# Please recommend a good basic woodworking book **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 30, 2009, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-a-good-basic-woodworking-book/483756 "2009-01-30T19:04:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Solfy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Solfy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Solfy)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-a-good-basic-woodworking-book/483756/1 "2009-01-30T19:04:34Z")
I have basic fix-it skills. I know one end of a hammer from the other, took woodshop in gradeschool, and I’ve refinished woodwork and furniture. I’m pretty good (IMHO) with the finishing aspects, but now I want to learn how to assemble it from scratch. I have a compound miter saw, various hand saws, a jig saw, and now I am the happy owner of a Craftsman router with both fixed and plunge bases (my Christmas present, by request). A router table is coming soon, and my better half has accumulated a table saw (sneakily also my request). I want to make radiator covers, window seats, and built in bookcases. I don’t care if they’re not heirloom quality, but I want them to not look like they were built by my five year old. Can someone suggest a good overall beginners book or two? Preferably something readily available and not prohibatively expensive. Thorough web resources would also be appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![Mooch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mooch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mooch)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-a-good-basic-woodworking-book/483756/2 "2009-01-30T19:23:53Z")
I would go to your local furniture-quality lumber supplier. I recently “graduated” from the Chicago School of Woodworking and the place where I bought lumber had a huge book section and many knowledgeable staff who were happy to help. It’s not like you’re going to be buying your lumber from Home Cheapo or the like. ---
**Author:** ![Harry1945](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e47c2d/32.png) [@Harry1945](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harry1945)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-a-good-basic-woodworking-book/483756/3 "2009-01-31T04:30:02Z")
Get thee to Google, and enter “woodworking forums.” There you will find many. Locate a couple or three to lurk on, and join if you’ve a mind to. Books will give you basics, but there is often two or three years of lead time. Magazines all seem to have the same articles in three-year rotations. I dropped all of my subscriptions years ago. Forums will give you real time experiences with real woodworkers. Many…maybe most…are hobbiest; a lot are professionals; almost all of them want to share what they know. I’m reluctant to post links to the three I belong to, but only because I’m not sure of this message board’s policy in this regard. Speaking on behalf of two of them, we’d be happy to have you visit. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-a-good-basic-woodworking-book/483756/4 "2009-01-31T04:53:14Z")
A friend of mine has a rather popular podcast about woodworking called[Matt’s Basement Workshop](http://mattsbasementworkshop.com/)that’s worth watching. Check it out.