Customer Reviews

Tables (Projects Book)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book contains lots of information about building tables. There are several detailed plans, and not of just one style either. There are Shaker, Arts & Crafts and more styles. Small end tables, dining tables, ovals and glass topped tables.

As with most information from Taunton, it is very thorough. At the begining of the book is a section on the different ways to connect a table top to the base, and when you would want to use each.

Different methods are discribed in making the tables, and as usual for Taunton, there is a lot of hand tool usage.

I'm a big fan of Thomas Moser, although I think his furniture is priced a little over my league. So I thought I could make some pieces similar to his to replace the junky stuff I bought when I first got out of college. I bought this book because I liked the basic Shaker projects and I wanted to adapt them to my needs. This book is instructive in a generic sense (although I wish there would be a little more theory on chosing lumber, dimensioning the aprons and joinery, and building table tops) and it also has soom good projects, particularly in the Shaker style, although there are some contemporary and Craftsman style pieces as well.

I built the two variations of the table on the front cover. The first one I built with a drawer and finished it with Tried and True Oil Varnish. The second one I built without a drawer, shortened the aprons and finished with polyurethane. One thing he suggests is that you take your time when gluing up the legs and aprons to make sure that they are square. When I built the first table I measured for squareness then applied more pressure on the clamps. Being green to table building, I did not realize that this would throw off the squareness. It did, and by the time I realized it the glue was set. The moral of the story: the next time I used slow-setting white glue and took my time after the clamps were applied to meticulously test for squareness.

His best advice in the book is to not stain cherry, which I totally agree with. Cherry darkens nicely with age, so oil or polyurethane make it look very nice.

I expect this to be a very useful book...and I look forward to trying a few of the projects. However, right from the start I find some misleading disappointments.

From the Intro chapter I quote: "If you own a table saw and a few fundamental hand tools, you'll do just fine." And then the very first project calls for a router, drill press, band or jig saw and a lathe. Sorry, but most medium-equipped work shops don't include a lathe.

Also, the Intro chapter presents five examples of "typical trestle tables" yet only the last project is in the trestle style, and it appears rather difficult...again calling for a lathe.

How about some honesty in the Intro section...as presented in the "Search Inside" found on the web page?

I bought this book because I wanted to make a coffee table for my living room, a concrete piece of furniture I have never done before.

The book was all I have hoped for, as it has provided me with much more than just plans for building a table, it has rather taught me how to make a table in general. I am most happy to say I succeeded and quite successfully so. I was able to plan my own coffee table and construct it. It has served me and my family well in the past months and it is beautiful and useful.

This is actually one of the highlights of the author, his careful eye for details and beauty and his love for the woodworking craft in general. A craft that goes beyond sanding a piece of furniture to extreme. It made me buy another book written by him.

Just recieved this book and have not used it in the shop yet. It appears to be user friendly and has good photographs. It does make me want to get out there and build something, and that is half the battle. I look forward to making a set of night stands.

This book is very inspirational, as it tries to explain how to make a quality piece of furniture, It assumes that you have the basics, and fundamentals of woodworking down pat. If not, skip this book, and find plans and articles that are more in keeping with your skills, and the current inventory of tools one owns. Quality furniture can be made using hand tools only . It is more time consuming ,but well worth the effort . One caveat, If you lack good hand tools, and no power tools , you might be dissapointed in your results. As mr guidice says in his previous book always try to buy the best quality tools and it will solve 90% of the problem . The other 10% involves ones technique. I have built one end table and writing table from this book and heartily recommend it.