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Understanding Wood is widely held as a definitive reference work and the cornerstone of every woodworker's library.
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By R. Bruce Hoadley
The first edition of Understanding Wood was published in 1980 and has since
sold more than 130,000 copies. It is widely held as a definitive reference work
and the cornerstone of every woodworker's library. Now, Bruce Hoadley's comprehensive
guide to wood technology has been revised and updated in this 20th-anniversary
edition of a classic.
New information on composite materials, adhesives, and finishes brings this
book into the 21st century, while more than 300 photographs bring important
visual information to life. This edition covers the nature of wood and its properties,
the basics of wood technology, and the woodworker's raw materials. Understanding
Wood was written for woodworkers by a scientist with a love of woodworking.
It will be sought after by craftsmen and collectors alike.
"The truly serious woodworker needs a knowledge of his material and
the best place to get it is in Bruce Hoadley's Understanding Wood. "
--UPI, WIRE, Chicago Sun-Times
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Customer Reviews and Photos for:
Understanding Wood: A Craftsman's Guide to Wood Technology, Book
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Average Rating:
5.0
(2 customer reviews)
$39.95
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1) Submitted by
David T., from Cypress, CA
on 9/19/2012
Customer Rating:
Let me start by saying that this book is not quite what most people would call a little light reading. It also happens that no other book I’ve found gets the point across about wood movement as effectively as this one. Hoadley shows in this book how and why we, as woodworkers, are best served by understanding and working with, rather than against, the natural properties of the wood. He also includes a wealth of information about the strength and mechanical properties of wood that I have used on a number of occasions to design furniture that pushes the limits of what the wood can do, but that will still last a lifetime. The book includes material on drying wood, controlling shrinkage and warping, how wood joints handle the loads applied to them, how different cutters can tear through or cleanly slice the wood, and how to quickly and accurately identify common woods by scientific methods {rather than the guessing game used by most}. While some material does get a bit heavy here and there, the book is clearly written in plain English and well organized so that you can easily find the information you’re looking for when you need it. This book really is the most thorough guide to the material that an aspiring woodworker could hope to have, and it is also one of the most valued books in my own library.
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If you’re the type who prefers the “Cliffs Notes” version to reading the original work in all of its unabridged glory, you might instead look up "Wood Identification and Use" by Terry Porter. Focusing more on the broad strokes, Porter treats the whys and wherefores of wood movement, structure and mechanical properties in just a few chapters, leaving room in the back for an encyclopedic reference to wood species from around the world.
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2) Submitted by
David Munsey, from Paris, TN
on 4/4/2013
Customer Rating:
I agree with everything David T. says, and much more. Dr. R. Bruce Hoadley does not take his study of wood lightly. I strongly suggest you purchase his other book - "Identifing Wood - Accurate results with simple tools." It was an education to sit under Bruce and to have him as my Major Advisor in Graduate School. I have read and been told that Bruce still does a lot of consulting in the wood industry. Keep up the good work Bruce.
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