Triton Book Recommendation

Routing for Beginners by Anthony Bailey.

This is the second revised and expanded edition of the book published in 2012. For anyone who is getting into woodworking, a router is one of those tools surrounded by an air of mystery and legend.  You know it will advance your craft but just understanding the terminology around the seemingly limitless cutter variations can be off putting.  Coupled with the wide variety of machines, the optional jigs and tables and the potential safety risks from such a high speed machine, it is easy to see why many people take a long time, if ever, to get round to owning their first router. The aptly titled Routing for Beginners would then seem a great place to start and in short, it is.  

There is a really gentle introduction that gives you some background to this most versatile of tool and a clear and concise description of the main features and functions covering a wide range of manufacturers. The book is much more than a glossary of terms in that it explores these features and explains which are actually going to be useful, based on the type of work you might want to be doing, with the router you will inevitably be going out to purchase by the time you get to the end of chapter 2.

The section on safety also looks at the ideal workshop requirements but recognises that most of us have to start with a corner of the garage before we are able to progress to the ideal shed.  Basic rule of thumb being that your workshop floor space should be N x 2 (where N is the size of your current workshop). 

The section on cutters gives clear descriptions of all the major types and some sage advice on which to buy into as a beginner, noting that creating your first raised panel door should probably take place after you have mastered simple straight cutters. That’s not to say this book leaves you in router kindergarten. By the close you are guided through several challenging projects for both the workshop and home, leaving you eager for more.

For many people woodworking is a solitary pastime where skills are learnt by trial and error. This book will enable the novice to make a sound start into the immensely rewarding world of routing feeling confident that they have an acknowledged expert on hand to guide them.

Routing for Beginners by Anthony Bailey is available from www.GMCbooks.com and other retailers online.

ISBN-978-1-86108-839-0