Product Description

In this essential reference for woodworkers, R. Bruce Hoadley explains everything from how trees grow to how best to cut, season, machine, join, bend, and finish wood. Why do miters open and glue joints loosen? How do you get a really sharp edge? Examples of problems and solutions help woodworkers puzzle through their own projects, while full-color photos and helpful tables illustrate key points.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #27240 in Books
• Published on: 2000-10-01
• Released on: 2000-10-01
• Format: Illustrated
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 280 pages

From Library Journal
Wood is a complex, dynamic material that can only be used successfully if the craftsperson understands it. It reacts to changes in humidity, and the various species have widely different working and structural properties (in addition to their many colors and textures). Both Hoadley and Peters do a good job of helping readers understand the factors that must be considered when using wood and products such as plywood. A frequent writer on home improvement topics, Peters offers a colorful book geared toward hobbyist woodworkers. He covers the process of making lumber from start to finish, including how trees grow, their structure, common ways of milling and drying lumber, grading, and possible defects found in wood. One section shows wood samples (both finished and plain) and describes their basic working characteristics. This particularly attractive book is filled with colorful photographs and illustrations and includes both a glossary and an excellent appendix showing the hazards posed by the sawdust of specific wood species. Hoadley, a professor of wood science and technology, has revised his classic title for its 20th anniversary. While the original is still great, the new title incorporates the latest technologies in adhesives, finishes, and wood products. Color photographs are a welcome addition as the original edition's photos were drab and unappealing. Hoadley covers much of the material that Peters does but in far greater depth. While this complexity may intimidate beginners, it is just what advanced users and professionals need. For example, Hoadley's wood identification section consists of macrophotographs of wood samples magnified ten times so that the correct species can be determined from the pattern of wood cells. This title also includes an in-depth glossary, bibliography, and index. Hoadley's work is an improvement of a classic while Peters's is good enough that it will likely stand the test of time as well. The difference is in complexity, not quality. General public library collections will get more use from Peters's title, while in-depth public and academic libraries will want Hoadley. Jonathan Hershey, Akron-Summit Cty. P.L., OH
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Critical information for the beginning woodworker.
I would consider myself new to woodworking, but not a complete novice. I have read a few books about the principles of woodworking, and all of them contained very little information about the nature of wood. These books left me with many questions about why certain methods are used or when to use one method over another. Understanding Wood answered a lot of my questions. Most importantly I now understand how to take into consideration the nature of wood when I am planning a project. The most important thing that I learned in this book was about the importance of moisture content. Sure I knew that wood expands or contracts with humidity levels, but now I know how to plan for it and work with it and I also know how detrimental it can be if you don't consider the relationship between water and wood.

What I really liked about the book is that the author did not pull any punches in his exposition meaning that this is not written for someone who prefers a "for dummies" book. This is the real deal, it contains some equations, it has many tables and graphs. Don't be too intimidated though, because it is not as dense or dry as a standard textbook. I think for anyone who enjoys woodworking this would be a great read.

My only complaint is that I wish the author could've gone into more detail on a lot of the subjects. He often wrote that a detailed discussion would fill a whole other book or even volumes. The problem is he's right, so the trade off is that some information is left out since the book can't be thousands of pages long.

Must have for Woodworkers
If you want to get to the "next level" in woodworking, this book will help you get there. Good all around read on the properties of the various species , but written from a woodworkers perspective. Covers species identification, kiln drying, steam bending as well as adhesives and finishing. Practical knowlege and a very good resource. If you want to move from building birdhouses to fine furniture, you'll want to buy a copy of this book.

Information Galore
This book had a lot of information that I personally didn't need, but lacked some that I wanted. Most noteably wood identification. It presents an entire section on this topic, but only shows microscopic views of different species, which is pretty useless to me. The author assumes that if you're reading this book, you can look at almost any piece of wood an identify it, thus making a pictorial directory of wood almost beneath the sofistication of this text.

It is a well written book if you want to understand the science of wood. Think of it as an anatomy & physiology for wood. I would have given it a 5, but ommitting normal pictures of wood types seems to easy to have been left out.