Customer Reviews

Handcrafted cabinetry

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I bought this book specifically for Lonnie Bird's two articles:The Eastern Shore of Virginia Corner Cabinet and The Philadelphia Highboy. I'm halfway done with the corner cupboard. I like to be challenged when I am woodworking. I do not mind doing my own layout based on measured drawings of the original piece but, when all the measurements are given to me I expect them to be correct. It seems to me that the editors had no one check out this article before it was printed. There are incorrect measurements in the materials list, and on several drawings. The most egregious
mistake was in the tombstone door layout. In fact, I not only lost quite a bit time but also a substantial amount of costly material due to this error. When I followed the somewhat vague instructions and measurements of the author I ended up with a horribly proportioned door that looked nothing like the piece represented in the photographs. It makes me feel that not only were the editors sloppy but also that Lonnie Bird was vague about this article. He has since released a Book with Taunton Press called Shaping Wood. Much of what should have been included in this book, Handcrafted Cabinetry, can be found in Shaping Wood. Also in the past, Mr. Bird, has run classes, very costly classes, at his school building this piece. I would like to beleive that Lonnie did not mislead woodworkers in order to sell his upcoming book nor to capture students for his woodworking school. I do not begrudge Lonnie making a living but, surely not at the cost of frustrating new woodworkers with incorrect and misleading articles.
I'll review Lonnie's Philadelphia Highboy article from this book when I get to it.

Like the previous commentator, I bought this book for the same cabinet plans. In trying to get all my dimensions correct, I actually drew a full scale shelf to confirm the dimensions in the book, and that's when I discovered several downright inexcusable errors. Fortunately for me, I didn't ruin any expensive wood, but such errors uncalled for. There must have been no review of the text prior to publishing.By the way, this review is posted in my wifes name, since I bought it on her Amazon account.