The Woodwright’s Work Book

Roy Underhill

Reviewed by:

Robert Weber

The WoodWright's Work Book by Roy Underhill is his third book, following The WoodWright's Shop and The WoodWright's Companion. It follows along in the same vein as the first two exploring traditional woodworking and handcrafts.

Several months ago, I posted on the Old Tools list with a plea for a Galoot version of WoodSmith magazine, with its step-by-step illustrations of project construction. Among other sources, I was pointed toward St. Roy's books. With that in mind, I picked up my copy of The WoodWright's Work Book. I do not know about his first two books, but this book does not exactly fulfill what I was looking for.

However, it's a good read full of tips for traditional and handtool woodworking. The book is 60% plans and projects, and 40% stories and non-construction information. Roy gives narration and photos of his workbench, a screwbox, his flywheel lathe, his tool chest, a rowboat, and several different rustic chairs and smaller projects such as domestic items and toys. Measured drawings are included for his bench, flywheel lathe, a small tool chest, and a wainscot chair.

The non-project related information includes descriptions of carpenter's tools, based in a poem from 1500. Also are several fascinating chapters relating his experience building structures at Colonial Williamsburg. Finally, his chapter A Field Guide to American Tool Makers is about identifying what tools were used on an existing piece of wood by looking at the marks that they made.

Don't expect this book to take a beginner by the hand and spoon-feed you, but it is definitely a worth-while read for hand tool users and any who are interested in traditional woodworking techniques.