The Essential Woodworker by Robert Wearing

The Essential Woodworker by Robert Wearing

Printed in a 6" x 9" format, produced entirely in the U.S. Paper is acid-free. 1.26 lbs

In our opinion, The Essential Woodworker is one of the best books on hand-tool usage written in the post-Charles Hayward era. Wearing was classically trained in England as a woodworker and embraced both power and hand tools in his shop and in his teaching.

He begins with a table. As you read the chapter on building a table, Wearing connects the dots for the hand-tool user by showing how all the tools are used in concert to produce accurate work. It’s not just about sawing a tenon or planing an edge. Instead, it is about how to gather these skills and apply them to building furniture – tables, doors, carcases, dovetailed drawers, plinths, etc.

The book is filled with more than 500 hand-drawn illustrations by Wearing that explain every operation in a hand-tool shop. His illustrations are properly drafted, drawn in perspective and masterfully clear.

Robert Wearing (1921-2020) was the author of many important books on woodworking, including “The Resourceful Woodworker,” “Making Woodwork Aids & Devices,” “Hand Tools for Woodworkers” and “The Essential Woodworker.” Wearing’s career as a craftsperson began after his service during World War II. He was formally trained at Loughborough College (now University) in Leicestershire, England. After graduating, he went on to teach for 50 more years and write countless articles on woodwork and several well-received books.