The Complete Illustrated Guide to Furniture and Cabinet Construction [Hardcover]

Andy Rae (Author)

Book Description

Series: Complete Illustrated Guides | Publication Date: October 15, 2001

Introducing a new woodworking series in the tradition of Tage Frid...a series filled with essential information required by woodworkers today. For the first time ever, all the techniques and processes necessary to craft beautiful things from wood have been compiled into three comprehensive volumes: The Complete Illustrated Guides. Highly visual and written by woodworking's finest craftsmen, these three titles -- Furniture & Cabinet Construction, Shaping Wood, and Joinery -- will establish a new standard for shop reference books.

The Complete Illustrated Guide to Furniture & Cabinet Construction is the ultimate reference work -- a graphic, step-by-step presentation of basic furniture-construction techniques. Expert woodworker Andy Rae brings organization, enthusiasm, and more than 20 years' experience to this essential book. Readers will acquire a working knowledge of woodworking materials, a higher level of control over their work and tools, and an understanding of basic design principles.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The second installment in this planned three-volume guide will, no doubt, join the first and third (to be published at the end of this year) in offering woodworkers of all competencies a great set of reference books. More important than words here are the high-quality photographs illustrating each step, especially if there's no expert or teacher nearby. Former magazine journalist Rae does a creditable job of organizing concepts and contents, and explaining the most technical of terms in plain English. Techniques are presented in a range of skill options, catering to both novice and highly professional craftspeople. Some of the tips on how to save time and money are ingenious; for example, recycling Popsicle sticks and gluing them to sandpaper to clean up tool marks in hard-to-reach corners. Barbara Jacobs
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Hardcover: 308 pages
• Publisher: Taunton Press (October 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561584029
• ISBN-13: 978-1561584024
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 9.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (56 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #17,140 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #1 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > How-to & Home Improvements > Furniture
  • #13 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > How-to & Home Improvements > Home Design > Design & Construction

More About the Author

Andy Rae worked with George Nakashima and Frank Klausz before founding his own woodworking business. He has been awarded a New Jersey Council of the Arts Fellowship for his furniture designs. A former editor of "American Woodworker," Rae currently works in Asheville, North Carolina, making furniture as well as teaching and writing about woodworking.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

111 of 113 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Its really quite good!, July 15, 2004

By 

Scott Pointon "Former Marine, Librarian, Wood... (Crest Hill, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Complete Illustrated Guide to Furniture and Cabinet Construction (Hardcover)

Through my work as a public librarian I recently ordered this book, and subsequently had the opportunity to be the first at my library to read it! I am very impressed with the sheer scope of the work. Having long been a fan of the Taunton Press I expected this work to be very good quality, and I was not disappointed. I agree with most of the favorable comments made by other reviewers, but I have to disagree with the claim made by another that this book is disjointed. I found it to be very readable and informative.

To me the beauty of this book is that there is something in it for everyone. Beginners will of course gather the most new knowledge here, but even seasoned woodworkers (and woodworking book junkies) will find it interesting and above all useful. Besides the grand scope of the book, I was impressed most with the fresh and creative ways that common woodworking knowledge is presented. I found that the way the chapters were laid out, the order of presentation, felt very natuaral. Each subject flows nicely into the next. I particularly liked the sections illustrating the most common forms of a particular component of woodworking. Such as, the most common methods for mounting and fitting drawers and doors, the most common edge details for shelving, the most common dimensions for various categories of furniture, etc.

If I had to sum up why this book is a great buy I would have to say it is because this book serves as both an encyclopedia of woodworking facts (usefull to all woodworkers among us) and a comprehensive collection of tips and advice (which novices will find especially helpful). I highly recommend this purchase.

45 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Work, October 25, 2004

By 

Marc Ruby™ "The Noh Hare™" (Warren, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Complete Illustrated Guide to Furniture and Cabinet Construction (Hardcover)

This is yet another excellent volume in Taunton's 'Complete Illustrated' woodworking series. Focused on (but not really limited to) furniture and cabinet construction, the book takes the reader through 1) Tools and Materials, 2) Box and Case Construction, 3) Doors, 4) Bases, Feet, and Stands, 5) Frame Construction, and wraps up with 6) Tabletops and Work Surfaces. This is an ambitious undertaking under any circumstances, but Andy Rae finds an approach that is both broad in coverage and tightly organized.

After a few initial wobbles as the book gets underway, the reader will grasp the overall approach and discover that there seems to be an endless supply of techniques and idea one can draw on. Whatever your level of building there is good material - this is one of those efforts that can help you make a breakthrough in quality of work.

Unlike many how-to books this series stays away from getting bogged down in projects. This allows the writer to move around and offer a lot of alternatives rather than get bogged down in one way to do things. It doesn't hurt to have a project in mind when reading the book, but be sure that it will change several times as you read and absorb the ideas.

I have a buffet table that owes a great deal to Andy Rae's ability to communicate both technique and design. Thus the book paid for itself in one fell swoop. Happy woodworking!

44 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Resource, February 6, 2002

By 

Jeff Mackay "A woodworking geek" (Waukesha, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Complete Illustrated Guide to Furniture and Cabinet Construction (Hardcover)

Although not for beginning woodworkers, this is an outstanding book--sort of like a combination Rodale & Tage Frid. It goes into detail on the construction of furniture and cabinetry--where Rodale provides an overview of cabinet/furniture types, and Tage Frid provides details of how to create specific joints, Andy Rae puts the two together. He provides a number of techniques that I hadn't thought of before, such as creating a raised panel out of cheaper MDF framed by solid wood.

The other books in the series (Joinery and Shaping Wood) are great as well. But I find myself looking to this book more often.