Working with Wood

During lock down my husband and I wanted to experiment more with wood work so we got this book and were not disappointed. It has really given me confidence. We have put up hooks, shelves and currently, we are building some decking and a book case. Really happy.

– Lisa Grasso * Amazon *

Great book for woodworking beginners, with chapters on different types of wood, tools and beginners projects. The book has step by step photos of the projects making it easy to follow. Really nice book.

– Lorna Cox * Amazon *

Brilliant book - easy to follow giving you tips and ideas. Really helpful on our wood working journey.

– Sarah Don * Amazon *

I’m just starting my wood working journey and wanted a book that was easy to understand and informative and this book is all that and more. The tools section is fantastic and the way the author explains the different techniques is very easy to follow. Overall, the book is great for beginners, it’s great quality and a fantastic read.

– Katy Morris * Amazon *

A great introduction to woodworking with interesting projects to follow along.

Working with Wood by Tom Trimmins offers a comprehensive introduction to woodworking using hand tools in a concise and attractive book.

The book offers an overview of what tools you need, how to choose and then maintain them. There is also an explanation of different woods and their common uses, including some beautiful photography.

Next the author dives into some projects that are outlined step-by-step for you to follow along. These are well thought out as they begin with a basic bench which you can use as you work through the progressively-more-challenging projects, culminating in building your own furniture. The skills taught in the early projects are used throughout the later projects and as there are plenty of different techniques to learn this would be a good book to follow page by page if you’re at the beginning of your woodworking journey.

The author has designed the book’s projects so that they can all be followed without the need for expensive power tools or machinery which is great compared with some of the other similar books on the market where the author expects you to have many thousand pounds worth of machinery in order to complete even a simple piece.

Overall this book is beautifully laid out and the photos make following the projects very easy, whilst also keeping the challenge of learning the new woodworking skills it teaches. If you’re looking for a book to buy as a gift for a budding woodworker or one who is looking for some inspiration for new projects then this would be a fine choice.

– Elizabeth Cooke * Amazon *

Tom Trimmins started woodworking when he was given his first workbench and tools at eight years old. It’s been a lifelong passion ever since. After a childhood of making projects at home and hanging around a local cabinet maker’s workshop, he studied furniture-making at degree level in Buckinghamshire. After that he worked for several high-end furniture workshops before starting his own business in 2009.

He started teaching after telling a friend that it was something he really wanted to do. Harbouring his own woodworking ambitions, his friend said if Tom would teach, he would find a group of interested people to learn. Tom has now been teaching woodwork every week for eight years.

In addition to teaching woodworking classes, Tom makes fine furniture at his workshop on a city farm in Islington, London. He works on commissions or teaches during the day and takes classes in the evening.

Tom is a traditionally trained craftsman, with a modern Japanese and midcentury-influenced style with a broad appeal.