Note: This is a reprint of a book review from NEWS #010, April 1993.
Bealer, Alex. W. Old Ways of Working Wood
Barre Publishing Company Inc., Barre, Massachusetts
Distributed by Crown Publishers Inc., New York, 1977.
This is a well-known book. For this reason it is a likely starting point for anyone seeking to understand old technologies. It is the type of book that generates interest and disseminates misconceptions.
The author's intentions are good but much of the subject matter is conjecture. Many of the techniques are misleading or incorrect. The books shortcomings are obvious to the practical user of old tools. However the drawings would appeal to the academic reader and are likely to be cited as authoritative.
Even so it is an enjoyable read and the expert reader can have fun spotting the errors and absurdities.