YouTube video with a 30-second intro
Check your local library first to see if you like the weight of it. Then buy the paperback version from a woodworking supply store (not Amazon—they often send damaged corners). Expect to pay between $25 and $35.
