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If you ever wondered what a drawer slip is you will learn it here. You can then start designing your own furniture or modifying someone else's patterns to fit your needs.This author conveys subjects in a simple but understandable manner. The section on Dovetails has some very interesting information not usually seen elsewhere.What I especially like about the book is the range of dimensions it gives for various pieces of furniture in order to fit the human body. But, if you have a good basic understanding of woodworking, this book will descibe most of the joinery methods in a "short and sweet" method and descibe the positives and negatives of many of those joinery methods. I will keep it short and sweet.
A few examples from the chapter on table construction is "thigh room," "knee room," and "elbow room." With this book you can understand why tables are made within a certain height range, or why chairs are only so wide, or why furniture molding is designed the way it is. If you want to know the nuts and bolts of how to build furniture (how to measure and cut a mortise and tenon joint for example) this is not the first book to buy. If you wondered about drawer stops, you will see several types here. His other books are first rate and I highly recommend them, too. If you are interested in making a door, you will learn why certain styles are better made by machine and others by handtool.
Like most hobby woodworkers I've got stacks of magazines and books around the house, the garage (shop) and the "office"; this book always seems to be floating around the top. This book isn't for everyone, if you're the type of person that wants the bill of materials and exact dimensions this book may frustrate you a little, but if you can look at a basic drawing and follow it then you'll be okay. I'm constantly refering to it anytime I even think about a new project. My biggest complaint is that it makes me want to build more furniture then I have room in my house for.
Some parts are somewhat outdated with the new tools and fasteners that are available today. The illustrations in this book are very good. However, for those who are experienced woodworkers. It was interesting reading and made a good donation to the local highschool shop class. this might not be what you would want for new information in cabinet making.
If you're looking for a book on how to build cabinets, this ain't it. It's really an overview of furniture building rather than a hands-on, how-to book. This is a primer on how to build furniture (which is often referred to as cabinet-making) but references to building cabinets are brief and limited.
However, the book makes up for this with its great perspective drawings on every page, complete with dimensions and names for each component. The author goes into great detail about every type of joint with some practical commentary on the pros and cons of each type. This thick little book is filled with dimensional drawings of all kinds of furniture, including the very high-end furniture and some historical pieces. There are also detailed sections on legs and feet, table types, and drawer construction.My only letdown, as an amateur furniture hobbyist, is that there is little or no talk about tool usage and how to make some of these pieces. This will be a great resource down the road when I need to know how to construct a unique joint or when I just want to see something new to inspire me. The author favored information about origins, history, and aesthetics.
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