Book Description
The Complete Illustrated Guide to Furniture and Cabinet Construction is the ultimate reference work -- a graphic, step-by-step presentation of basic furniture-construction techniques. Expert woodworker Andy Rae brings organization, enthusiasm, and more than 20 years' experience to this essential book. Readers will acquire a working knowledge of woodworking materials, a higher level of control over their work and tools, and an understanding of basic design principles. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (42)

VERY nice book
Got this for my husband for his birthday and he loves it.Hasn't had a chance to build anything since, but it will definately come in handy.The quality of the book itself is very good especially for how low the price was.There are good pictures to follow and very thorough information and directions.

Great as reference or tutorial
I don't buy many woodworking books because most, especially the ones sold by home centers, aren't very good.They lack detail, they're incomplete, and I often get the feeling that they're just cranked out without much thought.But this one caught my eye in a local bookstore and I'm glad I bought it.

First of all, the book can be used either as a reference or as a complete primer on woodworking.There's lots of information there, but not so much that you get bogged down.At first I just used it to brush up on specific topics, and then I went back to the first page and started reading it straight through.It's well-written; words are used well and not wasted.Photography is superb.Despite the reference to generic "Furniture" in the title, the book is heavily oriented toward cabinets, which it covers in great detail, even to the point of describing how to construct multi-light glass doors.

The first few pages are a little off-putting as the author describes what he considers an appropriate collection of tools and a space to put them in; unfortunately, many woodworking books assume that the reader has acres of space in which to set up a shop.As you read on, though, the text is more friendly toward the hobbyist.

In short, this is a great woodworking reference or tutorial.Don't be put off by the beginning of the book; it gets better.And the Amazon price for this book is much lower than the $40 I paid in the bookstore.

disappointed
I found this book very disappointing.The pictures were very pretty but that is pretty much it.The illustrations were confusing and of little use.It gives too much of an overview and no real specifics.I found woodworking for dummies to be a much better book for the beginning woodworker.

The benchmark book on furniture making
It is well known that woodworkers have different styles. I think Andy Ray's style will work for majority people trying to learn woodworking. His writing is clear, and he also presents thoughts in logical way. Thus, the book precisely explain why he does this way but not another.

Great Resource for Beginners
I purchased this book because I had the interest to learn more about furniture design and building technique. It's very well written, easy to understand and the quality photos help visualize the instructions of the author. It's a great resource to beginners because of the structure of the book. It starts with basic tools and their use, workshop design, and then moves on to basic wood explanations and building techniques. It also gives you ideas on additional readings if you'd like to research a topic in more detail. I would recommend this book to anyone that is interested woodworking by making it a part of your home library. ... Read more

Book Description
The holy grail of all home woodworkers is the carefully crafted, expertly finished cabinet. No other shop project calls upon and displays a woodworker's skills so decisively. With Classic Cabinetry, Woodsmith sets out eleven major projects in exquisite detail, including a hanging wallcase, charming apothecary cabinet, and the tour de force cherry wardrobe. Whatever your choice, this book has all the inspiration and information you need to create heirloom quality woodworking projects. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great projects, great drawings, great discussion on methods
This book has great drawings on methods of construction for cabinet work.Many drawings for each project showing router and saw use methods along with materials lists and stock cutting diagrams.

There are 11 projects with many drawer and door variations for each.From small display cases to large wardrobes.Very good looking designs.Each project has detailed construction sequences and shop tips.

Nice spiral binding hard cover makes for a book that lays open perfectly for shop use. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Any woodworker knows that the usefulness of common woodshop tools, both hand and power, is limited to a few basic functions. This is where the use of jigs and shop accessories comes in to create infinite possibilities, shortcuts, and faster or more accurate ways of using common tools to create extraordinary woodworking results. Here are some of America's most clever woodworkers' tips on guiding tools and solutions for common problems found in the woodshop. Included is expert advice on choosing the right materials for jig-making, special-purpose work benches and workbench fixtures, router tables and jigs for joinery and shaping, table-saw jigs for ripping, cross-cutting, joinery and safety, jigs for drill presses, lathes, planers, and chop saws that will show the woodworker how to produce nearly any kind of finished piece imaginable in less time and with greater accuracy. This detailed and well-illustrated book will no doubt become a fixture in many woodshops and will be referred to repeatedly by both hobbyists and professional woodworkers. --Mark A. HettsBook Description
Finishing often seems to require more alchemy than skill. This book takes the magic and guesswork out of finishing by collecting the best recent material on finishing written by experts ranging from finishing chemists to America's best amateur woodworkers. These are practical solutions and accessible finishes, enabling anyone to get a great looking finish every time. Chapters include surface preparation, hand finishing tools and techniques, coloring wood, and special techniques. This is a must-have reference for weekend refinishers and woodworkers alike. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

More modern info online for free
Save your dough, buy a different book or get your info somewhere else, online for free. Ancient.

Surface Values
Finishes & Finishing Techniques is part of Taunton Press' essentials of woodworking series.It is the first of two compilations from Fine Woodworking that cover a wide variety of finishing techniques and styles.This wide spread of material, and the variety of opinions that a collection of articles can present make this a valuable resource for the woodworker, although I think that a good introductory book is still a necessity.Fine Woodworking articles are written for practitioners with a certain amount of experience and confidence, exploring a lot of the variations that are possible.This can be overwhelming for someone who just wants to put a nice finish on that all-important first project.

The structure of the book is straightforward - sections on surface preparation, coloring wood, hand finishing, spray finishing, water-based finishes, and special techniques.I found the special techniques particularly interesting in that it provided an approach to blotch free cherry finishing that has become the basis for most of the finishing I do.There are also some articles on aging, antiquing, and repairs.And even an article on not finishing at all which is a bit eye-opening.

This is all good, well-written material, but don't expect to absorb it in one sitting.When you are contemplating a new project this is one of the best resources for finding solutions and coming up with a new approach rather than the same old rubbing finish.

We can all learn new tricks
The book is filled with secrets, tips, tricks and techniques of the all elusive perfect finish.
Even after 35 years in cabinet making I found the chapters well researched and extremely informative.
Did you ever find yourself saying, "Oh yeah... that's how that works!"? You'll say that a few times when reading this one.

Very Useful Book
I found the book quite comprehensive, including information on how the "pros" do it. I was not interested in obtaining the finish found on most medium-quality furniture (lacquer applied with a hvlp spray gun).I wanted to learn about French polishing, finishing with shellac, dying vs. staining wood - generally, how to create fine hand-rubbed finishes.This book explains how. It also told you where to obtain hard-to-find materials.

Enough Books for the Weekend Refinisher!
Aren't there enough finishing books written for the hobbyist? How about a book that shows the hobbyists how they can get professional looking finishes by using professional tools, techniques and materials? Books like this keep the hobbyist at hobbyist levels, never raising the stakes or the standards. The big fault is the publisher, Taunton Press because this publisher is not interested in focusing on the true craft of wood finishing.

If other crafts were treated as immaturely as wood finishing, weekend woodworkers would build nothing more complicated than popsicle stick houses. Only the craft of wood finishing gets this bay treatment approach when it comes to publishing books. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

The key word here is"Fine"
If you want to truely refine or up grade your woodworking skills,buy this book! The editors of Fine Woodworking are among,if not "the", leading comtributers to the art of woodworking today.

not bad
This isn't a bad book but it,s clearly a load of dated articles stuck together in an attempt to teach those who wish to make drawers & boxes a little something that in my opinion takes a long time to truely master. It's suggested in the book how easy it is to make dovetails, I've been making kitchens for years and it takes a long time to learn what you really NEED to know about these things. Take it from me it's easy to talk the talk.
There are better books out there that cover this subject in a more informative and enjoyable manner, try any of Jim Tolpin's woodworking books and you,ll see what I mean.

Classic Treatises
Some of the very best from the early years of Fine Woodworking Magazine by some of the Titans of the Seventies.These techniques are as fresh and informative today as they were when they were written.

One of FWW's Best of the "Best Of" Series
40+ reprinted articles from Fine Woodworking magazine by such masters as Tage Frid, Ian Kirby, Mark Duginske, Jim Cummins and many others.

General subject matter includes:

Joinery -- box joint jig, blind finger joints, plate joinery, tapered sliding dovetails, hand dovetails.

Boxes --bandsawn, box design, bookmatching boards for.

Carcases -- European stylecabinets, blanket chests, open, stereo cabinets.

Drawers -- generalhow-to, bottoms, making your own hardware, miters/tape/glue, panels forlids.

Miscellany -- drawer stop ideas, hanging doors, panel cutting,french fitting.

All in all, this is a well rounded, authoritative andtremendously helpful volume for the advanced amateur cabinetmaker. I havepersonally used many of the techniques described herein on my own projectswith much success and am all the better craftsman for it.

Highlyrecommended. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

good for some!!!
This book has some interesting projects and i like how it is organize. WHat i don't get are some of the projects it has, i mean it is suppose to be about modern furniture and i really don't care about wheels and some oold fashion pieces.

I didn't think this book is what it says it is.
I had a number of problems with this book, which basically come down to that I wanted a book on "modern" furniture - a style developed in the 20's and 30's - but that's not what the book means by "modern", they mean "of today". Few of the projects in the book are in the "modern" style I was looking for. Many are rustic or distinctly pre-modern in style.

The book is a collection of articles from Fine Woodworking magazine. Some of them are indeed "projects" as the title implies, but many of them read more like "a brief discussion of things you could do" instead. The ones I would call "projects" go on with the assumption that they will present a piece of furniture, show plans, and describe how it is made. The others basically show a few photos of furniture and discuss their features and a few details of their construction, without actually showing anything about what to do. I found this particularly frustrating as most of the few pieces in the book that I really liked were merely shown without much discussion.

If you just want a book of articles about making furniture, it's a well printed book and I suppose the articles could be interesting in that context. However, if you're looking for a book about making furniture in the 20's/30's "modern" style, I don't think this is it. ... Read more

Book Description
A woodworker's guide to building professional-looking cabinets and shelves. Even a novice can build any of the 20 classic cabinet and shelving projects from some of the country's best woodworkers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

great insight into varying furniture designs
This book has helped me with multiple projects throughout the years.While some of the projects are not things I generally build, the collection of pieces throughout this book provide the fundamentals required to design and create almost anything.I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to learn or simply needs ideas ... one of the best books I ever bought.

great insight into varying furniture designs
This book has helped me with multiple projects throughout the years.While some of the projects are not things I generally build, the collection of pieces throughout this book provide the fundamentals required to design and create almost anything.I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to learn or simply needs ideas ... one of the best books I ever bought.

Advanced Woodworkers only
If you are looking for a book on fine furniture type cabinetry which will never be within the ability of the average homeowner, then get this book--it would look great resting on a coffee table.However, if you are looking for practical nuts-and-bolts information about construction of cabinets then buy Danny Proulx's book: "Build Your Own Kitchen Cabinets".

Cabinetry: The woodworkers guide to professional looking cab
I think the book is great for beginers as well as advanced woodworkers.I am a woods/cabinetry teacher. I have 25 of these books that I use as text books in my advanced woods classes. This is the second school I have usedthis book in.I have made a work book that covers the first half of thebook asking the students to find many of the tips and techniques given inthe book.The kids like the book more than an ordinary textbook because itgives information to them that they can use right now.Many of my studentsmake these projects or we modify them to meet the needs of the students.Ithink it is a great book.

good for beginers how to and inspiration for experianced
I first read this book as a beginner and now five years later I still refer to it and get ideas for more intricate projects. Very well edited so any one can read it. Because it has so many differant writers you get a lotof differant ideas ... Read more

Book Description
Once woodworkers master basic techniques and have some experience building projects, they begin to look for inspiration. For over 30 years woodworkers have turned to Fine Woodworking magazine, not only for the wide variety of projects offered, but because the designs offer a level of refinement and sophistication not found in other magazine projects. A signature feature of Fine Woodworking project articles is detailed exploded drawings. Some of these plans are works of art in themselves and reward careful study with insights into the basis of good furniture design. For the many woodworkers who come from engineering and other technical disciplines, these plans are worth the price of the book alone.

This book collects the furniture and accessory articles that contain exploded drawings from the last 15 years of Fine Woodworking. It is organized by type of furniture (tables, beds, case pieces, etc.). The book contains approximately 60-65 projects. Because there is such a wide variety of styles, projects types, and skill levels, it should appeal to a wide range of woodworkers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Excellent Value at $17
I really like this book. I've built several pieces following articles from Fine Woodworking magazine and have always been very pleased with their how-to articles.

Unfortunately, each piece of furniture in this book is short on how-to information.Each piece has a complete measured drawing but the construction details are pretty much left for the reader to determine. Several pieces would benefit from more detailed construction advice. But a solid intermediate-level woodworker will be able to build everything shown in here.

I was surprised to see the Newport secretary included here. Anyone that intends to build a piece of furniture that will require at least 1000 hours to complete will probably want the complete article (and not the abridged version found here) and will probably do extensive research before undertaking such a monumental project.

furniture books
As with all the Fine Woodworking books, this has lots of detail and good picturesif you like fine woodworking magazine, you'll
like this book, although you may already have some of the articles

Wide-ranging survey of furniture plans
Readers of Taunton's "In the [fill in the blank] style" books will recognize many of the designs featured here since much content is duplicated. However, there is enough new material amongst the ~65 designs to make _Furniture_ appealing in its own right. Arranged by category (bookcases, tables, office furniture, etc.), each section begins with a short introduction and includes a measured drawing and completed photographs of the piece. Notably absent are detailed step-by-step instructions, which may intimidate novice woodworkers. However, the scope and variety of projects will have broad appeal for those looking to reproduce specific projects or looking for ideas to incorporate into their own work. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Articles on 18th Century Furniture
I was a bit leery of this book because it's a collection of articles.My previous experience with collections of articles has not been good - usually they're just a bunch of unrelated stories with no real continuity or theme.

I was very pleasantly surprised by this book.Although this is a collection of articles that appeared in early issues of Fine Woodworking, they build on each other, with very few "junk" articles in the collection.The first article discusses the quality of period joinery and quotes a modern woodworker, Robert Emmertt, as having promised himself, "If I ever got to touch a piece of Goddard furniture, I'd never wash my hand.But now I have seen the back of a genuine Goodard piece and its drawers.And I wash my hands.My construction is better."

What the article points out is that our woodworking ancestors built furniture for a living - not for art.A modern woodworker, even one with a limited shop, can build period furniture that's as good or better than even Townsend and Goodard.The follow-on articles include pointers to books with measure drawings of period furniture, instructions for building Queen Ann Cabriole legs and Chippendale "claw and ball" feet, and an interesting article on "hidden drawers".It also contains instruction for building a blockfront chest, including a scale drawing of two pieces of blockfront furniture (at 1/4 scale).

There are a few "junk" articles, of course, (for example, "A Small Highboy") but there's not many in the collection.If you have an interest in period furniture, this is an excellent resource.

If you're just getting started in woodworking, don't buy this book - you'll be lost.But if you're reasonably proficient, this is an excellent book, especially if you're looking to improve your ability to build period furniture.Highly recommended! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

back in print!
This will be released by Taunton Press, supposedly October 2005. Good thing I didn't win one on ebay. Wait for the new one, or wait for used prices to drop.

November 2005: Now Taunton tells me they will only release this book with the slipcase set that contains all three volumes. That's disappointing. Still, I guess that they will eventually release this book by itself. Probably sometime after the holidays.

Good book...
...that provides solid information on building and designing furniture. This focuses more on the design part while the first two books in the series focus on basics and techniques.

All the basic knowledge that is needed to create furniture
This is a great beginner level to intermediate level book for building furniture.Lots of photos of different ways to make joints.Although this book is short on words, it makes up for it by showing how to make jointsand furniture.Tage Frid is a master craftsman and this book is a nononsense guide on woodworking. ... Read more

Book Description
Woodworking Techniques brings together the best articles on the construction techniques necessary for both amateurs and pros to assemble, decorate, and complete fine furniture. The editors provide seasoned advice from well-known experts in the field on every type of furniture project, with special focus on details such as hinges and locks, moldings, veneers, and inlay. Over 300 illustrations and photos help move projects from the idea stage to reality. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

a book for advanced amateurs
Well written well illustrated, its a book for serius amateurs looking for a very accurate and detailed way to fit a drawer, install hinges, locks and several other tips useful for an advanced amateur or woodworker in smallscale and/or fine work. It is not for industrial scale production. Thechapter on veneering and inlay is just a copy from a good book published byfine woodworking:Veneering Marquetry and Inlay. Overall, it's a goodbook,that will give a severalgood ideas, however don't expect theultimate guide in woodworking techniques. ... Read more

Book Description
Simple and beautiful, Arts & Crafts furniture designs offer an excellent learning medium for furniture building. The Arts & Crafts style allows the craftsman to build a quality piece of furniture in a reasonable amount of time while providing a very successful and satisfying experience.

This book offers a collection of twenty-five Arts & Crafts furniture projects for every room in your home. Some of the projects are accurate reproductions of the original furniture pieces, while others are loving adaptations of the style. In addition to the projects in the book, we've included a Bonus CD-ROM with ten furniture projects and ten technique articles to provide even more information on construction and finishing.

This book represents a collection ofprojects that the Popular Woodworking staff considers to be some of most visually appealing pieces of furniture ever created. ... Read more

Book Description
Designing Furniture covers every step in the design process from inspiration to construction strategy, including learning from established styles, creating plans for unique furniture, and choosing among construction options. The practical, process-oriented approach makes the subject accessible to woodworkers with no formal design training. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Designing Furniture (New Best of Fine Woodworking)
The book is Fine but I bought it as a package deal with it's companion book (Practical Design Solutions and Strategies) and many of the areas are identcal - right down to the photographs a furniture pieces used. The information is good and is useful - clear and concise.

Much of the book is interesting but not essential
The first have of the book is spent going over the history of furniture and how to draw up your designs for furniture.It even goes so far as to tell you how to make your own drafting table.I found the first have fairly uninformative and dry.The rest of the book does a decent job of describing furniture design.

Nice collection of articles...
As with most books from Taunton of this type, this contains articles from Fine Woodworking(It's another "Best Of" series).

The articles are informative and the images are good. It provides some good information on design elements in furniture. Though not inclusive of all areas, it provides good information and many areas.

This is a must have book for all woodworkers.
Though its no secret that I am a big fan of the Taunton Press, I feel that this book stands out as one of their best.Having been a serious home woodworker for a decade now, I benefitted greatly from the information contained in this book.As always, the illustrations and color photography are well done and often stunning. The editors did a great job of deciding what subjects to cover and then finding just the right articles to cover those subjects.

The five major areas covered in this book are: design inspiration, design development, "construction by design", designing furniture, and designing for style and function.In just these five areas, there is a wealth of information that will help woodworkers of any level, from understanding elements of style to designing your own sideboard.I especially liked the tips given in the article "Models Help Projects Succeed".

No matter if you are a novice or a self proclaimed expert, there is something of interest here for you.Highly recommended!

Steps to Fine Wood Work
As I've mentioned before the good thing about the 'Best of Fine Woodworking' series is that the articles are almost consistently good. The authors are drawn from the best of today's practitioners and teachers of woodworking, the writing carefully crafted for depth and clarity, and the quality of illustration is outstanding. In fact the only complaint I have ever had is that articles are often presented in a disorganized fashion, which can be frustrating for the reader with some specific information need in mind.

This time I can't even complain about that. Instead the articles are divided up into sections on 'Finding Design Inspiration', 'Developing Designs and Organizing Projects', 'Construction by Design', 'Designing Furniture', and 'Designing for Form and Function.' Admittedly, these are not perfectly clear distinctions, but as you look through the volume you can get a feel for why the distinctions have been made.

The design application articles are really the meat of the book. Articles like 'Joining Legs to Aprons' and 'Side Board Strategies,' are breathtaking and their detail. Be warned that Fine Woodworking doesn't believe in cutting corners. The joinery is both traditional and painstaking and nobody balks at a complicated task. But whether you are reading for inspiration or for good practical guidance, you will fine much of that here.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A good reference.
This is a good reference for those looking to create a unique look in your bedroom furniture. I recommend it. ... Read more

Book Description
The author of The Shaper Book, The Band Saw Book, and The Complete Illustrated Guide to Shaping Wood, Lonnie Bird now brings us Taunton's Complete Illustrated Guide to Using Woodworking Tools. Here the reader is given a step-by-step guide that covers the essential techniques for using hand and power tools. Along with over 900 color photographs and illustrations, a correct set-up, safe use of machines, and skillful use of hand tools is also included. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Good book to round out the Set
I began woodworking about one year ago and started by taking some classes at the local woodworking store. I had the idea in my head to build a wooden chest and finding a good starting place was not easy. Most of the wood workers I encounter are all over the spectrum of skill. No one really had a comprehensive method for teaching woodworking or where to start with the tools of woodworking. I think that this book gives a great start when it comes to selection of necessary tools as well as some general knowledge of how to use them. Keep in mind that a book can not accurately describe the pressure and overall feel of how to use a Plane or any other tool for that matter. These kinds of skills must come from doing.

I have all the other Taunton press books in the "Complete Illustrated" set and I think that together I have a great reference set to begin designing and working with wood. They also all match each other and this makes my bookshelf look good as well. I would recommend the hardcover over the soft cover because it can be more easily used in the shop this way.

OKish book
This is a good book. However, Lonnie Bird writes not as clear as Gary Rogowski, Andy Ray or especially Kelly Mehler. This is also applied to his "Band saw" book.
There is no clear analysis of cons and pros of different tools. Use of the tools does not contain alternative approaches too. He really thinks that only high end equipment is useful.

Another Excellent Publication By Lonnie Bird
Publications by Lonnie Bird are always excellent and informative to woodworkers, and this one achieves the same high level.I am enjoying reading Illustrated Guide to Using Woodworking Tools and looking forward to more time in the workshop with this publication.

Beautifull book, lack substance.
Overall this book is very well illustrated, it contains information on some tools and put an emphasis on hand tools.

The book is basically a catalog of the different tools and the basic techniques to use them.

I was expecting to at least have some discussions on how to set them up, and care for them. I was also hoping to find more detail discussion on how to chose a power tool (other than you can find some great bargain on used items).
There is a small section on sharpening but I guess you need to buy the book dedicated to the subject to go anywhere.

Excellent Woodworker's Tool
A basic guide that covers just about all you need to know on the subject.Taunton is always the source to use for the best in anything to do with carpentry and home repair. ... Read more