Make: Tips and Tales from the Workshop

The hard-earned tips and tricks gained by experience are the hidden currency of makers -- passed along in workshops and makerspaces by example and by retelling -- shared wisdom that will help you work smarter, easier, and more efficiently. Who doesn't remember with gratitude the insider secrets they learned from from a parent, shop teacher, or artisan? The best ones are never forgotten!

This benchtop reference collects hundreds of ingenious and indispensable shop tips and pearls of wisdom collected by the editors of Make: and some of the most talented and prolific makers who've contributed to the magazine and Maker Faire over the past decade.

Inside you'll find tips for measuring and cutting, gluing and fastening, clamping and joining, drilling, shop organizing, maintenance and repair, and more. The topics covered run the gamut from traditional shopcraft to electronics and soldering. You'll also encounter fascinating tales from experienced makers whose personal stories illuminate their favorite tools and best discoveries. Illustrated in full color with photos, drawings, and comic strips, Tips and Tales from the Workshop will entertain and enlighten while inspiring you.

Get ready to smack your head and ask yourself, "Why didn't I think of that?"

Praise for Tips and Tales from the Workshop:

"Gareth Branwyn is the Tip Master. He scours the workshops of the world for practical, time-saving, life-altering tips to help you make stuff better, faster, and cheaper. This book rounds up the best ones he knows." --KEVIN KELLY, creator of Cool Tools and Wired Senior Maverick

"Gareth has essentially created a magic book for makers." --DONALD BELL, Maker Project Labs

"Tips and Tales from the Workshop is sure to inspire anyone to get making with newfound ease and satisfaction. This book embodies the spirit of great mentors, across every medium, and imparts a wizard-like cleverness to its readers. I thought I was clever, and this book has already prevented at least a dozen new mistakes in my studio. It's "ah-ha" moment overload!" --BECKY STERN, DIY guru and Instructables content creator

"It must be hard to write a book like this with such uncommon clarity and in so entertaining a fashion as Gareth Branwyn has done here. Gareth clearly has a deep understanding of making and those who make because he is a maker himself. Tips and Tales from the Workshop is jam packed with invaluable information; it is both a fun read and a reliable shop reference for any do-it-yourselfer." --ANDY BIRKEY, YouTube maker