Taunton Press Woodworking with Power Tools: Tools, Techniques & Projects

A month with a dependable shop companion

I kept this guide on my bench for a month and used it as a reference across several small builds and jig tune-ups. It’s a 240-page, illustrated manual that focuses squarely on the why and how of common woodworking power tools, with a steady emphasis on safety, setup, and repeatable technique. It feels like the kind of book you can drop open to a chapter, read for ten minutes, and put right to work in the shop that same afternoon.

Layout and clarity

The organization is practical. Each tool chapter opens with purpose and parts, then moves into setup and alignment, safe operation, essential cuts, and technique expansions. The photos are crisp and well-lit, and the drawings do more than decorate—they clarify fence settings, blade heights, feed direction, and jig geometry. Step-by-step sequences include callouts that keep you from missing the small adjustments that matter (a quarter turn on a depth stop, a hairline shift of a fence). I appreciate that the writing doesn’t assume you’re a pro, but it does assume you want pro-level results.

Physically, the Illustrated edition holds up to bench use. My copy stayed flat enough to reference mid-cut with a push stick in one hand. The index is adequate, though I wished for a quick-reference chart for blade and bit selection by material and cut type.

Tool coverage

The core machines get thoughtful treatment:

• Table saw: Setup guidance is strong—blade-to-miter-slot alignment, fence squareness, riving knife positioning, and zero-clearance inserts. Techniques cover ripping, crosscutting with sleds, dadoes, rabbets, and safe small-part handling. I built the recommended crosscut sled and appreciated the detailed calibration steps.

• Bandsaw: The book helped me quiet vibration with proper wheel tracking and tension testing, then walked through resawing and curve cutting with attention to drift compensation. The template-routing follow-up after rough bandsaw cuts is a useful progression for clean edges.

• Router and router table: There’s a great mix of handheld and table operations. Bit profiles are explained with photos that show exactly what each cut does. Fence offset for jointing, bearing-guided flush trimming, pattern routing, and safe climb-cut avoidance are all covered with clarity.

• Miter saw: Emphasis on stop blocks, repeatable length cuts, and safe crown molding orientation. The book nudges you toward building auxiliary fences and supports to improve accuracy—worth the short shop time investment.

• Drill press, planer, jointer, and sanders: These chapters shine in setup advice—snipe reduction on the planer, co-planar jointer tables, and grit progression that respects the wood rather than just the clock.

Throughout, the sequencing is sensible: rough dimension with the bandsaw or circular saw, joint and plane to stable faces, then move to precision cuts on the table saw or router. That flow reduces frustration when parts need to actually fit.

Techniques and joinery

The joinery section is realistic about the strengths of power tools. Dados, grooves, and rabbets are covered on both the table saw and router, with fences, featherboards, and stop blocks central to repeatability. Mortises are handled with plunge routing and clean-up, or at the drill press with a fence and depth stop; tenons pair nicely with a dado stack or router table setup. Dovetails are approached via jigs, and the book does a good job of explaining bit depth and test-piece dialing before you commit to the real stock.

For shaping, there’s a practical combination of bandsaw roughing, spindle sanding, and finish passes at the router table with template guides. Edge profiles, chamfers, and round-overs are matched to project scale, and the safety reminders around grain direction and climb cuts prevent the typical tear-out traps.

Projects worth building

The included projects are more than filler; they’re structured to build skill. Plans combine cut lists, exploded diagrams, and staged photos. I test-built a small shop accessory and a household storage piece using the book’s approach—both came together without surprise steps, and the jigs I made along the way (a tapering jig and a simple box joint fixture) have already earned permanent spots on my wall.

What I like most is that the projects reinforce core tool habits: measuring off reference faces, sneaking up on final dimensions, dry-fitting before glue, and using cauls and clamping strategies that keep things square.

Safety and setup

This is an area where the guide is consistently strong. Push sticks and blocks are treated as required, not optional. There’s sound advice on riving knives and blade guards, safe hand placement, start-up routines, and dust control. The book’s approach to setup—calibrating fences with feeler gauges, checking for coplanarity, addressing blade runout—pays off immediately in cleaner cuts and fewer tear-out surprises.

If you’re new to machine woodworking, you’ll find the safety mindset woven into every procedure rather than confined to a single early chapter. That repetition helps build muscle memory.

Where it excels

• Practical jigs and fixtures: The sleds, fences, and auxiliary tables described are thoughtfully designed and easy to build. They unlock safer, more accurate operations without expensive aftermarket buys.

• Clear problem-solving: Troubleshooting sections are concise and useful—burn marks, chatter, snipe, tear-out, and how to correct them via setup and technique rather than simply slowing down and hoping for the best.

• Photographic accuracy: Pictures match the text closely. If a photo shows a fence offset by 1/32, the caption tells you why, not just that it’s so.

What could be better

This guide leans toward full-size, higher-quality machines in its assumptions. A cabinet saw with a rigid fence and a router table with micro-adjustments are often the baseline in photos and sequences. If your shop revolves around a portable jobsite saw, benchtop planer, or a trim router, you can still benefit, but you’ll do a bit of adapting. I would have welcomed more “if you don’t have X, try Y” callouts—for example, track-saw alternatives for long rips, or ways to improve accuracy on lightweight fences.

The finishing section is solid on sanding sequences and film builds, but is more survey than deep dive. Expect enough to avoid common pitfalls, not a comprehensive chemistry lesson.

Lastly, while the projects are well chosen, beginners might appreciate clearer tool lists per project to prevent mid-build surprises.

Tips I took straight to the bench

• Build a zero-clearance insert for every table saw blade and common angle you use; it reduces tear-out and supports small parts.

• Use a consistent reference face and edge throughout milling and joinery to keep cumulative error in check.

• For template routing, leave a thin whisper from the bandsaw and take two light passes rather than one heavy cut—cleaner edges, less burning.

• Calibrate once, then document: keep a card in the shop noting fence offsets, bit heights, and spacer sizes that produced perfect joints.

• Add sacrificial faces to miter saw and drill press fences to improve tear-out control and allow precise zeroing.

Who it’s for

If you’re outfitting a dedicated shop or steadily upgrading to more precise machines, this book hits a sweet spot. Serious hobbyists and early-career woodworkers will get the most from its methodical approach, and even experienced hands will find a few better ways to set up machines or streamline a cut sequence. Owners of entry-level tools can still use the core techniques, but be ready to modify jigs and slow down to account for lighter-duty fences, motors, and tables.

Recommendation

I recommend this guide for woodworkers who want to master foundational power-tool techniques with an emphasis on safety, accurate setup, and dependable results. The illustrations and photos are clear, the jig plans are genuinely useful, and the sequencing of tasks builds skills that carry into any project. Just be aware that the book often assumes full-size, higher-quality machines. If your shop is minimal or entirely handheld-tool-based, you may want a resource that speaks more directly to that environment. For everyone else, this is a reliable bench-side companion that helps turn decent results into consistently good ones.