Woodworking Basics: Mastering the Essentials of Craftsmanship

Learn woodworking from one of the craft's most respected teachers.

In Woodworking Basics: Mastering the Essentials of Craftsmanship, acclaimed furniture maker and instructor Peter Korn presents the proven method he has used to teach hundreds of aspiring woodworkers the skills, techniques, and habits that lead to success in the workshop.

Combining clear instruction with hands-on practice, this trusted guide provides a strong foundation for anyone who wants to build fine furniture and develop lasting craftsmanship.

Whether you're a complete beginner or looking to strengthen your fundamental skills, you'll learn how to work safely and accurately with both hand tools and power tools while mastering essential woodworking techniques. From measuring, layout, and stock preparation to milling lumber, joinery, shaping, assembly, and finishing, Korn's step-by-step approach breaks complex processes into manageable skills that build confidence with every project.

Detailed illustrations and expert guidance walk you through classic furniture-making methods, including mortise-and-tenon joinery, dovetails, and other foundational techniques used by skilled craftspeople. Rather than presenting isolated lessons, Korn's integrated teaching philosophy shows how individual skills work together in real-world woodworking applications.

As your abilities grow, you'll put your knowledge into practice by building two attractive and functional projects: a sturdy workbench and a side table featuring a door and drawer. These carefully designed projects reinforce core techniques while helping you develop the precision, problem-solving abilities, and craftsmanship that define quality woodworking.

Perfect for beginning woodworkers, furniture makers, woodworking students, serious hobbyists, and DIY builders, Woodworking Basics remains one of the most respected introductions to fine woodworking available today. 

Key Features:

• Proven Instructional Method: Learn through the same integrated approach Peter Korn has used to teach hundreds of woodworkers over decades of instruction.
• Comprehensive Fundamentals: Master measuring, layout, stock preparation, machine setup, hand-tool skills, joinery, assembly, and finishing techniques. 
• Essential Joinery Skills: Build confidence creating classic joints, including mortise-and-tenon and dovetail joinery, the backbone of quality furniture construction.
• Hands-On Learning: Apply new skills through two practical furniture projects designed to reinforce techniques and real-world shop practice.
• Detailed Illustrations and Guidance: Follow clear explanations, shop-tested advice, and visual instruction that make woodworking concepts easier to understand and apply.
• A Trusted Woodworking Reference: An invaluable resource for beginners and developing craftspeople seeking a lifelong foundation in woodworking and furniture making.

Peter Korn is a furniture maker and educator and is the founder of the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Rockport, Maine, where he served as Executive Director from 1993 until his retirement at the end of 2021. A professional woodworker since 1974, his work has been exhibited in galleries and museums nationwide. Korn is the author of several foundational instructional books, including the bestselling Woodworking Basics: Mastering the Essentials of Craftsmanship and The Woodworker's Guide to Hand Tools. He is also the author of the narrative volume Why We Make Things and Why It Matters: The Education of a Craftsman, which won the 2014 Maine Literary Award.