Euclid's Toolworks Library
Lost Art Press
This publishing house is a godsend, in my humble opinion. Among other things, I'm a certifiable bibliophile. I even pursued a graduate degree in Library Science for three semesters because my wife is a librarian and I love books so much.1 All that to say, I pay attention to the way books are published in this country. Lost Art Press deserves physical shelf space in our library, which is prime real estate in our house. LAP is my go-to for books on all aspects of hand tool woodworking, from history to design to how-to.
Full disclaimer
I will happily and shamelessly drive traffic to the site as often as I can. All the resources in this library have been purchased by me with my own money, and I've either read, am reading, or will read every single one of them.
Chris Schwarz offers free downloads of all of his books in PDF format. All of the works that I've purchased which have a free download will download to your computer via the LAP link. Books that don't have a free download will take you to the LAP site. It's well worth a look if you don't have these books.
Books by Chris Schwarz
The Anarchist's Series
The Anarchist's Tool Chest: Revised Edition2
The Anarchist's Design Book: Expanded Edition (pdf)
The Anarchist's Workbench (pdf)
Chair Making
Build A Chair From Bulls%$t (pdf) (full-size patterns)
The Stick Chair Book: Revised Edition (pdf)
Furniture
Sharpening
Workbenches
Video: Build a Roman Workbench4
Books by Megan Fitzpatrick
Video: Build Your Tool Chest Interior
Artisan Geometry
These resources are at the core of what Euclid's Toolworks is about, so I'll have a lot more to say about them in regular posts. The list of books and blogs below have been my primary sources on the subject.
Just check it out, and thank me later. This site belongs to the authors of the books below, George Walker and Jim Tolpin. There are online courses, the books (of course), and a blog that provides additional free resources for anyone who wants a deeper dive into the subject of artisan geometry.
This article by Lost Art Press answers the question in the authors' own words.
Books by George Walker and Jim Tolpin
By Hound & Eye: A Plain & Easy Guide To Designing Furniture With No Further Trouble
Euclid's Door: Building the Tools of ‘By Hand & Eye’
Books by Other Authors
Make a Chair from a Tree: Third Edition by Jennie Alexander
The Woodworker: The Charles Hayward Years Vols. 1-4
Making Things Work: Tales from a Cabinetmaker’s Life (Second Edition) by Nancy R. Hiller
Make a Swedish Tool Chest with Whitney Miller
The Art of Joinery, Revised Edition by Joseph Moxon, commentary by Christopher Schwarz
Mechanick Exercises or The Doctrine of Handy-Works by Joseph Moxon
Mechanic's Companion by Peter Nicholson
The Naked Woodworker (Streaming & Download only) With Mike Siemsen
Principles of Design: Furniture, Pottery & Metalwork by William H. Varnum
The Essential Woodworker by Robert Wearing
Paul Sellers6
Paul has several different websites and blogs that I follow, and I learn a lot from him. I mean, the guy has a video on how to make the front knob (tote?) on a plane with hand tools—no lathe. That’s something to aspire to.
Common Woodworking | Woodworking for Beginners with Paul Sellers
Paul Sellers: A Lifestyle Woodworker
Books & DVDs
Essential Woodworking Hand Tools (Book & DVD Set)
Other Sellers7
Ruler & Compass: Practical Geometric Constructions by Andrew Sutton
-
There's only one university in Missouri where you can get a Library Science degree. The commute was ridiculous for a guy with a large family and a full-time career, so I gave it up when a new baby came along. ↩
-
This is a placeholder. The edition I currently own is no longer on the LAP site. This edition is out of stock and will be replaced by the newest edition of the book. The new book is a significant rewrite. This link will be updated and the PDF download will be added when it's available on the LAP site. ↩
-
Oddly enough, there doesn't seem to be a free PDF of this book. ↩
-
This is going to be the primary workbench at Euclid's Toolworks once it's finished. I still have my doubts, but I like the way that it follows the KISS principle, and it's probably the least expensive option. Although a company in St. Louis that specializes in reclaimed lumber, who shall remain nameless, wanted to charge me over $700 just for the wood. I think they didn't want my business. ↩
-
The audio book is read by Roy Underhill of The Woodwright Shop fame. ↩
-
I don't follow or subscribe to many YouTube woodworkers, but Paul's experience makes his content worth the trouble. ↩
-
My first choice for buying books is always the original author or publisher, next independent booksellers. You'll only see big corporate booksellers on this page as a last resort. ↩