A lifetime ago when starting my apprenticeship we were told by one of the tutors that we would need two things, one was the best set of chisels we could afford, I went for a set eight Boxwood handled Marples, and the other was a book by Ernest Joyce called 'The technique of furniture making'. It was good advice becouse thirty years later I still use both constantly.Many books refer to themselves as 'the woodworkers bible' some even go by that title,but for my money their is only Joyce. Don't get me wrong there are a lot of great books out there, expertly written and packed with information, but Joyce's book works on so many levels. For the beginner it is clear and simple in its text and illustrations, yet it still has a lot to offer to the seasoned woodworker. For me it holds all that basic information that over time slips the ageing memory, a quick check with Joyce and the correct way to approach a compound miter is confirmed, it's like having an 'old boy' sitting in the corner of the workshop, cup of strong tea in hand and an answer for every question.
First published in 1970 by Batsford ltd, and not out of print since, The technique of furniture making was given a revamp by the late great Alan Peters to include a few modern production methods in the 90's, but apart from that welcome update it's still the same book. As well as covering all of the basics of furniture making as you would expect, Joyce is rare in having a very good chapter on running a workshop.
It is probably clear that I have a love of this text, as well as being a companion throughout my career I have had the great fortune to chat to Alan Peters a few times when exhibiting together, he was one of the greats and a lovely humble man. Also some years back a discoverd by chance that an old friend is in fact the granddaughter of Ernest Joyce, she shared some of her childhood memories of the man and showed me a few pieces of his work still in possession of the family. There are two things you will need, the best chisels you can afford and a copy of The techniques of furniture making.
