Subjects:  1. Construction - Carpentry    2. Do-It-Yourself    3. General    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. House & Home    6. Remodeling & Renovation - General    7. Building construction & materials    8. Home furnishing & decoration    9. House & Home / Design & Construction    10. House maintenance    11. Woodworking   

Subjects:  1. 21st century    2. Art    3. Catalogs    4. Chair design    5. Design    6. Design - Furniture    7. Furniture Arts And Crafts    8. General    9. History    10. Photography    11. Art / Design / Furniture   

Reviews (2)

Make a Windsor Chair , Dunbar
Excellent book dealing ONLY with the construction of the Windor chair. Dunbar takes the reader through the selection and riving of wood, adzing of the seat and turning of the chair legs, through to the finished construction of the chair. Dunbar also explains the construction of a steaming setup and jigs for the bending of wood(s). Dunbar runs a school on the making of Windors and this would be the textbook students use to learn Dunbar's methods. A "can't miss, no regrets" purchase.

Clear, Concise, & to the point
I not only have this book, I have made a chair in Mike's workshop in New Hampshire.Mike has been instrumental both through his writings and teachings in the recent revival of interest in the making of Windsor chairsby hand much as they were made hundreds of years ago.His book is mydefinitive resource for questions about Windsor chair construction when Iam working in my shop.In this day and age where most of our furniture ismass produced by machines using wood composites and other man madematerials it is refreshing to see how fine furniture was once (and incertain places still is) crafted directly from the forest with nothing buthand tools and the skilled hands of the chairwright ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Chairs    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Design - Furniture    5. Furniture making    6. General    7. Hobbies/Crafts    8. Windsor chairs    9. Woodwork - Furniture/Cabinetry    10. Woodwork Arts And Crafts    11. Crafts & Hobbies / Woodwork    12. Furniture & cabinetmaking    13. Woodworking   

Reviews (8)

HVLP spraying
I just recently bought a HVLP spray gun and need to understand how to use it properly and this book was recommended to me as a good guide and it is. Beyond that I learned a lot about the basics of spray finishing and paints and stains.I have been using a high pressure spray gun for years and now I understand why I had problems occasionally, wish I had this book then.The book also explains the easy way to clean up after spraying, which is always the job I hate.All around good book on the basics.

Need specifics
Enjoyed the mechanics and how tos BUT we novices need brand names so we can buy with impunity.The book left me wanting information that could easily have been included.Frustrated and still looking.

Good book, somewhat dated
There are several good books on finishing avaiable.I like the Jeff Jewitt books along with the higher quality of the page material that the graphics are printed on.This book is not up to date with the latest materials or finishes and is printed on lower grade paper which yields poorer images than the Taunton series of books.It has some good information but is pretty much average. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Do-It-Yourself    3. Do-It-Yourself - General    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. Spray painting    6. Wood finishing    7. Woodwork - General    8. Woodworking    9. Crafts & Hobbies / Woodwork   

Reviews (5)

Good as a picture book
This will give you creative ideas on different playhouses, but it won't show you how to build them. Out of 50 or so pictures, only 2 or 3 have plans; and general plans at that.

Ideas Yes, Plans No
Basically a pictures only book of professional designed and built playhouses.Some of the photos are of poor quality and should not have been included.Forget about the Plans part, they are mediocre at best.You may find inspiration in the photos, but I was underwhelmed with the purchase.

Misleading Title -
This is a picture book with a few "plans" but does not contain details necessary to undertake a building project.If you want to look at photographs so that you can get some ideas, than this book will be helpful.If you want a book to guide you through the steps necessary to construct a playhouse - this is not the one. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Children's playhouses    3. Do-It-Yourself    4. Domestic    5. House & Home    6. Reference    7. Woodworking   

Reviews (1)

Coffee table book, or better
I bought this book to provide me with some background information on bentwood furniture and it seems to me that it performs this task quite adequately. There are plenty of high quality color photographs of survivingfurniture; these are combined with historic black&white photographs.The accompanying text describes basic principles clearly and provides afair bit of history. Read more

Subjects:  1. 1796-1871    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Austria    4. Bentwood furniture    5. Crafts & Hobbies    6. Decorating    7. Design - Furniture    8. Furniture Arts And Crafts    9. Gebruder Thonet    10. Gebrèuder Thonet    11. General    12. History    13. History - General    14. Thonet, Michael,    15. Woodwork - Furniture/Cabinetry    16. Art / Design / Product    17. Furniture & cabinetmaking    18. Handicrafts    19. Thonet, Michael   

Reviews (6)

Joints with powertools
This is a top book on joints. This books deals exclusively with joints and is full of information.There are some jigs shown at the beginning with plans that will allow you to create some of the common or not so common joints.The book is written simply and is attractive.If you use your table saw a lot you will like this book but a router and bandsaw are used in some of the joints.In the back of the book there is a small gallery.If you ever had any questions about joints they are probably explained in this book.I am pleased with this book you should also be.

Engineered To Simplicity, A Powerful Book
Classic Joints with Power Tools by Yeung Chan is unique amongst books on wood working. Logical, concise, and written by someone with a wealth of experience. The unique thing is how adept he is in explaining it; yes, an excellent teacher.
Classic Joints with Power Tools
I know Yeung and have taken a number of classes with him.At first, I was surprised to hear that he was writing a book on power tools.He is the master of hand work skill and sensitivity.His philosophy of furnituremaking is one of respectfulness and thoughtfulness about the wood, the design of the peice and the process of creating it.This book on using power tools carries this philosophy through in the directness and clearity of his discritptions, explaination and instruction.His familiarity of the process of joinery is so complete that the information flows to the reader as if they are having a friendly converstaion with Yeung about the ins and outs of what to do and how to do it.I recommend this book fully. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Home Improvement / Construction    3. House & Home    4. Joints (Engineering)    5. Power Tools    6. Woodworking    7. BG-HOUSE & HOME - BG-GARDENING    8. House & Home / Woodworking   

Reviews (10)

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

want to learn segmented turning? get the book
This book is extremely well written and easy to understand with its great attention to detail.The photos and writings in this book are very detailed from beginning to end. Its truly like taking a course having an instructor explaining to you its that well written. Read the book, the guy is a natural born teacher. The book is printed on high quality sturdy pages. the photos are great. The book is so well detailed that every doubt or question i had was always answered within a page and a half. no questions were unanswered. He tells you how to turn with minimal tools and without complex formulas.If your just starting out get this book it could save you lots of money time and heartache. this book could be used by intermediate turners as well. This is the most detailed and best written instructional book i have ever read with exception of an html book.

Recommended for beginner
I just started turning segmented bowls 6 weeks ago - I started turning about 5 months ago.The turning club I joined recommended this book if I could only get one and Ray Allen's if I wanted two.I got both.Ray's seems more for advanced turners to me.This one sits by my table and I constantly refer to it as I'm building my first trys at segementing.
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Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Hobbies/Crafts    4. Turning    5. Woodwork    6. Woodwork - General    7. Woodwork Arts And Crafts    8. Woodworking    9. Crafts & Hobbies / Woodwork   

Reviews (4)

Good book on banjo construction
While this is a good book and will teach you many things about wood selection and how to cut, what materials to select, how to stain and with what-basically it takes you from the lumbar yard for selection of raw materials to the back porch and pickin your newly constructed banjo there are some well known errors in the book-particularly with the proper length of the fretboard for correct intonation.overall this is a very good book and if you keep a keen eye open for the inconsistancies you will build a killer banjo (or at least a killer kit banjo)

Incredible resource
I am an advanced woodworker and know what I am looking at in regard to how-to wood working books.This book is so definitive and complete that it is the standard I will use for other books of its kind. Although it is a technical book there is also bits of supporting theory about the "why" of the "how-to".Although there were some things I know little about, such as inlaying work, I found myself inspired to get into areas that before I would avoid.Great book, Roger.

A Basic Handbook for Banjo Builders
Every prospective banjo builder should have this book. It is thorough and exhaustive. If you have the proper tools and are willing to take your time, you can build a perfectly good banjo with the information in this book.Read more

Subjects:  1. Banjo    2. Construction    3. Genres & Styles - Country & Bluegrass - General    4. Music    5. Music/Songbooks    6. Musical Instruments - Construction And Repair    7. Musical Instruments - Strings    8. Reference    9. Woodwork - General    10. Music / Musical Instruments / General   

Reviews (3)

Outstanding Book -Dont miss it
This is an outstanding book, with plenty of pictures - great insider material on furniture and architecture.And I already have a design MA with my own firm.

Underwhelming and overpriced
The text of this volume is decent and well organized but in the area that most designers are interested in, visual examples, it is sorely lacking. A very minimal section of color photographs (which jump from Roman to the Renaissance. No sign of the Gothic)and a series of low contrast black and white ones are augmented with a series of uninspired drawings. All of this might still be helpful and useful were it not for the price. There are many volumes on furniture and decor that have come on the market recently which are superior in their content and priced more reasonably.

Better for furniture/antiques dealers than designers
This book is a good encyclopedia of the history of interior design going back to ancient era- it catalogues the general overview for each period chronologically, explaining the function and materiality of a space or piece of furniture.The book is particularly nice for classifying particular styles of furniture and may be more suited to an antiques dealer or furniture dealer than a professional interior designer.The major problem i have with the book is that most if not all of the photographs are black and white, and it completely skips the modern era of design, pretty much ending with the turn of the 19th century.No mention of my favorites like Mies van der Rohe or Mr. Wright.This absence somehow makes this book seem incomplete. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Design - Furniture    3. Furniture design    4. History    5. Interior Design - General    6. Interior architecture    7. Interior decoration    8. Architecture / Decoration & Ornament    9. Furniture & cabinetmaking    10. History Of Art / Art & Design Styles    11. Interior design   

Reviews (23)

Excellent with lots of great information
I haven't always been as much of a fan of Frid as others but no one can question his command of woodworking. I think that his stools are some of the nicest designs anywhere. His technical knowledge of woodworking shines here in this book. He is an obvious master of his craft. His books are much more oriented toward 'doing' than James Krenov's books and many people will find it much more useful. There is a wealth of information here, not only in brute technique, but in tips and hints that make shop life a little more pleasant. I learn a bit more each time I read it. Good book.

Wonderful, Must-Have Book
This is, quite simply put, a fantastic book that every woodworker should own.I highly recommend this book for many of the reasons that others have already written about.Trust their impression...this is a great book!

Best Book for Beginner to Intermediate Woodworkers!
Tage Frid presents a book that is well organized and insightful. I thought I had a good working knowledge of wood movement and joinery, but Frid offers some points that will help you make furniture that will last generations. The text does contain black and white pictures that can be hard to see, however, if you follow along in the text it will be clear what is being depicted. To address an earlier comment, this is an instruction manual for people interested in the finer points of woodworking and IS NOT a book for "crafty" people who think it would be chic to have a book about woodworking. Frid has been working wood for more than 50 years and his experience and expertise show through in this well written text. If you are interested in making fine pieces of furniture, then this book is a must read! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts / Hobbies    2. Do-It-Yourself    3. House & Home    4. Woodwork    5. Woodwork - General    6. Woodworking    7. Crafts & Hobbies / Woodwork    8. Other manufacturing technologies   

Subjects:  1. Amateurs' manuals    2. Construction - General    3. Crafts & Hobbies    4. Crafts / Hobbies    5. Handbooks, manuals, etc    6. Hobbies/Crafts    7. Woodwork    8. Woodwork - General    9. Woodwork Arts And Crafts    10. Woodworking    11. Woodworking tools    12. Crafts & Hobbies / Woodwork   

Reviews (3)

A good book for the beginner.
This book is a good book for the beginning woodworker, or someone who wants to make a few frames for their photos. A good book for the beginner.
This book is a good book for the beginning woodworker, or someone who wants to make a few frames for their photos. How to Make Your Own Picture Frames
Excellent book for the beginner (me!).Clear and concise.Excellent step-by-step instructions with photos for each and every step.This book covers all aspects of frame construction, painting, mats, glass-cutting andusage.A great book to trigger your own ideas to create customframes.Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Framing    5. Picture frames and framing    6. Reference    7. Woodwork - General    8. Woodwork Arts And Crafts    9. Picture framing   

Editorial Review

Let me be very clear about this: GET THIS BOOK. You may have an interest in hand tools and carpentry, or you may not. But this is a lovingly written book by a gifted storyteller and wit, and a damn entertaining read! It is about interacting with tools, but it is also the author's memoir of delightful characters he has known: teachers, mentors, and personal heroes. Much more than a "how-to" book, it is about a love for humanity, good humor, and creativity. It reads like a novel--and a good one! ... Read more

Reviews (12)

A truly amazing book
I was given this years ago, read it in a week and loved it, then forgot the title when trying to describe it to a friend.It is a shame it is out of print.
Absolutely loved it!!
I picked up this book about 6 years ago at a B&N store...and finished reading it in one sitting in my yard. Trust me when I tell you that it is not often when I feel overwhelmed by anything. But this book, with its simple prose, made me gulp several times. Keep in mind that it is not a depressing read. On the contrary, it can be funny as heck at times!

A wonderful book, a great gift.
It's a shame that this book is now out of print and likely to become scarce, as I have given it on several occasions and have always received many thanks in return.
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Subjects:  1. Anecdotes    2. Carpentry    3. Construction - Carpentry    4. Crafts & Hobbies    5. Crafts / Hobbies    6. History    7. Hobbies/Crafts    8. House construction    9. Popular works    10. Tools    11. Woodwork - Furniture/Cabinetry    12. Woodwork - General    13. Body, Mind & Spirit / General    14. Handicrafts    15. Hobbies, Quizzes & Games    16. Woodworking   

Reviews (6)

Interesting Reading,,,,,Good For Straight , Conventional Stair Building.
This book will not give you all of the information required to build any staircase - anytime. But if you're interested in building stairs down to your basement or up to your 2nd floor addition, this is a very good source of information on the lay-out and space requirements. I felt like I was an o.k. stair builder(I'm a contractor/carpenter} and this book confirmed it. Professionals looking for new and interesting ideas will more than likely be disappointed. But if you're looking for a teaching aid for your guys, or a good book of examples of stairs, to show to your customers, then this book is a good buy.
This book has everything I needed.
I purchased every book I could find on staircase building including _Basic Stairbuilding_ (usefull but not as straightforward as this one) and _Stair Builders Handbook_ (absolutely useless - don't waste your money). Great Inexpensive Staircase Book!
I purchased the "Constructing Staircases, Balustrades & Landings" book after getting frustrated by the lack of details in the general purpose books out there, reguarding stairs. Read more

Subjects:  1. Construction - Carpentry    2. Design & Construction    3. Do-It-Yourself    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. House & Home    6. Stair building    7. BG-JUVENILE PROP - BG-JUVY ACTIVITY    8. Carpentry    9. House & Home / Design & Construction    10. Woodworking   

Reviews (1)

It was inovative and creative.
The book helped me with an assignment it was simply great it had colourmodels and detailed descriptions of how to make\build the models I have togive a big thumbs up. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Clipper ships    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Models    6. Ship models    7. Ships & Shipbuilding - Engineering    8. Woodwork - General    9. Model boats & ships    10. Transportation / Ships & Shipbuilding / History   

Reviews (2)

From the Simple to the Difficult, It's All Here
Most cruisers are not shipwrights and never will be, but that doesn't mean you can't learn to do some easy woodworking tasks. And even if you can't master the basic rudiments of joinery, because, like me, you have clumsy hands and the artistic ability of a one-eyed fruit fly, you can at least get an idea about how to use the basic hand and electric tools used in cabinetmaking. True, you most likely won't be building a boat, but Mr. Bingham has simple projects in his book that even a simpleton like me can manage, plus if you have a lot of wood on your boat, or you are one of those who is forever changing and improving your floating home, than this is a handy book to have on board.

Very Basic
This book touches on basic woodworking joinery.Its a good reference for novices.The only short commings that i could find were that it wasnt as advanced as i thought it would be. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Boating - Boatbuilding    2. Hobbies/Crafts    3. Ships & Shipbuilding - General    4. Sports & Recreation    5. Sports & Recreation / Boating    6. Woodworking   

Reviews (4)

Provides color photos & directions for a range of fountains
Paris Mannion's Create Your Own Tabletop Fountains (1-58180-103-3, $24.99) provides a fine guide to creating the fountains which have become so popular in hardware and houseware stores. From supplies and materials to crafting 15 selected fountains using shells to pots, this provides color photos and directions for a range of fountains.

Create Your Own Tabletop Fountain
Wow! Lots of great info and imaginative projects in gorgeous color layout.The feng shui cures, tips on hiding the cord, and how to drill slate were particularly helpful to me. I got a noisy pump, and this book tells ways to make it operate quietly!It answered all my questions on fountain plants, how to turn the fountain off and on without getting under the couch, where to get decorating accents, and how to water seal and patch clay pots. Awesome fountains!
Icompared several fountain making books, and found this one to have the most complete information and the best instructions. The step by step photos are better than the drawn diagrams found in other books, because they tell the exact sequence of events in building a tabletop fountain. I also found this book to have the most useable projects ( I was not interested in outdoor fountains and the plumbing challenges inherent in making them). I have already made 3 awesome fountains, the most ambitious being the copper leaf fountain, which sounds like music and drowns out the noise of traffic that I used to hear in my living room. I had no trouble putting it together following the photos and directions. When it splashed too much, I found the remedy in the book, too. The author's lists are amusing and informative (example: 10 ways to hide the cord, how to quiet noisy pumps, and 10 ways to know you need "fountains anonymous") .The book describes a fountain as an "oasis connecting you to nature." That pretty much sums up my feeling when I go home after a busy day and hear throughout my house the endless sound of falling water.Because the projects vary in difficulty,I would highly recommend this book, no matter how much fountain building experience you've had. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Decorating    4. Decorating - General    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. Tabletop fountains    7. Woodwork - General    8. Handicrafts    9. Home furnishing & decoration    10. Parties   

Reviews (1)

Good reference book for woodworkers
I liked this book.It challenges you to move past basic cabinet making to furniture quality construction.It includes good detail and suggestions that improve your skills. This book has the quality of it's namesake magazine. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cabinetwork    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Do-It-Yourself - Carpentry    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. Kitchen cabinets    7. Woodwork - Furniture/Cabinetry    8. Woodwork - General    9. Woodworking    10. Crafts & Hobbies / Woodwork    11. House & Home / Woodworking   

Reviews (3)

It's ok
I'm a brand new whittler and this guy is a tad dry for me.Or perhaps a little intimidating.All the wood carving stuff is beside my point.Good stuff; I just don't love this book.

Very helpful
This book is great for a beginner to learn all the basics of whittling. i was making a wooden chain in no time at all and im ready to go on to the more challenging projects.

The Great American Whittling Book!
Written in the thirties this is the whittler's magnum opus. Classic whittling tricks and projects, soap carving, etc. Get this book, a pocket knife and a chunck of white pine. Find a shady tree or a park bench andwhittle away. Want to make a pair of operational box jointed woodenpliers?, a ball in a cage?, a wooden chain? Tangerman will walk you throughthe process step by step. It is easier than it looks. I have a wooden chainwith a ball in a cage hanging in the shop for people to casually discover.When they do my stock goes up three or four points right away. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Carving    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Sculpture    6. Soap sculpture    7. Technique    8. Wood carving    9. Wood-carving    10. Woodwork - General    11. Carving & carvings    12. Crafts & Hobbies / Woodwork