This book takes you from qualitative to quantitative understanding by means of accurate, readable explanations and a minimum of fuss. For instance, after explaining why a house settles, Hoadley shows us clearly how to estimate how much it will settle and what a knowledgeable builder could do about it.
Or take this simple woodworking situation: you are building a towel rack from two side pieces of white pine drilled to accept a maple dowel. Exactly how much wider should the hole be than the dowel so that expansion and contraction due to moisture changes in the bathroom won't split the sides?
A little time spent with this book will give you the ability to answer questions like these, quickly, exactly, and with authority. No more guessing about the effects of moisture, temperature, finish, and loads on wood: just look up the data in the clear and handy tables and graphs Hoadley provides and do the simple calculations (it's multiplication and division, folks, with nothing harder than an occasional exponent).
Almost every chapter contains revelations for the newcomer to woodworking. Early on we learn not only that wood changes size with moisture, but by how much (according to species), in which directions, how this affects its shape, and what are the common and best techniques to compensate for or design for these changes when building anything with wood. Later we learn how to relate these moisture changes to humidity--there's a clear and handy chart, as well as an easily memorized rule of thumb--and how to build and calibrate a simple shop hygrometer. In another chapter Hoadley applies this information to a discussion culminating in valuable information on sanding and finishing wood.
The many applications to an understanding of all things wooden make this book stand out for the casual reader, while the detailed, systematic explanations of the whys and hows make it ongoingly useful for anyone who crafts quality things from wood. It is the ideal supplement to an entire library on the how-to's of woodworking, because with the information given here, you will be equipped to make intelligent choices of how to select, cut, assemble, and finish a project of any size and complexity.
The only nit I have to pick has to do with the presentation of mathematical formulas: it's miserable. For instance, in one place the expression "D/O" stands for a single quantity rather than a value "D" divided by a value "O". Potentially confusing, yes; but what compensates for it is the clear descriptions and examples in the text: these are so good, you can totally ignore the formulas and not miss a thing.
Overall, Hoadley's long, thoughtful experience with all aspects of wood, from the engineering through the creative, shine through consistently. That's why I give this one five stars and I'm buying more copies for friends.
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There is a newer edition of this item:
With The Grain: A Craftsman's Guide to Understanding Wood
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Only 5 left in stock - order soon.
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Reviews with images
An amazing wealth of knowledge, phenomenal book
This book is not only well written it's super packed full of useful information and illustrations and photographs. Reading this book feels like taking a college level course except thankfully there's no quizzes exams or essays required. But I can definitely tell that I am learning a ton of new information. Once you have mastered the basics of woodworking and you're looking to take your game to the next level of fine woodworking knowing the stuff that this book contains is invaluable. I don't have any complaints about this book. I haven't finished it yet but I feel like I've learned a lot already and flipping through it it just has so much useful and interesting (if you care about wood that is) information.It's definitely not a book for beginners or those with short attention spans just looking to build something, In fact this book isn't about building at all, but if you've already got several wood projects under your belt and want to know a lot about the physical properties of different trees and wood this book is excellent.
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Jonathan Oakey
Well written and illustrated, good quality hardback
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 11, 2016