Illustrated Cabinetmaking: How to Design and Construct Furniture That Works (American Woodworker) (Spiral Bound)

Marc Notes:
Originally published as: Rodale's illustrated cabinetmaking. Rodale Press, distributed by St. Martin's Press, c1998.;Includes index.

Review Quotes:
This book is the "Gray's Anatomy" of woodworking.

Jacket Description/Back:
How to Design and Construct Furniture That Works 'Ideas and Inspiration. A visual source of information ranging from furniture styles and dimensions to joinery. The essence of more than 100 classic furniture pieces is captured in highly detailed, exploded drawings. 'Standards. Take the guesswork out of designing kitchen cabinets, dining tables, desks, bookcases, and chests by applying the time-honored dimension and ergonomic standards shown here. 'Options and Alternatives. With more than 150 joints and subassemblies at your fingertips, you'll be able to easily alter a projects appearance or construction. 'Construction Solutions. More than 1,300 drawings take you inside furniture and show you classic solutions to age-old problems, such as: hanging a drawer, attaching a tabletop, pegging a mortise. 'Plans. If you don't have the time or inclination to design your own furniture, check out the sources we provide for specific plans for most of the furniture pieces shown.

Review Quotes:
With more than 100 project plans for everything from tables to beds to built-ins, woodworker Hylton's (Router Magic) exhaustive primer, whose original, 1998 edition is now out of print, still has great value for any woodworking collection. He begins with a brief introduction to period style, then covers joinery in depth. There are no glamour shots, only clear, black and white drawings for assembly and measurements. Exploded view drawings highlight each piece's details and special features. Because of the few instructions on construction, this is not a book for beginners; rather, it is a collection of patterns with citations to additional offerings in other books and publications. For the advanced woodworker, it is a treasure trove of project ideas. Recommended for woodworking collections in any library.

Review Quotes:
Illustrated Cabinetmaking, by Bill Hylton, is a visual reference to take the guesswork out of designing kitchen cabinets, desks, bookcases and chests by applying the time-honored dimension and ergonomic standards presented. It features hundreds of drawings, which provide "classic" solutions to age old construction problems. For example, the book presents at least five ways to hang a drawer and four ways to attach a table top. A section covers more than 100 joints, while the "subassemblies" section explains how to use those joints to assemble tabletops, doors, drawers and more. The Furniture section explains how to combine joints and subassemblies to construct more than 100 pieces. It also provides rule-of-thumb design standards, such as the height of a dining table and the depth of kitchen cabinets, tips for altering designs, and sources for locating published plans.

Publisher Marketing:
Design and construct furniture that works with the help of the most complete visual guide ever published. Featuring each piece in highly-detailed, exploded drawings and applying time-honored dimensions and ergonomic standards, this comprehensive visual sourcebook takes the guesswork out of furniture joinery, assembly, dimension, and style. Woodworkers of any skill level will benefit from more than 1,300 crisp and detailed drawings that explain classic solutions to age-old problems, such as hanging a drawer, attaching a tabletop, and pegging a mortise. Covering hundreds of pieces of furniture, including kitchen cabinets, dining tables, desks, bookcases, and chests, readers will unlock the mysteries of legs, moldings, separate braces, and dozens of other subassemblies.

Review Citations:

• Library Journal 06/01/2008 pg. 119 (EAN 9781565233690, Paperback) - *Starred Review

Contributor Bio:Hylton, Bill

Bill Hylton is the author of Router Magic and Woodworking with the Router, and appears at woodworking seminars and demonstrations around the country. He is an expert on routers, power tools, and furniture building. He lives in Quarryville, Pennsylvania.