Making Antique Furniture Reproductions: Instructions and Measured Drawings for 40 Classic Projects (Paperback)

by Franklin H. Gottshall (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Superb, step-by-step guide enables even beginners to build masterpieces by Chippendale, Sheraton, Hepplewhite, Phyfe, other celebrated craftsmen. Fundamentals, tools, woods, hardware, joinery, dovetailing, finishing, much more. Remarkably detailed and precise construction drawings with exact measurements and full explanation of all procedures. Over 500 illustrations.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (September 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486279766
• ISBN-13: 978-0486279763
• Product Dimensions: 11.9 x 9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #473,298 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great collection of furniture projects, April 30, 2000

By	Dwight Klaus (Phoenix, AZ) - See all my reviews

I recently built the Queen Anne chest-on-frame described in this book, and I found the plans and descriptions to be complete, but a bit challenging to decypher. This book is for the serious woodworker who wants to make period furniture, not for the hobbyist. This was my first attempt at a substantial piece of furniture, and I am pleased enough with the results that I will probably build other projects from the book.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gottshall will be a good companion., January 8, 2003

By	Phillip P. Schmidt "philschmidt" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Franklin Gottshall has written a number of great woodworking project/reproduction books and periodically reshuffles and reassembles his popular plans. This book one is similar to an earlier red cover version on Reproducing Antique Furniture. I built a variation of the blockfront chest. Gottshall's construction explanations are very clear and his drawings are thorough, and accurate. I wanted a four drawer instead of a three drawer chest. I used a Kittinger catalog to rescale the piece, but basically followed Gottshall's construction. His piece did call for full 7/8in sides which required a little research to find. A source supply would have been nice. I accomplished the carving of the shells from his layout, though I modified the center design somewhat, and thought his shell looked a little thick, but simply thinning it down did the trick. Because when I built the piece in 1974, I didn't have the variety of router bits available today, I found I had to design some templates and jigs to ensure success on the complex cuts. But all that is doable. Recommend that you draw up full scale plans from Gottshall's plans for complex pieces. It will help you learn the construction. Even if you do not like or build all the pieces, it is a valuable reference on fine furniture construction that you'll reference often. It's a great book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars High quality work, January 14, 2006

By	Gary Desmidt (North liberty Iowa United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I took the initiative to build the carved corner china from the plans in this book and they are excellent. When I was done with my project I wrote Mr. Gottshall with photos of my project and he wrote back immediately, as I am perhaps the only other person he knew who built this particular project.
I telephoned him to thank him for the education I got building from his plans but alas, he had had a stroke. This was in 1978. I can be reasonably certain Frank has passed away by now, but his legacy is in his books which got better as he got older. A must for any cabintmaker.