2 comments about Constructing a Fireplace Mantel: Step-by-Step from Plywood And Stock Moldings.

1. This is a real how-to book with great illustrations and pictures which make the construction techniques really come to life. It is a great resource for those who want to create a classic look with readily available and easy to work with materials such as plywood and stock lumber. I appreciated the step-by-step narrative supporting the illustrations and the practically endless options provided for personalizing the mantel with finishes and detail moldings. The book is a must have for those who want to replace their exising mantel with a new look at a low cost but, at the same time, want to draw praise for their handywork. A great addition to your woodworking library.



2. Well I was expecting a book that would give me a lot of mantel building basics and maybe a lot of pictures of different mantels. What I got was entirely different.
   
   Constructing a Fireplace Mantel takes you step by step through building the mantel on the cover. It even gives all measurements for that mantel so if you don't have a lot of woodworking experience to be able to change the design for your space it might not be the correct book. If you do have some experience it is great.
   
   It does show several things you can do to the mantel to give it a different look if you don't want it to look exactly like the pictured mantel. It does have a small gallery of other mantels too look at but that is pretty useless - you can get the same thing with a web search.

5 comments about Making Authentic Craftsman Furniture: Instructions and Plans for 62 Projects (Dover books on woodworking & carving).

1. The 62 proects are only a small picture of each final project with couple of drafted views of how the piece of furniture looks from different views. There is a parts list of materials needed, but no help in how to construct the furniture whatsoever. Any magazine or anything else out there has to be better than this. Everyone else has far over rated the book. Instead, subscribe to a good magazine like Popular Woodworking or something like that.



2. This book is a great "helper" for those who make Stickley inspired furniture. It has nominal dimensions for most pieces, which is a plus in helping with getting the proportions correct as well as milling lists for the projects. If you are looking for a "how-to" or complete plans you are in the wrong place. The illustrations in the book are straight from the original "The Craftsman" series.



3. This is a great book for someone with shop skills and tools. The book shows a good variety of furniture most likely to be of interest to a person building furniture for their own home (or perhaps a gift!).



4. This book turned out to be even better than I'd hoped. I can't wait to get started building some of the pieces. Easy to read and understand the diagrams. Condition of the book was great, and I've read it over and over as I plan the remodeling of my "new" old house.



5. interesting reading but it wasn't what i was looking for. nobody's fault im still keeping the book because i may just get an idea from that book later on

2 comments about Jean-Michel Frank: The Strange and Subtle Luxury of the Parisian Haute-Monde in the Art Deco Period.

1. Wonderful detailed photos and knowledgable time line for the great designers work and designs. Many photos of the shop in paris and how the rooms are put together.
   Great resource book.



2. The contributions of Jean-Michel Frank to modern interiors are timeless and compelling. He created a sense of spaciousness and luxury in Paris apartments that was pure genius. Not much was known about this designer and his too-brief career; this book is a wonderful exploration of the man and his creation of interiors and furnishings. Great photos too.

5 comments about The Workbench Book: A Craftsman's Guide to Workbenches for Every Type of Woodworking.

1. Very fine expository writing for those interested in the history of and current state-of-the-art woodworking benches and accessories. Enclosed plans are a nice plus. The resource section is excellent. Well researched, well written, photography is exceptional.
   
   EIM



2. A very complete workbench guide with just enough history, lots of technical info, and with high quality pictures and drawings.



3. Informative and readable. Obviously a labor of love. I give it 5 stars even though the Tom Caspar-inspired design I've settled on didn't come from this book.



4. The Workbench Book serves as either a coffee table book or as a working guide to getting to just the right workbench built for yourself. The book is beautifully produced. The photos are beautiful and the text is wonderful.
   
   I chose the words "working guide" above carefully. The pretty pictures aside, the real value of this book to me was in being walked through just how many different ways a bench can be used. As I read it, I found myself constantly comparing my own work habits against what I was reading regarding why certain bench configurations evolved. It also made some of my own bench frustrations clearer.
   
   In the end, and as a direct result of reading this book, I've decided on a heavy open-framed (weighted, actually) bench a foot lower than what I've been using, 6' long, 30" deep, no tray, no storage, with a torsion box top and conventional (Record-type) woodworkers vise. I'll supplement with a pair of low (12" - 15") assembly tables 30" square each. That's pretty specific, but as I considered my own work and habits while reading, the formerly attractive shaker benches, euro benches, and even the intriguing Japanese beams have lost their attractiveness.
   
   This is that rare type of book that has long-term and deep implications for how you work if you read it with real intent. Highly recommended.



5. Lon Schleining's book "The Workbench" is the book of dreams. This book is more practical. The bench I completed a few months ago (after a couple of years of study) is based more on the ideas in Schleining's and more on Landis' book for procedure.
   
   I particularly enjoyed the chapter on Japanese Beams & Trestles.
   
   If you can afford it, buy both workbench books (unless there is some important particular you need, you won't need a third book). If not, pick this one if you need more how-to and Schleining's if you know how and want more design ideas.

5 comments about Making an Archtop Guitar.

1. If you have an interest in building an archtop, you will want this book. Though it does not contain complete full-scale plans (you will either have to enlarge the included plans or order a separate full-sized set), there is nonetheless a wealth of information to satisfy both experienced and novice builders alike. The text is accompanied by numerous photos of Benedetto's shop, tools (many which are home-made), various guitar-construction operations in progress, and color photos of many of his own guitars. Yes, I suppose there is a subtle bit of self-promotion, as one Amazon reviewer complains. However, one can hardly begrudge Benedetto for this, considering that he has chosen so generously to share of himself. How many of Benedetto's competitors would be as willing to step up to the same plate? If you are serious about building an archtop, I would recommend purchasing the DVDs with the book. While Benedetto is very clear with his explanations, tap-tuning is probably something that requires the kind of hands-on demonstration gained from student-teacher interaction or, in the absence of that, video demonstration.



2. I have built an archtop guitar based on this book, the book is full of useful tips and information. Without it my guitar project would probably not have been possible.



3. This is an excellent book for someone who has the experience or motivation to build this difficult instrument. It isn't for somebody who has no woodworking experience or who doesn't have the desire to search out additional information and techniques. There is no book which covers every method and every step in building something as difficult as a carved musical instrument.
   
   The pictures are exceptional and can give much more information than pages of text. There are skimpy areas, but the book would be 1000 pages if everything Benedetto knew where written down.
   
   I've read books on building guitars, violins and carved mandolins...this is the best of the bunch, in my opinion. Many mandolin builders read it to help them with that instrument.
   
   You can do no better, but will have to find additional information on the web, in other books and from experienced woodworkers.



4. I have now read this bock twice through since receiving it and feel confident that it provides the building blocks to start my (your) own journey into building archtop guitars. The chapters are concise focusing on the fundamentals of each element of the building process from wood selection to top and back shaping, side bending neck construction and finishing. I am about to embark on my first archtop guitar and after reading Robert's book I feel confident to do so.



5. I bought this book and the companion DVD's and studied them prior to going to Nazareth, PA in late July of this year (2008). In Nazareth I constructed an archtop guitar with a protege' of Bob Benedetto's. We used the same methods outlined in this book and DVDs. One week later I had in my hands a beautifully constructed, playable and superb sounding archtop guitar in European Spruce (Top) and European Flame Maple (Back and Sides) (sans finish).
   If you have any doubts whether or not this book will give you the necessary tools to construct a quality instrument, quell those doubts. I have the proof in my hands. Buy the accompaning DVDs. You will need
   these as well. Good Luck!

5 comments about Chairmaking & Design.

1. I looked all over the Internet for this book a while back and couldn't find it. Used sellers are charging way too much (over $100), so I finally just checked it out of the library (very available and no cost).
   
   This is a good book, and is the only one I know of with general chairmaking info that covers different chair types. The other chairmaking books I've seen seem to be specific to Windsor chairs. I would like to see more books like this ... until then get this one from the library.



2. Excellent and clear book with very good detail on the techniques for the more unusual shapes and angles. A good series of projects starting with basic disigns and progressing onwards.
   Chairmaking & Design



3. An excellent overview of different types of chair designs and production of each. Not over the top for anyone that would like a guide to building chairs.
   
   Chad



4. Jeff Miller starts you out with the most basic chair ever and then leads you along to more and more complicated designs step by step. By the end of the book, you feel confident in starting to build an arm chair. Great book.



5. This is a well written book. It does an excellent job of starting off with basic chair designs and moving on to more advanced designs. A lot of good photographs show the process of chairmaking. The gallery of chairs from other woodworkers is great - inspiring.

5 comments about The Woodcut Artist's Handbook: Techniques and Tools for Relief Printmaking.

1. Walker has taken woodcut, arguably the oldest of printing techniques, and brought it into the twenty-first century. Albrecht Durer would certainly recognize everything that goes on in a woodcut artist's shop. It's the tools, inks, papers, and especially subject matter that have changed. This book steps clearly through every step, combining very readable text, illustration, and samples of original prints.
   
   The book starts with the block itself. That can be something as homely as a cut slab of potato for a child's effort. It can also be linoleum, a wood plank, or a piece of plywood for regular woodcut. Wood engraving, which differs mainly in the fineness of the cut marks, requires fine, hard surfaces: end-grain boxwood, maple, or cherry in traditional technique, or man-made materials that may be lest costly and more predictable. The rest of the book continues in equally exacting detail: tools and especially their sharpening, cutting with hand or power tools, papers, classic and modern inks, taking the impression with simple or complex presses, and deciding on the edition. Although specimens appear thoughout the book, the last chapter is a gallery that shows the variety of people, techniques, and subjects in contemporary woodcut. Back matter is very helpful: glossary, artists' biographies, bibliography, access to resources, and a helpful index. The resource list may age quickly, as art suppliers come and go, but everything else has lasting value.
   
   There are a few oddities. For example, Walker uses the term "monoprint" to describe images from uniquely inked cut blocks. I can't argue that usage, even though the term is more widely understood to describe prints from inked but uncut surfaces. And, despite otherwise complete coverage of multi-block printing, he omitted the idea of the counterproof. That technique inks the key block and prints it on paper, then uses the paper to transfer wet ink to the blocks to be used for other colors. Although traditional, the technique may lack the precision needed for wood engraving, and may have been overtaken by photocopying and other modern techniques.
   
   I recommend this to anyone who appreciates woodcut, as an observer or as an active printmaker. It's beautifully printed and bound, and, despite the antiquity of the technique, completely up to date.
   
   //wiredweird



2. I have just begun engraving wood and found this book to be extremely helpful. It describes the differences between carving and engraving and gives ample information on tools and printing processes for a beginner.



3. How any book claiming to cover woodcut prints could fail to mention the works of Antonio Frasconi and Leonard Baskin, yet show half-baked attempts at wood engraving, or champion Barry Moser's soul-less technique as "mastery" is fundamentally lacking. While I thought the love of the medium did show through, and the coverage of the tools and techniques was sound, I think many lesser artists were mentioned, and without these two, it yields an anemic visual source for the interested artist.



4. This is in response to the Jeffery C. Chase review in which he incorrectly states that the work of Antonio Frasconi and Leonard Baskin were not mentioned in the Woodcut Artist's Handbook. They were mentioned and their work would have been reproduced in the book as well if the publisher had been granted reproduction rights. Frasconi's work is referred to on page 20 and The Complete Prints of Leonard Baskin by Alan Fern and Judith O'Sullivan (1984) is suggested reading on page 150. We tried to include as many artists as possible but because of copyright restrictions and limited resources we could not include everyone. Thank you for your comments.



5. George Walker's Handbook is an excellent, enthusiastic introduction to relief printmaking. Although he favors engraving over woodcut he presents the basics of both and then takes the reader on through chapters on materials, tools, the creation of both woodcuts and engravings, papers and ink, printing, and an interesting section on editions. The art is placed in the historical context but he does point out those who are really interested in woodcuts should look at Rebecca Salter's Japanese Woodblock Printing. (I enthusiastically concur. They make a fine pair of books on the subject.)
   
   The book is well illustrated for a small, introductory work. Seek larger format works if you want more breadth for woodcuts. However, he is very even handed and does have a good deal on contemporary work (and writes about it, too). There is a nice glossary, a good basic bibliography (although as Walker says many of the works are out of print), a brief biography of some of the major artists, a list of resoruces and organizations (with some email addresses), and an index.
   
   All in all, for the aspiring woodcut artist this is an excellent introduction. The illustrations alone make it worth having. If you are interested in ukiyo-e, get Salter's book, too.
   
   Sandy

4 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.



4. Brought for my father who is retired and lies to make wooden things for grandkids. He reported he loved the book and got some really good ideas.

5 comments about Taunton's Complete Illustrated Guide to Working with Wood (Complete Illustrated Guide).

1. Andy Rae's Taunton's Complete Illustrated Guide To Working With Wood is a 'must' for any who regularly tackle woodworking projects. A step-by-step reference covers different techniques for working with the wood, packing in nearly a thousand photos and drawings to show how to buy lumber, dry it, store it, join it, and machine it. Andy Rae has his own woodworking business and designs his own furniture; his extensive background making furniture and teaching woodworking lends to a splendidly simple presentation outlining different wood qualities and how to work with them.



2. This book is an expanded and comprehensive update of the (out of print) classic "Working with Wood: The Basics of Craftsmanship" by Peter Korn. It also includes some of the wood structural information from "Understanding Wood: A Craftsman's Guide to Wood Technology" by Dr. R. Bruce Hoadley.
   
   "Working with Wood" examines not only how to fell a tree, cut it up, sticker the wood, build a kiln, and when to use the lumber, but also how to construct furniture so it doesn't crack, or buckle due to changes in seasonal humidity. This book is well on its way to becoming a new classic.



3. Everything you need to know to work with wood illustrated by numerous beautifull pictures.
   You will find informtation on how to cut, dry, and use wood to build furniture.



4. This book is extremely comprehensive and full of great detailed pictures. Even better than the original. This would make a great companion to "The Encyclopedia of Wood" from the U.S. Department of Agriculture!



5. Between the covers of this impressive tome. lie an incredible depth, breath and detail relative to the topic of wood and wood working. Beautifully written. explained and photographed, this is the gold standard on this topic!
   
   Ken Manuelian

3 comments about Woodworking for Dummies.

1. Being a late in life beginning woodworker, I needed something that didn't assume I knew all there was to know about the tools I had and how to bend the wood to my will in order to end up with items I could be proud of. This book helped a lot in that regard. While I won't always use some of the shortcuts and techniques the author recommends, knowing that you can get from point A to point B professionally was a big help. This is a valuable addition to my woodworking reference library and I will refer to it often.



2. This was the perfect book for me as a complete amateur in any type of woodworking. All the basic information I needed and direction to a lot more information if I wanted. Written in an easy-to-read style with a little humour - great book!



3. Great for the starter or occasional woodworker and a resource for the rest of us. As with all "Dummies" books, it is clearly written and gets right to the point of using tools, design, and choosing what wood and joints to use.
   
   This is a good book to get into the hobby, but then join a woodworking group in your area to really learn. Worth the money in my opinion.