Product Description
22 original woodworking projects informed by new England country furniture from the 18th and 19th century. Project plans include: Two Salt Boxes, Seaman's Chest, Hanging Cupboard, Chest of Drawers, Two Corner Cupboards, and more!

Each project is photographed in period homes, accompanied by historical notes and by fully illustrated step-by-step construction instructions. the book also includes articles on period hardware and finishes, on wood selection, and many other related topics. Full-color throughout: 300 color illustrations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Old Is New
Wonderful book on early American woodworking projects. Many useful items are detailed in this book.

A good book to own, but not a standalone great.
Let me start by saying, I was a little discouraged when i thumbed through and saw the designs. I was hoping for something more in line with reproduction rather than very clearly "inspired by". I would suggest for anyone looking for a wider compendium of (in my opinion) more elegant designs "American Country Furniture: Projects from the Workshop of David T. Smith".

That said, these two books combined together are great. Smith offers wonderful tips on hand techniques as well as great designs while Hambucken spends a lot of time discussing wood types, finishes, and more importantly, a detailed picture presentation on jigs and how to cut a wide variety of frame and panel doors, breadboard panels, and dovetails solely on the table saw.

All in all, I'm glad to have purchased this one, even if it wasn't for the designs. I'd say anyone looking to familiarize themselves with the many uses of their table saw beyond squaring and cutting rough lumber should definitely take a look.

Excellent Work on the Topic
I received this as a gift from my wife.She was kind enough to put tabs on the projects she wanted.This is not only a great woodworking book, it also gives you a feel for the era this furniture was constructed.We love country furniture and this book has become one of my favorites.

Super cool step by step illustrations
I bought this as a gift for someone, but they already had it. that goes to show it's a wanted item.I gave it to another friend instead of returning it and they love it.The illustrations are awesome. it's great for beginners and advanced.i love how it shows you the final product and also the step-by-step, color, illustrated directions. it gives info on hardware, stains, wood types, etc... i highly recommend this book. you just need some tools.

This book belongs in every craftsman's collection!
This book reflects the best qualities of the furniture it beautifully documents. It is elegant in its simplicity and thoroughly meets the needs of functionality. The photography is well done and shows clearly the nuances of the various pieces in authentic environments. The accompanying descriptions are brief and to the point. These points alone would make this a valuable book to own but the best part comes with the detailing of the components that make up this furniture. This covers everything from metal hardware and how it is made and used, through tools, paints and finishes, wood types and components and more.
The part of this book that most impresses me is the illustrative method for the various projects. Speaking as a retired technical illustrator I can only say "Well done!". The projects are clear and show the proper sequencing of steps without restraining the design. This means that a project can be fitted to the materials available and the needs of the user, much as the original furniture was made. Along with this are well executed illustrations for jigs and setups for modern power tools. The details for mortise, tenons, and traditional effects using modern tools are outstanding. I would treasure this book for this aspect alone. ... Read more

Product Description
The Shakers wanted their belongings to reflect the simplicity and perfection revered in their religion. Their furniture, with its clean lines and attention to detail, is still the most popular style of furniture more than a century after it was first designed. This book walks readers through a variety of Shaker-inspired projects ranging from beginning to advanced. It provides an overview of hallmark Shaker details, illustrated step-by-step instructions, and a gallery of photographs of successful projects. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Decent book
The book is decent on it's selection of Shaker style furniture and steps on building them.The pictures are a bit thin and the steps themselves are sometimes cloudy and not very clear.Over all, it is a good book to have in your library to have as inspiration, but don't expect too much.

Excellent book
This book covers the design elements and construction of Shaker styled furniture.It also lightly covers the history.

There are several plans, unfortunately not the one on the cover.But, it should not be too hard to take what's in the book and create a plan for it as sizes are given.

Some more plans covering the gallery items, especially the cover item, would have been nice.But, overall it is a really good book. ... Read more

Product Description
*Pleasant Hill Shaker furniture is second to none in it's design and beauty

*The featured technical illustrations are works of art that will instruct and inspire the reader like nothing they've seen before

*Contains previously unknown facts about Shaker furniture and the Shaker way of life

With its beauty and simplicity, Shaker furniture has inspired generations of furniture makers like no other style in the world. This book details the construction and design of some rare and never before seen Shaker furniture created in the village of Pleasant Hill, Kentucky. Painstakingly illustrated with drawings and photos of the furniture, this book reveals the joinery and design secrets that make Shaker furniture timeless. Readers will find full-scale details of the joinery and special details about the furniture as well as a charming history of the village of Pleasant Hill. Put simply, this is a beautiful book--the exquisite measured drawings and nostalgic photography make it a perfect coffee-table book and an inspiration for woodworkers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Beautiful
I love pictures of shaker furniture. My husband wants scale drawings. In this book we got both.

Excellent Work
I've just recently begun studying Shaker furniture and I am very pleased with this book.It covers a wide range of pieces from the Pleasant Hill community and it provides some good background on each piece.The photographs accompanying each piece are also excellent.I highly recommend this book if you are interested in learning about Shaker furniture.

Great gift for a woodworker
This is a good book with amazing photos.The background story is very informative.

Shaker furntiture has always appealled to me and seeing the pieces in a traditional setting is an extra.

I would recommend this book.

Pleasant Hill Shake Furniture
I have read the book through twice now and it just keeps getting better and better.I have read extensivly of the eastern settlements but knew very little about the western groups.I enjoyed seeing the differences as well as the similarities in the way of life and the furniture.The book was a nice balance of how life was day to day and the furniture they created.This is the second book I am aware of written by an experiencedwoodworker so the insights are of more interest than the usual picture/history book we see so many of.The other is by Chris Becksvoort, which I have equally enjoyed.

I also enjoyed the drawings by Kerry's brother.I think those added greatly to the book.I know when I look at an old piece of woodworking I am some time before I can see the structure in the design.The drawings help me to see this much cleared and sooner.

All in all, I highly reccomend this book be added to the libraries of the serious funiture builder or collector as well as those interested in history.It gives an overall view of what was going on in that part of the country at that time and how the Shakers reacted to it. ... Read more

Product Description
The more we accumulate, the more our homes cry out for shelves, storage units, cabinets and bookcases. This new Woodsmith title answers those needs with 12 updated and elegant projects that will test the skill and display the craft of the home woodworker. From a simple shelf for a kitchen to a cherry armoire, this book promises and delivers accomplishment in the shop and pleasure in the home. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Wow
I am a beginning cabinetmaking student at a local community college and technical institute here in Minneapolis.After taking a year of classes, I decided to work on reinforcing my newly acquired skills over the summer hiatus by making some built in closets for our bedroom.

Using what I'd learned in my drafting for cabinetmakers class and after considering what my husband and I really needed by way of a built-in, I designed a nice modular unit.Woodsmith's Bookcases, Shelves and Cabinets helped me keep on course with the project, acting like an instructor.A number of projects illustrated in the book helped me design some of the parts that I wanted to include in my own design.I wanted simple finger hole drawers (p. 16-19) for the inside of the upper part of the closet which would be hidden behind doors, and larger more finished looking drawers for the lower closet.For the latter I redesigned some of the modular cabinets (pp. 94-105), using the case work the authors show and putting in drawers instead of shelves.The doors illustrated for these cabinets also provided me with a template with which to design the doors for the upper cabinets in my own design.

The book includes a number of truly lovely projects, some for bookshelves, an armoire, and a corner cabinet that I'd like to try, but I think those will have to wait awhile.While some of the plans for jigs for making repeated parts easier to process were very interesting, I think I'll wait to consult with my instructor in the fall before trying them.The explodedviews of all the patterns and the suggestions for alterations to the designs make the book fully understandable even to a novice like myself.I look forward to using some of the ideas and techniques in future designs for my classes next year.Really a terrific book. ... Read more

Product Description
BRAND-NEW, As Gift ;Eligible for FREE Super Saving Shipping & Prime programs by Amazon with Tracking Number. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent series
This is an excellent book from the Time Life Art of Woodworking Series. Great for a beginner and I'm told that even experts can gain something from this book. I'm not an expert so I can't say that for 100% certainty.

I have books from other series that Time Life sold years ago. I've never found anything about them I did not like. ... Read more

Product Description
Everything you have always wanted to know about working in the woodworking business. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A realistic look into starting a woodworking business
This is a good read and the author relates the trials and tribulations of running a woodworking business very honestly. He also provides great information on setting up shop and even suggests his own production methods for running a cabinet making business. You will learn much from this book.

Excellent for the Newbie
I am in search of expertise as I finish my barn/shop.Tolpin is a one man shop, and he lets us benifit from his mistakes, and planning. Especially in situations where you may be doing repetitive cabinet building? There are some pieces of information that are common knowledge, but not until they are stated? There were moments when I said "oh?" "Yeah!"

This is an early work by Mr. Tolpin, and it is an information book for we who are also in the early stages.

Would have given five stars but there is some additional information now available.

The pictures and problem solving are worth having.

Fun and nutritious!
This books is both useful and fun, but in an unusual way:It combines solid business planning information with a lot of information on how to set up your shop.I have read a number of woodworking/business books, and they are dull, not enough jigs and tool talk.Here you get both in an integrated way that makes each strand more useful:All the technology has a purpose.

Really a unique way of packaging a woodworking book.Of course the ultimate lesson is that you should drop all that woodworking nonsense and like Mr. Tolpin become a nationally recognized writer of coffee table books.They're good too, but I miss him.

Oh, by the way, the focus is a two car garage sized cabinet shop.

Do you yearn to be a woodworker
This book is an absolute must for anybody who wants to be a cabinetmaker or own a small shop.Of course you could work 20 years and get this information first hand, the hard way.Mr Tolpin --Hat's off---Great job, Thank you very, very much ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Too Many Styles
While this book gives very good information, I think it covers a few too many styles.I'm interested in Arts and Crafts (or Mission) style furniture.I found one possible project.The other projects were OK but not in my area of interest ... Read more

Product Description
These are the most requested storage and shelving projects from Popular Woodworking magazine. They include a barrister bookcase, Shaker firewood box, Asian bedside table, telephone console, tall pine clock, and hanging china cupboard. The projects are for beginners through to advanced craftsmen, and come with step-by-step instructions, materials lists, and complete drawings. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

fun read
I never actually made anything... but it was a really fun book to read:) ... Read more

Product Description
Popular author Danny Proulx makes it easy for woodworkers to navigate the notoriously tricky art of building and fitting doors and drawers. His gorgeous, full-color guide shows readers how to do it right, with:

-Step-by-step instructions for designing and building drawers and doors-Projects featuring every style and a wide variety of techniques-Concise directions for fitting and installing the finished work-Advice on choosing the best drawer and door hardware for any project

With the clear information found here, woodworkers of all levels can make their next furniture or cabinetmaking project go better than ever! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Very Good Book!
Love the details about making the doors and the different designs. Looking forward to putting it to good use and keep as handy reference guide.

Excellent resource and more colorful than earlier version
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).

This book is what I wanted
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.

quality
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.

OK Book but it's missing information
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. ... Read more

Product Description
This text presents 32 articles including plans for favourite old pieces such as a small highboy and a tall-case clock, and how to reproduce cabriole legs, elaborate mouldings and other key elements. ... 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

Product Description
An inspiring collection of informative articles on making bedroom furniture. Readers receive proven methods, tips and techniques, and specific details straight from the builders. Included are how to design and construct a variety of period and contemporary beds, chests, and tables. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Let Down
My husband is building us a new house and he purchased this book to give him some ideas on how to build us some beds and bedroom furniture for it. He was very let down to find out that it did not have that many ideas, and the ones that it did have looked outdated. Not at all what we expected or wanted.

Fine woodworking does it again and again!
Why buy this book?The first reason is the people who put it together.Fine Woodworking has been involved in furniture forever!There is something for everyone. Beginers and advanced woodworkers and furniture builders.When I see their name it is positive for me.

Building a bed...4 posts, a frame, support rails....conceptually that's it.Building the concept is what concerns me.

I purchased this book to have other furniture makers share their experience.Show me the problem area..and save me from re inventing something.It also provides excellent photographs to educate and inspire.

It also helps when my wife and I discuss the bed she wants me to build!

Of course there are different strokes for different folks, but this book has met my purpose in buying it. Maybe it will fit yours?

beds
this is a good book to visualize what the finished product will be like after you build it. i wish it had more pictures of more items.

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

Customer Reviews (1)

small book, but filled with interesting ideas
I am planing to build up a shop from scrath. This book was a nice acquisition in order to give ideas for what to build.
The book has nice pictures it is filled with several different well explained furniture plans (with all steps to build them and also several view points fro those who have hard time figuring what to do with a plan). Some are really interesting to have specially if you don't have a big shop. Some nice ideas are given in order to make your shop furniture movable, including (as the picture in the cover) heavy machinery like planers and circular saws.
However, be aware that this is a how-to book and it does not discuss shop plans or other stuff like this... it is focused in building things.
One of the top instructions was how to make the workbench top from hardwood strips... very useful.
Overall: a very nice book. It is well worth the money I spent on it. ... Read more

Product Description
Any woodworker can build elegant furniture with this easy-to-follow guide that provides complete, step-by-step plans for six contemporary bookcases and desks. 150 color photos. 200 two-color illustrations. ... Read more