5 comments about The Complete Book of Birdhouse Construction for Woodworkers.

1. Don't expect to open this book and start building birdhouses right away. There are very few diagrams or pictures, mostly detailed discussions of bird house attributes. This is not the book for children or first time builders since the author assumes the reader is already a woodworker. However, careful reading will reveal a lot of useful information, making this a welcome addition to my "how to" library.



2. At first I thought I had purchased a bulletin, because the book is not very substantial, but upon examining the book, it contains some valuable tables on the proper dimensions of the bird houses (depth, width, height, material, hole size, etc).



3. I gave this as a gift to my daughter. She was delighted with it so now she and I have our summer project of making birdhouses.



4. Not that many designs. The designs included are limited to birds for certain regions of the USA.



5. Three dollars and fifty cents! I bought it for the reference information mentioned in my review title, i.e., entrance hole sizes by species, along with nest height. For $20, that would be a big one or two stars. For $3.50, that's a solid 5 stars! This is not a pretty backyard birdhouse plan book! It's a short, to the point treatise on what birds like and need.

5 comments about The Big Book of Weekend Woodworking: 150 Easy Projects (Big Book of ... Series).

1. I just got started in serious woodworking, and was looking for a good book to get me started with small projects to cut my teeth on. This was it. I've already completed a couple of the items and have more on my to-do list. The drawings are excellent, the instructions are, for the most part, helpful and accurate, and the materials lists are simple and low cost. The bulk of my Christmas gifts this year are going to come from making projects found in this book.
   
   If you or someone you know is just getting started, this is the book to give them for a bunch of great project ideas that will build skills without incurring a bunch of costs.



2. This book has so many projects in it that some are bound to interest you. The problem with books that feature, say 25 projects, is that if you find 10% of them interesting you get 2-3 projects out of the book. This has 150 projects. If you find 10% of them interesting then you walk away with clear instructions and pretty detailed plans for 15 projects. This book is well written and includes sections on finishing and material selection. I own many "project" books. This book outshines them all by a wide margin. Joinery is pretty basic and the projects run from beginner to intermediate, with most of them being the former. One point that I feel compelled to mention, however, is that most projects in this book require a machine (or hand tool) that will cut curves. Just buy it!



3. With 150 projects in the book, you are bound to find at least a couple that you find interesting enough to build. Such is the case with this book. Most of the projects are so-so and are worth a glance or two. I have a list of about 5 projects that I will actually try.
   The designs are clear and the instructions mostly thorough. The one error I did find was easily recovered from (a flip-flop in order of steps in the fanning candleholder).
   I was hoping for about 20-30 projects that would actually be attempted so for that reason I drop the rating to 4 stars. Overall this is a good book that should give the weekend handyman several ideas.



4. i have yet to receive 2 products that i ordered over 2 months ago. i will NEVER use amazon again!!! it deserves 0 stars.



5. I have leafed through a number of project books only to be disappointed with the types of projects that would be offered. Many would be cheesey and not anything you really would find useful or feel comfortable making for another. This book is quite different.
   
   If you have friends and family members that enjoy items of a "Michaels" craft variety, you will definitely find something worth making and giving to them for holidays and other special occasions. If you are a father/grandfather/mother/grandmother who would like to see a young child experience a toy or piece of furniture that is not molded in an asian factory, this book would also be for you.
   
   Joinery for the projects is somewhat varied. Unlike other project books I have looked through, these are not all butt-joints and overly simple (though there are some projects that are very simple for those getting started). The book will not teach you how to paint, cut, or join. It is what it says it is, a book of projects that has ideas, plans, and diagrams. If you are very new to woodworking, I would suggest buying this with another book that teaches the basic woodworking skills necessary to build the projects listed safely.

2 comments about Make Your Own Walking Sticks: How to Craft Canes and Staffs from Rustic to Fancy.

1. I would give this a six star rating if possible. Beautiful examples of what can be attained. Extensive review of woods, their appearence and workability properties, grains, etc. Wide array of styles and methods, superb sourcebook.



2. An excellent discusion and illustrations of techniques for shaping, bending, and finishing walking sticks. Also includess good text and illustrations of techniques for making handles for canes. Covers various woods that make good walking sticks. Recommended for the curious or serios stickmaker.

3 comments about The New Complete Guide to the Band Saw: Everything You Need to Know About the Most Important Saw in the Shop.

1. This is a must have book for anyone who uses a bandsaw. If you ever had a problem with your saw this book will help fix it!



2. I really didn't find anything useful in the manual. My Rikon manual covered the info in the book. Directions on the few jigs that were covered were a bit confusing and appeared to be missing info. There are not nearly as many jigs discussed as the cover implied.



3. As I own, and liked, Mark Duginski's original bandsaw book, I was looking forward to the updated version. Well, is IS better than the original. The format is certainly more up-to-date, as are the machines themselves. the pictures are better. The book quality itself is better. Mark addresses misinformation that has been rampant in some areas that's cropped up after the original edition, such as tensioning. There is additional usage content.
   
   The book disappointed me on its coverage of patterns and jigs, however. The information provided on both is minimal and neither terribly well written nor presented. I give the book pretty high marks as the best basic bandsaw book out there, but it does not rise to the level to which the title aspires - "Everything You Need to Know ...", nor does it make a case for the bandsaw as the "Most Important Saw in the Shop". I regard this book as a must-own for basic machine setup, usage, and maintenance, but would look to other sources for information beyond that.

5 comments about Danny Proulxs Cabinet Doors and Drawers (Popular Woodworking).

1. This is an excellent resource for coming to understand how to create different types of doors and drawers. Easy to understand and excellent pictures make it easy to use.



2. The book should just be titled Cabinet Doors. It's very incomplete on the drawer section. Also you'll need another book to fill in the gaps. I was disappointed because it should have covered more information.



3. The other reviewers covered the book well enough. I'm adding my 5 stars. Well written and a good reference.
   
   I coupled it with 2 books from Jim Tolpin: " Building Traditional Kitchen Cabinets " and " Jim Tolpin's guide to becoming an pro cabinet maker ". Amazon has them, check them out.
   
   They all fit well together. Enjoy.



4. This book provides simple descriptions about how to make doors and drawers. Although I have made a few in the past this book gave me some new ideas.



5. This book was great, gave me lots of ideas and helped me build a nice cabinet for my wife. Now she wants me to build the kitchen cabinets. very detailed book with lots of advice for keeping safe, what to look for and pretty much how to do everythng but the staining (I figured that I would look for another book for this).

4 comments about Bill Hylton's Ultimate Guide to the Router Table (Popular Woodworking).

1. Excellent book. This is what a person who is going to get serious in router table working needs. Woodworking is my hobby. I build many things around the house, from dormers to desks, and cabinets. I bought a Porter Cable 3-1/2 HP router, a Bench Dog table, and a Bench Dog Lifter. I wish I had seen this book before I bought the table. Well, I bought it all at once. I would have made my own table. The book is very well written and the author (Bill) is extremely knowledgeable about his subject. He offers many options for building your own table based on your specific needs. The illustrations are great. It covers many different areas, such as making dovetails, different types of bits, how to make jigs and fixtures, etc. There are no adds about any particular brand, which is great. He focuses of process. This is a great book, built with high quality paper as well. I highly recommend it.



2. Despite what the book review states, this is not a book about building your own router table and I have yet to find any plans. If you are looking for plans, you will need to buy either "Woodworking with the Router" or "Router Magic" which are also by Hylton. As the author states, "Using a router table is what this book is about".
   
   It is an excellent book especially if you are not familiar with the router table. There are also ideas and techniques for the person who is familiar with the router table. Hylton is a great suthor and I would recommend any of his router books.



3. I was installing a hardwood floor and needed to route a groove into some pieces. This book gave me all of theinformation I need to select and buy a router and table. It also gave me all of the information that I needed to setup the table to route the groove. Well worth the price of the book to me.



4. An excellent book, with advice on simple yet effective means of accomplishing various routing objectives, while also covering advanced techniques.

5 comments about The Art of Inlay and Expanded: Design and Technique for Fine Woodworking.

1. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for exquisite inlays in wood. The pictures worth it, trust me. Good shoots of very nice work, of different styles. The book also cover how to cut pearl (and also other materials) and inlay by your own, showing tools of the trade and sources of drawings and information. Delight it!



2. I didn't have any formal background or knowledge of inlay. This book went through the fundamentals and gave good insight on what to start with and little tricks of the trade. I recommend this book for the beginner.



3. This is undoubtedly an inspirational book. However, it lacks much detail for the studnet, interested in learning wood inlay. It doesn't move beyond the basics of cutting inlays and so farth. Anyone can figure that much out. If you want a complete book for inlaying, look elsewhere; if you're interested in the work of Larry Robinson, then look no farther.



4. Easy read, plenty of ideas, Understable and descriptive. Explains the art clearly from tools to materials and ways to produce art for final work.
   You will finish with a good understanding.



5. I bought this book to learn how to do inlay. The subtitle for this book "Design and Technique for Fine Woodworking" is misleading. Don't get me wrong if you want to look at great inlay work this book is for you. But if by some chance you actually want to learn how to do it yourself don't waste your time or your dollar. I recommend, "The Art of Wood Inlay" by George Stevens if you are looking for useful how too information.

5 comments about The Art of Segmented Wood Turning: A Step-by-Step Guide.

1. This book is very helpful and inspiring to any segmented bowl turner. Gives incentive to try the seemingly impossible combination of patterns.



2. This book was very inspiring. I've made several projects similiar to what is in the book. My work has been praised. Although the designing, cutting of pieces of wood and aleining is challenging; the end results are well worth the efforts.



3. I like everything about woodturning. This book is no exception. You might also want to check the DVD Beyond Wood - Portrait of an Artist. You will see a lot of beautifully photographed pieces and interviews from years of research on the subject.



4. This is an excellent book, but I feel it is for advanced segmented wood turners. The pictures are beautiful and give you lots of "food for thought." I'm just beginning with segmented wood turning. The book is fun to look at, very detailed in it's instruction, and very interesting to read.



5. I was totally ignorant of segmented wood turning until I read this book. Now I am ready to give it a try. I would recommend this book to any serious wood turner.

5 comments about Shoji: How to Design, Build, and Install Japanese Screens.

1. Shoji are really beautiful. There is something wonderful about the light passing through the semi-translucent rice paper, creating an atmosphere that is romantic and relaxing. Having lived in Japanese houses for several years, it was something that I wanted to recreate when I returned to the US.
   
   "Shoji: How to design, build, and install Japanese Screens" was exactly the book I was looking for. Jay van Arsdale has written a simply, comprehensive guide on how to add shoji to an existing house, from very simple screens to much more complicated structures. Its a modern approach to making shoji, rather than bothering with traditional Japanese methods, and is very practical and doable.
   
   The book assumes that you have woodworking skills and tools, and isn't so much a "Beginner's Guide." He gives a list of tools that you will need, mainly a set of chisels, hammers, saws, polishing stones and planes. He does recommend that you invest in Japanese tools, as they are made differently from Western tools and will create a different look in the wood that will be more authentic and aesthetically pleasing. There are a few specialty chisels, specifically the yarinomi and the sokosarae, that will make your shoji-making much more efficient.
   
   The different styles of shoji in the book range from simple shoji, to glass-panel shoji, closet and cabinet screens and lanterns. For the truly ambitious there are instructions for ceiling fixtures and skylights as well as valances and hanging screens. Most of those projects are far removed from my abilities, but a more advanced woodworker will find some inspiring projects.
   
   The photos are all in black-and-white, but there are some beautiful homes on display showing you what you can do with shoji screens. Certainly not everyone has the time and money for that kind of home transfiguration, but it is nice to dream.



2. The book arrived speedily and in great condition. What more can I ask?



3. the book was easy to understand. easy to read. a great book , if you want to build a shoji screen this is the book for you. tells you about other uses and other stronger materials to use



4. Can not say enough about this book, it gives you a good start if you know a little about wood, but does not stop there.
   
   If you get this book you'll enjoy that it does not insult your interest by just showing pictures of work only a master could do. It gives the information needed to do your first design plus what you'll need once you understand the methods.
   
   Thanks Jay, you have given me a great new experience.



5. This is an excellent guide to making japanese screens.if you are a beginer or a pro i think youll find this the ideal choice to start off with.

5 comments about Canoe Paddles: A Complete Guide to Making Your Own.

1. I actually made a canoe paddle, and plan on making some more. My new paddle served me admirably on an extended trip. This is as complete a treatment of the subject as one could hope to find. Making a paddle is a reasonably complex process but the authors explain every step with well-illustrated clarity.



2. The book does exactly what it says, tells you about the history of different paddles, tells you how to make simple paddles, then tells you how to make complex paddles, and finally tells you how to traditionally make paddles. Ity really hits the spot for me as someone who likes making stuff, but am not quite ready to make my own canoe yet! I loved this book and am going to give it to my oldman.



3. Great Book with lots of useful information. Would have liked a few more paddle designs, but overall, great book.



4. Very informative book that covers everything from the historical background of paddle design to a detailed how to on how best to build a paddle. As an avid paddler and woodworker, I found this book to be perfect.



5. fabulous book, covers in detail what you need to know to make a fine paddle, including relative expansion rates of popular woods for paddle making, highly recommended to save your self from making lots of scrap from perfectly good paddle blanks.