Woodworking Books for the Wife

[Mr Eddie]

My wife just told me she would like a couple of books for Christmas - one on box making and one with some beginning woodworking projects. She's very mechanically inclined so probably could skip the most basic stuff. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Lonnie

[YSU65]

I'm sure some other folks will have suggestions for woodworking books but you should let her see literature and catalogs for things you would like in the shop. Like more hand tools, chisels, LN planes, or better power tools. Let her work with bad things like dull HF chisels, bad hand planes, a short 6" jointer, and so on. When she struggles with bad tools you gallantly step in and suggest a nice upgrade. She will be forever grateful - and so will you.

Actually I have a friend whose wife would be an outstanding woodworker but she only has passing interest. Her husband and another friend were trying to reassemble a table saw top, could not figure it our after 1/2 hr. She walked in, asked what was the problem, they told her, said you need some kind of bracket, maybe like this one over here. See if it works. It did. 15-20 sec max.

Good luck

[Mr Eddie]

Actually, my wife likes working in the shop and never complains when I buy high quality tools. She even got me a new Laguna band saw in April as a retirement gift. I've always had a shop of some sort since we've been together. This past Tuesday was our 35th anniversary. She's a good woman!

[R Clark]

How about Lois Ventura's book on bandsaw boxes? Well written, illustrated, and very easy to understand?

[greenacres2]

Been working wood for a few years, and have made a pretty fair number of boxes--most have been decent to nice. I picked up a copy of Doug Stowe's "Basic Box Making" early this year and it's been very beneficial. Several box design/styles that are ordered in a skills building series, with excellent commentary on both how and why he takes the approach he takes. Each design has a few variations at the end of the article, which for me have stimulated some creativity (and make it easier to scale his projects up or down in size). Came with a DVD that i have yet to watch--though that may help even more.

Beyond the boxes, good suggestion on several helpful jigs and techniques are included, a few of which i've found to be helpful in general woodworking.

While titled as "Basic", to me it's written in a way that people of varying skill levels could benefit from. Finally--i not attached to the author or the publisher (Tauton if i recall correctly) in any way--just found it to be a very good fit for me. I've even caught my wife reading through it!!

earl

[Mr Eddie]

Thanks Earl and WxMan. The local Woodcraft had the Doug Stowe book and I also found a video series by Doug Stowe on the FWW website.

Lonnie

[JimBob327]

I also have Doug Stowes Basic book along other box books
Basic is a very good book , I'm still making boxes from it

Bob

[greenacres2]

Here's one that i finished a few weeks ago, variation of Stowe's lift lid box. Zebrawood and maple.
earl