I include this book at the top of my list because it really took my router work to the next level. Although printed in 1999, the information remains relevant today. Bill explains how routers and their bits work, and covers a huge range of useful specialty bases for the router.
The book is BACK IN PRINT and can be found on Amazon. If you ever see one in a book store, at a yard sale or whatever, buy it.
You will find that while I use power tools extensively, I also have a solid collection of hand tools that I use regularly. Both have merit and I believe in using the best tools for the task at hand, cordless or not.
Garrett Hack's "The Handplane Book" was the foundation of my learning for handplanes, scratch stocks and beading tools. In this wide ranging book he covers the parts of the tools, the physics of cutting, how to restore old tools for use and offers up a fascinating catalog of hand planes both rare and common. Available new and used on Amazon and in a Kindle edition, it belongs in every woodworker's library.
More textbook than how-to, this book earns third spot on my list because it is both informative and useful. The first half of the book deals with the styles and makers who shaped American furniture in the 1700's, and the second half is filled with examples.
Each example is presented with a lovely photo, description of the piece including basic dimensions and an exploded drawing. I have actually built a version of the Queen Anne game table shown. It is one of my favorite pieces.
It is available both new and used on Amazon.
It does not take much time perusing this website to see that I have an affinity for furniture that folds, converts or otherwise transforms. Campaign furniture was designed and built for the British officer class to transport and use on the battlefield, and this book is the definitive work on the subject. I even reproduced the lovely Traveling Game Table for an article in the March 2006 issue of Woodworker's Journal. Again, no plans are included in the book, but it is an essential reference for this unique style.
The book is sadly out of print, and used copies are now fetching upwards of $150.00 so I am glad I got mine while still in print. Used copies are available if you simply must have it.
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