Our audiobook version of “The Joiner and Cabinet Maker” read by Roy Underhill was a grand experiment. (Is there another woodworking audiobook?) We love the result – I’ve listened to it three times now. But we made a mistake in pricing the CD version. It’s too expensive.
So effective immediately we have cut the price by 50 percent (to $13.50) and are offering free domestic shipping on the three-CD set. This price cut is permanent until we run out of the CDs. After that, the audiobook will be available only as a digital download.
We’ve also reduced the price of the digital download to $13.
The superior processes introduced into industry, in modern times, by the knowledge of chemistry, has led to the establishment of various branches of manufacture, and made them of great importance, though they deal with articles which were formerly either entirely unknown, or disregarded as of no value.
Glue, in the modern industrial world, is a case in point. Like many of the important things in industry, it has heretofore been overlooked; and though the world would suffer, to-day, much less in its comforts and conveniences of living from a loss of all its gold and silver than from that of its glue, yet this fact would be most probably overlooked by the large majority of those whose well being is so intimately dependent upon its abundant and cheap supply.
Yet, in fact, glue is absolutely indispensable to the arts of modern industry, and as yet no substitute has been found to take its place. Without it, turpentine and petroleum would escape from the barrels which now contain them, and be lost. The very paper on which we write would, but for glue, make nothing but a series of blots; and so on through all the series of domestic or household arts. (more…)
Reader Tom Haley sent me this fascinating list of tools an apprentice carpenter should obtain circa 1970, with recommended brand names and model numbers. The list was a faded mimeograph that was almost unreadable. Through the power of Photoshop, I made it almost legible. I’ve decided to reproduce the entire list here exactly as written, typos and all. It’s simply too awesome to mess with.
Haley (in the photo above) completed his apprenticeship on Jan. 22, 1981, and has certificates of completion from The United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America and from The United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training.
Haley was a member of Local 512 in Washtenaw County, Mich. He was a business agent for Local 512 and a Field Representative for the Michigan State Carpenters Council.
— Christopher Schwarz
TOOLS
The following is a list of tools in the approximate order in which they should be purchased. You should get in the habit of purchasing one tool per week even if it is a nail set. You will find this a very profitable habit simply because your trade will be no better than the tools you have in your tool box. It is a well known fact, tools are one of the best investments that can be made, however, you must remember a poor grade of tool can be very costly to you. You will soon learn that a cheap tool quite often becomes the most expensive, not only in more labor that will be used, but also in the repurchasing of the tool.
It is a poor policy to wait until the demand presents itself before you buy a specific tool. Always remember that for a man to become a success in life is to be ready for the opportunity when it presents itself.
During your 1st. 6 month period you should purchase: Jack knife (good pencil sharpener) Hammer (Champion “Our Pride”) Zig Zag rule (Stanley No. 106 Finside) Nail set (Miller Malls 1/32 and 3/32) 8 point saw (Disston straight back D-23 26”) Ripping Bar or wrecking bar (Stanley) Cold chisel (Stanley No. 74 5/8” x 7”) Combination square (Stanley No. 122 12”) Screw driver (Stanley No. 1006-8”) Stanley chisels #60 (1/2” and 3/4” for now however, if you can afford it get set #69
During your 2nd. 6 month period you should purchase: Hatchet (Stanley Broad Hatchet No. 32) Steel square (Nichols No. 100-A) Level (24” Sands) or (Stanley No. 313 24”) Do not get a level with adjustable bubbles. Auger bit brace (Stanley No. 923 10” sweep) Screw driver bit (Stanley No. 26 1/4” and 1/2”) Auger bits (Russel Jennings No. 100 double thread) No. 8 No. 10 No. 15 bits for now. If you can afford it, get set No. 32 1/2 Qtrs. (13 bits) It is best to get No. Bx-D 32 1/2 includes box
During your 3rd. 6 month period you should purchase: Block plane (Stanley No. 60-1/2) 11 point saw (Disston D-23 Straight back 26”) Compass saw (Disston) Saw set (Stanley No. 42) Saw horse vise Coping saw (Disston No. 10) Hand drill (Stanley No. 624) Index of drills (No. spec)
During your 4th. 6 month period you should purchase: Hack saw (Disston No. 36 1/2) Jack plane (Stanley No. 5C) Celotex knife (Stanley No. 199) Countersink (Stanley No. 139) Scratch Awl (Stanley No. 7) If not already complete, complete your chisel set. Bevel (Stanley No. 18, 8”) Yankee Push drill (No. 41)
During your 5th. 6 month period you should purchase: Smooth plane (Stanley No. 4C) Wing dividers (Stanley No. 58, 8”) If not complete, complete your bit set. Ripping chisel (Stanley No. 818) 10 point saw (Disston D-23 Straight back 24”) Yankee screw driver (No. 130A quick return) Rabbit plane (Stanley No. 78)
During your 6th. 6 month period you should purchase: Butt gauge (Stanley No. 95) Expansive bit (Russell Jennings No. 71B) Line level (Stanley No. 187) Extension rule (Stanley No. 226) Jointer plane (Stanley No. 8C)
During your 7th. 6 month period you should purchase: Trammel points (Stanley No. 4) Phillips screw driver (Stanley No. 2752) Spoke shave (Stanley No. 151M) Bit extension (Stanley No. 180, 18”)
During your last period you should purchase: Cornering tool (Stanley No. 29) Disston Dovetail saw (No. 68, 10”) Screw driver (Stanley No. 1009 close quarter) Yankee off set ratchet screwdriver (No. 3400) Screw driver (Stanley No. 1008-8”) Hand scraper (Stanley No. 0, 2 1/2” x 5”) Burnisher (Stanley No. 185)
It will be to your advantage to add to this collection whenever possible.
A saltbox that Mark Firley recently featured on his blog.
Like having enough fiber in your diet, woodworkers (me included) can benefit from regular exposure to lots and lots of antique furniture.
Looking at overall forms (nice and awkward) and construction details (typical and far out) will help train your eye when it comes to executing designs. It also will inoculate you against silly statements in magazines, books and on the Internet about what constitutes real craftsmanship.
But what if you live in a place where antiques are rare? Or you just don’t get out much?
Thankfully there is the new blog “The Furniture Record” written by Mark Firley. Though his blog has been up since only November, for several years Mark has collected thousands of photos of furniture during his travels and shared them on Flickr with friends.
Now, thanks to the blog, Mark is sharing these photos with everyone. Most of the posts point back to large Flickr sets for you to explore.
Firley, trying to duck behind one of his enormous try squares.
While Mark lives in North Carolina, he does a lot of traveling (Russia?). Everywhere he goes he visits antique stores and fills his iPhone with photos of the outsides (and insides) of the pieces he encounters.
He is a bit obsessed with dovetails, so you will see tons of photos of how they were laid out and executed on pieces.
I highly recommend adding “The Furniture Record” to your RSS feed or bookmark list. Firley’s photos have definitely improved my design eye, and they have settled many arguments about what “real” furniture is like.
Because of the typical holiday insanity, I forgot to remind you that our free shipping offer for “Doormaking and Window-Making” ends on Dec. 13. Because of my mistake, we’ve decided to extend the free shipping until midnight EST on Dec. 17.
After that, shipping on this book will be $7.
We are anxiously awaiting our shipment of this book, which should arrive later this week. As soon as the truck drops them off, we’ll get all the pre-publication orders in the mail as soon as possible, even if it means making our kids go without sleep for a couple days.
If you’d like to read more about this interesting book or order it for $19, click here.
You can download a sample pdf of the doormaking section via this link. The pdf is fairly low-resolution to make it easier for you to download it. The actual scans are quite crisp.
Our audiobook version of “The Joiner and Cabinet Maker” read by Roy Underhill was a grand experiment. (Is there another woodworking audiobook?) We love the result – I’ve listened to it three times now. But we made a mistake in pricing the CD version. It’s too expensive.
