# Question Of The Week... (2022 week 11)



## ripjack13 (Mar 13, 2022)

*How big or small is your woodworking book library? 
And, What are at least the 5 woodworking-related books you think every woodworker should own?*





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**Rules**
There is no minimum post requirement,
primates, woodticks, wood spinners, and leprechauns are welcome to post an answer.
And of course the  and the doc too....
One leprechaun is worth a barrel of monkeys ....


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## woodtickgreg (Mar 13, 2022)

My wood working book library fits in one half of a shelf. My Sam Maloof books are cherished. But my wood working magazine collection is like 8 plastic storage bins full, lol. I never throw them out and I have fun going back through them and getting inspiration for new projects. They are a wealth of information, probably more than you'll ever get in a single book or 2.

Reactions: Like 4


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## Tony (Mar 13, 2022)

Basically mine is a copy of Greg's. Maloof is someone who's work I've always loved. Nikki got me a new book recently, Moving Sam Maloof, about relocating his house due to Eminent Domain. Bob Flexner wrote an excellent book on finishing that I refer back to a lot. I have a TON of magazines that I go back through also. I've gotten al the Wood magazine and Popular Woodworking ones on a flash drive so I can get rid of the paper copies and save some space. I recently bought Woodturning With Resin, pretty good book so far.

Reactions: Like 4


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## 2feathers Creative Making (Mar 13, 2022)

I have bins, totes, and shelves with bits of books related to woodworking, basic carpentry, plumbing, contracting, none of which I use for repeated reference material

Reactions: Like 4


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## Arn213 (Mar 13, 2022)

I have a lot of Art, Design & Architecture books- including anything related to guitar construction and guitar playing (music sheets). Literature and poetry books too. But if I had to spread it around and the five (5) that would I consider most important to me are as follows:

1). History of Art by HW Janson.
2). The Elements of Style by Calloway & Cromley.
3). Complete Guide to Furniture Styles by Louis Ade Bogner.
4). Time Saver Standards for Interior Design Space and Planning by Chiara, Panero & Zelnik.
5). Interaction of Colors by Josef Albers.

If I can list more, these would be included:
6). Precedents in Architecture by Clark & Pause
7). Making The Responsive Guitar by Ervin Somogyi.
8). Contemporary Acoustic Guitar Design and Build by Gore & Gillet.

Item number 4 is my go to- when I was in Design school here in NYC, the 2 writers of those books were my class professors; Julius Panero & Martin Zelnik. I feel fortunate to have been inspired by and thought by them. Priceless in my book.

Reactions: Like 5


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## DLJeffs (Mar 13, 2022)

I don't have many woodworking books. All the "how to" videos available today have pretty much made the instructional books obsolete. The old adage "a picture is worth a thousand words" applies particularly well to instruction. But as others have said, books or magazine articles with plans and designs I find especially helpful.

Reactions: Like 2


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## Eric Rorabaugh (Mar 13, 2022)

Woodworking book library? Pretty much non-existent. I believe I have a few around here somewhere.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Tony (Mar 13, 2022)

Eric Rorabaugh said:


> Woodworking book library? Pretty much non-existent. I believe I have a few around here somewhere.


Just picture books huh?

Reactions: Funny 4


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## Eric Rorabaugh (Mar 13, 2022)

You know it Jack!

Reactions: Like 2 | Funny 2


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## Nature Man (Mar 13, 2022)

My woodworking library is below. I have not yet read all of them! Over the past few years I have paged through hundreds of woodworking magazines, and photocopied everything of interest. I look at videos fairly regularly, as well. Knowledge is power! Chuck

Reactions: Like 5 | Way Cool 3


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## Tony (Mar 13, 2022)

Nature Man said:


> My woodworking library is below. I have not yet read all of them! Over the past few years I have paged through hundreds of woodworking magazines, and photocopied everything of interest. I look at videos fairly regularly, as well. Knowledge is power! Chuck
> 
> View attachment 224149


I've got a lot of those same books Chuck.

Reactions: Like 2


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## David Hill (Mar 13, 2022)

I have lots of books prolly a half a shelf--got them mostly at auctions or estate sales---they're there if I have questions or need inspiration.
And they're better with pictures!
Pretty much get a book when I want to learn something new---latest was fishing lures (one of my other passions)

Reactions: Like 3 | Way Cool 1


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## ripjack13 (Mar 14, 2022)

David Hill said:


> I have lots of books prolly a half a shelf--got them mostly at auctions or estate sales---they're there if I have questions or need inspiration.
> And they're better with pictures!
> Pretty much get a book when I want to learn something new---latest was fishing lures (one of my other passions)


You have to make a topic on the lures! I wanna see!

Reactions: Agree 3


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## Mike1950 (Mar 14, 2022)

30 or 40- but I read them 10-20 years ago..

Reactions: Like 3


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## JR Parks (Mar 15, 2022)

Books but also a dang near complete collection of Fine Woodworking from #1

Reactions: Like 4


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## Tony (Mar 15, 2022)

JR Parks said:


> Books but also a dang near complete collection of Fine Woodworking from #1


I have it on a flash drive.

Reactions: Useful 1


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## woodtickgreg (Mar 15, 2022)

Tony said:


> I have it on a flash drive.


Show off!

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Cliff. (Mar 15, 2022)

Arn213 said:


> I have a lot of Art, Design & Architecture books- including anything related to guitar construction and guitar playing (music sheets). Literature and poetry books too. But if I had to spread it around and the five (5) that would I consider most important to me are as follows:
> 
> 1). History of Art by HW Janson.
> 2). The Elements of Style by Calloway & Cromley.
> ...


You reminded me of Josef Albers with your post. I got interested in his ideas last year and went looking to find out more, for someone not in the visual arts at all. I found Eva Diaz an art historian who wrote about him, helped me understand some about his ideas re education and learning by experimenting. That is what was most interesting to me. By chance do you know of other good resources about him? Thanks, Cliff

Reactions: Like 3


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## Arn213 (Mar 15, 2022)

Cliff. said:


> You reminded me of Josef Albers with your post. I got interested in his ideas last year and went looking to find out more, for someone not in the visual arts at all. I found Eva Diaz an art historian who wrote about him, helped me understand some about his ideas re education and learning by experimenting. That is what was most interesting to me. By chance do you know of other good resources about him? Thanks, Cliff


There are a good amount of publications about him in regards to color theory and his contribution to the Bauhaus movement. “Homage to the Square” is a good one about space and color exploration. There is another good book on color theory which is another Artist who also contributed to the Bauhaus movement- Johannes Itten; “Itten The Elements of Color”. Itten’s publication along with Alber’s publication on “Interaction of Colors” goes hand in hand. If there were 2 books about understanding color principle and theory in great depth, these would be the “two island” books essentials.

I had to go through the grinder twice about these 2 books concepts in college for Architecture and Interior Design- it wasn’t about just reading it, there were exercises that has to be perform with color blocks based on specific principles and you had to present it both in class and in your semester portfolio. The best way to really understand both of their principles is through water color media. I often used what I learned in developing color scheme concepts for Architectural Interiors and on guitar design/building.

*addendum: Itten’s “The Color Star” is another great book on color.

Reactions: Informative 1 | Creative 1


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## Cliff. (Mar 15, 2022)

Good, thanks for that, I will look those up.


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## Mike Hill (Mar 15, 2022)

Other than a few antique furniture and miniature furniture books I don't have many besides woodturning and woodcarving. I do have a wood lure book and some mighty fine duck decoy books. However, some of my favorites are some old books about making model sailboats. And I do have one about how to make a wooden view camera. Now fishing books, cookbooks and bbq i have a lot of and I mean a lot!

Don't got none of them infer.....errrr......interior designer color theory books. I'll construct something no matter what color!!! Only color theory dealing with transparent watercolor!!! And I can't remember none of that.

Reactions: Like 2


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