No comments about Built-In Furniture For The Home: Storage Projects To Enhance Your Living Space (Popular Woodworking).

4 comments about Authentic Arts & Crafts Furniture Projects.

1. This is a good A&C furniture book for the intermediate woodworker. The authors cover pieces from the simple (wastebasket) to the more difficult (entry bench, sideboard). A nice touch is that besides covering the usual Gustav Stickley pieces there are items by other A&C companies of the time (Shop of the Crafters, Limbert, Greene & Greene [actually architects, but they designed the furniture for their buildings], L & J.G. Stickley, Roycroft). The introductory chapter covers a brief history of the style, next is an introduction to some of the general woodworking techniques needed, and then the various projects with good photographs and explanations (there are a couple of minor editorial glitches, but they cause no real problems). The projects also vary from a duplicate of the original to slightly modified interpretations. A useful technique is given for staining/glazing the furniture to achieve the traditional golden brown color without actually having to fume the pieces in concentrated ammonia (a smelly, dangerous, and potentially lethal approach). So if you are a somewhat experienced beginning woodworker, you should find some great projects here to move you on to the next level. And even if you are a very experienced furniture maker, you will find some nice pieces you might want to make too.



2. This book was the first that I picked up when I started building my own furniture. The projects turned out great and the finishing process that he recommended was excellent. The diagrams and step by step instruction give you all the information that you need to complete each project even if you're an amateur like I am (you do need to have/buy some good power tools though). I've made two of the projects he describes and there are still a couple more I'd like to do.



3. I have built almost everything in the book. I made a few mistakes because I misinterpreted the drawings, but if you study the drawings very carefully before construction then you will truly enjoy this book. Author needs to write another book like this. Watch the interpretation of Dado and rabbet joints in particular.



4. I would classify myself as an intermediate level woodworker and a book expert (I am a librarian after all) and I can honestly say that this is one of the absolute best books of its type on the market. As I see it, the normal downfall of a book such as this is the authors either spend way too much time giving us all of the philosophical and historical background behind the furniture style in question, or once they actually get to the furniture projects section they disappoint by selecting such rare (and odd) pieces to reproduce that the book ultimately becomes more of a novelty rather than a useful tool.

   I am thrilled to say that the authors of this book got the balance between philosophy and practical matters just right. There is just enough about Arts and Crafts fundamentals here to whet the appetite for the projects which follow. And speaking of the projects, this is good stuff! Out of the twenty two projects offered in this book, I can honestly say that I would be very happy to build fifteen of them and put them in my own home. In a book this size I am usually lucky if half of the projects are appealing enough to want to build them for myself, and keep in mind that I am a HUGE fan of this furniture style.

   Bottom line is that the color illustrations (although minimalist to the beginner's eye) are compelling to the more skilled among us, the choice of projects is excellent, and the bibliography of suggested reading is very good. I highly recommend this purchase.

2 comments about Wildlife Intarsia: A Step-by-Step Guide to Making 3-Dimensional Wooden Portraits.

1. This is one more great book of Judy Gale Roberts & Jerry Booher work.
   I allready have all the previous ones and there's allways something new to learn.



2. This is an excellent book on intarsia. The introduction is basic and clear, going over wood choices, various tools, pattern preparation and various techniques to shape and sculpt the wood. It also goes over gluing and finishing. One valuable technique they explain is the use of sanding shims which allows multiple pieces of wood to be sanded into one smooth cohesive shape.
   
   There are fourteen animal portraits in the book. They are, bald eagle, mustang, moose, burro, polar bear, red fox, arctic wolf, bobcat, buffalo, white tailed deer, jack rabbit, big horn ram, raccoon, and wolf.
   
   The bald eagle pattern is followed by a step by step photo demonstration on how to make it. The mustang and moose also have demonstrations following them. From there the level of instruction fades quickly to footnotes, but by then everything is explained.
   
   The patterns are extraordinary. I am familiar with the look of various animals and choosy about animal art, but aside from several very minor lines I would tweak (because I am nit-picky) I am satisfied. Each is true to the actual animal and nicely designed.
   
   The book has two minor drawbacks, both related to the patterns. There are no patterns for the sanding shims for each design. Though there are small photos of the shapes of the sanding shims, so a little calculation should be enough to replicate them.
   
   The second drawback is that most of the patterns seem to be on the simpler side of intermediate, or just intermediate. There are no simple beginner patterns, and there are none that would challenge experts. But with the clear instructions, a reasonably determined novice with some experience on a scroll saw (like me, my first pattern from this book nearly finished) should be successful. And experts will probably appreciate the skillfully designed patterns. So I couldn't let this detract from the rating.
   
   Another book is Kathy Wise's Intarsia Woodworking Projects: 21 Original Designs with Full-Size Plans and Expert Instruction for All Skill Levels (A Scroll Saw, Woodworking & Crafts Book) which also has good writing and has good patterns for all skill levels. This is preferable for raw beginners or an advanced scroller looking for a fearsome challenge.
   
   But if you like wild animal portraits and want to make them in Intarsia, this is your book.

2 comments about Decorating With Interior Trim.

1. Great idea book, with practical advice. To be honest, though, I just bought it for the pictures.



2. IF YOU DO TRIMWORK OR PICTURE FRAMES YOU NEED THIS BOOK. WELL ILLUSTRATED AND EXPLAINED.

No comments about Thomas Elfe Cabinetmaker.

5 comments about Living with Books.

1. I have a feeling the previous reviewers were expecting a how-to book of home construction projects. Actually this is more of a tour guide. It's fascinating to discover the many creative, ingenious, and very original ways architects and ordinary booklovers have found to store books, display them, and enjoy being in their presence. Face it -- one never has enough bookshelves. And some of these homes are definitely masquerading as libraries! Here are bookshelves up under the eaves of an older house, or installed over the doorways in the hall, or built into closets and cupboards and under kitchen counters. Others are freestanding on metal shelves and poles and rigged like a ship's masts. There are small libraries built into the landings of staircases and others that cover entire walls of bedrooms. Some are two tiers deep, with the front one moving sideways on rollers. Others share space with lamps, TV sets, telephones, clocks, computers, ancient artifacts, photographs, and knick-knacks. And the one thing all the arrangements depicted in this book have in common is, none of them -- even the most attractively arranged -- are just for show. One look at the worn covers and frayed jackets tells you these books are the constant companions of their owners.



2. This is more of a coffe table book. It's full of interesting photographs of, what else, books. The pictures show books incorporated into interesting architecture, unique shelving and storage for books, home libraries and offices, etc. The text offers advice and commentary on displaying and storing books in practical, unique, and interesting ways. If you're a bookworm and/or collect lots of books, you would enjoy paging through Living With Books.



3. I had high hopes because I love reading about books, but this one was disappointing. I originally gave it three stars for the photos, which are worth looking at, but the text it pretty awful -- a serious drawback in a book aimed at compulsive book collectors. I took off one whole star specifically for a line that says something like, "It doesn't matter if books access is difficult, as long as it isn't completely impossible." Doesn't matter to whom? It does to this reader. I reread. I browse nostalgic favorites. I like to handle my books, and I need to be able to get to them. Also, a substantial number of the storage systems shown appear to be concerned more with style than with storage -- I didn't mind the coffee table constructed of books layered with glass, as those were old design catalogs and the whole was sort of a pun, but the grid system and a few other types of shelves that only contained a book or two here and there as placed by a decorator is really not my idea of living with books. Get this if you want pretty pictures. If you're really interested in books themselves and how they are stored, try Henry Petroski's The Book and the Bookshelf instead.



4. I'm shocked amd confused by the negative reviews I see here. This is a fabulous photo book. Even if you don't like how others seem to live with/use their books, you have to respect their ingenuity and funky designs. Some are quite sloppy, lol. This will get you thinking about how you can use books as decor and even furniture. This is far from boring, whereas another reviewer mentioned the Ellis book At Home With Books, which I thought was just AWFUL, a total snooze. I've never returned a book to a library so quickly! I was so impressed with LIVING WITH BOOKS that I added it to my wish list...and will be purchasing it today.



5. Lots of design information on home decorating with books. If floor space is being taken over by your collection of books and magazines, here is a book packed with creative book storage and display ideas for every room in the house including the bathroom. From "Design Matters" in Oregon Home, "There are options for the maximalists (walls covered floor-to-ceiling with books of all shapes) and minimalists (neatly piled art books as mantelpieces) in us all." So if you are a big-time book collector or just looking to stash your cookbooks, this book is inspiring.

5 comments about Building Cabinet Doors & Drawers.

1. I eagerly awaited the arrival of this book after reading the 5 star reviews by other readers. I do not know where to begin to express my dissapointment with the book's contents. I guess I am a more advanced woodworker than I previosly thought. I am starting my own business specializing in custom made, solid wood, raised panel doors. Obviously, I already know how to make them (one would hope !). Since this is what the book's title is all about, I figured I could pick up some good tips. Well, this book is obviously for beginners only. With this in mind, I feel bad for any beginner trying to make sense out of some of Mr. Proulx's "formulas". I got to the chapter where he shows a picture of drawing an arc for an arched panel door. I thought, "Hmm, at least I can see if he as an easy formula I can adapt (there are many !) to draw an elipse/arch based on the door width". Nope, he states the radius of the arc once, with no explanation of why, how, where he arrived at this figure. To add insult, in later pages/chapters involving similar cuts to be made, he says "Refer to chapter #, or page so and so where this procedure or formula was explained/illustrated". Aggravating to say the least. Also, all door types made are with a router and router bits (no mention of shapers in here). Nothing wrong with this, but while I have always gotten by making raised panel doors on a table router all these years, I would think that a pro/author of such a book would mention that a shaper is the way to go, especially when rasing a panel !. He also mentions 3 possible thicknesses of panels to be used in conjunction with frame (rail & stile) thickness. He completely omits my favorite: a 3/4 thick panel that is "back-cut" to make the panel flush on front and back side of the door. There's a lot more, but I'll stop here. If you already know how to make a cabinet door and drawer don't waste your money on this book. If you don't already know how, you can pick up some decent general basics. However, if you're a beginning woodworker, don't even try to understand the section on european hinges (drawings and explanations). These belong in a more advanced edition.



2. This book is great for the beginner or intermediate woodworker looking to gain insight into the process of cabinet doors and drawers. Lots of photos and step-by-step instructions. Great suggestions on hardware, tools and techniques.



3. If you want to see what kind of doors you CAN make, this book is not bad. If you are hoping to learn how to make a particular type of door, this book is not very informative. It lacks a lot of details that you'd need to know if you were going to actually make the door that the book describes.



4. In its introduction, the book claims to fill a gap in the woodworking litterature concerning the building of cabinet doors.
   
   I found that this book is really targeted to beginner (nothing wrong about that) and only contains some quick and simple way of building doors.
   
   A third of the book is devoted to basic joinery (and the book si pretty slim to begin with).
   
   There is also an extensive section on european style hardware, the different type, how to mount them etc. The traditional hinge is mentionned in a small paragraph. There is no explanation of the different style, how to mount it etc.
   
   Some information are just not correct such as stating that the main tool to build raise panel are the table saw and the router.
   
   Some information is just not there. What about wood movement in solid wood panel how much clerance should I leave, where etc.
   
   The worse part is the chatper on drawer. The book is title cabinet doors and drawers. Only 2 simple style of drawer are described. No mention on how to fit them properly. Dovetails are described in the joinery chapter but not even apply to the drawers !!!
   
   And I am still looking for the formula to get the radius of the arch panel.
   
   I also would have loved some nice color pictures.
   
   All in all I don't this book is completely useless for the beginner, but don't expect this book to be a reference on how to build doors or drawers. There are tons of litterature out there that provide more in depth coverage + description on how to build the whole kitchen cabinet for a similar price.



5. Well written, easy to follow guide. If you are thinking about making your own doors, read this before you take one step forward.

1 comments about Selecting and Drying Wood (New Best of Fine Woodworking).

1. This book is a collection of articles from Fine Woodworking over the last several years. The number and scope of articles is pretty comprehensive. If you have all the mags, you can find these articles or just go to this one source and find what you need. It even has articles on staining/fading of different types of wood/stains and health concerns with certain species of domestic and imported woods--not things one always considers. Overall, def worth the $12 or so.

1 comments about Woodstrip Rowing Craft: How to Build, Step by Step.

1. Susan's books on stipwood boat building are the best I've read. She takes you through the entire process step-by-step with lots of sound advice and many pictures. In this, her second book on the subject, she takes the reader through the steps in building two classy looking row boats. The processes she describes are equally applicable to other row boat designs such as the Whitehall Pulling Boat I am currently building. To be sure, I probably would not have tackled this seemingly difficult project without her excellent guidance as contained in this work. I have not been disappointed with this book or her previous book on canoe stripwood construction. If you are thinking of building such a craft, these are the books to buy.

5 comments about The Book of Shaker Furniture.

1. A classic work on the Shaker community and furniture. Kassay's hand-drawn plans of specific furniture items reflect great detail while remaining relatively easy to follow. Logical organizaton of the content with excellent references. A "must have" for any serious woodworkers interested in or having respect for the Shaker lifestyle. Much deeper content than softcovers on the subject.



2. A great book to show customers. Includes a paragraph detailing each peice, a wonderful history of the shakers and their furniture, overall dimensions, and plans for a limited number of pieces. This book could use some color photos plans for each peice and more detail in the plans, but that was not necessarly the aim of the book, though it achieved what it meant to do well. When reading this book, one feels the struggle shaker cabinet makers were engaged in between simplicity and "the world".



3. I'm, as a woodworker, an advanced amateur (I'm a Civil Engineer). One of my last works was a case with 27 (yes twentyseven) drawers of 15 different sizes and a door. A few months ago, attracted by a photo in the cover, I bought a book in London (England) about all the aspect of the Shaker Community and with a great surprise, I found there something very similar to what I had drafted and done. I didn't even know the existence of a Shaker Community before. Do you believe in reincarnation??? So I become extremely interested and tried to learn more about all the aspect of the Shaker furniture. I think this book has solved many questions I had and put in my mind many ideas. The drawings, in particular, are extremely clear and accurate and made with a loving care. After having seen this book I' m working to a sewing desk and to a woodworking bench in Shaker style. Certainly I didn't regret the money! Antonello Ruscazio - Sardinia Island - Italy



4. The book presentation itself, is beautiful. Mr Kassay has over thirty years experience teaching industrial style, and it shows in his book. All of the photos are black and white, which at first, struck me as odd -- but Mr Kassay highly successfully uses this medium to help convey the grace, simplicity and sleekness of the Shaker's furniture. In his excellent descriptions, he provides the colors, type of current finish, and the original, if known.

   The measured drawings of the selected items are a work of art by themselves. They are beautiful line drawings with gray shading which gives a three dimensional presence. Mr Kassay carefully and completely exposes the hidden joinery that has often been omitted from the other classics of measured drawings of Shaker furniture. None of the other books that I have read, come close to providing as much detail of the actual craftsmanship of the joints.

   At first impression, my favorite is his drawing and explanation of the Harvard side table with the under slung drawer from the Fruitlands Museum. It's stability has always looked questionable to me, and he openly discusses it and I gained insight how to modify mine to be more sturdy, but still very recognizable as a reproduction of the original.

   Instead of showing photos of one or two examples of each type of item,for example, candle stands, he shows four or more. While he doesn't have measured drawing of each photo, he has at least one measured drawing of each type and provides dimensions on the other pieces. By providing many examples of items, he relates a broad sense of all of the Shaker's candle stands, rather than portraying, "this is the characteristics of this stand, look elsewhere for the big picture."

   He also includes a good history of the Shakers. While the information is fairly common among the books about the Shaker's and their furniture, it makes his book a complete reference for new comers and for people who have only room on their shelf and budget for one book.

   If the reader is interested in the beauty of the Shaker furniture, a beautifully done book, and extremely well done drawings, this is probably the book!




5. I found "The Book of Shaker Furniture" to be very enlightening. I had no idea that REAL Shaker furniture was so ugly. However, to give the author credit, if I wanted to reproduce a piece, I could do so from his drawings and pictures very easily. I also learned a great deal about the history and demise of the Shaker culture.