Trim Made Simple: A Book and Step-by-Step Companion DVD Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is great for a DIY'er that wants to add or change trim in their home. Some may say that this book is too basic however, even if you have the skills required to install trim, there are many pointers and other advice that Mr. Katz discusses that could benefit someone that has installed trim many times. The pictures are very good, and the book is written in a manner that a novice can understand.

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Watch. Learn. Build. Thats the motto behind Tauntons Made Simple Series.Each DVD-book companion set shows the average homeowner how to get the job done right the first time. In Trim Made Simple, professional finish carpenter, Gary Katz shows on the DVD and in the work-site friendly companion book how to install all types of trim-- door and window casing, baseboard, chair rail, and crown molding. Each process is broken down into series of cant-fail steps. Based on his decades of experience, Katz also explains how to avoid pitfalls and what to do when things go wrong. This winning combination of how-to instruction will help any homeowner, no matter what their skill-level, get professional results.

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Good Wood Joints Review

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(More customer reviews)This book shows almost every wood joint invented. It shows where these joints are best served (for drawers, tables, chairs, etc). It ranks the best wood choices for the best joints, and the ease of making them with or without the proper tool. After the charts, it details the procedures for creating each joint.

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Trim Carpentry Techniques: Installing Doors, Windows, Base and Crown Review

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(More customer reviews)I am currently in the middle of a massive remodeling project in my house. I bought this book to learn some simple techniques for installing the molding that was so easy to rip out, but is a pain to put back in. I read the book from cover to cover and I found that the book lacked on illustrations/pictures. Most of the explanations are only given in paragraph form, and was hard to follow for me. This is the only do it yourself book that I regret buying from Amazon!

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Finish Carpenter's Manual Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is outstanding. It has already paid for itself many times over. If you're doing a finish carpentry project or even contracting one out, then this should be required reading.
This is a well-written manual that covers all aspects of finish carpentry including pricing your work. The advice is sound and this book has saved me from making a number of mistakes. The best part is that Mr. Tolpin is a fine writer and he even manages to make this an interesting read.
If you're interested in finish carpentry this is a great book for you. I read this book while a contractor was building a house for me -- I learned enough to get him to correct some framing and drywall problems that would have hurt me later. I also learned what to do before the drywall went on to save myself time when I added the chair and crown moldings.

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Measuring, Marking, and Layout: A Builder's Guide Review

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(More customer reviews)If you're planning on building any of the hard parts of a house like footings, foundation, floors, walls, ceilings, roofs, stairs, masonry or shingles, you will want this book so you can figure out how to make them plumb, square, level, and evenly distributed. (I think that covers most of the carpentry sections)
He shows a few options for arriving at each layout, typically mathematically, from charts, and from pictures, so if you have trouble with one of them you can try another.
Octagons aren't very popular in my neighborhood, but if those (or other polygons) appear in yours, you'll find he has good information on them too.
I'd recommend a read through the book for suggestions when you first get it, (I did that in a long evening) and if you're a really good student you can follow along with all the examples. (I wasn't). But keep it by your side and read the chapter you need as you build. It will pay for itself in saved time and straigher work on the first job.

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-- Provides simple techniques for accurate measuring using a number of basic tools

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Trim Carpentry and Built-Ins (Build Like A Pro) Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm a "advanced beginner" carpenter, and this book is BY FAR the best book I've read and used to give good, practical information and tips on finish carpentry. I orginially borrowed from the library, but liked it so much I bought it.
It's got a great balance between being accessible and detailed. Unlike most books of this genre, it doesn't assume you've got thousands of dollars of woodworking tools in your basement, but does assume that you know a bit about what you're doing, and are looking for someone more experienced to get you through some tricky projects. The best part is page after page of expert tips that help you do things more quickly and efficient, based on the author's 25 years in the business. The pictures and illustrations are also top notch, again, a great balance between detailed and accessible. A lot of thought went into writing this book and it shows.

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Installing trim requires precision and know-how. This is the book that shows how to handle all common trim projects, including window and door casings, baseboards, wainscoting and crown molding -- and get professional results every time. This is a complete do-it-yourself book written by a professional carpenter and presented in a highly accessible format.

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Popular Woodworking Practical Shop Math Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is one of those rare ones where the title literally says it all: It's a practical shop math guide; however, it's also a little more than that.
The book starts with a review of basic math, focusing on operations involving fractions, followed by a review of basic geometry. The material about converting decimals to standard fractions is particularly good. The author does a very good job of offering a comprehensive review without being condescending or insulting. There are lots of examples and even exercises designed to allow you to test your understanding.
The heart of the book is the section called "Using Math in the Workshop." This focuses on those things that should be simple, but which can drive you nuts, such as enlarging grid patterns, determining miter angles for polygons, dividing angles and arcs, calculating board feet, and so on.
There's a sort of bonus feature I liked a lot, a very clear explanation of how to convert a picture into a dimensional drawing. This allows you to do something that seems impossible: You can make an actual plan out of a picture in a catalog or magazine. (It's not really easy to do so, but at least it's possible.)
The book is very high quality and easy to use. The paper is thick and glossy, so it should be durable in the shop. It's spiral-bound, so the pages lay flat.
After having it for just a few days, I can see that this book will become one of my most useful woodworking tools. I'm VERY happy I bought it, and I recommend it most highly.

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Woodworkers need to use math every time they go into the shop, but trying to remember every formula or conversion is almost impossible. Now, woodworkers don't need to remember anything about math, except where to find the answers! "Popular Woodworking's Shop Math" explains woodworking math formulas and conversions in simple layman's terms, and includes sections on working with fractions and decimals, enlarging grid patterns, converting a photograph into a dimensioned drawing and more. Portable and easy-to-use, this handy guide makes the perfect comprehensive "cheat sheet" to woodworking math.

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General 842CP Compass & Scriber Review

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(More customer reviews)Excellent all-metal pencil compass. Far better than the plasticy asian stuff we see today, even though at first thought buying a compass online seemed fairly absurd. Precise, will last for a very long time. An essential for draftsmen and engineering students, well worth it.

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FastCap Accuscribe Scribing Tool Review

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(More customer reviews)Sloppy workmanship. I had to use a pocket knife to cut away the flashing from the molded plastic parts before it would properly fit the edge of the piece I was scribing. Design of the brass thumbnut/screw assemblies needs improvement. In order to get the pivots tight enough, I have to use a screwdriver to keep the screw from rotating as I tighten the thumbnut. If you leave the pivot tight, it is hard to adjust accurately. If you leave it loose, the setting can to easily change inadvertently. I might try using an internal lock washer under the head of the screw to hold it in place as I tighten the thumbnut. A captive nut used with a thumbscrew would have worked better. This is another example of cutting too many corners in manufacturing. I don't know of a better alternative so I will have to put up with it. It's made in China, so maybe that is part of the problem - like so many other products from China.

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