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by: Bill Stankus
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From Library Journal One of the best parts of woodworking is setting up a workshop; in some cases, more effort is expended here than in creating finished projects. An efficient design allows one to get the most out of their shop. Stankus provides a wealth of information on how to maximize floor space and on choosing the best electrical, lighting, or safety features are best. He also gives guidelines for locating machinery and shows sample shops for cabinetmaking, carving, woodworking, and furniture restoration. A variety of storage solutions round out this excellent title, which will appeal to most woodworkers. Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Book Description Every woodworker wants the most efficient workshop possible, whether the shop is in a closet, a basement or a garage. Maximizing floor space, power, lighting, safety and reducing noise, are all concerns covered by Bill Stankus, who interviewed hundreds of woodworkers while writing this book. Color photographs and floor plans for a wide variety of arrangements and locations are included. This book will give even the most experienced home woodworker fresh ideas for planning a safe and efficient shop. For the novice, it should take most of the guesswork (and the mistakes, as well) out of designing the perfect workshop.
About the Author Bill Stankus is a professional woodworker and the author of Setting Up Your Own Woodshop. He has taught woodworking at universities, seminars and wood shows across the United States.
Reviews:
This book is worth a look to anyone: I just finished reading this book and although it is not the best book on the subject (call it a close second), I did find it a worthwhile read. There is the usual overlap of basic information which every shop set-up book seems to have, but what I found most interesting about this book was: 1. The sections detailing different considerations each woodworker must take into account based on the type of woodworking he/she wants to do (i.e. carving vs. cabinetmaking vs. crafts vs. boatbuilding, etc.) 2. The many great suggestions and tips to maximize storage space and organize your work. 3. The attention to safety issues. 4. The pictures of, and more importantly, the shop layout diagrams of some successful pro woodworking shops. 5. The budget-conscious recommendations for every step of outfitting a shop. As I said, I do recommend this book as worthwhile reading, but for the best book I have come across on the subject, check out "Setting Up Shop" by Sandor Nagyszalanczy.
Good but not great: The best advice the author gives in this book is that the concept of the "ideal" workshop is the workshop that works for you. Most of us do not have unlimited space or funds to build a "dream" workshop as illustrated in many books and magazines. What you can afford and what you feel comfortable in is the ideal workshop for you. That is excellent advice. The other topics I found interesting in this book were the floorplans of real workshops (and the owner's principal machinery listed in order of importance) and the chapter on workbenches, especially the section about holding devices. The rest of the book is kind of thin in content. This book is priced similarly to the other 2 major books on this subject but is about half the size (in page count) which I think makes this book a little on the pricey side.
Not for advanced woodworkers: I can not recommend this book to any qualified woodworker. It contains little useful information. The author devotes a lot of space to safety and tools and even spends an entire chapter on workbenches, but the title promises info on designing and building a woodshop. Is this his version of bait and switch? Also, few woodworkers need to be told that a table saw needs space in front and behind for materail handling. And fewer still need to know that a good shop requires adaquate lighting and electrical. Most prospective buyers should get some other book. If you are an absolute novice, then there may be enough ideas here to justify the purchase price.