1 comments about Nomadic Furniture: D-I-Y Projects That Are Lightweight and Light on the Environment.

1. I had the first edition of this book back in the 1970's. One of the projects was a plan for making a comfy chair out of a refrigerator carton. A few knife cuts, some folds, a little insert tab A into slot B and voila! I kept it unpainted, so visitors could see the big General Electric logo. It was shockingly comfy (metaphorically). Looking forward to an updated edition.

4 comments about Wood Magazine: Arts and Crafts Furniture (Wood Magazine).

1. Although many of the plans in this book are largely derived from Wood Magazine articles (I compared the Morris chair plans), I really appreciate two things they've done to enhance the original articles:
   
   1. The book includes jigs such as a table saw tenon jig that makes it much easier to make Arts and Crafts furniture (with so many mortise and tenon joints). I built this jig before starting the Morris chair and it works well.
   
   2. The combination of the multi-issue plans such as the Morris chair and its companion ottoman and coffee table. While the words are the same, they've reformatted them along with the pictures so it looks like a book rather than a reprint of old articles.
   
   My only quibble is that they didn't use a lay-flat binding, so I have to put something on top of the open page or use a book holder to keep it open. With lay-flat bindings being readily available (e.g., O'Reilly books are a good example), I don't see why they don't use them for project books like this one.



2. I was skeptical about buying used books, but this was an attractive price. The book was shipped promptly and was in excellent condition.



3. It was actually my adult daughter who bought this magazine for her father for his birthday. She mentioned that she loved it very much and that she saw many projects she would like to undertake with her father. He is supposed to receive the magazine today for his birthday, so we'll see how he is looking at it.
   Sorry, I can't add any link to this review, as my husband doens't have his present yet, nor has he had a chance to make a project. Though we are convinced, that he too will enjoy it very much.
   Anyway, my daughter and I found it to be quite educational, well presented, and are looking forward to seeing some created results. The descriptions on how to make the furniture is so clear that anybody could follow them. Great job in putting this magazine together. Thanks!



4. I'm very pleased with this book. The projects look good: challenging but not impossible. Illustrations are plentiful and appropriate. Finally, the book is well assembled with high quality paper. It should hold up well to the possible abuses it will encounter in the shop.

1 comments about Glen Huey's Illustrated Guide to Building Period Furniture: The Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide (Popular Woodworking).

1. An outstanding book for a beginner or more experienced woodworker. I am truly impressed. I am a fairly experienced woodworker. I own many books on the subject. Glen Huey has produced a very fine book on period furniture.
   Another very excellent book is Lonnie Bird's: "Period Furniture Details" I would reccomend buying both books.
   This book is more step by step and informative than many.There are five main projects:1.block front chest 2.Massachusetts high chest{high boy}3.Pennsylvania chest on chest 4.Pennsylvania tall case clock 5.New England desk and bookcase{secretary} All projects are thorougly covered with step by step construction instructions.The book is easy to use in the shop with its spiral binding.There is an accompanying D.V.D That is by itself worth the price of the book! Every project has full cut lists and sources for specialty hardware.The D.V.D {82 minutes} has detailed demonstrations on: making cabriole legs,stickered miters,dye finishing,ogee feet and more. There are printable full size patterns for all curved or special parts for all projects on the D.V.D. [One negative the book like many is printed in China and in my opinion the picture and printing are not as good as many others] If you want to build one of these period pieces this is the book for you,you can do it!

5 comments about The Furniture of Sam Maloof.

1. I bought this book at the gift shop located on Sam's property in southern California. This book is by far one of my most prized possessions as I was lucky enough to have it signed by Sam himself. I stopped by to visit his museum and to my surprise I saw Sam drive up. He was kind enough to stop and talk with us and even show us his woodshop. This is an amazing book describing Sam's work and love for woodworking. If you have an interest in fine woodworking, this is an excellent book for your collection.



2. This book is a detailed biography of Sam Maloof. It has many detailed pictures of Mr. Maloof's work. Of course there are many photos of his famous rockers, but there are also photos of his tables, baby rockers/cradles and early furniture. The book is easy to read. The sentences are not verbose nor are they staccato.
   
   But, the author seems to catalog every single show, large or small, that Mr. Maloof's work was exhibited in. (Apparently Mr. Maloof's wife, Freda, collected volumes of memorabilia about her husband' career.) Being a woodworker, I was also very intersted in technical details, but this book is somewhat lacking.
   
   If I could give this book 4 1/2 stars, I would. It's not quite a five out of five. But it's more than a four star effort.



3. The book is a long list of Sam Maloof's accomplishments during his long life. It is very interesting but a little dry.
   
   I would have liked to see more photos of how Sam building his furniture.
   
   All that being said however, there is not enough written about Sam Maloof and so I enjoyed to book.



4. This guy is a genius with the chisel, file and saw. He creates art works with wood, and I'm betting the trees consider it an honour to find there way into his workshop. Bravo Sam!



5. i like books with the "preview" feature.
   the description says, paraphrasing "lots a pictures,drawings". but not a single piece of woodwork shown. now seeing his family photos is a sweet gesture but hardly enthralling when looking for ww pictures.
   
   ahhhhh,im gonna go buy it,,,,but geeezz, pictures about the book IN THE PREVIEW would be awful helpful.
   roy

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.

1 comments about Beds and Bedroom Furniture (Best of Fine Woodworking).

1. This is a good reference for those looking to create a unique look in your bedroom furniture. I recommend it.

1 comments about In the Shaker Style: Building Furniture Inspired by the Shaker Tradition (In The Style).

1. This book covers the design elements and construction of Shaker styled furniture. It also lightly covers the history.

   There are several plans, unfortunately not the one on the cover. But, it should not be too hard to take what's in the book and create a plan for it as sizes are given.

   Some more plans covering the gallery items, especially the cover item, would have been nice. But, overall it is a really good book.

1 comments about Rustic Furniture Workshop.

1. Dan Mack's Rustic Furniture Workshop is a superbly presented compendium of do-it-yourself woodworking, furniture making projects using a variety of "found" materials including simple sticks, twigs, and branches. From tables and stools to a bookcase or room divider, clear instructions are provided for each project, along with detailed "how-to" photos and inspiring examples. The required tools are explained and fundamental techniques such as drilling and simple mortise-and-tenon joinery are carefully explained. If you are a woodworker looking for unique, challenging, and inspiring projects for a weekend, browse through the pages of Dan Mack's Rustic Furniture Workshop!

5 comments about Furniture Factory Outlet Guide 2006 (Furniture Factory Outlet Guide).

1. Have not actually travelled to NC yet, but plan to in October. This book is very helpful in planning the trip and deciding where to go. It's exactly what the description is and I'm sure will be very useful.



2. The author details many stores, their policies, pricing, shipping and product selection.



3. I've bought this book twice - it's a must have before you shop for furniture. You save so much money the book really doesn't cost you anything. It will make you an informed shopper when buying furniture. Kimberly tells you what brands are sold where, and the discount you can expect. Information on stores to visit, stores to just call in your order, or stores to avoid are given - saving both time and money. Four years ago I wanted a sofa from a not so well known manufacturer and this book gave the info on the one place that carried that brand. I saved so much time and money, and knew what to expect when buying.
   
   She also has a website referenced in the book that provides the lastest updates to the book, as well as comparing some prices, and lots of other great information. There is also very helpful information regarding purchasing fabrics for decorating.
   
   Don't shop without it!



4. With this guide, we were able to save 40% over the price at a local Flexsteel dealer for some custom ordered furniture. We wouldn't have known where to order from without the guide. We saved several hundred dollars, offsetting the investment in the book many times over.



5. Good book, if your looking for furniture deals. Some of the information is not as updated especially websites addresses but there is a lot of great sources in the book.

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.