Fearnot,workshopmathisnotsomethingtobescaredoforavoided;PracticalShopMathcoversitallfromthebasictotheadvanced.Byitsverynature,woodworkingrequiresabasicunderstandingofmath.Variousnumbers,intheformofthickness,width,andlengthdimensions,areusedtodescribethephysicalsizeofaawoodworkingprojectanditscomponentparts.Inevitably,thesedimensions-writtenaswholenumbers,fractions,anddecimals-mustbeadded,subtracted,multiplied,anddividedinordertocutandassembletheproject.Althoughmathisanessentialpartofwoodworking,asurprisingnumberofcraftersfeelintimidatedwhenworkingwithdecimals,fractions,geometry,andformula.Fearnot;workshopmathisnotsomethingtobescaredoforavoided.Woodworkinginvolvesalotofmathandyou’llbeatadisadvantageintheworkshopifyoudon’tknoworcan’trememberhowtodobasiccalculations.Evenifyoudoknowhowtoworkwithfractions,decimals,andgeometricshapes,thistremendouslyhandyandcomprehensiveguidefromaTomBegnal,alife-longwoodworkerandformereditoratFineWoodworking,Woodworker’sJournal,andShopNotes,willincreaseyourcapabilitiesintheworkshopmanytimesover.WithPracticalShopMath,you’lldiscoversimple,butnon-condescendingapproachesforeverythingfromaddingfractionsanddecimalstolayingoutellipses,octagons,andothershapesthatwillexpandyourdesignrepertoire.Inaddition,PracticalShopMathfocusesonthethingsthatyouthinkshouldbesimple,butcandriveyounuts:taskssuchasenlarginggridpatterns,determiningmiteranglesforpolygons,dividinganglesandarcs,calculatingboardfeetandtheamountoffinishesyouneedtocompleteaproject,andsoon.Includedisaveryusefultrickforconvertingafurniturephotofromamagazineorcatalogintoadimensionaldrawingthatyoucanuseforbuildingyournextproject.PracticalShopMathcoversitallfromthebasictotheadvanced.Intheend,ifyousumupthebenefitsofthisresourcefulreference,itmakesforagreatadditiontoanyworkshop.
