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by: Robert W. Lang
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From Library Journal Traditional American furniture styles have enjoyed an enduring popularity, which makes titles about them ideal choices for most collections. Lang offers measured drawings of 27 examples of Craftsman furniture designed by Gustav Stickley. Because they were created by measuring actual Craftsman antiques, these drawings will prove invaluable to those interested in historical accuracy. Designs for chairs, bookcases, tables, and beds are included, each with a bill of materials and a number of illustrations. A section on woodworking techniques and materials rounds out this title. Moser's work covers over 50 projects, based on the Shaker style, that unlike Lang's are not absolute reproductions but either near facsimiles or Moser's own adaptations. Designs include furnishings of all types, from small household items to major pieces of furniture. In the first half of the text, Moser provides an excellent introduction to the Shaker style and the techniques required to reproduce it. The balance consists of measured drawings of each item. Both titles are excellent; Lang receives the nod if one is interested in historical accuracy, while Moser offers a wider range of projects for woodworkers of all skill levels. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Book Description Featuring working shop drawings, this book demonstrates 27 pieces of authentic Craftsman household furniture by Gustav Stickley and his contemporaries. Every type of furniture is represented here: Morris chairs, chests of drawers, wall shelves, bookcases, sideboards, dining tables, occasional tables, beds, side chairs, and rockers. Each project includes a perspective view along with elevations, sections and details, and complete measurements.
About the Author Robert W. Lang is a cabinetmaker and draftsman. He lives in Newark, Ohio.
Reviews:
Highly recommended do-it-yourself guide: Professional cabinet maker and draftsman Bob Lang's Shop Drawings For Craftsman Furniture: 27 Stickley Designs For Every Room In The Home is an a draft book filled with precise, exacting line drawings that can be used as models to create a wide variety of elegant and practical home furnishings. A beginning section aptly introduces novice builders to the art of interpreting shop drawings, and the drawings themselves come with brief commentary and instructions. Overall, Shop Drawings For Craftsman Furniture is a superbly presented, highly recommended do-it-yourself guide, and especially useful for building a handmade holiday gift when store-bought gifts just won't do.
Experience Required! There are a lot of books about making Arts and Crafts furniture, but only a few really good ones. Some offer inspiration, some offer detailed instructions, and all offer a brief history of the Arts and Crafts movement. Very few offer the kind of detailed drawings it takes to really build the furniture pictured. I'll confess that I haven't built a piece from this book yet, it's simply too new, but a review of the drawings tells me that I could start on a piece tomorrow knowing that the dimensions are accurate. Here's where the experience part comes in. There are no step by step instructions. It is up to the reader to interpret the drawings, decide on the construction techniques to use and plan the project before starting. This book won't tell you the order in which to assemble the parts you make, you'll decide that, among many other decisions. To me, that's part of the fun and challenge of building furniture. If you are inexperienced in building furniture, buy this book for future projects and also buy one with some detailed instructions in it for your first few pieces. (I'd recommend "Authentic Arts and Crafts Furniture Projects" by the editors of "Popular Woodworking" magazine.)
Don't take it as gospel . . .I built the #332 Morris Chair from the plans in this book and found a huge mistake in the measurements: the chair was fully 4" too wide (I caught this in time to fix it, thank goodness). In Mr. Lang's drawings the seat area is measured at 27" wide; in all the Stickley catalogs, it's clearly labeled as 23". Several of the other dimensions were also questionable. Much of the information in the book, in the text and the drawings, is very valuable. I've enjoyed the book and would buy it again in a minute. Just make sure, if accuracy is important to you, to check his details against every picture and description of an original piece that you can find!!
Nice book but bad measurements, This book is an excellent compendium of arts and craft style furniture, but boys and girls, check your measurements when you start some of the pieces. I built the wardrobe No112 and have pretty good shop experience. I found errors all over that particular wardrobe. I can understand bad measurements but some were obviously the planners fault. Admittedly I have not built anything else in the book and this is a fairly elaborate piece. But I found myself shaving off full half inches where I shouldn't have to. Triple check any measurements made and you will be fine! It is unfortunate that such a detailed book with great ideas for plans does not have its measurements doubled checked. The scales for the furniture in the book do not match some of the drawings either. When I get a series of drawings I expect the measurements to be tried and tested. The book does have a good set of suggestions to build the furniture. Sometimes drawings are missing though that would clarify the project. The economy of pages makes the carpenter lose out.