Reviews (1)

Kids used to do this stuff?!
This is a wonderful look back into the pages of Popular Mechanics Magazine as it was in the early 1900s.It consists of reprints of how-to articles for boys.(Back then, girls just didn't read Popular Mechanics or get their hands dirty building furniture.)
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Subjects:  1. Boys & Men    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 4-6    4. Crafts & Hobbies - General    5. Crafts / Hobbies    6. Handicraft    7. Handicraft for boys    8. Juvenile Arts And Crafts    9. Juvenile Nonfiction    10. Juvenile literature    11. Woodwork - General    12. Crafts & Hobbies / Woodwork    13. STUDY NOTES - SparkCharts    14. Woodworking    15. Sale Books   

Reviews (8)

Great; like all the books in this series
Out of all the Complete Illustrated Guide books in this series, this is one of the best.Lonnie Bird is an excellent teacher as well as woodworker and this is apparent from reading this book.There are techniques in this book that I've never seen in any other book and I have over 200.This one is a treasure--mine is getting dog-eared and worn!

Excellent book
This is an essential book for anyone working on a project that requires complex shaping of wood. The book contains excellent colour foto's clearly demonstrating each technique. I was very impressed with the carving of the ball and claw foot. This is a consice book and the author goes straight to the point without any unnecessary clutter.

If you are interested in building the finest pieces
This book covers some areas that will enable you to build some of the finest pieces of woodworking and furniture. For example a step by step explanation of how to create a flaming finial, to top off your best projects is illustrated: From the beginning of turning it on a lathe, to the first level of carving the flutes, to each successive layer. The one he creates out of walnut is the style that I like the most. Additionally making a claw foot, is well illustrated, just the same. Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts / Hobbies    2. Do-It-Yourself    3. House & Home    4. Woodwork    5. Woodwork - General    6. Woodworking    7. Crafts & Hobbies / Woodwork   

Reviews (1)

Lounging about
At last a book about THAT chair.Thomas Hine, one of the contributors to this interesting book, writes a chapter about the way the chair kept popping up in all the right media and this probably helped it along to its iconic status.I was aware of the chair many years ago and kept seeing it in interior design photos, adverts, and anywhere that visually needed to project an upmarket ambience.Strangely I never saw anyone sitting in these chairs and I was surprised to find, when I bought one, that the back does not support one's head.A 1956 photo used in a Herman Miller ad shows a stockbroker friend of Charles Eames clearly with his head on the back, he was either a short guy or had moved well forward in the chair.
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Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Design - Furniture    4. Individual Artist    5. Furniture & cabinetmaking    6. Product design   

Subjects:  1. Antiques & Collectibles    2. Antiques/Collectibles    3. Art    4. Crafts / Hobbies    5. Etching    6. Woodwork - Decoys    7. Art techniques & materials    8. Intaglio processes (eg metal engraving, etching)   

Reviews (4)

Excellent piece of work
Although I do not build guitars myself, I am highly interested in its construction techniques. I have been an amateur guitarist for over 25 years now and planning to buy ahandcrafted instrument build by one of the contemporary maestroes. In order to be well prepared I wanted to learn more on the history of guitar building, famous instruments and detailed info on how to build a guitar myself. Hauser, Romanillos, various instruments described in great detail with complete instructions on how to build these instruments yourself. The instructions are accurate, elaborate and extremely thorough and even aimed at people who have no expiernce in woodwork at all. This book has it all, even adresses where to obtain wood,tools etc. Highly recommendable!

Greatest book on classical guitar
Great book that has measured drawings of many master guitars.Unlike steel string guitars, where a few models dominate, and look different, say Gibson vs. dreadnaught martin, classical guitars look externally quite similar, while varying a lot internally, and otherwise.Many of the great artists of the steel string guitar play factory models, for a variety of reasons.Top classical guitarists largely play models that originated in small shops with one or a few craftsmen.For these reasons anyone who wants to make a study of building classical guitars will find this eclectic group of guitars very important. THE book on guitar making
Having read all the other books on guitar making, I was amazed to find this one, Making mAster Guitars, so clear, detailed, yet logical and easy to follow.For the first time I felt able to tackle making my own guitar, and the results were pleasing. It would have been nice to have some colour pictures of the historial rosettes, etc., but even so, I advise any aspiring guitar makers to get this one. Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. General    3. Hobbies/Crafts    4. Music/Songbooks    5. Woodwork - General    6. String instruments   

Reviews (1)

Extremely useful book
I found this book to be better than any other carving book I have purchased. The painting guides are accurate and detailed, the patterns are realistic and proportionate, and each species has several different head poses included. I use this book while carving and painting more than all of my others combined. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Carving    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Decoys (Hunting)    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. Painting    7. Technique    8. Wood-carving    9. Woodwork - Decoys    10. Woodwork - General    11. Woodwork Arts And Crafts    12. Carving & carvings    13. Crafts & Hobbies / Woodwork   

Reviews (7)

Great Book on Dust Control and Collection Method
This book provides a complete and detailed writing on the methods for woodshop dust control methods. It covers different strategies for controlling dust from simple respiratory protection devices(masks), shop ventillation and air filtration and dust collecting machines (portable and central units).
Details, details, details
Very good book.Unfortunately it brings up all the little details that I would have preferred not thinking about.Most people probably don't realize how dangerous dust is, and the author covers all the bases.After reading this book, you will have no excuses...

Most of what you need to know
I innocently went on the www looking for info on dust control for my garage shop and found a huge amount of information. To sum up:
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Subjects:  1. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Dust control    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Home Improvement / Construction    6. Wood waste    7. Woodwork    8. Woodwork - General    9. Woodworking    10. Crafts & Hobbies / Woodwork    11. Heating, lighting, ventilation   

Reviews (1)

The Encyclopedia of Joinery
This is the first of three volumes by Tage Frid that are literally a brain dump of techniques and approached to woodwork.Frid is a true working craftsman.He began as an apprentice at a time when most work was done by hand, and survived the transition to machinery without missing a stroke of his plane.Teaching both at the Rochester Institute of Technology and the Rhode Island School of Design, Frid has influenced over a generation of professional and amateur wood workers.
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Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Hobbies/Crafts    4. Woodwork - General    5. Woodworking    6. Crafts & Hobbies / Woodwork   

Reviews (12)

Nicely illustrated and clearly written
I find that the pictures in this book are very good and informative. The text is clear and covers basic definitions and techniques. I searched for several books on the topic and after purchasing this one I think it's the only one I will ever need.

Quick and concise, but incomplete
A book is good or bad depending on your expectations.This book concentrates mostly on how to do the covers of the sofas and seats, but it is incomplete in providing information about frames, springs and so on.Modern upholstery techniques are barely covered.I'm sorry to disagree with the rest of the reviewers, but I think that you need to know the other side of this book.

Exellent
This is a good book. I would advise anyone looking for a good book on Upholstery to try this one.
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Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Decorating - Upholstery/Fabrics    3. Hobbies/Crafts    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. Sewing    6. Upholstered furniture    7. Upholstery    8. Woodwork - Furniture/Cabinetry    9. Home furnishing & decoration    10. Needlework & fabric crafts   

Reviews (3)

Woodcarving
This is an excellent book that covers the fundamentals of carving plus adds great advice on what tools to purchase.Asked if I would buy this book again, my answer would be yes!I messed up on the rating of this book and I give it five (5) stars.Sorry!
Best Beginner's Book
To an experienced woodcarver this book may seem unfocused and thinly spread, but for the beginner it does exactly what it should do.The book begins with a good grounding in the tools of the craft and how to care for and sharpen each type.After that it gives you a sampler of carving styles with at least one project for each.It's guaranteed there is at least one or two chapters the reader will not care for.Even this is useful since the reader avoids launching into the craft with a project they really have little enthusiasm for, and then lose interest in wood carving all together. This book should be required reading before the beginner spends a single dime on tools, equipment, or wood.If it's not 'the' best beginner's book, it's in the top five.

A good technical guide to woodcarving
A good general book on woodcarving. This book could be better if it didn't try to be all things for all people. There are better books for beginners out there for the money and more advanced carvers probably need to buy abook concentrating on their type of carving. I found it to be a little onthe technical side and would have preferred a few more patterns for eachtype of carving. Read more

Subjects:  1. Carving    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Sculpture    6. Wood carving    7. Wood-carving    8. Woodwork - General    9. Woodwork Arts And Crafts    10. Crafts & Hobbies / Woodwork    11. Woodworking   

Reviews (8)

EXCELLENT Model Reference:Beautiful Pictures, Beautiful Homes
Believe it or not but the main reason I purchased this beautiful book was for reference material for scale model building (i.e. LEGO, etc.).I was hunting forever for a book on Victorian homes--with pictures of the OUTSIDE (as most of the books on Victorian architecture deal with the classic interior designs, furniture, etc.).LEGO and Victorian homes go hand in hand, as this book's wonderful color pictures perfectly illustrate--who could imagine such combinations would actually look so stunning!?In addition to excellent photography the text is well written, with interesting facts about each home, why it's unique, yet how it fits into the overall "Painted Lady" lineage... excellent.:-)

A Must For Victorian House Owners
A fantastic book, a must for anyone who is thinking about painting a Victorian house.It was very helpful to me and my husband who had to come up with a color scheme for our three-story Queen Anne built in 1895.
a great victorian house book
i was speechless each picture was so beautiful , i love each and every house. a great book ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Architecture, Domestic    3. Architecture, Victorian    4. Decoration and ornament    5. Design & Construction    6. History - Specific Styles    7. United States    8. Victorian style    9. House & Home / Woodworking   

Reviews (20)

Well done, Taunton !
As I went into some DIY woodworking projects and needed some help, I bought this one together with another Taunton series: Andy Rae's "The Complete Illustrated Guide to Furniture and Cabinet Construction". Excellent books both of them. The sections are very well balanced and the text is divided logically on joinery techniques from a manual and power tool point of view. It gives you freedom to choose the most appropriate technique but you also have the basics (without power tools) which is very helpful in order to understand it better. No fuss about gear and promotion of one brand or another, the book it is very careful about that and it gives you freedom to choose between category of tools and not vendors. The photographs are beautiful and high quality print (it is printed in Italy, famous for its publishers) and worth the money. Really, you have a lot to learn if you are a beginner or mid-advanced in the art of woodworking. Also, the book is a very good reference for those that are teaching these techniques given the quality of the pictures and clarity of text. Five stars, worth every penny IMO.

Simply inspired
I bought this item as a gift for a woodworker friend and he said that some of the material was very helpful and the rest was "simply inspired."I guess that means that there are helpful tips that are explained in a very user friendly fashion.

If you do not own this book, your work will suffer
This is the seminal guide to one of the most important tasks in woodworking.I have learned more from just relaxing with this book than I have filling my dust collector.This will help you with both your design and construction.
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Subjects:  1. Amateurs' manuals    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Do-It-Yourself    4. House & Home    5. Joinery    6. Woodwork    7. Woodwork - General    8. Woodworking    9. Woodworking tools    10. Crafts & Hobbies / Woodwork   

Reviews (9)

Info for Home and apprentice machinists
Outstanding starting place for machinists with many helpful hints on setups and techniques.

A Bit Dated But Still Relevant
If you are just playing with the idea of starting your own garage machine shop or if you are an absolute beginner this text gives you a brief overview and it does it very well.Considering the advances in design and manufacturing technologies it does show its age.A 2nd edition would help a lot that includes CAD/CAM, CNC, and other subjects found in most hobby machine shops today.
Home Machinists Handbook
It is a very helpful book for someone who has not used a lathe since highschool (1960's). I would recommend it for anyone as a good review of practices, or for a mechanically inclined person who needs firt time instructions. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. General    3. Handbooks, manuals, etc    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Home Improvement / Construction    6. Reference    7. Woodworking    8. Workshops    9. Crafts & Hobbies / General    10. DIY   

Reviews (27)

Worth it for the caning instructions alone
I bought this book paired with the more advanced Canoecraft book and really couldn't be happier with both of them.Having read the Canoecraft book first I was left with some questions reguarding technical aspects of boatbuilding that this book answered wonderfully.The approach the author takes reflects one of an experienced teacher explaining the task with an eye toward common mistakes and how to avoid them.While the finished product as outlined is a bit heavy and lacking in elegance, as compared to the Canoecraft boat, I plan to utilize both books in the construction of my canoe.(Please note that the heaviness comes from extra fiberglass reinforcement that is a real necessity in the rocky streams of Maine, the author's state, and not so much here in the Midwest.) The real bonus, aside from the caning instructions which are wonderful, is the fact that you are also getting scale plans for eight boats which can be scanned, scaled and printed full size at your local copyshop. The project is easily completed by anyone who is remotely aquainted with woodworking techniques and in many instances the author explains multiple methods of doing the same step with a list of the pros and cons of each method.Excellent book to buy for your first canoebuilding experience.

Gilpatrick's book
About 12 years ago my dad and I built the wabnaki canoe using Mr Gilpatrick's book, and this year I built a Prospector design using Canoecraft, at least in part.I would like to add my opinion abut the relative merits of these books.
If you liked this book, you'll LOVE Canoe Craft by Moores
I'm truly surprised at all the 5-star ratings this book has earned here.I checked this book out at the library and it was the first book I read about strip-built anything.Even at that time I was shocked at some of the shoddy work shown in the pictures (done by teenage shop class students, not the author).
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Subjects:  1. Canoeing    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Woodwork - General   

Reviews (5)

Great book for new woodworkers
If you are fairly new to woodworking and need a mantle, this is the book for you.I just finished our mantle and it looks great. All the materials used in the book can be found at Lowes or Home Depot and the entire mantle and surround cost me around $85.It does call for a table saw, biscuit joiner, brad nailer and miter saw, but if you are wanting to get serious about building, you will need these tools anyway.This book will lead you through every step so there are no questions.Save yourself $200-300 and buy this book and build it yourself!

Great book but dont order via the market place
This is a very good book with some basic designs.If you are a beginning woodworker or have some basic tools, you can build one of these.As pointed out, the design is simple, but it is flexible and you can customize your own design.I build a surround from stain grade birch with pine trim and moulding.It was finally painted white and primed.We are very happy.I give the book 4 stars, ...

Step-by-step, but not much variety
Great instructional book for building a traditional style fireplace surround (title a bit misleading - the mantel is only the shelf above a fireplace - the surround is the mantel, columns, etc.)Limited, though inthat it only covers one style surround with different variations.Read more

Subjects:  1. Amateurs' manuals    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Crafts & Hobbies    4. Design - Furniture    5. Design and construction    6. Hobbies/Crafts    7. Mantels    8. Reference    9. Remodeling & Renovation - General    10. DIY    11. Furniture & cabinetmaking    12. Home furnishing & decoration   

Reviews (4)

Colourful Cuba
This is a great coffee table book of good quality.The colour photographs are excellent, accompanied by descriptive text.I bought it out of a sense of curiosity of how the more affluent Cubans might live.Unfortunately, as it turns out, I don't generally share their taste in design or dark furniture, but don't let that put you off an excellent and informative book.

Astonishing
Cuban Elegance is an astonishing work. That Michael Connors and Bruce Buck were able to navigate the bureaucracies to get to Cuba and to the subjects of the book; astonishing that with an admitted paucity of research material they were able to craft a book that reveals the wealth of historic artifacts in Cuba.
Beautiful photos and fine writing about Cuban furniture
This book is the first comprehensive review of Cuban furniture from the sixteenth through the nineteenth century.Connors and Buck, the author and photographer, spent months touring Cuba and doing detective work to gain access to relics of past eras.Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Cuba    3. European    4. Furniture design    5. Furniture, Colonial    6. Interior decoration    7. Subjects & Themes - Travel - World/South America    8. Travel - Foreign    9. Architecture / Interior Design    10. Furniture & cabinetmaking    11. Interior design   

Reviews (13)

Good houses, could use variety
Maybe I'm too sold on what's marketed as variety.
great tool for any bathouse builder
This is a very concise and thorough book on how to construct a successful bat house.

Ongoing Research
This Guide is frequently revised utilizilizing information obtained by bat lover volunteers throughBat Conservation International, Inc. A NON PROFIT organization dedicated to preserving the dwindling populations of many bat species. The volunteers are everyday people who have taken the time and made the effort to build bat houses to supplement the threatened natural habitats of bats. They check the houses and report their findings to BatCon. Population, species, type of colony - nursing, bachelor, etc.Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals / Pets    2. Birds & Birdwatching - General    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Mammals    5. Nature    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Woodwork - General    8. Handicrafts    9. Nature / Mammals    10. Wild animals   

Reviews (9)

Curvy Boxes Only
If you want to make curvy boxes like the one shown on the cover, this may be the perfect book for you. There are numerous photographs and the boxes are beautiful.Includes 14 projectswith full size, to-scale templates (8 1/2 x 11 templates).There are a number of tips in the book for beginning to novice woodworkers.I bought the book based on the rating.I did not want to make curvy boxes, so I should not have purchased the book- every box in the book is just a variation of the cover picture (hence only 4 stars). Author shows a 14" Delta in use. The book is useful with nice photographs, and lots of detailed instructions,even if you're not making fish shaped boxes.Hope this was helpful.

Band saw boxes
A wonderfully written and illustrated book. I have the book a week now and have made 5 different boxes with wonderful results. I highly recommend this book.

My friends can't believe it!
I got this book a couple months ago and have built seven of the boxes and have nine more partially done (two are repeats and the rest are different patterns).My friends are blown away with the beauty of the boxes and I am too.The instructions are clear.The boxes are relatively simple to build - no complex joinery.I used some really exotic woods and also "sandwiched" in some wedges of contrasting color on many of them.Two I have "faced" with a slab of maple burl (one was about 3/8" thick and the other was about 2" thick.The are absolutely breath-taking and super fun to make.
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Subjects:  1. Band saws    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Wooden boxes    6. Woodwork    7. Woodwork - General    8. Woodwork Arts And Crafts    9. Furniture & cabinetmaking    10. Handicrafts    11. Woodworking   

Reviews (3)

Building Fireplace Mantels
Excellent for the beginner to the advanced woodworker.Covers framing considerations well, as well as atachment schemes and fasteners.

This book needs an editor
Don't think this book will help most people. There are too many dimensions missing and wrong. On the Federal mantel the writeup says cut the columns 10 1/2 inches wide but the drawing shows 12 inches. The picture of the mantel shows a full brick clearance at the side of the firebox but the drawing is more like 5 inches.
Outstanding Book on Focused Topic
This is an outstanding book on a focused topic: "Distinctive [Fireplace] Projects for any Style Home." After discussing some basics of mantel making, he describes in detail from start to finish, step-by-step, including a materials list, suppliers,and tools needed for nine projects to build nine different style firelplace mantels: Simple Colonial, Georgian, Simple Federal, Arts and Crafts, Mackintosh, Victorian, Greene and Greene, Art Deco, and Contemporary. We are updating a fifty-year old home in Coral Gables, Florida. It presently has a very pedestrian fireplace mantel. I wanted a fireplace mantel with more style. My wife and I both loved the Art Deco mantel in the book and I plan to build it almost exactly as described.I should save a considerable amount of money on materials because the mantel is built basically from one sheet of mahogany plywood. The color photographs are also outstanding in clarity and detail. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Do-It-Yourself    2. Do-It-Yourself - Carpentry    3. Home Improvement / Construction    4. House & Home    5. Mantels    6. Remodeling & Renovation - General    7. Woodwork - Furniture/Cabinetry    8. Woodworking    9. DIY    10. Furniture & cabinetmaking    11. House & Home / Carpentry   

Reviews (2)

Art On Purpose
If you ever want to be deeply impressed with the human ingenuity take a look at this book.The lowly shoji door, is a commonplace in Japanese homes.Not just as doors, but as windows and room dividers.And each is a work of art, put together by craftspeople like Toshio Odata using the same tools they did a thousand years ago. Impressive, unique, "woodworker friendly" instruction guide.
Shoji is the word for Japanese sliding doors and screens made of wood. Their making requires a degree of skill and attention to detail previously thought to be beyond the reach of amateur woodworkers. Now master craftsmanToshio Odate provides an illustrated,step-by-step, compendium ofpractical instruction that will enable the novice to successfully createand assemble two shoji projects: the common sliding screen with hipboard,plus an intricate transom featuring the beautiful asanoha pattern. Buildingon this foundation, Odate gives construction details and nots on eightshoji variations. Technical chapters cover the Japanese mortise-and-tenonjoint, shoji paper, and home-made rice glue. Making Shoji is an impressive,unique, highly recommended, "do-it-yourself" woodworker friendlyinstruction guide. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts / Hobbies    2. Design and construction    3. Hobbies/Crafts    4. Shoji screens    5. Woodwork - Furniture/Cabinetry    6. Handicrafts    7. Hobbies, Quizzes & Games    8. Woodworking