This is the first volume of a 5 volume set that has been described as “possibly the greatest work in the English language dealing with the lathe and its accessory apparatus”. It covers the wide range of materials, how they are prepared and how they are worked in great detail. Also included are descriptions of the ornamental characteristics and stability of the many types of wood used injoinery and turnery, and covers the combining of woods, how to avoid shrinkage, warping, splitting and more. Combined with the nearly 300 illustrations, this book is truly a treasure house of information.