5 comments about The New Yankee Workshop.

1. I've built the blanket chest, bookshelf and chest of drawers. The only problem I had was with the chest of drawers. The dimensions allow for only an eigth inch overhang on each side of the drawer front. By adding one eigth to each side of the drawer width, you only get the width of the opening, not an overhang, and a lot of side-to-side play in the drawer. You need to make the drawer about 1/2" wider than the plan. Other than that (which should of been caught by Norm's general caveat of measure twice, cut once), I really like the book and the narratives that go along with the project. Compared to the measured drawings that you can buy directly, you are better off buying the book and interpolating a few measurements.



2. I think others have gone over this before. A few of the projects have some errors in the lay out. Kind of bad IMO, but is made up for in the very pleasing aesthetic of these items. I have made a few of them and all I can say is they look very nice when done. They have a clean Shaker style that works well in most homes and IMO is fun to make. Most items are not difficult to build and while they have some fun design elements that can make you work a bit, are not hard for the average woodworker to finish. As others have noted, Norm like the power tools. That is not a big deal, in that just because he uses them does not mean that you have to. I approached this book is like most "how to books". You look at the pictures, take what you like and discard the rest. How you put it together depends on the type of tools you have and what techniques you like to use in the shop. I do not think the average woodworker will have much problem with these projects and the beginner will have lots of fun building very respectable things that will look nice in the house.



3. As always and as expected if you have watched his shows, Norm Abram has done a really good job explaining how to put together really nice pieces of furniture.



4. This is one of those books I've never regretted buying. Norm Abram has this way of describing the operations that makes you feel like you can do it. He makes everything look easy.
   
   One thing he does that gives me the willies is a lot of plunge cuts with the table saw, circular saw, and router table. Many of us wouldn't try it, but then again, many of us weren't professional carpenters first. ;) Be aware of that and consider alternate methods.
   
   This book is refreshing because it was early enough in Norm's career that he didn't have big sponsorship, and he had a lot of more humble tools like the normal guy can afford. Most of it is old & worn, but of good quality. It gives us average guys hope that outstanding furniture can be made with a more modest budget.
   
   The overall style of the furniture is old American; lots of Shaker stuff. (simple, but slim, boxy, tapered legs) If you don't like this style, be sure to find the book in the flesh before deciding whether to buy it or not.



5. this book is recomended for the more advanced wood worker. it requires you to have a more skillfull knowledge of woodworking. a dove tail jig is a must and a clear knowledge of tools is highly recommended for many of these projects in this book.

2 comments about Dictionary of Furniture.

1. This book is an excellent reference book, a requirement for a class I took entitled "History of Furniture and Architecture." If you are looking for a picture book, this isn't for you. Its black and white drawings are serviceable, but it is the text that makes it so valuable. There are informative synopses of different periods of furniture design and clear definitions. Overall it is a must-have addition for a design student's reference library.



2. I bought this book for a History of Furniture class and found I didn't use it at all. While there are discriptions of the pieces, there are only black and white sketches of select styles, not a good visual. You can find better info on the internet.

2 comments about Build Your Own Birdhouses and Feeders: From Simple, Natural Designs to Spectacular, Customized Houses and Feeders.

1. Perkins begins the book with some backround bird and woodworking information that will be useful for the beginner. He then gets into plans for 19 houses and 7 feeders.

   Each project includes color photos of the completed house or feeder - these are not just the figments of a writer's imagination. There are detailed, measured, exploded color drawings of each house. His designs include several different methods of access for cleaning out the houses after each nesting period. I particularly like the "slide" designs - no tools or dropped screws to worry about.

   Some of these houses are so pretty, I don't know if I would want to put them out in the yard. I suppose with a little imagination, you could scale his designs to meet the needs of a variety of species. He has a breif, one page chart showing entrance sizes for some birds. He also show "slot" as well as round entrance options on some of his designs. I still keep referring back to Scott D. Campbell's "The Complete Book of Birdhouse Construction for Woodworkers" as a more complete technical reference. (See that review on Amazon.)

   Overall, this is a very good book on birdhouses, very inspirational for the imaginative bird "landlord." This book is profusely illustrated with color photos and drawings; it could be a "coffee table" book if you don't get it filled with sawdust!




2. No place in this book gives hole sizes for the birds you want to attract. Birds are very fussy about the size of the hole and also the size of the nesting cavity. I would consider this the worst book I have ever read on building bird house and feeders. I am glad I looked at it before I gave it to a friend. Not one practical bird feeder for wet and inclement weather. Beautiful bird houses, but no birds!

1 comments about Making Furniture: Projects & Plans.

1. Mark Ripley has written an excellent book and it is now one of my favorite books for inspiration. Beautifully photographed and easy reading; it focuses on solid wood tables, chairs and a few case pieces. Great use of contrasting wood species.

5 comments about Whirligigs & Weather Vanes: A Celebration of Wind Gadgets With Dozens of Creative Projects to Make.

1. I've had this book for a year and am finally making my first project (How the west was lost). IMHO you need to have some woodworking experience to do the projects other than the very simple ones. Making small parts is difficult on all but a scroll saw or bandsaw with a small blade. Step-by-step specific instructions are scarce. Still, I give this book 4 stars because I really like the projects. I also like being able to come up with my own colors and painting rather than paint by the numbers. I can tell you that the materials that they tell you to use for the mechanical parts are right on. Wire is just too flimsy from my experience. Use a photocopy machine to increase or decrease your pattern sizes. Use spray adhesive to stick the patterns on the wood and you'll get the size you want.



2. This book is filled with good quality color pictures of many projects. It also explains how to make the complicated parts of wind toys. It tells what kinds of wood will hold up, and what kinds of wood will fail. It improved my whirligig designs greatly, and added many new ideas for my new ones. Well worth the money.



3. I teach arts and crafts at a summer camp in the North Georgia mountains and am always looking for some fun, original folk art to do with the kids. After buying several other whirligig books on the market, I decided to buy this one, hoping it would be easier to understand. It was! Additionally, the photo gallery is phenominal. Whimsical works of art laughing in the breeze. If you are interested in building whirligigs, this would be the first book I would recommend.



4. I LOVED JUST LOOKING AT THIS BOOK. THE IMAGINATION OF THE WHIRIGIGS AT THE FRONT OF THE BOOK WAS JUST AMAZING. THEY WERE LIKE WORKS OF ART. THE DIRECTIONS FOR THE ONES YOU ACTUALLY MAKE ARE NOT THAT ELABORATE THOUGH. BUT IT GIVES YOU LOTS OF IDEAS FOR WHEN YOU GET REALLY GOOD.



5. I have seen whirlygigs in movies, and occasionally the simple birds with spinning wings. I wanted to know what sort of materials were needed to make the more involved mechanical devices - such as the man sawing wood. This book did not disappoint. The author provides information on materials to use for reliable service in a device exposed to the elements. This is an excellent place to start.
   
   Some of the designs are quite creative - a few looked like they escaped from the movie Yellow Submarine.

No comments about 10 Easy Turning Projects for the Smaller Lathe (Schiffer Book for Woodworkers).

1 comments about Jean Prouve.

1. Never has institutional furniture looked so beautiful. I appreciate the modern movement but never fully understood the impact of Jean Prouve. This two volume set contains beautiful photographs, interviews and essays about the architect/designer, his commissions and mainly his furniture. Seeing his work in other books never really gave you a feel for how well designed and beautiful his objects can be. His furniture output is well documented and described both in French and in English. These books are light on his thought process as well as his architecture but I know they are covered in other volumes. This is a must have for any enthusiast of 20th century design.

No comments about Milling Operations in the Lathe (Workshop Practice Series, No 5) (Workshop Practice Series, No 5).

5 comments about Tansu: Traditional Japanese Cabinetry.

1. If you're thinking of purchasing a tansu or already own one and want to know more about it, this is the book to have. It covers everything from the history of these unique pieces of furniture, to the materials used in their construction, as well as providing tips of how to select, refinish, and care for them. Truly a scholarly work. But perhaps the best part of all is the book's exquisite photographs showing outstanding examples of tansu from all regions of Japan. You can't help but drool when seeing them.



2. Found this book very interesting with its description of differing tansu from different regions in Japan. Great for collecters of tansu who wish to know meanings/locations of their tansu as well as the era from which it was constructed.



3. This book was exactly the information I needed to help design a new stair step tansu cabinet that was both historically accurate, and modernized for today's homeowners. The history of the cabinet style, the construction, the joinery, the hardware, and the finishes used were well laid out in the book and easy to read and understand.



4. Informational book on tansu, which is collectively a variety of Japanese cabinets. The book describes the different types of cabinets, their uses, and also historical information by period, along with detailed structural notes (ie. cabinets being made from certain types of woods to accomodate changing humidity during the season, flexibility to withstand earthquakes and typhoons, etc.) Black and white photos and diagrams included.



5. An informative, interesting book on Japanese tansu at a price thats more affordable than some of the other out-of-print or premium reference books available on the market. Pictures show excellent examples. A good book for any tansu fan, beginner, expert. Recommended to any one interested in tansu's.

3 comments about Wooden Chess Sets You Can Make: 9 Complete Designs for the Scroll Saw.

1. I felt this book was what I expected. Very good explanations and great photos. Was very pleased with my purchase. I was a little dissapointed by the error in the photo on the front. Chess players would not approve.
   White square on the right please. I plan to make two of the sets from the book.



2. Patterns are very crisp. Book has great helpful hints to assist you prior to the time you start sawing.



3. I was new to using a scroll saw; I did have experience with other tools as I like to tinker with various building projects. However, this illustrated book walked me and my 10 year old son threw building an entire chess set and board. It is the center piece of our family room and we use it almost daily. The explanations and pictures were excellent. I highly recommend this book to anyone that is looking to making their own chess set.
   
   I do suggest that one has a miter saw and a table saw as well as the scroll saw. I also used a router to finish of the edges of the chess board.