Woodworker's Central Woodworker's Gazette Gazette Archive 7/2/00

A book review: By John F. Knott III Title: Making Woodworking Aids and Devices Author: Robert Wearing Published by: Sterling Publishing Co. Inc. 387 Park Avenue South New York, NY 10016-8810 ISBN 0-0869-9583-1 Price Softcover: $14.95 (Canada $20.95 ) 128 color pages So, you need a whatsis to hold a thatsis that is shaped like a whosis, and hold it securely enough that you don't lose any valuable time, material, or body parts in the process....well, how about 203 of them ! This book has the answer for you. Making Woodworking Aids and Devices, by Robert Weaver, has just about the largest single collection I have found in one volume. We all know that anyone can buy nearly any type of clamp, jig, or fixture one would ever need in the shop...but at what expense for a one time, gotta have it right now application? The local home improvement warehouse might have what's popular on TV at the time, or something close to it. Making Woodworking Aids and Devices will fill the void between the TV woodworker and your workshop. There are 203 individual aids, all with drawings, which can easily be fabricated in the shop, quickly and mostly with scrap material. The drawings are not blueprints, but simply loose drawings that can be sized to fit your individual project requirements. Many of the devices represented here will be familiar to most woodworkers, and some craftspeople will be surprised to find "their" idea in a book! Robert Weaver has spent a lifetime as a professional furniture maker, and teacher of the woodworking craft. His revised edition of Woodworking Aids and Devices is a compilation of those years of experiences and tricks to get the job done, quickly and correctly. This book is divided into sections addressing holding devices, marking aids, lathe aids, drilling aids, sawbench aids, drawing aids, sanding aids, and my personal favorite, tools. With the help of this book, you can build your own "antique" wooden block smoothing plane or veneer strip cutter. Making Woodworking Aids and Devices also contains many hints and tips for simplifying shop calculations and lay-out procedures. This is a book which will be finding a spot in the shop as a quick reference guide for pro and beginning woodworkers alike. Even if you have a favorite jig or fixture, give this book a thumb through and you might just find a better way to keep that workpiece going your way - I know I did! John F. Knott III , aka Woodman Editor's Note: Sterling Publishing has graciously donated several books for review which are passed on to our members free of charge in exchange for thoughtful, honest reviews. Thank You!