Practical Shop Math - Simple Solutions to Workshop Fractions, Formulas + Geometric Shapes

Add Some Math Savvy to Your Toolbox.

Woodworking and math are as closely connected as a tight-fitting dovetail. There’s no getting around it—start a woodworking project and the numbers begin flying around like sawdust. From calculating lumber to mixing finishes and all the formulas, fractions, decimals, and geometry in between, workshop math can be tricky stuff, especially if it has been many years since math class. But none of that matters, because Practical Shop Math has you covered. Packed with simple solutions, helpful illustrations, handy formulas, and more, Practical Shop Math is the perfect book for anyone looking to improve their math skills. Once equipped with the tool of understanding some math basics, a day in the workshop will involve more fun and production and less head-scratching.

List of contents

Part One: Basic Woodshop Arithmetic

• Understanding Fractions



• Working with Fractions



• Understanding Decimals



• Working with Decimals



• Powers and Roots

Part Two: Basic Woodshop Geometry

• Common Geometric Shapes



• Plane Figure Formulas



• Solid Figure Formulas



• Basic Geometric Construction



• Basic Geometric Theorems

Part Three: Using Math in the Workshop

• Enlarging Grid Patterns



• Simplifying Compound Angles



• Solving Right Triangles



• Applying Handy Woodshop Formulas



• Converting a Photograph into a Dimensioned Drawing



• Reading Micrometers and Calipers

Appendix

Index

About the author

Tom Begnal is a life-long woodworker whose interest in the craft evolved into a full-time furniture business in northwestern Connecticut. He moved on to become the managing editor of The Woodworker's Journal magazine for more than fifteen years and eventually joined the editoral staff at Shopnotes in Des Moines, Iowa. His final stop was Fine Woodworking magazine where, among other things, he edited the Tools and Materials department. He has also written or edited woodworking and how-to books for several publishers including F+W Publications, McGraw-Hill, Rodale Press and Sterling Publishing. Retired, Tom still woodworks and lives in Connecticut.

Summary

Fear not, workshop math is not something to be scared of or avoided; Practical Shop Math covers it all from the basic to the advanced.

By its very nature, woodworking requires a basic understanding of math. Various numbers, in the form of thickness, width, and length dimensions, are used to describe the physical size of a a woodworking project and its component parts. Inevitably, these dimensions –written as whole numbers, fractions, and decimals – must be added, subtracted, multiplied, and divided in order to cut and assemble the project.

Although math is an essential part of woodworking, a surprising number of crafters feel intimidated when working with decimals, fractions, geometry, and formula. Fear not; workshop math is not something to be scared of or avoided. Woodworking involves a lot of math and you’ll be at a disadvantage in the workshop if you don’t know or can’t remember how to do basic calculations. Even if you do know how to work with fractions, decimals, and geometric shapes, this tremendously handy and comprehensive guide from a Tom Begnal, a life-long woodworker and former editor at Fine Woodworking, Woodworker’s Journal, and ShopNotes, will increase your capabilities in the workshop many times over.

With Practical Shop Math, you'll discover simple, but non-condescending approaches for everything from adding fractions and decimals to laying out ellipses, octagons, and other shapes that will expand your design repertoire. In addition, Practical Shop Math focuses on the things that you think should be simple, but can drive you nuts: tasks such as enlarging grid patterns, determining miter angles for polygons, dividing angles and arcs, calculating board feet and the amount of finishes you need to complete a project, and so on. Included is a very useful trick for converting a furniture photo from a magazine or catalog into a dimensional drawing that you can use for building your next project. Practical Shop Math covers it all from the basic to the advanced.

In the end, if you sum up the benefits of this resourceful reference, it makes for a great addition to any workshop.

Foreword

Marketing and Publicity Highlights:

• Targeted review copy mailing and pitching to national craft & lifestyle magazines, including Popular Woodworking (circ. 150,000), Fine Woodworking (circ. 220,000) This Old House (circ. 960,000), Family Handyman (circ. 1,150,000), and Popular Mechanics (1,200,000) 



• Targeted comp mailing to key woodworking bloggers and woodworking clubs. 



• Trade ad campaign in PW and Library Journal



• Ad campaign in Popular Woodworking, Woodworker’s Journal (circ. 150,000), Fine Woodworking, and Woodcraft (circ 150,000)



• E-newsletter promotion to 200 woodworking clubs and 10,000 members



• Social media promotion through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.

Product details

• Authors: Tom Begnal, Begnal Tom
• Publisher: Ingram Publishers Services
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 31.12.2020
• EAN: 9781950934751
• ISBN: 978-1-950934-75-1
• Illustrations: black and white illustrations
• Subjects: Guides > Hobby, home > Creative design; CRAFTS & HOBBIES / Woodwork, MATHEMATICS / Reference, HOUSE & HOME / Hand Tools, HOUSE & HOME / Woodworking, DIY: general, DIY: carpentry and woodworking, Decorative woodwork