This curated selection of woodworking books is aimed at both novice woodworkers who are just starting and more experienced woodworkers who want to refine their skills. While numerous sources of information are available to help you get started with woodworking, such as woodworking podcasts, YouTube channels, and online courses, books are an invaluable resource that can provide you with a wealth of information and guidance.
General Woodworking
Basic Joinery
General Woodworking
The books listed below are my top picks for the top woodworking books for beginners:
General Woodworking:
- The Complete Book of Woodworking: Step-by-Step Guide to Essential Woodworking Skills, Techniques, and Tips
- Woodworking Basics – Mastering the Essentials of Craftsmanship – An Integrated Approach With Hand and Power Tools
Woodworking Joinery:
- The Joint Book: The Complete Guide to Wood Joinery
- Essential Joinery: The Fundamental Techniques Every Woodworker Should Know
Hands-on Woodworking Projects:
- The Handbuilt Home: 34 Simple Stylish and Budget-Friendly Woodworking Projects for Every Room
- Build Stuff with Wood: Make Awesome Projects with Basic Tools
- The Big Book of Weekend Woodworking: 150 Easy Projects
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This collection of books covers a wide range of topics, ranging from joinery and general woodworking principles to understanding the benefits of hand and power tools and knowing when to use them. Safety is a key focus throughout the collection. It is essential for anyone working with hand tools and power tools to prioritize safety, especially for beginners.
What I appreciate about these books is that they not only provide comprehensive information on the principles and techniques of woodworking but also include step-by-step projects that are perfect for anyone starting out. Getting the right information is important, but starting a project is actually crucial to applying what you have learned and improve your skills.
Each of the books in this selection provides detailed, step-by-step guidance that is easy for anyone to understand. Some of the titles may be older, but the principles and techniques of woodworking do not change frequently. By mastering these skills at the beginning of your woodworking journey, you can avoid making a lot of common mistakes.
While there are many other sources of information available online, including YouTube channels and woodworking podcasts, few of them place as much emphasis on safety and relevant techniques as the books on this list. These books provide highly relevant information that you can refer to again and again as you develop your skills.
Below, I will share my personal thoughts and experiences with each of the books, discussing how they helped me in my own woodworking journey and highlighting the pros and cons that you may find useful. Overall, I would highly recommend each of the books on this list to anyone who is interested in woodworking.
Table of Contents
- Top Woodworking Books for Beginners to Get You Started
- The Complete Book of Woodworking: Step-by-Step Guide to Essential Woodworking Skills, Techniques, and Tips
- Woodworking Basics – Mastering the Essentials of Craftsmanship – An Integrated Approach with Hand and Power Tools
- The Joint Book: The Complete Guide to Wood Joinery
- Essential Joinery: The Fundamental Techniques Every Woodworker Should Know
- The Handbuilt Home: 34 Simple Stylish and Budget-Friendly Woodworking Projects for Every Room
- Build Stuff with Wood: Make Awesome Projects with Basic Tools
- The Big Book of Weekend Woodworking: 150 Easy Projects
- Other Books About Woodworking Worth Reading
- Conclusion
Top Woodworking Books for Beginners to Get you Started
1. The Complete Book of Woodworking: Step-by-Step Guide to Essential Woodworking Skills, Techniques, and Tips
I picked up this book a year after I started getting into woodworking, and I really wish I had gotten it earlier. It’s a fantastic starting point for anyone new to the craft and covers all the essential skills and techniques you need to know. The book is authored by Tom Carpenter, who is an experienced woodworker and shares his knowledge in a very concise and clear way.
Comprehensive guide filled with information for woodworkers of all levels
The book covers all aspects of woodworking, from tools and equipment to techniques and tips. It is organized in a step-by-step manner, which is very helpful for beginners. The book covers a wide range of topics, including:
- Woodworking tools and equipment
- Wood selection and preparation
- Joinery and assembly techniques
- Finishing techniques
- Woodworking Safety
Here are some pros and cons of the book:
- Provides comprehensive coverage of all the essential woodworking skills and techniques
- Written in a clear and concise style
- Includes detailed explanations with step-by-step instructions and illustrations to help you understand the concepts
- Offers a variety of woodworking projects for you to practice the skills learned in the book
- The content may not be challenging enough for more experienced woodworkers
- The book may not provide in-depth coverage of advanced techniques or specialized topics in woodworking.
Overall, I would highly recommend this book to any beginner woodworker looking to start their woodworking journey.
2. Woodworking Basics - Mastering the Essentials of Craftsmanship - An Integrated Approach with Hand and Power tools
This is a book you need to have in your library. It is written by Peter Korn, a skilled furniture maker, and woodworking teacher, and offers comprehensive coverage of essential woodworking skills with a focus on both hand and power tool techniques.
Provides a step-by-step introduction to all aspects of woodworking
One thing I really appreciate about this book is how it combines traditional hand tool techniques and modern power tool techniques. It highlights the importance of knowing when and how to use each type of tool to achieve the best results. The book covers a wide range of woodworking topics, from wood selection and preparation to various joinery techniques, tool usage, sharpening and maintenance, and finishing techniques.
While some of the projects may be too complex for absolute beginners, the detailed explanations with step-by-step instructions and illustrations make it a great resource for those looking to improve their woodworking skills and learn new techniques.
Here are some pros and cons of the book:
- Covers all the essential woodworking skills in detail
- Highlights both hand and power tool techniques
- Provides detailed explanations with step-by-step instructions and helpful illustrations
- Features a variety of woodworking projects to help you practice your newly learned skills
- May not delve into more advanced techniques or specialized topics in as much depth as you may like
- Some of the projects may not be challenging enough for experienced woodworkers looking for a greater level of difficulty
The book is a valuable resource for beginners and intermediate woodworkers who want to improve their skills and broaden their knowledge of woodworking techniques.
3. The Joint Book: The Complete Guide to Wood Joinery
As the title suggests, “The Joint Book” is a comprehensive guide to wood joinery, and it delivers on that promise. The author – Terrie Noll, covers a wide variety of joint types, from basic butt joints to complex dovetails, and explains each one in detail, providing step-by-step instructions and helpful illustrations along the way.
For any woodworker interested in improving their joint-making skills
Here are the pros and cons based on my experience:
- Covers a wide range of joint types, including both simple and complex joints
- Provides clear explanations with helpful illustrations that make it easy to follow along
- Offers tips and tricks to help you achieve the best results possible
- Well-organized and easy to navigate
- Focuses solely on joinery techniques, so it may not be the best resource for those looking for more comprehensive woodworking instructions
- Does not go into as much detail on certain joint types as you may like
“The Joint Book” is an excellent resource for woodworkers who want to improve their joinery skills and learn new techniques.
4. Essential Joinery: The Fundamental Techniques Every Woodworker Should Know
“Essential Joinery” by Marc Spagnuolo is a must-read for any woodworker, especially beginners looking to improve their joinery skills. This book is designed to help woodworkers understand the fundamental techniques of joinery and how to use them in their woodworking projects.
With the knowledge of only a handful of essential joints, a woodworker can build anything he can imagine
For the past few years, I have been a fan of Marc’s work. This book provides detailed explanations that are accessible to both beginners and experts in woodworking. The book contains great photos and explanations. It provides clear instructions on how to create every type of wood joint imaginable, leaving no stone unturned.
This book is one of the tiles I have been getting back to again and again. A really great read!
Here are some pros and cons I found:
- The book is easy to read and follow, with step-by-step instructions and clear illustrations.
- It covers a wide range of techniques that will come in handy for any woodworking project, from classic dovetails to more complex mortise and tenon and finger joints
- Marc does not just teach you the techniques but also shares helpful tips and tricks throughout the book to take your skills to the next level
- With several practice projects included, this book is perfect for honing your joinery skills and building your confidence
- The book also breaks down the tools required for each joinery technique, making it easy to get started with the right equipment
- You might find the book too basic, especially if you have already mastered some joinery techniques
- The book does not cover every single joinery technique out there, but it does provide a solid foundation for beginners
This is a must-have book in your library. I would recommend it to both beginners and advanced woodworkers not just those interested in joinery. It is a great resource that covers all the essential techniques needed to create strong, long-lasting joints.
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5. The Handbuilt Home: 34 Simple Stylish and Budget-Friendly Woodworking Projects for Every Room
The “The Handbuilt Home” by Ana White features 34 budget-friendly projects that are both simple and stylish, making it perfect for both beginners and experienced woodworkers.
Plans for 34 versatile furniture projects for every room in your house
What I appreciate most about this book is that it offers step-by-step instructions on each of the projects, so even if you are a beginner, you can feel confident in successfully completing each project. The projects range from furniture to home decor. The book offers a lot and there is definitely something for everyone.
Each project in the book is simple enough to build and can be completed with basic tools you already have in the shop. I have completed several of the projects, and the guidance is simply amazing.
Here are some pros and cons to consider:
- The book includes step-by-step instructions for each project, making it really easy to follow along
- The projects are all designed with budget in mind, so you can make a lot of creations without breaking the bank
- Ana provides useful tips and tricks throughout the book, including what tools to use, when to use them, and how to use them safely
- Even though you can finish most of the project with tools you already have in the workshop, some of them may require specialized tools or advanced woodworking skills
- Sometimes the book lacks instructions on finishing the projects. It does not provide adequate information on how to finish the pieces and achieve the desired look – possibly to have a result that matches the included image
Overall, a great instructional book for anyone looking to get started with woodworking and build some projects quickly.
6. Build Stuff with Wood: Make Awesome Projects with Basic Tools
This book written by Asa Christiana is a great resource for DIYers and beginners looking to start with woodworking. The book is easy to follow and provides step-by-step instructions for making a variety of projects using basic tools.
True beginner’s guide to woodworking, aimed at anyone who is interested in the craft but has little to no tools and no real idea where to start
One thing that I really like about this book is that it does not assume that you have a lot of prior experience or access to a fully-equipped workshop. This makes it a great option for people who may only have a small garage workspace or limited space available to work with.
Asa emphasizes using simple tools like saws, drills, and hammers, which makes it accessible to anyone looking to get started in woodworking and building their first projects.
Here are some pros and cons to consider:
- Clear and easy-to-follow instructions for each project
- Projects are designed to be made with basic tools, so you don’t need to invest in expensive equipment
- Asa provides a lot of tips and tricks throughout the book
- The projects are diverse and range from simple to more complex, so you can choose what level of challenge you want to tackle
- Even though you can finish most of the project with tools you already have in the workshop, some of the projects may require specialized tools or advanced woodworking skills
- The projects are more complex than they initially appear
- The book doesn’t cover some advanced techniques or tools that more experienced woodworkers may be interested in learning about
This is a book for anyone who wants to start making projects with just a few basic tools. The projects are fun to make, and Asa’s writing style is engaging making it entertaining and easy to follow.
7. The Big Book of Weekend Woodworking: 150 Easy Projects
“The Big Book of Weekend Woodworking” by John Nelson is a good resource for any DIYer, and woodworker who wants to start building projects right away. The book is primarily hands-on and features dozens of easy-to-follow projects, that can be easily completed in a few hours. The book covers a wide range of projects, from simple to more complex, so there is something for every skill level and interest.
The book features a lot of projects dedicated to kids. If you have kids, it is a great way how to build a few projects together. On the other hand, if you don’t, you might want to pick up a different book.
Every project include finishes or surface decoration options, plus drawings and patterns.
Here are some additional pros and cons I found:
- The projects in the book are designed to be completed over a weekend, which is perfect for those who want to see results quickly
- The book includes detailed instructions and illustrations for each project, making it easy for anyone to follow along
- Provides helpful tips and advice throughout the book
- You may find that the projects are too basic or not challenging enough. It is a book for woodworking beginners after all
- While the book does include a list of tools and materials needed for each project, you may need to purchase additional tools if you do not already have them
- Pictures provided in the book are not actual size and it might give you a headache adjusting them as needed
- There are a lot of projects dedicated to kids – toys and other kids-related things. If not building these projects with kids you might want to consider one of the previous titles
Other Books About Woodworking Worth Reading
I’d like to highlight some other woodworking books that are worth having in the library. These titles provide great content for both beginners and seasoned woodworkers.
- Good Clean Fun: Misadventures in Sawdust at Offerman Woodshop – Nick Offerman
- The Woodworking Bible for Beginners: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide to Crafting Inexpensive Wood Masterpieces You Can Be Proud Of – Regardless of Your Expertise and even if You Are Short on Time! – Bruce Merrick
- Understanding Wood Finishing: How to Select and Apply the Right Finish – Bob Flexner
- Taunton’s Complete Illustrated Guide to Jigs & Fixtures – Sandor Nagyszalanczy
Conclusion
There are many books about woodworking out there, and some of them are really great. I can’t list them all here, so I’ve put together a list of 7+ books that are good for beginners and advanced woodworkers.
Even though some of these books are old, the ideas and techniques in woodworking don’t change very often, so you’ll still get a lot of value from them. There are also other ways to learn about woodworking, like listening to podcasts, following YouTube channels, or taking classes in your area.
If you’re interested in woodworking, I encourage you to pick a book from my list and try making something. It’s a fun and rewarding hobby!
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