Measured Shop Drawings for American Furniture

Rating:
Summary: This is an exceptional book for woodworkers!
Review: As a woodworker, I can say that Thomas Moser is a living legend in the world of furniture design. His thriving company is a testament to that. As a librarian, I am here to say that this book is invaluable to anyone interested in building Moser's furniture designs for themselves.

Thomas Moser's furniture, influenced heavily by the Shakers and Moser's own desire to create lasting quality, has become nearly a style unto itself. This book is his attempt to give amateur woodworkers the ability to copy his designs for their own homes.

What I really like about this book is that is spends zero time covering the basics of furniture building. To a beginner, this book might seem too sparse to be useful, but to anyone who has successfully built a piece of fine furniture, this book stands as a guide to producing many classics. With over 70 projects included, all with measured drawings and excellent attention to detail, this is a treasure trove for those who appreciate Moser's artistry. Though this book is not new (the designs in the book are mainly from the 70's and 80's), every one of these projects is still "in style" due to the classic Shaker influences in his designs.

I highly recommend this book to all furniture makers who want to copy a Moser piece and to any library wanting to collect in this area!



Rating:
Summary: Measured Shop Drawings for American Furniture
Review: Modern furniture makers will enjoy the detailed measured drawings and the 320 pages of content. I would classify the designs as not shaker but Danish Modern with a twist to Contemporary design. As traditional cabinetmaker's we find the designs too refined toward Modern and the furniture looses the feeling of richness and spontaneity associated with American Colonial Furniture. In all, a bunch of good lessons in furniture design!

Rating:
Summary: A great book with specific notes on furniture construction
Review: This is a very good book. It is specific enough to describe why you should build the furniture as drawn, and what details you need to pay attention. The book does not discuss in detail the wood choices, but it has straighforward blueprints for many kinds of furniture. This is my favorite book and I recommend it highly to fans of Shaker style furniture and woodworking hobbiests.

Rating:
Summary: A great book with specific notes on furniture construction
Review: This is a very good book. It is specific enough to describe why you should build the furniture as drawn, and what details you need to pay attention. The book does not discuss in detail the wood choices, but it has straighforward blueprints for many kinds of furniture. This is my favorite book and I recommend it highly to fans of Shaker style furniture and woodworking hobbiests.