No comments about Boat Building in Wood: From Lofting to Launching.

3 comments about The Big Book of Whittling and Woodcarving.

1. I was disappointed in this book because I was hoping this would provide tips for someone with absolutely no experience to get started on. It doesn't do that. Basically, it has a lot of different patterns to use once you are already carving. If that's what you're looking for, it might be a good book for you.



2. I thought that a book with this title would have a significant beginners section for a starting whittler, but it doesn't. The book is primarily a pattern book with some hints for working the wood and possibly a short history for pattern classifications. A redeeming factor is the patterns have a front and side shot. Complicated patterns, such as a dutch shoe will have exploded details. A nice book if your looking for what to do next. Not a good learning book for beginners. Bill Hampton (billsducks@aol.com)



3. I was thrilled by the range of styles shown. For someone like me, who has been carving small figural objects (mostly dolls) for a couple of years, this book is a dream come true. Carving styles from all over the world are featured, and techniques for the various styles are discussed. There are small sketches of hundreds of different motifs and items to inspire and inform. I would not strictly call them patterns, as other reviewers have, but all could be made into patterns with any printer that can blow up small sketches.
   
   I liked the variety shown. Whether you like bas relief carving, whittled figures, doll house furniture, or toys like jumping jacks, you can find them here.
   
   As other reviewers have noted, this may not be the best choice for a book to instruct the complete novice, nor did I get the impression ( as others have) that this is the purpose of it. The photos on the front of the book do not depict beginning projects, but intermediate ones, for example. For someone like me, who knows the basics, it's a book full of possibility, which is rare in a world where most craft books offer 20 uninspired projects that only serve to kill my interest, when what I want is to pique it. I found the book in a store today just as they closed. As soon as I left I regretted not buying it so ran home to order one. I can't wait for my copy~!

5 comments about Beyond Basic Turning: Off-Centre, Coopered & Laminated Work (The Creative Woodturner).

1. Book is very much into engineering math. I only had 1 year of algbera and I would have spent all of my time trying to figure it out and not making anything. I returned the book.



2. I was looking for a book to enable me to take the next step in segmented turning. The book I desired should feature jigs and techniques used to make laminated, coopered, and cut compound angled segments. I feel that "Beyond Basic Turning" by Jack Cox to have fallen fell well short of the mark.

   I found the documentation wordy, and extremely difficult to follow. This book was written more along the lines of a high school calculus or algebra book than a book on turning (and it was just about as interesting).

   Numerous references in the documentation to figures, tables, and photos arranged haphazardly through the book required that I constantly flip back and forth between pages while reading. This was very distracting.

   As far as the jigs the author uses to assemble his turnings; I've seen less complicated structures used in the space shuttle.

   I attribute this book's total failure on getting the author's point across to its relative age. This book is approximately 10 to 15 years out of date. Numerous advances such as desk top computers (for spreadsheets), hand held calculators, and high quality after market miter gauges for saws, make these arduous tasks much easier than as detailed in this book

   After attempting to read the entire book on 3 separate occasions, I gave up. It now exists as a monument to never buying a book without actually reading a detailed review, or physically picking it up in a store.




3. I am really surprised this book is still in print. I purchased it thinking I would at least get a few new ideas on advanced techniques and perhaps some real interesting gallery photos to reference for inspiration. I was a bit disappointed.
   
   Jack Cox is obviously an extremely talented mathematician and a talented turner as well, but the book proves itself difficult to follow and a bit too obscure. Much of the information, while interesting if you can understand it after reading it several times, is outdated. There are many other books out there on advanced turning and a few on segmented turning, I have all that have been in print in the last twenty years and would recommend ANY of them over this book.
   
   It seems to be too complex and hard to follow with little in the way of "user friendly" instructions....Sorry Jack. You are talented, have someone else help write the next book.



4. This subject matter covered by this book would normally be of interest to most wood turners, but it is a real pity it is so poorly presented. The text does not live up to the pictures on the front cover.
   
   In short this book is a sequence of pictures and because none of them have a single caption, it is almost unreadable (if not exceedingly frustrating) dispite many attempts to extract something from the book. The pictures, for example have a reference, e.g., Fig 3.2 in bold, but the text has not bold reference to the figure so if you come across a picture that appears interesting, it takes many minutes to look through the text for a reference to the figure, in time you will give up.
   
   Don't waste your money - if you want a good book that covers just about all the topics covered in this book and has far better ways of holding the work, then have a look at Tibbet's book, Segmented Turning....that is a gem of a book.
   
   Alex



5. I didn't read the reviews before purchasing this book. I agree, it is very technical and there are more books available from Amazon that are easy to follow and worth their purchase price.

2 comments about Classic Country Furniture.

1. Bob Belke's latest book is another woodworking masterpiece! The step-by-step directions are easy to understand for both the amateur woodworking hobbiest and the experienced craftsman. The author provides you the alternative of using either classic or modern tools to make a variety of projects. And the projects range from the simple to the more challenging. The photos and drawings are even better than the author's last book (Arts & Crafts Woodworking Projects) -- and there are more projects. The trestle table design alone is worth the price of the book. I'm truly looking forward to Bob's next book. -- not bad for a Yankee!



2. This book was a total disappointment! I thought the book would actually contain classic country furniture plans. The plans included are obviously the author's version of classic country furniture, and definitely not my version of "classic" country furniture. The cover gives the wrong impression. Save your money!

No comments about Carving Horses in Wood (Home Craftsman Series).

No comments about Carving Mountain Men With Cleve Taylor (Schiffer Book for Woodcarvers).

1 comments about Building Storage Stuff: 25 Plans & Projects to Help Put Things in Their Place.

1. A good read for do-it-yourselfers. Many projects are actually usable, practical. The directions are easy to follow and the diagram give full dimentions which is great. We have several projects in this book we would love to make, this is a book you can use over and over.

No comments about Wooden Chairs for the Home.

No comments about Make Your Own Picture Frames.

No comments about America's Wooden Age: Aspects of Its Early Technology.