The best Carpentry books: Reddit reviews

From 3.5 billion Reddit comments

The below is a homeowner's manual created by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. I know your Internet speed is dog-slow, so start the download when you get ready to go to sleep.

It covers a lot about the care and feeding of the average Canadian home:

http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2017/schl-cmhc/NH15-386-2003-eng.pdf

As far as basic books, this manual is pretty comprehensive:

https://www.amazon.ca/Complete-Yourself-Manual-Newly-Updated/dp/1621452018

If you are going to paint, don't use oak. The open grain shows through the paint and will not look smooth. Birch, maple or poplar are better choices for painting. There is no single right way to build things, but it is a good idea to standardize your construction as much as practical. But don't try to make everything the same way if the end product needs something different. A combination of books, YouTube videos and looking cabinets others built is the way to go. I have heard good things about this book, but I have not read it: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1565238036/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_3R1GN0AX3AA7DY62YTQH

my uncle gave me an old copy of his from the 80s when i moved into my house a couple years ago. some of the things like electrical are outdated but a lot of it is still relevant. it makes all of these big projects sound doable, even for someone like me who can’t drill a screw in straight.

i believe the most current edition on sale for only $24 on amazon right now.

Chris Schwarz blue workbench book https://www.amazon.com/Workbenches-Revised-Design-Theory-Construction/dp/1440343128/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_img_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=8NHTHC4AQ85JGSPPWMEA is a good resource that discusses the pros and cons of many vises. If you don't want to buy it (its a really good book so I would suggest you do) you could see if your library has it. It helped me in making some decisions about vises.

If you haven’t already, you should read ‘Norwegian wood’ by Lars Mytting. It’s an excellent book about chopping, stacking, and drying wood.

Here’s the link:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1419717987/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_36ASJN61XP5VVKNVZ8MK

I would order diy handyman or guide to home repair

Since the house was built in 1871, it likely has a foundation made with limestone mortar. Which means you might get seasonal water leaking (our 1891 Farmhouse in Maine did during the spring thaw). This wasn't too much of an issue- as long as the floor is sloped towards the sump pump/drains and you don't keep anything directly on the floor itself (we did metal shelving whose bottom didn't need to be right on the ground (we used edsal's industrial welded steel framed shelves) and a couple metal/plastic Dunnage Racks (same kind restaurants use to keep stuff off the floor) for things like the bags of salt our water softener needed).

Check if your basement has any additional steel/wood beams to support the floor- you want to make sure they aren't slanted and still in good shape (not rusting/decaying).

"Renovating Old Houses" by George Nash is a good resource.

Edit: added link.

I picked up The Complete Do-It-Yourself Manual after seeing it recommended in the /r/homeimprovement subreddit. It isn't as comprehensive as YouTube, but it is kinda nice having something to just flip through to get a general idea of what elements are involved in each area of the house. Also provides a good jumping off point for further deep dives into Google and YouTube.

https://smile.amazon.com/Complete-Yourself-Manual-Newly-Updated-dp-1621452018/dp/1621452018/ref=dp\_ob\_title\_bk

These two books have helped me with tackling all sorts of issues

The Complete Do-it-Yourself Manual Newly Updated https://www.amazon.com/dp/1621452018/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_MNBK4S8FAT8DNXQ6JH4Y

Home Improvement 1-2-3 https://www.amazon.com/dp/0696238500/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_HS5NH8CBXCW2JK256C1K

They might not have the exact answer but they have great suggestions, as well as tools needed and steps you should take. I am on my 3rd house and these are the first places I go when ever I am tackling a project as YouTube and other places can be overwhelming with too much information.

This is my adaptation of pre existing old design. If you look up Roubo bench you'll get a lot of info. Also, this book thought me a lot https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1440343128/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_imm_18GVDXQN8TSCYVJEHJAA

We have this book at the shop for quick reference. I recommend it! The Joint Book: The Complete Guide to Wood Joinery https://www.amazon.com/dp/0785822275/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_BDVD3ZJ7KHPZ225F4ZGZ

I also highly suggest these two books: The Complete Do-it-Yourself Manual Newly Updated https://www.amazon.com/dp/1621452018/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_JM778348PY9G102B7KZD and Home Improvement 1-2-3: Expert Advice from The Home Depot (Home Depot ... 1-2-3) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0696213273/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_H5DNWK6QFG86H81N9K53. These have always helped me at least get started and understand the scope of what I need

You need this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1621452018/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Or something like it. You can sometimes find older versions at thrift shops, which would be fine for doing basic electrical.

I like this one a lot.

Bob Lang's The Complete Kitchen Cabinetmaker, Revised Edition: Shop Drawings and Professional Methods for Designing and Constructing Every Kind of Kitchen and Built-In Cabinet (Fox Chapel Publishing) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1565238036/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_RVq.FbVZQBG75?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

No problem! I was a bit nervous I was rambling on, but the more I thought about the work I've done in my apartment, the more I remembered tips I learned through trial and error. Love that you lived in Norway, so you already have a good base for clean interior design. I studied furniture design and architecture in college, and only found a use for that knowledge now haha.

The internet is an absolutely vital tool for anything DIY, however, I recommend picking up a maintenance guide like this one (https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Yourself-Manual-Newly-Updated/dp/1621452018) The Martha (Stewart) Manual is also pretty fantastic for all things home related, from basic maintenance to hosting a party (https://www.amazon.com/Martha-Manual-How-Almost-Everything/dp/1328927326)

I'm hoping to start my house hunt again in the middle of 2021. I promise I'll keep everyone posted!

"Good clean fun" by Nick Offerman is a very entertaining read and was surprisingly information. It also had plans for several projects

https://www.amazon.com/Good-Clean-Fun-Misadventures-Offerman/dp/1101984651

Honestly though, start with a book. This one is good, or just go to the library or whatever. Come back with questions after that. The level of knowledge that you need to pick up is way more than you’re gonna get from the comments.

Interesting read. I recommend checking out Good Clean Fun by Nick Offerman (link). The first part of the book has some great beginner info and the rest of the book are projects, with humorous stories peppered throughout.

I would suggest reading the book "Norwegian Wood: Chopping, Stacking, and Drying Wood the Scandinavian Way" to learn about the tried and tested techniques behind all of this.

These tips come from me as a scandinavian, there might be some difference in the UK, but see these as general tips.

Always buy wood in bulk, if you can buy unseasoned wood then do it. It's alot cheaper, but remember that wood should be handled and laying for drying before midsumer - ish early june. Wood is like insurance, its really freaking nice to have. Buy atleast for 2-3 years forward then you'll be able to get a good price. Here someone from the UK will have to step in, but i'd say never pay more than 500sek per cubic meter. What a decent price in the UK is, idk.

Here comes a rant on BTU, i've never understod it so i'll use Kw/h. But what i mean is count on how much you need, 1 kg of birch wood is ish 4kw/h (1364 btu). You'll easily be able to heat your house with wood, but man you need like 10-20 cubic meter. And thats alot of work to handle.

When it comes to burning remember to do it correctly, every burner has its pro's and cons and be sure to read the manual. You cant keep a burner going for over 400 celsuis for a longer time, it will destroy your burner and your chimney. Your relation with your burner is a deep one, you need to learn how it works.

Sweep your chimney, here we have rules that it needs to be done every second year. With that said you need to do it alot more often if you burn alot. We do it every year and we only go through 3-5 cubic meter every year.

If you want to deep dive and learn alot i'd recomend this book: https://www.amazon.com/Norwegian-Wood-Chopping-Stacking-Scandinavian/dp/1419717987/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1668171181&refinements=p_27%3ALars+Mytting&s=books&sr=1-1

It's 50% tips and 50% poetry regarding wood.

when we originally bought our first home, my folks gave us the reader's digest complete do-it-yourself book. its hefty and comprehensive with tons of diagrams, easy to follow details, specs, handy homeowner info, etc. it has since been updated to the current version:

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Yourself-Manual-Newly-Updated-dp-1621452018/dp/1621452018/

still have this book to this day and use it to keep my home maintained and cared for. it has been invaluable time and again for referencing simple and complex projects.

The sheds my father uses to dry and store firewood has 1" slits between the boards in the walls, and even some hatches on the walls without doors that can be opened to let even more air in.

He usually built the sheds with a front and back door, then stacked along the back wall first, then rows in front of that until it was filled up. This can take several years. Then he opened the back door and used the wood there first. That was he always used the oldest wood first.

Anyway...

Have you read this book?

https://www.amazon.com/Norwegian-Wood-Chopping-Stacking-Scandinavian/dp/1419717987/ref=sr_1_2

This is my bible on the topic: Renovating Old Houses: Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes (For Pros By Pros) by George Nash - can go wrong with this as your reference.

https://www.amazon.com/Renovating-Old-Houses-Bringing-Vintage/dp/1561585351

His "Workbenches" book is fantastic, available on sale from Amazon. I paid $36 for it about 4 years ago. He's an amazing hand tool woodworker, but his true talent is his writing and sense of humor.

https://www.amazon.com/Workbenches-Revised-Design-Theory-Construction/dp/1440343128

NTA It sounds like you want to improve in this area, and that's fabulous! Maybe get a book like this and see if it helps https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Yourself-Manual-Newly-Updated/dp/1621452018/ref=sr\_1\_5?crid=1BV4SAWECWR65&keywords=handyman+book&qid=1654111651&sprefix=handyman+book%2Caps%2C155&sr=8-5

Renovating an old house with a contractor not specialized in old houses. My engineer suggested to draw-in some out-leaning walls. They didn't look bad or even noticeable but upon opening up interior walls it was easy to see how out of plumb the studs are. And perhaps even more surprising, to see how some of the second floor ceiling joists/rafter ties were now resting on the top plates with only a couple inches of contact, due to the walls having drawn outward from underneath the rafter ties. 120 year old house.Looking for any advice or resources on best practice for using come alongs to pull the walls inward. The only thing I've come across is it being briefly discussed in the book Renovating Old Houses by George Nash.

Before getting the engineer's recommendation, my contractor was planning on reframing the walls to make plumb (interior) and make stronger. We're also sistering new joists/rafter ties to srengthen the attic floor while hoping to strengthen the house itself. If the come alongs don't pan out, my hope is that this new framing will be more than enough.

This book is absolutely my favorite book for learning the basics. The first project is a board with four square faces built to a specific length. The last is a really beautiful side table. And each step is described in multiple ways, so that you can do whatever the process using the tools you have.

I third this. The cover says “This is the Gray’s Anatomy of woodworking”.

I’d say it’s a superbly illustrated guide to the engineering of good furniture. And a glimpse into the architecture.

Allow me to go a little bit in a different direction and suggest "Good Clean Fun" by Nick Offerman. https://www.amazon.com/Good-Clean-Fun-Misadventures-Offerman/dp/1101984651/ref=zg_bs_5343_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=H2XAGXBG835MJRBR77J2

Lots of woodwokers, especially those just starting out, can get really in their own heads about making everything perfect. Nick provides what I think is a really heathy ballance of striving for good craft while not forgetting that this is all supposed to be fun. It's not at all a traditional woodworking book, but in my journey so far it's been my favorite.

Here is an easy read that provides an introduction:(Amazon) Norwegian Wood: Chopping, Stacking, and Drying Wood the Scandinavian Way