A cabinetmaker's notebook by James Krenov is a relatively famous book that I've been avoiding reviewing for a while now, join me on today's podcast as a I tell you why.

[S2-26] Chinese Domestic Furniture By Gustav Ecke

Aug 20th, 2021 13m 45s

Chinese classical furniture in the Ming style demonstrates some very interesting solutions to typical problems, some fascinating joinery and some timeless elegance in design. I found this book to be a great "read" - its got very little text but

[S2-25] Zany Wooden Tools By Bob Gilsdorf

Aug 3rd, 2021 12m 50s

A fun book that I enjoy is this book on kinetic toys by Bob Gilsdorf. It's one that I return to every so often to look for inspiration for a project with my boys. I hope that one day visitors to our house will be encouraged to join in and make

[S2-24] Hand Tool Essentials By Paul Sellers

Jun 15th, 2021 19m 51s

A great book if you want a really in depth look at the core tools in your workshop. I enjoyed this book and could heartily recommend it to anyone who is interested in the distilled wisdom of a master craftsman.

[S2-23] Another Work Is Possible By Joshua Klein

May 9th, 2021 15m 1s

Another Work is Possible is a very different take on how the task of building a structure can be completed. With the help of Charpentiers Sans Frontieres (CSF) - the folk at Mortise and Tenon set about constructing a new Blacksmith shop. Part p

[S2-22] The Craftsman By Richard Sennett

Apr 29th, 2021 19m 20s

The Craftsman is a thoughtful and thought-provoking look at mankind's conflicted relationship with technology and craftsmanship. I learnt a lot from this book, but it is a bit of a tough read. You have to be paying attention. A book that I woul

[S2-21] The Art Of Saw Filing By HW Holly

Apr 9th, 2021 18m 9s

The Art of Saw-Filing by HW Holly is a fun little book that takes a quite complicated topic and breaks it down into a very easy to understand process - in a book which covers everything from the finest saw to a monster two-man saw to a circular

[S2-20] Handsaw Essentials By Christopher Schwarz

Mar 18th, 2021 27m 24s

A book made of solid gold? Certainly feels that way if you try and buy a copy these days. The companion to Handplane Essentials is one of the hardest books to come by at a reasonable price. Join me on today's show as I discuss whether you shoul

[S2-19] Memoirs Of A Victorian Cabinetmaker By James Hopkinson

Mar 4th, 2021 15m 32s

PSA: Don't buy this book. Join me on the show to find out why, and to hear about my recent experience with hide glue.

[S2-18] Why We Make Things And Why It Matters By Peter Korn

Feb 23rd, 2021 14m 51s

Peter Korn has written an excellent Philosophy-Autobiography. After all who doesn't like a book that tells a great woodworker's story and gives some deep insights into why this story matters!

[S2-17] A Rural Carpenters World By Wayne Franklin

Feb 15th, 2021 13m 28s

A Rural Carpenter's World is an important book, and one I think that future researchers and historians will reference. Unfortunately, unlike Robert Tarule's evocative descriptions in An Artisan of Ipswich, this book is dryer and less accessible

[S2-16] American Canopy By Eric Rutkow

Feb 8th, 2021 15m 7s

History meets trees, what more is there to say about this book. A great read with a sweeping scope.

[S2-15] The Essential Woodworker By Robert Wearing

Jan 31st, 2021 17m 30s

If I was to take one book to a remote island to learn the craft of woodworking - well the basics at least, Robert Wearing's book is a likely candidate. This is one of the great books for people starting to get going with hand tools (and for man

[S2-14] Where Have All The Planes Gone? An Interview With Thomas Lie-Nielsen

Jan 21st, 2021 21m 6s

A question recently posed on a forum - "Where have all the planes gone?" was important enough to me that I thought I would reach out to Thomas Lie-Nielsen and see if he could shed some light on the challenges that they are facing as a result of

[S2-13] English Arts And Crafts Furniture By Nancy Hiller

Jan 21st, 2021 15m 39s

If you want to take a few notes about how to build an authentic Arts and Crafts Furniture piece, Nancy Hiller's book is a great resource. Join me on the show as we dive into an interesting book on an interesting topic from a different perspecti

[CR-04] Coffee And Ruskins #4 - According To Value

Jan 14th, 2021 58m 26s

Chapter 4 of John Ruskin's work Unto This Last narrated by Ray Deftereos

[CR-03] Coffee And Ruskins #3 - That Judge The Earth

Dec 24th, 2020 28m 35s

Chapter 3 of John Ruskin's work Unto This Last narrated by Ray Deftereos

[CR-02] Coffee And Ruskins #2 - The Veins Of Wealth

Dec 17th, 2020 28m 37s

Chapter 2 of John Ruskin's work Unto This Last narrated by Ray Deftereos

[S2-12] Making Things Work Interview With Nancy Hiller

Dec 10th, 2020 1h 19m

I had a wonderful interview and discussion with Nancy Hiller about her book Making Things Work, her other projects, a book recommendation etc. And I asked her all the questions I could about her work and life. It was a great conversation and co

[S2-11] Making Things Work By Nancy Hiller

Dec 10th, 2020 11m 49s

Nancy Hiller's book, Making things work is a poignant and funny account of what life is really like as a cabinet maker. It's a book that I enjoyed, and if you've ever considered turning your side hussle into a day job, perhaps reading this firs

[CR-01] Coffee And Ruskins Introduction

Dec 9th, 2020 5m 17s

John Ruskin's series of essays collected into Unto this Last, is in my opinion one of the most influential writings ever. Fortunately Tolstoy, Proust and Gandhi, amongst others agree, so you don't have to trust my judgement on this one. I'm doi

[S2-10] Programming With Hand Tools An Interview With Tim Ewald

Dec 3rd, 2020 57m 28s

Today I have the pleasure of interviewing Tim Ewald, the keynote speaker whose presentation - Programming with Hand Tools opened my eyes to a world that I did not know even existed. The presentation is suitable for all hand tool enthusiasts - I

[S2-09] Ray's Christmas List

Nov 26th, 2020 25m 21s

Thought I'd do a show before Black Friday, with what's on my Christmas shopping list, I hope this provides some inspiration for all of you.

[S2-08] Shannon Rogers Renaissance Woodworker 62 WIA Jeffrey Greene

Nov 19th, 2020 20m 52s

Shannon Rogers mentioned at the end of the interview that he had also done a podcast on Jeffrey Greene's American Furniture of the 18th Century. I've remastered the original, which can be found here: https://www.renaissancewoodworker.com/rww-

[S2-07] Interview With Shannon Rogers About American Furniture Of The 18th Century

Nov 19th, 2020 1h 30m

A wonderful interview with Shannon Rogers about the classic book American Furniture of the 18th Century by Jeffrey Greene. As discussed in the show here the next episode is Shannon's Renaissance Woodworker podcast from Woodworking in America.