Making Rustic Furniture: The Tradition, Spirit, and Technique with Dozens of Project Ideas (Paperback)

by Dan Mack (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
“With no previous woodworking experience and a few basic hand tools, anyone can make rustic furniture for the cost of a few nails, a walk in the woods, and this book. Hundreds of both color and black-and-white photographs display the rich traditions and the vast stylistic range of past and contemporary rustic furniture.”—Popular Woodworking. “Highly recommended.”—Fine Tool Journal.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Sterling (December 31, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1887374124
• ISBN-13: 978-1887374125
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #439,602 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An inspiring book!, March 27, 2000

By A Customer

If you love rustic funiture you need this book. I have several books on the subject and this is by far my favorite. It has lots of great photos of both contemporary and traditional rustic pieces, and many helpful tips and how-tos. I made a willow chair and found the instructions easy to follow, with good descriptions and step-by-step photos. It was a fun project. Daniel Mack makes beautiful furniture and does a great job of sharing his knowledge.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars YOU can do it, August 2, 2003

By	Enrique Torres "Rico" (San Diegotitlan, Califas) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

If by chance one of those strange looking pieces of "stick furniture" has ever caught your eye and the price seemed high for your budget than consider making your own. This book is full of useful information. Besides the more elborate high end pieces, that are closer to a work of art , there are many examples of simple pieces. The good news is that YOU can make a piece or even a set of rustic furniture. Although it looks complicated, the twisted wood all connected for a functional piece of furniture is relatively easy to make. I've had this book for years and have used it to make several projects for the backyard. You can begin easy with say, a bird house, trellis or a small stool or table. With more experience and confidence the book will provide you with suggestions and inspiration for more dificult projects to tackle. Essentially once you learn and practice some of the basic techniques you are ready to let your imagination go. If you can visualize it YOU can make it. One of the good things about this type of furniture is that if something goes "wrong" this can actually be "corrected" and may lead to an even more interesting effect. Also the piece does not have to have all one type of wood, you can use the burls and roots for interesting effects and even other non-wood objects can be incorporated . Apparently willow is one of the best woods to use but just about any wood will work to create a piece of furniture; it just may not have the intricate and flexibile weavings of willow. You can use whatever is readily avilable in your area. There are examples of various woods including hickory, driftwood, juniper, cedar and maple. While doing a major spring yard cleaning, in summer, I used California Pepper tree limbs and branches to make a large settee for the backyard. Most anyone can do this, even young people without woodworking experience; children can even participate. I incorporated the help of my 15 year old son to complete this project . He had many good ideas and once he got the hang of it was working on sections without me! It made for a good father and son project.The point here being anyone can make something, including YOU. This book will help you learn the basics and than you can move on with the suggested detailed techniques and projects. Besides the tecnical help the book provides, the outstanding varied examples of rustic furniture with different types of wood, the book also has a section on sources for books , rustic furniture dealers, places to buy old and new tools and many of the furniture makers featured in the book addresses and phone numbers for contacts. Once you get this book you will never look at the old wood pile or take a walk in the woods in the same manner. This is an excellent sourcebook with informative and creative inspiration just waiting to help you get started on your first project. Happy rustic furniture making!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For Me - A Change of Pace, September 3, 2005

By	Joel Jacobson (McLean, VA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Making Rustic Furniture (Hardcover)

I've been doing regular woodworking and decoy carving for decades. Since I've gotten this book, I've made two rustic tables. I'm looking forward to trying some other projects soon.

Mack is passionate about this form, and I've also gotten his other book: The Art of Rustic Furniture. If you're at all interested in doing this type of work, each these books are a must-have.