The Editors' Wishlists

This year our store, ShopWoodworking.com,
added hundreds of new books, plans and DVDs. There are so many new
products, in fact, that we haven’t been able to get a look at some of
them in person.

We asked each of the editors (except Megan —
she’s on vacation this week) for a list of the titles they would want to
see underneath their Christmas tree or in their plaid flannel stocking.

Editor Christopher Schwarz

“Cabinetmaking: The Professional Approach” by Alan Peters
While
this book is more about the business of running a professional
woodworking shop, it is the shop of one of the masters: Alan Peters.
Though Peters recently passed away, he left us this book and his
furniture as a legacy. Side note: This book was out of print for a long
time. Be sure to snatch it up. It might go out of print again.

“American Windsor Furniture: Specialized Forms” by Nancy Goyne Evans
This
is the only book on Windsor chairs by Evans that I don’t have. Her
books are beautifully illustrated and impeccably researched. They
explore all the things that I love about woodworking: the craftsmanship,
the history and the social context of the furniture itself. Evans’s
books never go down in value, by the way. Only up. They are solid gold
reference material.

“American Country Furniture: Projects From the Workshops of David T. Smith” by Nick Engler and Mary Jane Favorite
I’ve
been “borrowing” Publisher Steve Shanesy’s copy of this book for many
years. It’s probably time to get my own. Though you might never have
heard of this book, you’ve seen the work in it. The designs from David
T. Smith’s shop permeate the woodworking business. Smith has an uncanny
eye for form and detail, and he finds just the right pieces to reproduce
or adapt. This book is an excellent place to begin training your eye to
spot good designs.

The Alan Peters Approach DVD
This
video is a rare opportunity to see and hear one of the master craftsmen
of the last century, one with a direct connection to the Arts &
Crafts movement of the early 20th century.

“Relief Carving in Wood” by Chris Pye
As a self-taught carver, I’d like to go back and find out what I’ve
been doing wrong. Chris Pye is an excellent and experienced teacher.

“The Woodwright’s Guide to Working Wood with Wedge and Edge” by Roy Underhill
I always enjoy Roy’s ability to present historic and technical
information in a thoroughly entertaining way, and the illustrations in
this book are a great visual resource.

“Studio Furniture of the Renwick Gallery“
After
some projects are completed, I experience a bit of a let down before
gearing up for the next endeavor. The best cure is to thumb through a
book full of fine looking furniture – the more “out there” the better,
so staring at period pieces doesn’t do the trick most of the time. What
really gets my creative juices flowing is a book such as “Studio
Furniture” and you know that if it’s from The Renwick Gallery, the
craftsmanship is first-rate.

“New Masters of the Wooden Box“
This
is another inspirational book, but for a different reason. I look at
books such as “New Masters of the Wooden Box” for unique and eye-popping
finishes. Small box makers have a different eye toward finishes. You
can sometimes see new finish trends begin with smaller projects before
being adapted to larger woodworking projects. And it’s not only dyes and
stains, it’s textures, too.