"Wood Science & Design"
3-DVD Boxed Set

 

 

After earlier DVD's on the tablesaw and the jointer and planer, Hendrik Varju, (author of Fine Drawers without Dovetails in Fine Woodworking issue 208, http://www.finewoodworking.com/ProjectsAndDesign/ProjectsAndDesignPDF.aspx?id=32980) has turned his attention to wood. He covers the structure and properties of this material, how humidity affects wood movement, and how to design furniture to take account of this movement and not be blown apart by it.

Watching the three DVDs that last nearly 6 hours I get the strange sensation that I'm back at university listening to a lecture. Professor Varju is at the flip chart going into great detail about flat sawn boards, cell structure, attaching tabletops and so on. I know it is all useful information and I should be taking detailed notes but I'd rather be doing something else. If you're thinking of inviting some woodworking buddies over for an evening's entertainment this is not the movie to get the party swinging.

I'm being unfair of course. The literary equivalent to this is Bruce Hoadley's Understanding Wood, and you wouldn't exactly take that on vacation either, but the information is equally valuable. You can learn more about this DVD and the others by Varju at www.passionforwood.com.

-- Mark Schofield
    Managing Editor of Fine Woodworking Magazine

I had an opportunity recently to view some great woodworking videos made by Hendrik Varju.  Hendrik is a designer and maker of fine furniture, he also has many years as an educator and has offered many classes and seminars over the years.

The videos he has produced are a great value.  The videos contain in-depth information and many tips and techniques that will improve your success in the wood shop.  For example, the video entitled "Revelations on Table Saw Set-up and Safety" contains five DVDs with almost 10 hours of instruction on getting your table saw cutting safely and accurately.  Hendrik takes the time to meticulously go through all the steps of setting up this often poorly adjusted tool.

Other titles include:

  • Working with Plywood
  • Jointer and Planer Secrets
  • Wood Science and Design

These videos are not just for the novice woodworker.  They contain information that even a seasoned woodworker can benefit from.  This is by far the most comprehensive set of DVD's I have ever watched.

-- Vic Tesolin
    Editor of Canadian Woodworking & Home Improvement Magazine

Hendrik, thank you for putting together these DVDs (Wood Science & Design and Revelations on Table Saw Set-up & Safety).  I have learned so much from you and I love how you teach and get your message across.  The Wood Whisperer recommended your DVDs to me and I'm so glad he did.  Since woodworking schools are so hard to come by unless you live by one, books and the internet seem to be the only way to learn.  Even with the DVDs out there, they are so short and hard to learn from but you have changed that.

I will be buying your other 2 DVDs soon (Working with Plywood and Jointer and Planer Secrets).  I hope to see more DVDs in the future from you.  I know I would buy them.  I listen to you all the time on Matt's Basement Workshop, great show. 

-- David S. (Marysville, Ohio, USA)

Sometimes as woodworkers we get too enamored by tools and techniques (like pins first or tails first in dovetails) however, never take the time to understand the nature of the medium we are using.  This DVD is the only one to my knowledge that addresses this important area.

Although Hendrick can come across as earnest, I really enjoyed watching this DVD and learned a lot.

Highly recommended.

-- “LB”
     posted on Fine Woodworking website

I've had Bruce Hoadley's book for a few years, but it wasn't until I watched Hendrik Varju's video that I began to understand the value of the information in both the book and the video.  As a self-taught amateur woodworker I did not have a good understanding of the properties of wood. I had learned how to select wood to get the best appearance in a project but it wasn't until I saw this video that I developed an understanding of how to factor in wood properties to ensure that a piece is not just good looking, but also long lasting.  I highly recommend this video for all woodworkers.

-- “boxster9”
     posted on Fine Woodworking website