In Shop Blog

We may receive a commission when you use our affiliate links. However, this does not impact our recommendations.

T6472_WorkshopCompanion_500

Now available: All 21 books of Nick Engler’s best-selling “The Workshop Companion” series on one searchable DVD, in PDF format.

If you had a father or grandfather – or mother or grandmother – who did woodworking, chances are  one of more of Nick Engler’s “Workshop Companion”)books was a go-to resource for woodworking information. (I remember several dog-eared selections sitting on the metal shelving in the back of my grandpa’s shop – I believe he has “Routing and Shaping” and “Using the Band Saw,” though I can’t swear to it.)

Or heck – maybe you have a few of these volumes of your own.

Each of the books is chock-full of foundation information on its subject – as well as clever jigs and fixtures (when applicable), tips and tricks and more, with a solid mixture of technique instruction and projects that use those techniques. While no one book (or book series) can cover absolutely everything there is to know about woodworking, Nick gives it a pretty good shot in “The Workshop Companion Series.”

Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge

The titles of the 21 books are:
• “Making Jigs and Fixtures”
• “Using the Band Saw”
• “Using the Drill Press”
• “Using the Scroll Saw”
• “Using the Table Saw”
• “Wood and Woodworking Materials”
• “Workbenches and Shop Furniture”
• “Routing and Shaping”
• “Sanding and Planing”
• “Sharpening”
• “Using Hand Tools”
• “Advanced Routing”
• “Finish Carpentry”
• “Finishing”
• “Gluing and Clamping”
• “Joining Wood”
• “Making Boxes and Chests”
• “Making Built-in Cabinets”
• “Making Desks and Bookcases”
• “Making Tables and Chairs”
• “Complete Index and Shop Manual”

The clever (and easy-to-make) finger-joint jig image is from “Joining Wood” (click on the image to enlarge it for legibility), and you can see a handful more representative pages below. Click here to get your copy of “The Workshop Companion” DVD.

— Megan Fitzpatrick

From "Workbenches and Shop Furniture

From “Workbenches and Shop Furniture”

From "Wood and Woodworking Materials"

From “Wood and Woodworking Materials”

From "Using the Band Saw"

From “Using the Band Saw”

From "Joining Wood"

From “Joining Wood”


Product Recommendations

Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality.

Recent Posts

Start typing and press Enter to search