5 comments about Carroll Smith's Nuts, Bolts, Fasteners and Plumbing Handbook (Motorbooks Workshop).

1. Admittedly this is a dry subject, but this book should be considered required reading for anyone who is serious about building a safe race car. There's more to fastener technology than most of us realize and a right and wrong way to do things. Mr. Smith gets the information out in an easy to understand format with splashes of well-timed humor. While we have all blamed a poor performance at an event on a broken fastener, Mr. Smith explains how to eliminate these problems, plus your vehicle will be safer. You won't even think about using grade 8 bolts from the discount hardware store on that flywheel after reading this book. The section on plumbing was particularly helpful to me.



2. ...This book is indispensible. It's written for the race car driver who does at least a little bit of their own fabrication. And that's almost any club driver, and many entry-level pro drivers. Making sure additions to the car stay put, supsension bits adequately bear their loads and stresses, and repairing these things in a pinch, is no small part of winning races.

   This book doesn't explain everything ther is to know about fasteners. And it isn't dripping with technical detail; ...

   But this book does provide something more valuable: explanations. It looks at a couple dozen of the most popular fasteners in each category and explains why a fabricator or mechanic would or would not want to use them. Carroll uses his incredible experience and approachable, conversational writing type to discusses their strengths and weaknesses, applications, and design.

   I think the book isn't limited to racing applications; it's useful for anyone who works metal, and will offer something of value to anyone who's ever tried to replace a fastener in an emergency. Were you overwhelmed when you went through the fastener aisles in your local hardware store or home supply center? This book can help.

   The book is a little weak in two areas. First, there's few pages devoted to plumbing. Of course, this is about real plumbing: laying lines and connecting them with pressure-tight fasteners. It explains Army-Navy fasteners and their applications, and discusses all the subtleties of pipe flange fitting. The book isn't about stopping a leak behind your toilet.

   Next, the book is showinng its age. It doesn't treat some of the materials that were not exactly commonplace ten or more years ago, but are quite common now. For instance, I can buy titanium lug bolts for my car. (Well, I could, if I had a spare $500 lying around.) Carroll doesn't make much mention of the more interesting alloys being used more commonly in fasteners these days. He also doesn't spend much time discussing the material to be fastened: holding down a carbon fiber body panel is different than getting the same bit fabricated from fiberglass to hold. Some of the illustrations look like they were drawn by a plotter 20 years ago: terrible resolution, confusing lines, poor perspective. Freshening some of the illustrations would be a real shot in the arm for the book.

   Those shortcomings withstanding, I can't give this book less than five stars. Mr. Smith's incredible reputation and outstanding experience hold up a dry subject, and give the reader more background than a broader (or deeper) technical reference ever could.




3. You have to question a guy who claims to be an engineer, and glorifies the title to no end, and then goes on to say how he refuses to buy anything from China, France, Mexico, Italy, etc. Aside from that BS, this is a good book to read if you're like me and don't actually have the ability to learn what works out at race weekends.



4. Book contains poor photography and what appears to be over-reproduced images of hardware. Prospective buyer should look at some of the aviation publications that offer the same or better information to Experimental Aircraft builders. Some of the same principles apply.



5. This book is VERY good, it's informative, comprehensive, fun to read and goes a long way to improving your understanding of the "whys" rather than just the "hows". It's an excelent resource for someone looking to build their own race car. Anyone looking to attach something to something else or move a fluid from one place to another will get something out of this book. As an added bonus in the years since it was first written most of the fasteners that the author found hard to find have become available easily online.

5 comments about Structural Renovation of Buildings: Methods, Details, & Design Examples.

1. This book is well organized and presented. It covers a lot, and is more comprehensive than other books of its type. It has very good material on concrete design/repair, and also covers wood structures, steel, and pre-engineered buildings quite well. The material on masonry is also good, but a discussion about rusted steel lintels embedded in masonry would have helpful, as this is a common source of problems in 20th century buildings. There are few handbooks that come as close as this one to a thorough treatment of the subject, and it is a useful book for architects and engineers who deal with renovation.



2. In my office where projects are small commercial or residential, I find Mr. Newman's book a basic resource for renovation work. This comprehensive handbook provides either a solution or more considerations that were not obvious at first. It is a main staple I turn to for guidance on renovations of all structure types and materials.



3. Renovations types are defined, methods of investigation, solutions proposed,case studies and additional reading are presented for further assistance. Structural revonations are common works this book is a 'must buy' when conducting these works.



4. A comprehensive book but with some strange omissions: very little on foundations or restrained brickwork. Also, the section on FRPs looks like it came straight out of a contractor's brochure. But these don't really detract that much. Strongly recommended.



5. While this text explores renovation of a wide variety of building systems -- reinforced and post-tensioned concrete, wood, steel, masonry -- from a structural engineering perspective, it is quite pragmatically written and a non-engineer will derive considerable benefit from it. The book provides an excellent and detailed guide to critical issues that are confronted in period restoration, including making transparent best practices for undertaking the investigative process to evaluate salvagable components and structures for each type of building system. Filled with well-researched historical data about material types, it also contains excellent reference sections at the end of each chapter. An outstanding resource for those who are serious about building restoration.

4 comments about Using Natural Finishes: A Step-by-Step Guide.

1. I have just received my copy of "Using Natural Finishes" and I have not put it down since opening it. It is a stunning book. Filled to the brim with easy to follow "how to" instructions and great ideas for beautiful natural finishes. It's hard to believe, when seeing the photos of what others are doing with all natual products, i.e., the gorgeous pigments from nature and the soft organic curves created by natural plasters, AND very importantly, the health and economic benefits of using natural finishes, that more home builders in the U.S. are not building truly "green". Adam's and Katy's first book, " Building with Cob", and now their latest, "Using Natural Finishes", are great resources for the natural building revolution in this country.



2. This book is a must for everyone's library! Not only does it apply to vernacular architecture such as adobe and reed mat, but modern architecture such as concrete and brick as well. While the focus of the book is finishes, it begins with information on wall systems and preparation and ends with samples of international finishes. The chapters on plasters, renders and paints are packed with recipes for making your own finishes, sidebars containing interviews with hands-on professionals, even laboratory and on-site test data--everything to make your project rewarding and enjoyable. "Using Natural Finishes" truly is step by step, using both illustrations and clear, well written text to enable the reader to discover the wonder of natural ingredients. You definitely cannot go wrong with this purchase!



3. This beautiful, practical book, filled with inspiring pictures and helpful instructions, encourages all of us to reclaim building practices that have been sustainable across many cultures for millennia. In first "Building with Cob" and now this book--both tributes to those who have gone before them perfecting natural building and finishing--Adam Weismann and Katy Bryce draw ancient wisdom into the 21st century, making it accessible for us all.



4. Buy this book, and use it to the point where the pages are smudged with clay, pigment, and lime. Adam Weismann and Katy Bryce are at the forefront of a new generation of builders that are continuing and perpetuating vernacular practices and crafts, while innovating by bringing together natural methods, materials, and techniques from a range of traditions. Using Natural Finishes, Lime- & Earth-based Plasters, Renders & Paints: A Step by Step Guide follows on their earlier book, Building with Cob: A Step by Step Guide. These books are unique in that they capture and convey both the art and the science of natural plasters and wall construction in such a way that the novice and the professional will find inspiration and technical advice. Using Natural Plasters will find its way onto the bookshelves of owner-builders, architectural historians/restoration specialists, and professional contractors. It begins with a basic discussion of wall substrates and the dynamics one needs to be aware of when planning to apply a plaster on these surfaces. A general discussion of tools, preparation, and application techniques is followed by detailed chapters outlining how lime- and earth-based plasters, renders, and paints work, how to prepare them, and how they should be applied. The final chapter highlights traditional finishes and practitioners from regions around the globe. In addition to all of the well-written text are several hundred gorgeous photographs. I recommend this book to all of my students and colleagues. Buy this book!

5 comments about The Private House.

1. I waited a long time for a Western interior design book that speaks directly to me; it was worth the wait. Paul Goldberger says it best in his foreword: "Rose Tarlow's work celebrates the reality of living -- the way in which, out of a complex mist of memories, emotions, aspirations, and knowledge, each of us builds a life that is like none other. Her rooms are like no other, and they are marked by a natural grace." Her wonderful, delicate text and intensely satisfying photographs are to return to time and again; this is a treasure that is much more than an obsessive-compulsive personal summary of what antiquaire Rose Tarlow teaches in her UCLA master interior design class. As she also writes (and I've long agreed), "If I were forced to choose, I would much prefer to live surrounded by carefully selected and much loved books than by indifferent art" -- add the fabulous At Home With Books by Estelle Ellis to your purchase. A true connoisseur.



2. Rose Tarlow knows more about art history and interior design through the centuries than any living person. Unfortunately, she really isn't interested in teaching you a thing.

   I read the book carefully and then went through it a second time to see if there was a single design principle or piece of advice I could come away with. Amazingly there wasn't.

   Rose plays her card close to her chest.




3. As an interior designer, my library is bulging with design books. Yet, time and time again, I reach for "The Private House." Insightful and genuine, "The Private House" always provides me with a bit of stimulation, a bit of grounding, and a subtle reminder to always use the best and most unusual furniture, fabrics, and art available to a client's budget. The information provided within the pages of "The Private House," are worth the journey - constantly.



4. If you are ever in LA, treat yourself to a visit to this designer's showroom. It's like stepping into another world that has been completely removed from the hustle and smog of the city...find more of this type of inspiration in her book. A total pleasure to read and absorb...my only regret is that i never got a chance to take her class at UCLA...



5. Rose Tarlow's very beautifully illustrated book THE PRIVATE HOUSE will disappoint decorators, would-be decorators, and possibly students. This is not a textbook meant to offer 'how to' steps to force-feed the recipes for private spaces.
   
   Instead, this book is a gentle read of how the highly respected Tarlow has created beautiful rooms and homes with elements of furniture, art, antiquities, and memorabilia with choices in fabrics and wall and furniture treatments that make one's home a castle. She deftly demonstrates how to make use of available light, making hallways, niches, windows and rooms focal points for praising light as an art entity.
   
   The writing is simple and readable. The photography is elegant and descriptive and offers the eye many moods and examples of ideas of how each of us can make our own space uniquely ours. And that is a lot for a book on home enhancement to do! Grady Harp, October 05

1 comments about The Shade Book: Roman, Cloud, Balloon, Roller Shades, Shade Toppers, and More.

1. Great book for seamstresses. Not as good for sewing-challenged consumers. I would have preferred less technical info and more illustrations -- especially color photos of the different shades in finished rooms.

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

5 comments about Painting Secrets.

1. Great book. However, one of the pictures had been neatly cut out.



2. Our nieghbor hasa this book and it came with a DVD by Santos, atached to the inside front cover. The book I received did not have the DVD. It was not advertised as having one, but I assumed it would. The book is still very good.



3. I learned some things from this book, but it will not turn a complete clumsy painter into any kind of a wizard. Much of the glowing praise delivered by other reviewers is true. I actually read the entire book and enjoyed it. However, I think it only merits a rating of "okay" or "good," not excellent.
   
   Two things that plague me when painting (and which I hoped this nearly 5-star book would clear up for me) are catching drips and cutting in. But there is nothing about avoiding making drips (usually a furniture problem) and nothing about what to do with one when you find it later. (Well-dried drips can be carefully planed off with the plane set to "barely there," although you still risk cutting right down to the wood - oops! Drips can also be removed with a chisel held at a 90° angle to the piece and drawn straight along the drip, although this technique sometimes goes into "washboarding." Maybe Mr. Santos knows some other technique he might have told me.)
   
   The section on cutting in says to do it, do it first, and use a tool which Santos sells. (I cannot see how the tool actually delivers paint right up the edge of the adjoining surface.) Because cutting in can make or break a room (and doing it well can help you keep your temper), additional photos of someone holding the brush the right way, at the correct angle, chasing that little bead of paint (and no more than a little bead) right up the intersection, and keeping all the bristles of the brush under control (instructions for this one, please) would have improved the book and maybe earn it another star.
   
   I'm sure there are other things I would have liked to see in greater detail, but I'll leave it at that. Gotta go finish painting the bedroom.



4. I have seen Brian Santos in person a few times. He is fantastic and has wonderful tips and shortcuts for painting and wallpapering. I was thrilled to see this book. he has consulted on at least one other one but this has more of his wonderful personality.



5. I've seen Brian's live demos. His book captures the spirit and the techniques well. I just finished a substantial painting project -- couldn't have done it otherwise.

2 comments about Structural, Civil and Pipe Drafting for CAD technicians (Delmar Learning Drafting Series).

1. A few changes recommended before (ever) reprinting this book.
   
   -Hiring an Editor who reads drawings is imperative!
   
   -The illustrations for exercises are difficult to read in many cases due to the stylized lettering & smallness of type. Details are difficult to see without a magnifying glass for some people. A suggestion - include an electronic copy of the illustrations on the included cd for easy review. Since most drawings are done on CAD now, get rid of the hand lettering or please make it all caps instead of lowercase.
   
   -Before putting in a hand drawn drawing for an exercise, draw it in CAD first. There were many math errors in dimnesions & missing dimensions. One drawing even had some dimensions that evidently "moved" to where it was referencing nothing. Several drawings that were supposed to work together had discrepancies between them.
   
   -The Appendix is missing the Angle Channel references page stated in the Appendix Contents.
   
   -The chapter on Pre-Engineered Metal Bldgs should be thrown out. It was very frustrating to try and gather enough information from the book to do anything but guess - that is not where you want a student or teacher to be. Get rid of all the pictures of the outside of the buildings - we've all seen them before - and include pictures of the inside & detailed pictures of how they are put together. That is where we really need to see the details. This chapter had the feel that the author thought it should be included but didn't really wanted to spend the time or effort to write it well.
   
   -I'm sorry to say that I don't trust what information is in this book because of all the errors I found. I am not the teacher -I AM A STUDENT. I have been drafting for many years but am new to the Civil & Structural field. Most of the errors were basic drafting & omitted or conflicting information. Unfortunately my teacher doesn't trust the book now either. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED WITH CAREFUL EDITING & MAKING SURE ALL INFO NEEDED WAS INCLUDED IN THE TEXT & EASILY READ.
   
   I am disappointed that textbooks are now soft cover, can contain many errors, and yet still have a list price that boggles the mind.



2. Excellent condition, highly recommend this seller, timely delivery

2 comments about Tropical Interiors.

1. In short, this book has exceptional photos and displays wonderful furniture and design of natural materials. It's amazing to see how these materials can be formed into such beautiful and practical pieces of furniture. It's functional art!



2. Wonderful book on contemporary tropical design. Just looking at the pictures transports me to another place! I've even incorporated some of the simple design ideas into my own home. From the simple & serene to the eclectic, you won't be disappointed.

3 comments about Tables: Outstanding Projects from America's Best Craftsmen (Projects Book).

1. This book contains lots of information about building tables. There are several detailed plans, and not of just one style either. There are Shaker, Arts & Crafts and more styles. Small end tables, dining tables, ovals and glass topped tables.

   As with most information from Taunton, it is very thorough. At the begining of the book is a section on the different ways to connect a table top to the base, and when you would want to use each.

   Different methods are discribed in making the tables, and as usual for Taunton, there is a lot of hand tool usage.




2. I'm a big fan of Thomas Moser, although I think his furniture is priced a little over my league. So I thought I could make some pieces similar to his to replace the junky stuff I bought when I first got out of college. I bought this book because I liked the basic Shaker projects and I wanted to adapt them to my needs. This book is instructive in a generic sense (although I wish there would be a little more theory on chosing lumber, dimensioning the aprons and joinery, and building table tops) and it also has soom good projects, particularly in the Shaker style, although there are some contemporary and Craftsman style pieces as well.

   I built the two variations of the table on the front cover. The first one I built with a drawer and finished it with Tried and True Oil Varnish. The second one I built without a drawer, shortened the aprons and finished with polyurethane. One thing he suggests is that you take your time when gluing up the legs and aprons to make sure that they are square. When I built the first table I measured for squareness then applied more pressure on the clamps. Being green to table building, I did not realize that this would throw off the squareness. It did, and by the time I realized it the glue was set. The moral of the story: the next time I used slow-setting white glue and took my time after the clamps were applied to meticulously test for squareness.

   His best advice in the book is to not stain cherry, which I totally agree with. Cherry darkens nicely with age, so oil or polyurethane make it look very nice.




3. I expect this to be a very useful book...and I look forward to trying a few of the projects. However, right from the start I find some misleading disappointments.
   
   From the Intro chapter I quote: "If you own a table saw and a few fundamental hand tools, you'll do just fine." And then the very first project calls for a router, drill press, band or jig saw and a lathe. Sorry, but most medium-equipped work shops don't include a lathe.
   
   Also, the Intro chapter presents five examples of "typical trestle tables" yet only the last project is in the trestle style, and it appears rather difficult...again calling for a lathe.
   
   How about some honesty in the Intro section...as presented in the "Search Inside" found on the web page?