The New Traditional Woodworker: From Tool Set to Skill Set to Mind Set (Popular Woodworking)

For those of us who would rather not put up with the noise and mess of power tools (or expense), this is the best book I've found for someone interested in woodworking with hand tools. Although it is oriented towards furniture making, but the skills used in that are easily transfered to rougher carpentry. About the only complaint I have about this book is that it's not long enough. I would have liked to see more details and further information about hand woodworking techniques (but there are other books that cover those things well). Like other Jim Tolpin books, this one is full of excellent color photos and loaded with relevant information written in a easily readable, straightforward style.You get theory and practical advice on tool and material selection, and a number of practical projects to get started on building hand woodworking skills and knowledge. The only thing better would be to attend the school Mr. Tolpin teaches at, but for those of use with limited recourses or time, this is a good start. Highly recommended.

The sub-title of this book says it all - "From Tool Set to Skill Set to Mind Set". For those of us who have used power tools, Jim Tolpin provides a lot more than another set of techniques. He provides a new (old) way of thinking about how we work with wood that brings value to the task regardless of any preconceived hand tool or power tool ideas. There are a lot of good books for woodworkers. This is one of the best. Tolpin really knows how to write and he really knows tools, wood, and design. If you are serious about hand tools, one of the few ways to get more info than what is presented here is to attend a Tolpin class at Port Townsend Woodworking School. I just did and I was very impressed by the school, the teachers, and the fit of this book into the overall idea that we don't need the horsepower in our power tools.

I bought this book as I was trying to decide whether to take a deep dive into hand tool woodworking. I like Jim Tolpin's philosophy toward hand tool only use and was drawn in by his vision of working on your front porch to the gentle rhythms of plane on plank. But, like several other reviewers, I found this to be a kind of romancing the tool approach to fine woodworking. The list of essential tools seemed dauntingly expensive and the investment of time to learn their workings and ways is daunting as well. But, I guess, for me at least, it came down to questions about why I would take up woodworking in the first place. I'm not in it to do a large production run of furniture for my home or to make items for sale. I am intrigued by woodworking because it puts my hands to work to make something out of wood. I'm drawn to the process more than the product. I really am more interested in working wood than I am in machining wood. Because of that, Tolpin's toolset to skill set to mindset approach resonated with me. I think his presentation is most compelling where he is focused on the mindset. While Tolpin is good when discussing toolset and skill set, other volumes by other authors do an even better job unpacking these areas. One book that excels in all three of these areas is Paul Seller's "Working Wood vol. 1& 2". His approach is a revelation. He recommends a limited stock of tools and focuses on the technique with which they're used. In the process he makes hand tool woodworking seem accessible, doable and desirable.

Imagine a woodshop filled with 10 or 11 people planing, sawing, & squaring lumber, routing dados & grooves and producing all kinds of layout tools based on the wood workers own physical size. One would think that it would be a noisy, dusty, & fairly dangerous environment. But no, one can converse with others without shouting...no need for respirator or dust mask. Hearing protection is not needed. Your digits stay attached to you extremities. This book discribes how that is possible.I just attended a week long class from Mr. Tolpin called "Hand Tool Heaven." The class is based on this book The New Traditional Woodworker. It was amazing. Techniques are presented showing how to tune, sharpen & use hand tools as they were operated in the preindustrial era. Skills are taught and then developed by the making of tools, jigs, fixtures and other projects. The book is well researched and presented. Directions are easy to follow. Develop a new mind set. Learn how to work wood, not machine it. I highly recommend this book. In fact I now have some machines for sale if any one is interested.Ryc WilliamsonAloha, Oregon

I'm new to woodworking with hand tools. Most of my education to this point has been from "Youtube" videos; some are quite good. However this read answered many questions I had; the reason behind doing certain tasks and using the right tool for the job. I also learned why I couldn't saw a straight line and a trick to improve my accuracy. Tolpin leads you through building helpful tools and builds upon learned skills along the way. I enjoyed the insights into using hand tools instead of power tools (or most of them). A good read for those starting out to primarily use hand tools.

very good

Very informative book for the ones, that dont know anything about woodworking. Explains even the noobiest questions.... and best is, if your table wobbles, you can put the book underneath one leg and you have a stable table.Or you can try rotating the table and find a stable position ...

Nicely written easy to understand. Written by a craftsman with obvious passion for his craft. Many skill teaching projects inside.

Given as a present, the recipient was very pleased.

si impara sempre di piu' veramente interessante consigliato a tutti quelli che vogliono cimentarsi nelle lavorazioni del legno con attrezzi manuali