2 comments about The Painted Furniture Sourcebook: Motifs from Medieval Times to the Present Day.

1. Sloan has put together beautiful photographs of a wide range of decorative styles and made her book that more interesting by approaching her subject from the point of view of a present-day practitioner of this (underappreciated!) art form. It will be interesting to the craftsperson but also to anyone who appreciates the beauty of decorative painting and its extraordinary variety thoughout different cultures and throughout the ages.



2. interesting even if the ideas and techniques are not for beginners

No comments about Painting Shorebird Decoys: 16 Full-Color Plates and Complete Instructions.

No comments about Shelves, Closets & Cabinets.

5 comments about Terrific 2 X 4 Furniture.

1. Of the three books I've purchased by Mr. Henderson, this is by far my favorite. Overall, the instructions and building techniques given are both very easy to understand and easy to perform. You won't need a shop full of expensive tools either to complete these projects because of the contruction techniques. This book contains an excellent plan (as well as very economical) for an entertainment center, which I have just completed, and I couldn't be more pleased. Great beginner/intermediate woodworking book.



2. The furniture in this book is flat out ugly. I wouldn't pay $20 for most any of the pieces at a garage sale.

   Most high-school freshman can make vastly superior projects in wood-shop class.

   On a positive note, the author's instructions are fairly clear and easy to understand. However, since I will never make a single piece of furniture found in this book, I hesitate recomending it.




3. I built the coffee table in this book, and it turned out really nice. Some of the dimensions are off, so I recommend buying as you go. Other than that the only power tool I needed was a small sander. Great book for the beginner.



4. The collection of 2 X 4 Furniture books are wonderful. The only thing they need are the dimensiions of the finished project stated. This way one can determine if the project will fit in their house. When is the next book coming out?????



5. I haven't had a chance to make anything from this book yet. I like the designs and feel they can be made quickly, as long as you have the tools needed. I'm glad I bought it.

2 comments about Russian Furniture: The Golden Age 1780-1840.

1. I cannot recommend this book more. We are very lucky it is back in print. A year ago you couldn't find a copy... The book is well written and researched, the illustrations are excellent and no collector, dealer or Russophile should be without it.



2. WOW,I can not praise this book enough...
   I purchased the 1st edition in '90 for a few hundred dollars, and refer to this work constantly, it is just irreplaceable.
   Richly and profusely illustrated, 312 pages of a good read,and not much fluff.
   "Chance Favors the Prepared Mind", and after poring over this book for 7 years, I "chanced" upon a PAIR of Russian Empire ormolu mounted mahogany bergeres at an estate sale.This one book, more than any other, has rewarded me in every way. Truly... a MUST HAVE.

1 comments about Taunton's Complete Illustrated Guide to Woodworking, Vol. 2: Finishing, Sharpening, Using Woodworking Tools.

1. Taunton has a knack of putting a lot of information in a nice format. These books are NOT for taking to the shop and following along but they are good books for reference in the shop.

2 comments about Scroll Saw Segmentation: Patterns, Projects & Techniques.

1. This book has excellent instructions for the segmentation with unique projects for everyone...beginners and advanced. In addition, I really liked the information with detail on the different saws, blades, woods, sanding and finishing which is good for any project. It became an immediate favorite...one which I use often.



2. I have found that this book is very educational. I eventually want to do intarsia. This book will give me a lot of practice with different woods, saw blades, and general glueing and backing techniques and everything else that could be a road block.
   I have been using MDF as a first cutting. So far So good. But I have been going through a lot of blades, crown tooth, skip tooth and such.Did the Swan in MDF, it is beautiful. Also the striped fish. Very impressive. Have cut the mirror out in oak. Have not finished it yet, the carving and sanding is kinda intimidating. But with this book I think it will work out.

   Linda

No comments about Hill House: Charles Rennie Mackintosh (Architecture in Detail (London, England).).

No comments about Scroll Saw Patterns for the Country Home.

2 comments about The Essential Guide to Woodwork.

1. This is a book that tries to accomplish a lot -- maybe too much. It covers many areas but often in a limited way. Nevertheless, it is good as a woodworking "survey" book and the material is attractively presented. There are a number of plans in the back of the book, and they are quite varied and different from what one often sees. Be careful, though! The author is not very careful with measurements and if you follow his plans blindly you may find that things don't come together as they should. If you spend some time with the plans first, you should be o.k.



2. This book is written in a clear and concise style. It is illustrated by very nice color pictures.
   The book contains usefull information but try to cover too many topics so at the end none of them is covered in enough details.
   I would not recommend this book as the first book for a novice woodworker.