Subject: Re: Time Life Woodworking Series

From: [email-masked] (Michael and MJ Houghton)
Date: 27 Mar 1997 09:35:21 -0500

In article <[email-masked]>,
John Schneider  <[email-masked]> wrote:
>I have an ad for the Time Life Woodworking series. Is there anyone out there that has 
>purchased it. Is it as good as advertized? I have learned a great deal by reading about my 
>favorite hobby and would like to learn more. Some of the router jigs in the advertisement 
>have save me some real headaches even in the last two days.
>
>

I have seen the ads on TV. Big turn-off. I really like the part where you 
see a board with a number of shallow holes in it (as if to make a coat rack).
The voice-over speaks of the "whine of the drill" or something 
pseudo-romantic while we see what is obviously a hand-held electric drill 
being weilded rather flippantly. The operator smacks the drill into one of
the holes and gouges out about 1/8 to 1/4 inch of stuff and immediately
races (yes, it looks like they are racing) to the next hole to repeat. *blech*

---

From: Charlie Rodgers <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 1997 14:43:56 -0800

Michael and MJ Houghton wrote:
> >John;  
I ordered them around the middle of January, after seeing an ad on HGTV.
  I called the 800 number and opted for the 9 or 10 volume set (I got a 
"free" 101-tips pamphlet and a hour-long videotape).  There was some kind 
of discount by ordering all of them at once (I bit), and I think the total 
was right around US$160.  I was really disappointed when, a few weeks later,
 I got a postcard that they were on back order "because of the unexpected 
large response to the ad".  They came in the mail about two weeks ago.  
  The videotape is very informative.  There are four segments on it: one is 
Frank Klausz showing how to hand cut dovetails.  Another is Mike Dunbar 
showing how to reclaim and tune up an old flea-market hand plane.  Another 
is Truini (don't remember his first name) showing router tips & tricks and 
the fourth is a fellow (sorry I don't recall his name) showing how to build
 and use a couple of table saw jigs - one jig is a sliding cut-off box and 
another jig is a finger joint jig.  I don't know about anyone else, but I 
can understand a whole lot better when I actually see something than I can 
trying to visualize from the written word - especially if it is explaining 
how to build something.  
  I don't recall the exact titles but there are separate volumes that cover
 each of the following topics:  Wood Finishes; Shop Jigs (I think I'll get 
a lot of use from this one); Joinery (this one, too); Power Tools; 
Encyclopaedia of Wood; Cabinetmaking; The Home Shop; Routers; and a couple 
more I can't remember.  They are nice hardback covers with internal spiral 
bindings that lay flat.  Lots of good pictures and clear drawings.  One 
thing I have noticed 'tho, is that they tend to put in sidebars with tips 
& tricks and these are repeated in various volumes.  The topics are, in 
their defense, appropriate to the subject matter.  
  All in all, I think I got my money's worth.  Should you buy them?  
That's for you to decide.  I'm always trying to find better ways to do 
things, and there are a lot of suggestions in the books.  
  I think they have a money-back guarantee, so you can take a "free" look 
at them.  Personally, I never even considered returning them.  
HTH, Charlie

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From: "John D. Beatty" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 1997 12:57:05 -0800

Michael and MJ Houghton wrote:
> >purchased it. Is it as good as advertized? 

The most impressive things about the series are the graphics and
simplicity.  
The actual content is covered better and in more detail elsewhere, but
when 
you're a fumble-fingered weekend wood butcher like me it's sure nice to
look
 at what it's supposed to look like.  And true, some of the jigs are
real neat.

If you've got the bucks by all means get 'em, but they're not essential.

-- 
JD Beatty     West Allis, Wisconsin, USA
[email-masked]     [email-masked]
Beatty's Maxim:  The only sources of historical truth are time machines
and faith.  The trick is knowing which one you're working with.

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From: "Joe Colson" <[email-masked]>
Date: 29 Mar 1997 00:47:48 GMT

John,

The Time-Life Woodworking series is like the other Time-Life books - full
of good illustrations, but not a set of books that will provide the kind of
woodworking insight that Fine Woodworking publications offer.  I have the
Time-Life Woodworking books and love the pictures, but I've learned more
>from  the FWW videos and books.

Joe Colson

John Schneider <[email-masked]> wrote in article
<[email-masked]>...