TABLE MAKER: A Carpenter's Guide to Life

'The tables I like are quiet. They sit patiently waiting for the day's purpose to reveal itself... The table that I grew up with was one such example. A simple 5' x 3' pine table, four legs joined with mortise and tenon joints, a wide apron to support decent dimensions... Can an object such as this be described as having a soul?' This beautiful guide is a meditation on the art of making your very own table by an architect, designer, artist and shed builder. His mindfulness of carpentry covers sourcing and seasoning your timber, tongue and groove, legs, aprons, stretchers, tenon joints and making your own beeswax polish, all the skills of table making while expressing the personal journey that accompanies learning these techniques of craftsmanship. Looks at the carpenter's sketchbook, the first cuts, the story of a tree, kiln drying, sash clamps and glue, wax, oil and varnish, the beauty of imperfection and even music to make tables too. Timber is photographed in colour throughout from the tree to the work bench, the saw to the vice plus woodcut illus, fine line drawings, historic photographs and finished tables set with food. Beautifully designed, 256 large pages.