WOODWORK JOINTS. (The Woodworker Series) Carpentry, Joinery Cabinet-Making REVISED EDITION. By William Fairham c1920

Transcription

1 WOODWORK JOINTS (The Woodworker Series) Carpentry, Joinery Cabinet-Making REVISED EDITION By William Fairham c1920 A Facsimile Reprint of an Evans Bros., London book from our personal library Introduction by Gary Roberts Toolemera Press The Toolemera Press

2 Woodwork Joints: Carpentry, Joinery, Cabinet-Making The Woodworker Series by William Fairham Evans Bros., London c1920 No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in an electronic retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by an means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, photographic or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher. Excerpts of one page or less for the purposes of review and comment are permissible. Copyright 2010 The Toolemera Press All rights reserved. International Standard Book Number ISBN : (Trade Paperback) Published by The Toolemera Press Dedham, Massachusetts U.S.A Manufactured in the United States of America Toolemera Press

3 Introduction by Gary Roberts To be successful in woodwork construction the possession of two secrets is essential - to know the right joint to use, and to know how to make that joint in the right way. Editorial Forward: The Woodworker Series; J. C. S. Brough The Woodworker Series of books, first published by Evans Bros. of London during the early years of the 20th Century, were intended for instructors and students of Manual Arts classes. In many cases derived from articles first printed in The Woodworker, a monthly journal of craft also published by Evans, The Woodworker Series expanded upon the material of the journal to produce a classic series that remains applicable and valuable today. William Fairham authored the majority of these titles, the complete list of which can be found in this reprint. Who Fairham was, from what town or city he came and where he worked is not yet known. From the introductory statements in various books of the series, it is clear the Fairham was what was known as a practical woodworker, meaning a practitioner of woodworking rather than a theorist. He is also described as being an Instructor in Technical Schools, most likely at one of the many British schools that featured Manual Arts as part of their classwork. Fairham wrote the first edition of Woodwork Joints as well as this Revised Edition. The Revised Edition, comprehensively updated by Fairham, features illustrative line drawings and explanatory text for all of the major woodworking joints as well as those that are exotic or specific to a particular need. Toolemera Press Following Fairham came Charles Hayward, who also wrote for Evans Bros. In 1950, Hayward updated Woodwork Joints, as well as other books in the series, for Evans Bros. In comparing the two authors, it s apparent the Hayward revisions were meant to update the book to meet the mid-20th Century needs of both avocational and vocational woodworker. Given the nearly 50 years between the publication dates

4 of the two books, it s quite likely Fairham had died by the time Evans Bros. chose to re-issue various titles of The Woodworker Series. I prefer the books of William Fairham to those of Charles Hayward. Although both men were practical woodworkers and involved in education, Fairham s approach to illustrating and discussing the methodology and application of woodworking techniques reflects the tenets of the Manual Arts movement to educate by clear, straightforward descriptions and demonstrations. Hayward can be unnecessarily complex in his descriptions, an approach I attribute to the influence of the mid-20th Century Machine Age society on the manual arts. The more complex a process was, the more important it must be. Our respect for handwork gave way to respect for the machine made craft, with the exception of that part of society that refused to give up on traditional ways. Fairham provides those illustrations that are necessary for the student or instructor to understand what is intended. His text explains the reasoning behind the use or application of a given tool, technique or material with the understanding that the practitioner will benefit from the educational process of interpreting the content of the books rather than adhering to a strict set of guidelines. Fairham does not crowd his books with an excess of illustrations or descriptions, rather he urges the reader to use the information as the basis from which to create craftwork. The Manual Arts Educational Movement The Manual Arts movement saw handcrafts as a necessary element in the development of young men and women. The Manual Arts classes of the day used handcrafts to instruct the student in the development of concentration, physical coordination, imagination, dexterity, mathematics, spatial perception and intuitive reasoning. By the 1940 s such coursework became known as vocational education and by the 1960 s, was on the wane in both U.S. and European educational systems. Toolemera Press

5 Toolemera Press Facsimile Reprints The Toolemera Press reprints classic books and ephemera on early tools, trades and industries. We will only reprint items held in our personal library. We will never use a source document from any online document depository. The Toolemera Press manages every aspect of the publishing process. All imaging is accomplished either in-house or by contract with respected document imaging services. We use Print-On-Demand to keep pricing affordable. contact@toolemera.com Toolemera Press

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