woodezine - Volume III - Issue VII- JULY 2005

Book Reviews

The Complete Manual of Wood Bending   Lon Schleining
Building Cabinet Doors & Drawers   Danny Proulx
Wood Finishing Fixes   Michael Dresdner
Woodturning with Ray Allen   Dale L. Nish

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The Complete Manual of Wood Bending
Lon Schleining

Lon has been a professional stair builder since the mid-80s and he also serves as a contributing editor to Fine Woodworking magazine. His approach to bending wood is focused, workmanlike and very professional. He doesn't waste any time in his writing. Every sentence counts. Hundreds of drawings and photos clarify each concept as he walks us through shop procedures in the three primary bending techniques - lamination, steam bending and simple milling. This is a shop manual that every cabinetmaker should consider as required reading. From curved cabinet doors to archways and stair trim, Lon reveals how standard shop machines, a little ingenuity and an array of tried and true jigs and fixtures can elevate your cabinetry to a whole new level.

Linden Publishing
ISBN 0-941936-54-6
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Building Cabinet Doors & Drawers
Danny Proulx

The last time I met Danny was at the Atlanta woodworking show in August. He passed away shortly thereafter. Danny was a big man with a huge heart, and like everybody whose path he ever crossed, I truly miss the guy.
This book is everything Danny was about - it's an honest, useful, well-built fundamental primer for traditional cabinetaking. He shows us how doors and drawers turn a box into a cabinet, and then he walks us through the shop, covering every aspect of their construction in exquisite detail. It's not a huge book (just 112 pages), but Danny's style is so terse, concise and to-the-point that nothing is missed. (Heck, it's almost bossy!)
Danny was the owner of Rideau Cabinets and a contributing editor for CabinetMaker Magazine.

Linden Publishing
ISBN 0-941936-56-2

  

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Wood Finishing Fixes
Michael Dresdner

There isn't much about finishing that Mike Dresdner doesn't know, and this book (subtitled "Quick Answers to over 175 Most Frequently Asked Questions") provides a wealth of answers. Set up in a reader forum type of format, each page starts out with a question and is followed by a quick response and then a more detailed explanation. The book is beautifully illustrated with full-color photography by Sandor Nagyszalanczy and is divided into seven chapters that make navigating the issues quite simple. Equally appealing to both novices and seasoned pros, Wood Finishing Fixes is a great reference quide when problems arise, and a wonderful way to avoid them, too.

The Taunton Press
ISBN 1-56158-591-2
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Woodturning with Ray Allan
Dale N. Nish

This is not a beginner's woodturning manual that covers the basics and gets you started. "Woodturning with Ray Allen" is the most comprehensive, user-friendly and complete guide to segmented turning we've seen in a long, long time. The only other manual this good is Malcolm Tibbetts' new book, "The Art of Segmented Wood Turning" (which we'll review for you next month.)
The beautiful photo on the cover of the Ray Allen book is a true indication of the quality of the photography inside. Written and partially photographed by his friend Dale Nish, this is as much a tribute to the life and work of Mr. Allen (1930-2000) as it is a how-to manual on segmented turning. The 55-page gallery is simply breathtaking. And there is a large section of plans at the back of the book that shows cutaway views of several projects and all the dimensions you need to make beautiful bowls.

Fox Chapel Publishing
ISBN 1-56523-217-8

  

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