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gdaveg
442 posts
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in almost 2 years
FOUNDATIONS OF WOODWORKING - Book Review
Foundations of Woodworking
This book is Mike Pekovich’s latest woodworking book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and took a few ideas that are planned to be used in upcoming projects.
I read the book like usual for me, reading the Forward followed by paging through the book and reading the parts that interested me most first, then going back and reading the rest of the book.
The book is full of beautiful pictures illustrating the various points that Mike is discussing.
The Building Strategies chapter covered lumber selection, grain orientation, flat & square, triangles to keep your parts in order, joinery roadmap and less measuring.
The narrative on using triangles to keep your parts in order the biggest nugget in the book for me. My current marking system is slowly evolving but could use improvement. This is the big idea that will be incorporated into my future projects.
He marks each piece; leg, apron, table top with a triangle. A table top made of several pieces are oriented in the desired layout for grain pattern and a single big triangle is drawn over all the pieces. This gives you the sides that face the same direction, and the order they go in.
The Flat & Square section is a point near and dear to me. Am sure most of the people here have had the agony of chasing a slight out of square issue through the project.
The next four chapters go through the basic joinery used in woodworking and often gives a variety of ways to do them. Rabbets, Dodoes & Grooves; Mortise & Tenon; Dovetails; and Miters.
Mike loves cutting dovetails by hand, I hate cutting dovetails with a router and jig, and have never cut one with hand tools. I have friends that choose to cut them by hand, when I want to make them nervous I’ll ask to borrow their chisels.
In the Miters chapter was a section devoted to building a sled to cut miters. There are several ideas that may put in my 90/45 sled built for the Box Swap 2023. He also had a making system to keep all the pieces so the grain pattern follows around the sides (another keeper).
The next chapter is on shaping lumber, going into steam bending, bending laminations, cutting curves on the bandsaw, using a block plane to dial in the shape.
The last chapter is devoted to going through the build of 5 projects. The projects that most interested me were the ones on building a chair and the arched entry table.
I have a friend in the AZ shop that struggled through his first dining chair and it came out great but could tell that he was agonizing over it. His DW want him to make a set. I dog eared that for him to read.
The arched entry table has great lines. It utilizes wedged tenons, through tenons, and bridal joints. It looks lovely but not on my to do list at this time. An entry table has been started last April for our AZ house.
Again I enjoyed reading this book so much that I ordered his prior book. “The Why & How of Woodworking”. I just had a foot operation so will be out of the shop for a couple of months so needed some things to kill time.
Here is a link to “Foundations” from Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Foundations-Woodworking-Essential-techniques-strategies/dp/1641551623/ref=sr_1_1?crid=39IQIRDHV51HJ&keywords=foundations+of+woodworking&qid=1692730718&s=books&sprefix=foundations+of+woodworking%2Cstripbooks%2C173&sr=1-1&asin=1641551623&revisionId=&format=4&depth=1
https://www.amazon.com/Foundations-Woodworking-Essential-techniques-strategies/dp/1641551623/ref=sr_1_1?crid=39IQIRDHV51HJ&keywords=foundations+of+woodworking&qid=1692730718&s=books&sprefix=foundations+of+woodworking%2Cstripbooks%2C173&sr=1-1&asin=1641551623&revisionId=&format=4&depth=1
daveg, SW Washington & AZ
7 Replies
i scrolled through the preview pic's and i saw the one where he turned the square stock at the angle he wanted the grain and resawed to give him the orientation most desirable. never occurred to me to do that. ill keep this book in mind.
oh ive talked to martin and he's now working on setting up a review forum. so no more reviews scattered all over.
oh ive talked to martin and he's now working on setting up a review forum. so no more reviews scattered all over.
working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.
Pottz,
Thanks for chatting with Martin. A reviews place and a woodshop section would be nice.
Thanks for chatting with Martin. A reviews place and a woodshop section would be nice.
daveg, SW Washington & AZ
Pekovich is my favorite WW design guy, He loves the A&C styling and always has good tips in his magazine articles.
A few of my projects are take offs from his designs. the hall table being one. I liked the floating top and cross grain sliding dovetails hold the two top halves together but allow for movement.
A few of my projects are take offs from his designs. the hall table being one. I liked the floating top and cross grain sliding dovetails hold the two top halves together but allow for movement.
I like Pekovich as well. Built his tee box.
I'll check out the book thanks
Pete
I'll check out the book thanks
Pete
Petey
Nice write up Dave, I'll have to check out the book.
Main Street to the Mountains
Thanks for the comments.
Pekovich's projects are always written clearly in FWW articles, and in his books also.
Pekovich's projects are always written clearly in FWW articles, and in his books also.
daveg, SW Washington & AZ
I’ve very much enjoyed Pekovich’s articles in the past. Might have to pick up the book!
Ryan/// ~sigh~ I blew up another bowl. Moke told me "I made the inside bigger than the outside".
