3 comments about Framing Roofs (Best of Fine Homebuilding).

1. The rafter jig idea was great, but there just wasn't enough info and detail to actually build it (I thought). I must admit, I'am not a pro as this book "by pros for pros" claims, but I guess if I was a pro, then I would probably find the information in this book to be too elementary. This book is ok for learning roof basics, but it's not enough info and detail to fully learn all that's involved with building roofs.



2. In recent years, the roof has become the focal point of many NA homes. No longer content with simple styles, rangy, monstrous roofs are the norm. Additionally many of them are likely to be built with either trusses, or maybe manufactured wood sticks. These techniques shave dollars right into the developers pockets. And frankly have become the norm in the last 5 to 10 years. They aren't much covered in this book.

   The reality is that these new story and a half high, architect/engineer designed truss roofs, factory manufactured, and crew/crane installed are a little much for the average homeowner.

   On the other hand, if you want to cut your own roof, this comparatively recent book gives you all the info you will need to build 2x roofs in many styles. It's a good basic reference, that covers a lot of procedural detail. I find it very useful. If you are only looking for a roof's worth of studs, you will have no difficulty finding the materials for a stick built roof, of generally higher quality than the truss roofs so popular today.




3. Many of the chapters in this book are written by individual carpenters who "do things their own way". For instance, in the first chapter, the writer says to disregard previous techniques and use his method. In the 2nd and 3rd chapters, the writer talks about using power tools that are either outrageously expensive or not even avilable any more. Further, there is no discussion or summary of basic roof geometry and calculations. The tag phrase "for pros by pros" is quite misleading. It is merely 15 chapters of guys telling how THEY frame a roof. Anyone, even pro carpenters using this as a refresher, should start off with a tutorial on basic roof geometry, design, and construction methods. If you are looking for info on how to properly design and construct roof framing, don't waste your money on this one!

5 comments about The Complete Book of Birdhouse Construction for Woodworkers.

1. Don't expect to open this book and start building birdhouses right away. There are very few diagrams or pictures, mostly detailed discussions of bird house attributes. This is not the book for children or first time builders since the author assumes the reader is already a woodworker. However, careful reading will reveal a lot of useful information, making this a welcome addition to my "how to" library.



2. At first I thought I had purchased a bulletin, because the book is not very substantial, but upon examining the book, it contains some valuable tables on the proper dimensions of the bird houses (depth, width, height, material, hole size, etc).



3. I gave this as a gift to my daughter. She was delighted with it so now she and I have our summer project of making birdhouses.



4. Not that many designs. The designs included are limited to birds for certain regions of the USA.



5. Three dollars and fifty cents! I bought it for the reference information mentioned in my review title, i.e., entrance hole sizes by species, along with nest height. For $20, that would be a big one or two stars. For $3.50, that's a solid 5 stars! This is not a pretty backyard birdhouse plan book! It's a short, to the point treatise on what birds like and need.

5 comments about Designing Furniture (New Best of Fine Woodworking).

1. As I've mentioned before the good thing about the 'Best of Fine Woodworking' series is that the articles are almost consistently good. The authors are drawn from the best of today's practitioners and teachers of woodworking, the writing carefully crafted for depth and clarity, and the quality of illustration is outstanding. In fact the only complaint I have ever had is that articles are often presented in a disorganized fashion, which can be frustrating for the reader with some specific information need in mind.
   
   This time I can't even complain about that. Instead the articles are divided up into sections on 'Finding Design Inspiration', 'Developing Designs and Organizing Projects', 'Construction by Design', 'Designing Furniture', and 'Designing for Form and Function.' Admittedly, these are not perfectly clear distinctions, but as you look through the volume you can get a feel for why the distinctions have been made.
   
   The design application articles are really the meat of the book. Articles like 'Joining Legs to Aprons' and 'Side Board Strategies,' are breathtaking and their detail. Be warned that Fine Woodworking doesn't believe in cutting corners. The joinery is both traditional and painstaking and nobody balks at a complicated task. But whether you are reading for inspiration or for good practical guidance, you will fine much of that here.



2. Though its no secret that I am a big fan of the Taunton Press, I feel that this book stands out as one of their best. Having been a serious home woodworker for a decade now, I benefitted greatly from the information contained in this book. As always, the illustrations and color photography are well done and often stunning. The editors did a great job of deciding what subjects to cover and then finding just the right articles to cover those subjects.
   
   The five major areas covered in this book are: design inspiration, design development, "construction by design", designing furniture, and designing for style and function. In just these five areas, there is a wealth of information that will help woodworkers of any level, from understanding elements of style to designing your own sideboard. I especially liked the tips given in the article "Models Help Projects Succeed".
   
   No matter if you are a novice or a self proclaimed expert, there is something of interest here for you. Highly recommended!



3. As with most books from Taunton of this type, this contains articles from Fine Woodworking(It's another "Best Of" series).
   
   The articles are informative and the images are good. It provides some good information on design elements in furniture. Though not inclusive of all areas, it provides good information and many areas.



4. The first have of the book is spent going over the history of furniture and how to draw up your designs for furniture. It even goes so far as to tell you how to make your own drafting table. I found the first have fairly uninformative and dry. The rest of the book does a decent job of describing furniture design.



5. The book is Fine but I bought it as a package deal with it's companion book (Practical Design Solutions and Strategies) and many of the areas are identcal - right down to the photographs a furniture pieces used. The information is good and is useful - clear and concise.

5 comments about The Art of Segmented Wood Turning: A Step-by-Step Guide.

1. This book is very helpful and inspiring to any segmented bowl turner. Gives incentive to try the seemingly impossible combination of patterns.



2. This book was very inspiring. I've made several projects similiar to what is in the book. My work has been praised. Although the designing, cutting of pieces of wood and aleining is challenging; the end results are well worth the efforts.



3. I like everything about woodturning. This book is no exception. You might also want to check the DVD Beyond Wood - Portrait of an Artist. You will see a lot of beautifully photographed pieces and interviews from years of research on the subject.



4. This is an excellent book, but I feel it is for advanced segmented wood turners. The pictures are beautiful and give you lots of "food for thought." I'm just beginning with segmented wood turning. The book is fun to look at, very detailed in it's instruction, and very interesting to read.



5. I was totally ignorant of segmented wood turning until I read this book. Now I am ready to give it a try. I would recommend this book to any serious wood turner.

5 comments about Sam Maloof, Woodworker.

1. Sam Maloof is a world treasure. His book reflects his passion and skill as a master. Sam's book is not written in a pompous manor but in a matter of fact point of view. Sam shares his life with us and puts it on paper. I have had the opportunity to meet Mr. Maloof and his lovely and gracious wife, Alfreda before her passing. Sam's love and passion for his craft is second only to his devotion to God and his love for his beautiful wife. His book reflects that in a way that is educational, thought provoking and simple. His warm and friendly demeanor in person is very evident in this book! Sam beleives there are no secrets in woodworking. He shares his finish and techniques in this book, although this is NOT a "how to" book. Reading this book, you will learn something about philosophy, Spirituality and some woodworking along the way.

   Keith Kidd Vice-President Cerritos Student's Woodworking Association (CSWA)




2. I bought this book when I was a student of woodworking/cabinetmaking in college, after hearing and seeing and studing some of Mr.Maloof's work in class. I found his command and respect for his craft, and the material that he works with to be second to none. His work is a insperation in it's self but once you find out the story behind this unbeliveable man it is all the more fasanating. his simple thoughts and down to earth style are a insperation to all. after reading this book I was amazed and inspired by this man and will remember and re-read this book may times.he will always be a insperation to myself and all woodworkers for years to come



3. IF YOU ARE INTO WOOD OR WOODWORKING AS MUCH AS I AM, OR EVEN IF IF YOU ARE ONLY INTO READING ABOUT GREAT ARTISTS/CRAFTSMEN, THIS BOOK IS A MUST FOR YOU !! IT DETAILS WITH GREAT CLARITY SAM'S LIFE & WORK THROUGH BOTH PHOTOS & REMARKABLE WRITING. I FOUND IT INFORMATIVE & INSIGHTFUL!! DO NOT PASS UP THE OPPORTUNITY TO OWN THIS BOOK !!!
   
   BILL



4. As you most likely know, Sam Maloof is an icon in the world of woodworking. This book does a great job of both highlighting his many creations as well as to tell the story of the man who would define an entire style and change the face of fine furniture. Written by Sam himself, the book gives you an insight into his genius and humility that you can't get anywhere else other than from the man. And it's clear he had creative input into the design of the book itself, as it's beautifully illustrated and elegantly laid out. I'm relatively new to woodworking and the brilliance of Sam Maloof, but I'm so glad I'm able to have discovered him while we're still blessed with his presence on the earth. Get this book.



5. I've been woodworking for a a little over a year and had read about Sam Maloof in articles here and there. A few months ago I got to visit the Sam Maloof foundation and I fell in love with the way he shapes his pieces of furniture. As part of the tour we got to sit on one of his rockers and not only do they look beautiful but they are amazingly comfortable. That's when I decided to buy this book to learn more about him and his art.
   This book includes Sam Maloof's story from when he first began and his experience as he grew into his woodworking career. It is inspiring to read and to see how he persevered even though it was not easy at the beginning. The book is full of pictures of his work, more than was available at the Maloof foundation. It includes a high-level description of how he makes his famous rockers too.

3 comments about Making Heirloom Toys.

1. The book provides scale drawings of several projects. But in order to use them you first have to photocopy the plans at the appropriate (and provided) zoom level. This was difficult, especially since the paper size needed to be larger than standard copier sizes. In order to save pages, it seemed as if many steps were eliminated from the cutting and assembly instructions.

   I made the dump truck and airplane for my 2yr old nephew. They're his favorite toys and he plays with them all the time.




2. I used this book to make a little dump truck, a jet plane, and a tugboat, soon to be given to my grandson. I did not find the fact that not all plans were full-sized a problem This is common and the %enlargement (if needed) is given The instructions were clear. (However, if you are making the little truck, check the width of 2" hinges available before gluing down the hinge block!) The designs are classic, and range from simple (the ones I made) to complex (the truck on the cover is said to take 40 hours.) There are a couple of educational toys included.

   Many of the toys' parts are made out of fine woods, but you can substitute available wood in most cases. Makowicki is concerned with toy safety, e.g., the crane uses a magnet to lift barrels, not a hook, and he specifies child-safe finishes - references in appendix. He also gives many ideas for jigs for cutting angles on the table saw. (If you aren't going to produce for sale, in many cases you can use a band saw with a narrow blade or a scroll saw and sand smooth, instead of making the jig.)

   I made the toys while taking a shop course, so I learned the safe way to operate power tools at the same time.

   I also purchased Tarjany's "30 Toy Vehicles Made from Wood". It has cruder designs, but look there for semis, flatbeds, bulldozers, etc. (I made the long-hood semi with a gravel trailer.) His airplanes suffer by comparison with Makowicki's.

   I am going to purchase Makowicki's "Marvelous Transforming Toys" next.




3. This book has very creative and quality toys to build. It has excellent plans, instructions, drawings and full color pictures. I recommend it highly. I have built the truck fleet and they are the talk of our family and friends.

5 comments about Making Toys That Teach: With Step-by-Step Instructions and Plans.

1. This is just the book I was hoping to find. The projects are fun to make and fun to play with. I was especially hoping to find plans for some unit building blocks for my grandkids for Christmas, and I just finished making the set from this book. I couldn't keep my wife away from them; she kept playing with them before they were finished! The plans are very detailed and easy to understand. The equipment needed is usually pretty basic, and there's a list of all the tools needed for each project. I'm anxious to get to work on some more of the toys. I don't hesitate to fully recommend this book.



2. This is a great book- Great projects, clear instructions. I really like the learning through play secion which explains why these are great learning toys and the growth opportunity they present.
   
   I think what would have really made this book is a section on tools. Showing the different tool, explaining their individual uses what sets them apart....for example how a table saw is diffferent from a band saw etc. Which is the most versatile saw for a beginner getting into toy making
   
   If you are a woodworking beginner I recommend you begin with The Kids' Building Workshop : 15 Woodworking Projects for Kids and Parents to Build Together
   by Craig Robertson, Barbara Robertson



3. An excellent book with projects that are above the elementary level. Toys that provide continual challenge as the child develops. I have built the block set, a long-time favorite of my grandchildren despite their many "modern" electronic toys, and the train.
   
   Caution: Be sure to double-check the dimensional drawings. There are several errors in the train drawings.



4. Neufeld presents a set of children's toys of extremely high quality that are fun to build. And, my grandkids play with them for hours. I believe the book describes how to make heirlooms. I highly recommend this for any woodworker.



5. This Book is a great guide to making children's toys. The toys are simple and elegant. Great illustrations and directions.

5 comments about Chairs: A History.

1. I have read Chairs; A History and find it to be fasinating from two view points. One is that it is more than a history of furniture, it is a social history of the people who sat in the chairs and their times and their culture. Secondly I will retain it for years as one of the most complete reference books on the cultural periods discussed. Finally it is beautifully illustrated and written and should be in everyone's library.



2. A very well written book with lovely and truly beautiful illustrations. Highly recommended!



3. In this fascinating book, De Dampierre brings a fresh perspective to world history by describing it through one of the most ubiquitous items in our daily lives: chairs. In doing so, she has produced a highly enjoyable read for both the sophisticated antique collector and the general student of history.



4. Florence de Dampierre has produced what will certainly be not only the definitive guide to the chair itself but also a witty and learned look at how modes of communication in differing cultures governed the kind of furniture people invented for themselves. The scope of the book is huge, ranging from the cradle of civilization in Mesopotamia and Africa to the chair as modern art. I recommend it highly, both for serious collectors as well as anyone who has ever thought twice about the provenance of the place they've just sat down in. The book is copiously and beautifully illustrated, so it makes a lovely gift.



5. No one who has seen my home would expect me to have anything to do with a furniture book. But some perceptive friend gave me this book and now I get it! Under Ms. de Dampierre's tutelage, I have grown to understand how pieces of furniture are a reflection of the times in which they were created. This study of chairs is no less fascinating than any great work of art history and the author does an incredible job of detailing changes in social and political currents which impact the design and use of each chair in her exhaustive chronology. As importantly, the pictures are beautiful; the book is worth buying for them alone.

5 comments about Identifying Wood: Accurate Results with Simple Tools.

1. This noteworthy book addresses its narrow topic with accuracy and effectiveness. Wood's growth, structure, and properties are treated in full. The book explains, in great detail, the techniques for taking wood samples and preparing them for examination. Precise keys for identifying most woods used in furniture and construction are provided. The vivid photography, as well as diagrams and tables, are perfectly integrated.



2. This book is nicely formatted and illustrated. The information has been very helpful, but lacking in coverage of many trees. Contacted author for information and never received reply or acknowledgement. The quality of the books construction is very poor. After only a few weeks of normal use, pages began to seperate from the binding.



3. My whole life I've been asking myself the same questions. What is my bed made out of? What are those things in the forest? What fuels fire?
   
   This book answers ALL of those questions and more! The answer....WOOD! THOSE THINGS ARE MADE OF WOOD! Life finally makes sense thanks to this book. It will take you to a new level of enlightenment.



4. This book is great for helping you find out what your desk is made of, or whether or not termites are a threat to your house! Find out with this handy pocket guide to figuring out if what you're looking at is authentic wood!



5. A must have book for any forestry student that is taking a wood science or wood tech class. Without this book as a supplement to the regular textbook for the class, I don't know if I would have passed! The opening chapters are an easy to understand read and the pictures/descriptions of the different types of wood are excellent.

2 comments about Popular Woodworking's Arts & Crafts Furniture: 25 Projects For Every Room In Your Home (Popular Woodworking).

1. I was very challanged to expand my skills after I read this book. The projects were interesting and worthy of handing down to my family as heirlooms.



2. This book has 3 sections: a brief, but good introduction to the major Arts & Crafts furniture makers, with comments on their relative qualities and places in the movement; construction techniques; and projects. All are well illustrated and all pictures are in color (except, obviously, repros of original black and white photos). Alternative techniques are given for a number of joinery types. Helpful advice and tips are given throughout both the techniques and projects sections. The projects range from quite simple (Morris Chair footstool) to middling complex (various chairs). Some unusual items are also included, such as the Limbert Tabouret, which is a table with four interlocking legs, and the "Lost Stickley Side Table", a Stickley prototype with straight legs in back and splayed in front. Only two really modern pieces are included: a Prairie Style coffee table and an outdoor version of the Morris Chair. The included CD has additional plans. Considering the excellent content, the quality of the book itself, and the bonus CD, this book is quite a bargain.