Woodworker the Charles H. Hayward Years
Several Months ago I posted an article about one of my all-time favorite authors Charles H. Hayward’ – his book The Complete Book of woodworking is a great book if you are just starting out in your woodworking adventure.
Charles H. Hayward was born in London, the son of a woodworker on 26th April 1898. He was educated in London, and served in World War I for two years, 1916-18.
For 12 years Hayward was a self-employed cabinetmaker. In 1913-25 he became editor of Handicrafts, later Woodworker, 1935-68. Between 1938-39, he lectures at Shoreditch Training College.
The Books of Charles H. Hayward are still today a wonderful reference source for English woodworking. The Complete Book of Woodwork is a standard work for anyone who wishes to learn about the craft to an advanced level.
I have amassed over the years many copies of Woodworker magazine and they are riveting – Hayward was a great writer, photographer and artist.
Lost Art Press on Hayward
There is little doubt that Charles H. Hayward (1898-1998) was the most important workshop writer and editor of the 20th century. Unlike any person before (and perhaps after) him, Hayward was a trained cabinetmaker and extraordinary illustrator, not to mention an excellent designer, writer, editor and photographer. ~Christopher Schwarz
Lost art Press have finished a mammoth project and produced two volumes totalling 888 pages showing just a small part of tools and techniques from the Hayward years as editor of Woodworker magazine.
I took delivery of the two volumes today and have been pouring over them. They make a great addition to the woodwork library.
The first volume is on tools and the second is on techniques. The volumes are organized as follows:
Volume I: Tools
Sharpening
Setting Out Tools & Chisels
Planes
Saws
Boring Tools
Carving
Turning
Veneering & Inlay
Volume II: Techniques
General Techniques
Miscellaneous Tools & Techniques
You can download a complete (and searchable) list of the articles in these two volumes here.
If you are interested in handwork, you will not find a more complete collection of the 20th-century knowledge and wisdom on the subject.
As Hayward himself said “I think that books are useful, but I certainly think that, like anything else, the skill to do comes from actually doing. Books can guide you, explain about techniques, tools, materials, – present ideas, steer you away from pit-falls… Books include a great deal of valuable information but it is up to the reader to apply that information.”
For a detailed description of the volumes go here
Below you can see three pages from a typical Magazine.
