Product Description
No detail exemplifies the quality of a piece of furniture better than a drawer; and no other aspect of furniture making causes as much anxiety. The Drawer Book gives you foolproof steps to create every kind of drawer, with every kind of woodworking joint, as well as professional information on the best way to fit and mount every drawer. With this book and careful work you can create your own top quality drawers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Good But......
Great looking book . Picture's are very well done. Not much on building information. Would buy it again.

An outstanding guide for any woodworker strong in furniture making skills
THE DRAWER BOOK comes with a bonus DVD and offers an encyclopedia of professional skills on how to construct all kinds of drawers, from making joins and creating slides to finishing drawers. The accompanying DVD covers installation and tips and makes for an outstanding guide for any woodworker strong in furniture making skills.

Very comprehensive as the title says
I gave this book 4 stars because I did find it true to its title of being a comprehensive guide to drawers.I didn't give it 5 stars because I thought it was a little thin in some areas where I had a personal interest.But, how critical can you be of something that only costs $20?It's a nice book, physically, spiral bound so it will lay flat when open, and the printing, pictures, and sketches are good and look recent.As a purchaser of a number of similar books, I was glad to see what looked to be new material rather than a cut-and-paste of material that has obviously been around for decades.As Bill Hylton says early in the book, "Whether you're a novice looking for basic how-to or a practiced hand looking for different approches to try, I think you'll find practical, useful information here on all aspects of drawer-making."And, I think that's what a reader will find.Some of the material is so basic that it's of little value to me. For example, the how-tos include using biscuits and pocket hole screws, something I've mastered some time ago.At the other skill extreme is how to make curvy-front drawers, something I suppose only very skilled craftsmen, not me, would attempt.At my current skill level I like to use power tools where possible to save time and improve accuracy.Bill covers both hand work and use of power tools. One area where I need help is using a router with a dovetail jig.I'm on my third jig now and have never completed a single joint.One reason is that the first two jigs were too cheap.This is where a book like this could help a dovetail novice like me and that's one reason I bought the book.Bill goes into quite a bit of detail about various ways to make dovetails, by hand and by using power tools, but not enough detail, for me, on how to use a router with a jig.The book also includes a 30 minute DVD which is totally worthless.Two unknown "woodies" demonstrate how to attach drawer slides to the side of a cabinet."draw a line where you want to mount the slide and then screw the slide to the cabinet".Why couldn't the DVD show Bill doing some skilled task (like using a dovetail jig)?I'm guessing that the book's publisher thought that including a DVD would help sell the book.So, he asked Laurel and Hardy to put together the video without spending any money or time practicing or making anything.For those looking for woodworking tips and techniques, I highly recommend a series of DVDs put out by Woodworkers Journal, The Complete Woodworking Video Collection.The last DVD sent included, guess what, a very detailed demonstation on how to use a dovetail jig.In fact, the jig they used was the same Porter Cable model I now how! They send out a new DVD every few months and you can keep it for about $20 bucks, plus S&H, or return it without paying.In addition to being able to preview the DVD, I like being able to watch someone do something, not just read about it in a book. I'm not associated with this product in any way. ... Read more

Product Description
Stock preparation and joinery are the most fundamental processes necessary to build furniture, while shaping operations give furniture its varied forms. This volume covers both basic and advanced techniques from milling lumber straight, flat, and square to creating curved shapes and complex components. Similarly the joinery chapters cover basic joints - dovetails and mortise-and-tenon joints as well as modern joinery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Craftmanship essential reading
Unlike some books on wood joinery that are filled with many diagrams and a little instruction the focus of this book is on the craftsmanship of joining wood correctly. nicely illistrated. High quality book Typical of Taunton. I highly recommend this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Tage Frid presents 18 of his favourite furniture pieces in this textbook. Projects covered include tables, a workbench, a rocking chair and a grandmother clock. ... 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

Product Description
Contemporary furniture's great appeal comes from its simple, understated elegance and subtle details--from sleek black drawer pulls to gracefully beveled shelf edges. It's no secret that woodworkers love building these pieces! They're suited to just about any room, no matter what the decorating style.

This book presents 20 original contemporary furniture projects, hand-picked from the pages of Popular Woodworking--America's #1 wood project magazine. Each one comes with step-by-step instructions, high-quality diagrams, cutting lists, color photos and detailed, easy-to-follow assembly techniques. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good Looking Projects, Better Than on the Cover
The projects on the cover of this book do not look very contemporary to me. I checked this book out of the library and was pleasantly surprised to see much more modern and contemporary projects inside. The projects include cutting list, photographs and illustrations of the steps and written instructions. Are they accurate? I don't know since I have not built anything from the book (and I am a newbie to woodworking), but reading through the instructions and photo captions, I could follow them.

My favorite projects include:

-Nakashima inspired table
-Magic shelf, which is a wall shelf that looks like a rectangular maze
-Modern console, with 3 different pieces and the top shelf section has various sized/shaped open shelves
-Side table, with tall, thin, toothpick shaped legs (quite contemporary looking)
-Modern console dresser
-jewelry armoire
-shoji paper lamp

One section of the book that I found very informative was finishing technique for furniture. In my woodworking class we learned about sanding from coarse grit to finer grit. There was also brief mention of wetsanding in class. This book shows what the wood looks like after lacquers and sanding w/various grit. I am a visual learning so the light bulb went off when I saw these photographs. Excellent job of showing the benefit of sanding and HOW to sand and finish your project. I have not seen this so well explained in other books.

If this book is ever updated or reprinted, I would suggest placing the more modern and contemporary projects on the cover. I almost passed up looking at this book because of the cover.

I would recommend this book and have now ordered it for my woodworking manual collection. ... Read more

Product Description
After woodworkers finish projects, they want to be able to apply the best finish possible--quickly, without worry and mistakes. In this useful guide, woodworker Joe L'Erario shows them how, providing:

-28 years of finishing and refinishing experienced, presented through easy-to-master techniques and quick tricks-Steps to remove old finishes and to prep surfaces for the best results possible-Information on a variety of finishes, as well as detailed instructions on how to apply them

With step-by-step color photos, this book will show woodworkers, furniture makers, and DIY'ers how to apply a finish flawlessly. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Wood crafts
The book, Creating the Perfect Wood Finish with Joe L Erario (Popular Woodworking) was purchased as a gift and my daughter-in-law said she really has enjoyed reading it. She has not made any projects yet, but she has gotten several good ideas from the book.

average finish book
i gave it 4 stars to be nice.
its your average informative type book
large type alot pictures in most cases basic info.
you can fiy though this book in 2-3 hours
its a nice easy read. has a few tips and tech. you dont see else where.
but i gave it 4 stars for 1 reason. there are 4-5 pages on how to strip old finish.
that were worth the purchase price alone.
if you are stripping any type of a project larger than a cigar book
those few tips will help alot.
yes ive stripped and done many misc. projects.
but the author gives you a specific order of how what and why.
yes stripping is still amajor pain, no quick easy fast way.
but even worse is spending 20 hours $200.00 and still not having a clean piece of wood.
i was stripping 2 fireplace mantels right when the book arrived.
they are the same in 2 diff. rooms. same size same wood. first one took 35 hours
second one i did after i read the book took 20 hours. note there was alot of detail and
8 or more layers of every paint and wood finish known to man. plus the second one turned out better
the bare wood looks so good i am using a clear finish only.
those 5 pages plus about 6 good finish types or tipsmade the book 4 star.

Disappointing
I picked up this book because i have read just about every finishing book there is and saw the other 4 reviews and said why not...

If as much thought went into the technical content as the "humor" i might have given it a 3 star rating. Give this a pass and pick up a book by Flexner, Jewitt or Dresner.

It was very informational
I found the information in this book good but there could have been information on certain areas.He went over some areas quickly.The information provided was very good and helpful

Fantastic Finishing Book
When I saw that Joe L'Erario had written a book on finishing, I had to pick it up.I had stumbled across the Men in Toolbelts show many years ago and thought it was the funniest home improvement show I had ever seen (oddly, funnier than the comedy show).He and Ed Feldman knew what they were doing and knew how to explain it in a fun way.

And his book didn't fail to impress.The day I received it, I sat down and read it cover to cover.

The first section is a comprehensive volume on removing and repairing existing finishes.I had expected this to be a book on finishing woodworking projects, so that was a pleasant surprise.

The second section includes several techniques for finishing, including some I had never considered before, such as using lye to age cherry.He also includes a diatribe on hand-rubbed finishing which is the most comprehensive explanation of a finish I've ever seen.

The final section goes through 2 projects, a refinishing project and a finishing project.These are mostly application of knowledge, but do show the techniques in action. ... Read more

Product Description
Designing and Building Cabinets contains articles that present the basics of design and construction in easy-to-understand, accessible terms. From the editors of Fine Woodworking—the dream team of woodworking professionals—this is a fully indexed, ultimate visual reference for woodworkers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Casual reading and tips
Yet another Taunton republication of old articles.This one packages a set related to cabinetmaking and cabinetmaking materials.You will not find detailed cabinet plans here, nor dicussions of alternative building methods in any comprehensive way, etc.What you will find is useful articles on materials and interesting tips (like the NK drawer bottoms), and so on.As such, it only makes for a casual read.

If you are looking for serious cabinet design and construction books, especially for kitchen cabinets and built-ins, look elsewhere.A few I can suggest are: Illustrated Cabinetmaking: How to Design and Construct Furniture That Works, and Cabinetmaking Procedures for the Small Shop.For drawers and doors specifically, try Building Doors and Drawers: A Complete Guide to Design and Construction.

Random collection of different "fine woodworking" magazine articles
I'm generally a big fan of fine woodworking magazine and Taunton press, but this bookis very disappointing. If you are drawn to a book entitled "designing and building cabinets", you are probably expecting to read about the steps, challenges, solutions and various options that you might encounter while building a cabinet. You probably want to know about the best methods to properly lay down a plan, choose the most appropiate materials, and building, assemblng and finishing your project.
But this is not that kind of book.Here you will find just acollection of articles from the past few decades that have something to do with building cabinets. Even that's not completly true. Some articles don't really have to do with cabinets at all, like building a tambour door, or working with synthetic countertops.
This is not to say that the articles are useless or boring. The intermidiate and expert woodworker will definetly find invaluable tips and tricks from some of the best craftsmen in America.
But for the casual weekend handyman, or for anyone who doesn't actually call himself a woodworker, you might wanna look somewhere else.
By the way: all of these articles are available on-line at finewoodworking.com for a much more affordable fee of about 5$ a month. That's -in my opinion- money much better spent.

Great help for budding cabinetmakers
I have read this book nearly cover to cover and have found it easy reading as well as most informative for a beginning/intermediate woodworker.The photos are very clear and the articles are easy to understand.I can't wait to put some new methods to the test.

I wish I could rate it zero stars
Not worth the money buy a different book if you are interesting in learning how to build kitchen cabinets.This book is random and appears to be chapters of previously published material.

NOT WHAT I EXSPECTED
This book was not at all what I was looking for. There were too many opions on cabinet building in one book none of which were in any detail. Too general and the various contributors at times condemed the styles of one another. Seemed as though they put together monthly issues of various woodworking magazines.Not what I exspected ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (5)

100% satisfied
I am 100% satisfied with this purchase. The book arrived promptly, even if I used the cheapest mailing option.

The Basics
The information presented makes it seem so easy and gets you going to approach a project with confidence.I like that they base designs on the rules of design. It makes the esthetics flow easily, everything seems right to the eye.It's very good for woodworkers new to the craft.

Practicle Furniture Design
Great book sort of basic but lots of info on styles and furniture eras. Also great book on how to design furniture that looks pleasingto the eye.

Not worth the time
I find it hard to believe the Fine Woodworking keeps on putting the same material across a multitude of books. I was hoping for some insight above and beyond the few books my library has on the shelves but this book contains about 80-90% of the same content from those few books (all of them from Fine Woodworking).

I would bet that Find Woodworking (Tauton Press) can mix and match from the last 50 years of magazine articles to form just about any book of 200 pages on any subject and call it yet another fine book.

I would search elsewhere, like the library for prior Fine Woodworking books.

Excellent design book
This book is exactly what I was looking for.Has good information on the aesthetics of furniture design including use of the golden ratio (phi) for establish pleasing proportions.Cover the process from the drawing board to making models and mock ups and finally consruction.Has a very good article on how to construct a chair that will stand up to abuse.Help with design, engineering and construction of any type of furniture.

... Read more

Product Description
Color-illustrated "Woodworking Class" books inspire readers to build their own beautiful wooden furniture. Detailed easy-to-follow instructions will transform beginners into capable craftsmen and handy home improvement experts.Projects in this volume guide readers through construction and finishing of chairs, bookshelves, tables, cabinets, and more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Not what I expected
Nicely printed but the title is misleading. Half the book is dedicated to materials and techniques. The other half is for projects such as making a giraffe, garden chair, multipurpose box, serving cart, entrance hall table, and finally a cabinet. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

helpful cabinet book w/ right balance of detail
I find this book to be helpful with reminders of basics and also tips & techniques, especially if you're like me who does cabinet work off & on and so can forget helpful/important details.Not overly complicated & has nice illustrations. ... Read more

Product Description
This collection brings together the best articles from Fine Woodworking and Home Furniture magazines on building furniture according to 18th-century design principles. Divided into three parts — Style and Design, Projects and Techniques, and Inspiration — the book offers background on the style, detailed instructions, and inspiring photos of finished pieces. 250 color photographs and illustrations are included. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent guide to classical style, for the furnituremakers
If you are some experienced in furniture making and know the basics of joinery, carving and usage of woodworking tools, this book will give you lots of good ideas for your projects. It contains some plans also, but there are only the most demanding phases experienced, those things, which are typical and special for the furniture of that period.

The book contains lot's of history and information about 18th century styles and methods. The most remarkable details of the book are instructions for carving chippendale ball and claw foot, very good information about hardware and lumber, how to make ogee bracket feet and very detailed veneering art (inlays and marquetry). The great book with great photos for experienced woodworkers, who appreciate the antique and old 18th century style. ... Read more

Product Description
Stapled, booklet-style binding. Illustrated with black and white photographs throughout, along with some drawings. Includes a "How to Build" section with instructions on making a tool cabinet, bookcase, sewing cabinet, and smoking cabinet, along with illustrations of common wood joints. The story of the Carborundum Company and product and price list for Carborundum stones and sandpaper are included in the text. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Blast from the past
I normally do not write reviews but this book was so far from what I expected I had to warn people away! First off, unless you just woke up from a 30 year coma this book will be THREE DECADES OUT OF DATE! Seriously, the most recent article is like 1981 with the majority from the 60's and 70's. The book talks about how you can only get MDF from specialty stores and only if you place large orders - HA! The info on marquetry is just poor and covers only one method. The Veneer section does not even mention vacuum press. If you want to learn how your grandfather did it this is the book for you. I think Fine Woodworking just put together some articles to be able to make some cash (which is sad since the mag is great and I know they have much better info available). The only reason I gave this two stars was because if you know zero about veneer and marquetry you may pick up a bit. Save yourself ten bucks and get a good book like The Art of Marquetry by Craig Vandall Stevens and Joy Shih Ng or if you're really into marquetry splurge and get Marquetry by Pierre Ramond, Jacqueline Derenne, Claire Emili, and Brian Considine (its listed $75 but well worth the price, I bought a copy for under $60). ... Read more

Product Description
The living room is the focal point of the house and all the furniture in this book has been selected to be pleasing to the eye, simple to make and varied in design. Projects range from a New England hanging mirror to a Scandinavian armchair. Each project comes complete with a scale plan, cutting lists and a series of detailed drawings to guide readers through the intermediate stages, together with full instructions for achieving the best possible results. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

A wide variety of projects
Step-by-stepinstructions for a variety of garden furnishings - from a butterfly box to a potting bench to a portable privacy screen. Some diagrams of the various steps, but photos only of the finished products. ... Read more

Product Description
After woodworkers finish projects, they want to be able to apply the best finish possible--quickly, without worry and mistakes. In this useful guide, woodworker Joe L'Erario shows them how, providing:

-28 years of finishing and refinishing experienced, presented through easy-to-master techniques and quick tricks-Steps to remove old finishes and to prep surfaces for the best results possible-Information on a variety of finishes, as well as detailed instructions on how to apply them

With step-by-step color photos, this book will show woodworkers, furniture makers, and DIY'ers how to apply a finish flawlessly. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Wood crafts
The book, Creating the Perfect Wood Finish with Joe L Erario (Popular Woodworking) was purchased as a gift and my daughter-in-law said she really has enjoyed reading it. She has not made any projects yet, but she has gotten several good ideas from the book.

average finish book
i gave it 4 stars to be nice.
its your average informative type book
large type alot pictures in most cases basic info.
you can fiy though this book in 2-3 hours
its a nice easy read. has a few tips and tech. you dont see else where.
but i gave it 4 stars for 1 reason. there are 4-5 pages on how to strip old finish.
that were worth the purchase price alone.
if you are stripping any type of a project larger than a cigar book
those few tips will help alot.
yes ive stripped and done many misc. projects.
but the author gives you a specific order of how what and why.
yes stripping is still amajor pain, no quick easy fast way.
but even worse is spending 20 hours $200.00 and still not having a clean piece of wood.
i was stripping 2 fireplace mantels right when the book arrived.
they are the same in 2 diff. rooms. same size same wood. first one took 35 hours
second one i did after i read the book took 20 hours. note there was alot of detail and
8 or more layers of every paint and wood finish known to man. plus the second one turned out better
the bare wood looks so good i am using a clear finish only.
those 5 pages plus about 6 good finish types or tipsmade the book 4 star.

Disappointing
I picked up this book because i have read just about every finishing book there is and saw the other 4 reviews and said why not...

If as much thought went into the technical content as the "humor" i might have given it a 3 star rating. Give this a pass and pick up a book by Flexner, Jewitt or Dresner.

It was very informational
I found the information in this book good but there could have been information on certain areas.He went over some areas quickly.The information provided was very good and helpful

Fantastic Finishing Book
When I saw that Joe L'Erario had written a book on finishing, I had to pick it up.I had stumbled across the Men in Toolbelts show many years ago and thought it was the funniest home improvement show I had ever seen (oddly, funnier than the comedy show).He and Ed Feldman knew what they were doing and knew how to explain it in a fun way.

And his book didn't fail to impress.The day I received it, I sat down and read it cover to cover.

The first section is a comprehensive volume on removing and repairing existing finishes.I had expected this to be a book on finishing woodworking projects, so that was a pleasant surprise.

The second section includes several techniques for finishing, including some I had never considered before, such as using lye to age cherry.He also includes a diatribe on hand-rubbed finishing which is the most comprehensive explanation of a finish I've ever seen.

The final section goes through 2 projects, a refinishing project and a finishing project.These are mostly application of knowledge, but do show the techniques in action. ... Read more

Product Description
The Arts and Crafts style is simple enough to look good in almost any home and works with many types of furniture. Encompassing the Craftsman, Mission, Greene and Greene, and Stickley styles, this book gives readers detailed instructions for creating Arts and Crafts pieces at all levels. Step-by-step photographs and illustrations walk them through the process of building a classic Arts and Crafts chair, bookcase, sideboard, blanket chest, clock, and mantel, among other pieces. Photos of finished pieces provide additional inspiration. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

In the Craftsman Style review
Overall, the book is good, however several of the items were covered in recent magazines that I already own and/or are availble for free on the web.Also, there was too much content on a very complicated Greene & Greene piece as well.I would have preferred more content on stickley style furniture and woodworking techniques to help reproduce them.

Worth a look
Like most of Taunton's publications this is well done with good photography and tips and techniques. I didn't really like some of the projects, but that's just personal taste and you may find more to you're liking.I found many of the interpretations to be heavy handed; many overly massive, while the Greene and Greene sideboard feels stilted and looks machined as compared to the flowing lines of the original.Study the originals and supplement it with this book.

Projects from Cutting Edge Craftsmen
The quality, complexity, and complication of these projects can be stunning.Its a great resource for planning your own projects, but few of us will have the competence to take our work to this level of professionalism.Projects are highly imaginative and the write-ups are full of great "how to's".This is actually a cheap book for Taunton Press to put out, since it is culled from a few years of Taunton's Fine Woodworking magazine - therefore don't pay more than 20 for it, and look for it used.

In the Craftsman Style: Building Furniture Inspired by the Arts & Crafts Tradition (In The Style)
In the Craftsman Style: Building Furniture Inspired by the Arts & Crafts Tradition (In The Style) I Purchased this as a gift for a friend who builds Craftsman Style furniture. We were both a little disapointed that so many of the pieces were "modernized" and "stlyized" - almost to the point that they didn't seem to fit the genre.

In the Craftsman Style
Fine Woodworking provides excellent photographs, sophisticated projects and adequate details for building.This book exemplifies these qualities with respect to craftsman furniture.I particularly liked the modern adaptations which are less heavy than many of the originals and the variety of projects. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (5)

Good book
The book was helpful. I build a bed and this book gave me some pointers. I'm sure it will be more useful in the future. I just had a different design style than what was in the book.

Nice Projects; Some Omitted/Incorrect Details
I bought this book for the quartersawn white oak blanket chest, since that is what my daughter asked for.The piece is beautiful.The milling instructions are ambiguous and confusing.On at least two occasions, the book text tells me to place the parts one way for machining grooves, and in the accompanying photo it says to turn them the opposite way.There's a lot to figure out in this project, and I had to remake the legs because the biscuit slots turned out to be in the wrong place -- about 20 hours of wasted effort.I am now struggling to make sense of the frame and panel assemblies.

I will get it done correctly, but the book could have been more helpful.

Great and Practical
This is a great practical book.Covers the basics and moderately advanced projects and techniques.Doesn't just tell you to get the ABC Jig; it shows you how to build the ABC Jig.Maybe just a little simple for the really serious, advanced woodworker, but perfect for a small home shop weekend guy that doesn't want to spend a year on one project.

Basics plus some nice obscure items
Excellent projects and good basic skills.Each skill is taught as needed--when you need a router table for one of the projects, he shows you how to build a router table. Also so good insights to less beginnery items--sharpening and using a scraper, for example.

My one star off is for the fact that measurements shown in the diagram for the first project (desk organizer) do not match the measurements given in the text! Very disconcerting for the beginner this book is aimed at.

Deftly showcases and provides step-by-step instructions for creating desks, bookcases, beds, blanket boxes and more
Furniture You Can Build: Projects That Hone Your Skills by expert carpentry and craftsman Joe Hurst-Wajszczuk provides a definitive understanding of woodworking and craftsmanship of particular pieces collectively compiled to assist one the novice carpenter in bettering and furthering their skills as a woodworker. Introducing readers to simple, yet beautiful and impressive pieces, Furniture You Can Build deftly showcases and provides step-by-step instructions for creating desks, bookcases, beds, blanket boxes and more. Furniture You Can Build is very highly recommended to all so-it-yourself weekend enthusiasts and hobbyists looking for woodworking projects that will easily enable them to follow and produce the pristine pieces they see laid out in the pages of this impressive "how to" guide.
... Read more