by Gary Rogowski
“Gary Rogowski leads us gently but surely upon the path to a type of success we may not have previously considered. (Hint: it involves blisters.)” —Nick Offerman, author of Paddle Your Own Canoe
A new classic in the tradition of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and Shop Class as Soulcraft, Handmade: Creative Focus in the Age of Distraction will help creative people in any field reconnect to the source of their creativity and revitalize their creative energy. In Handmade, master craftsman Gary Rogowski confronts the greatest obstacles to creative focus in the modern age: distraction; pointless busyness; fear of failure; and the devil of self-doubt that tells you your work doesn’t matter.
Handmade shows that the path around these obstacles is the act of creative work itself. The discipline of working with one’s hands, mind and heart to create unnecessarily beautiful things shapes the builder into a more complete human being. Handmade tells the story of how the young Rogowski, an intellectual college graduate with no formal training in woodworking, became a craftsman through years of persistent labor, which taught him patience, resilience, tolerance for failure, and a love of pursuing beauty and mastery for their own sakes.
Rogowski punctuates the story of his growth as a craftsman with accounts of his hiking and mountaineering expeditions with his friend Wheaton, who taught him a different kind of perseverance and patience in the face of danger, discomfort, and the wild beauty of nature. In telling his stories, Rogowski reflects deeply on the lessons he has learned and presents a series of profound meditations on the eternal value of work, creativity, human fallibility, and the stubborn pursuit of quality.
Part autobiography, part guide to creativity, and part guide to living an authentic life, Handmade is a book for craftspeople, artists and anyone who seeks clarity, purpose and creativity in their work. Audience: Artists, craftspeople, woodworkers, creative professionals, and anyone developing their creativity.
About the Author: Gary Rogowski is a furniture maker, designer, teacher and author. He is also a playwright, essayist, and novelist. His previous books include the best-selling Complete Illustrated Guide to Joinery. Rogowski is the founder and director of The Northwest Woodworking Studio, A School for Woodworkers.
$18.95 US • Trade Paperback • 6" x 9" • 180 pages
ISBN 978-1-61035-314-4
Self-Help / Creativity • Crafts & Hobbies • BISAC SEL009000 CRA000000
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$22.95 $13.77 |
With more than 25 pen projects, using the latest hardware kits on the market, The Pen Turners Bible takes the reader from simple ballpoint pen designs on a wood lathe, to complex fountain pen designs on a metal lathe. Pen artist Richard Kleinhenz shares with the reader his unmatched expertise in pen making. From material selection to final finish and each important step between, The Pen Turners Bible teaches every aspect of the pen-making craft. The Pen Turners Bible is a unique skill-building book that teaches readers how to build and master their own woodworking tools while creating beautiful and useful pens. By tackling these pen-making projects, the reader will quickly develop his or her woodworking skills to a highly advanced level.Beginning with a simple, yet very elegant, ballpoint pen, the steps in the creation of a pen are explained in detail. Subsequent chapters and projects add more complexity, techniques, and tools, teaching readers to progress from basic pen-turning kits to developing their own free designs.These pen-turning projects will also develop the readers skills with using and building tools. The Pen Turners Bible discusses spiraling jigs past and present, and demonstrates their use on five pens with detailed instructions. A spiral jig allows you how to make the popular rope design, spiral grooved, as well as straight fluted or faceted pens. The metal lathe can do just about everything a wood lathe can, and it can also support a wood lathe with tooling made on it plus allow thread cutting and other operations not easily done on a wood lathe. Kleinhenz also presents his own original designs for unique tools and jigs that the reader can make at home tools that are as good or better than commercial tools. Throughout The Pen Turners Bible, the reader is given more than just a step-by-step process to follow. The author always provides a broader perspective to stimulate creativity so that readers are encouraged to take the techniques beyond the specific instructions, use their imaginations, and make the art their own.Audience: Woodworking home hobbyists.
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$24.95 $14.97 |
Segmented turningturning an object from a glued-up blank--allows turners to design and create patterns and visual effects in turned pieces. In addition to design skills, segmented turning demands precise woodworking and turning skills. In Segmented Turning, professional turner Dennis Keeling shows step-by-step all the basic techniques for closed segmented, open segmented, and ornamental segmented turning. He focuses on the fundamentals of accuracy in the three types of construction, as well as the equipment, tools, and materials used for those forms. Keeling also showcases the work of seven other segmented turners, discusses changing technology, and health and safety concerns of working with wood in this way. Following the comprehensive technique instruction are 10 projects that progress in difficulty, from beginning to advanced. At the end of the book, a gallery of inspirational segmented designs provides inspiration.
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$17.95 $10.77 |
The best articles from Fine Homebuilding magazine. Redesigning a bathroom, installation of a shower pan,caulks and sealants, accessible bathroom, tile a bathroom floor.
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$24.95 $14.97 |
Monster trucks can roar right into your home with Great Big Toy Trucks, a step-by-step guide to making a collection of wooden vehicles that can be played with and enjoyed – by the truck maker and the truck receiver alike! Sturdy, fun, and popular. Wooden trucks are great projects for the beginner and the experienced woodworker with the end results giving children hours of pleasure playing with the toys. With more than 400 images to view, detailed instructions for a fleet of vehicles are easily explained by author Les Neufeld, who has chosen toys that are consistently rated by toy manufacturers and retailers as top sellers. Nine working vehicles can be made, including: •giant loader •mining dump truck •school bus •tractor with wagon •6-wheel dump truck •fire truck •steamroller
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$19.95 $11.97 |
Subtitle: "Ingenious Solutions and Time-Saving Secrets". Offering 29 tried-and-true woodworking techniques from the professionals at Woodworker's Journal, this detailed guide explores everything from the basics of squaring stock and sharpening tools to the intricacies of veneering a drawer face, making this a suitable collection for both beginning woodworkers looking to learn a new skill set and experienced workers who wish to improve their techniques. In-depth instructions, step-by-step color photographs, and large-scale drawings effortlessly guide woodworkers through each project-including handcutting dovetails, making Tambour doors, steam bending, and casework joinery. Helpful sidebars and quick tips also present invaluable advice on avoiding costly mistakes and improving productivity. What's Inside: " 40 Expert tips, skills, and woodworking methods " Comprehensive material lists " Easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions " Detailed technical and exploded drawings " Helpful quick tips from the pros.
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$12.95 $7.77 |
Whittling is great fun, and Whittlin Whistles shows you why. This book is all about one of the signature projects whittlers enjoy working onthe whistlewhich can be make with a pocket knife and some readily available materials, most of which are gathered from nature. While many people would like to whittle, and whittle whistles, most have no idea where to start. Even if they happen to possess good tools, beginners have very little idea of how to proceed. Whittlin Whistles addresses each and every detail of successful whistle making, and will quickly help beginning carvers produce fun and attractive whistles that they can show off to their friends.. This book is designed to be understandable to younger readers, features numerous full-color instructional photos for each project, and provides a strong emphasis on basic safety and tool care. Featured projects include the classic slip bark whistle, tube whistles with and without a fipple, and reed whistles. Great fun for the whole family, Whittlin Whistles is also perfect for large craft activities with church groups, summer camps, the Boy Scounts, etc.