Various Authors

Toymaking
There are quite a few selections available under this topic. Weekend Projects for Toymakers (Burke) offers projects with a less demanding level of skill for those who may want to limit their involvement with toymaking. I've mentioned The Ultimate Wood Block Book (Bingham) more than once in past articles, which contains some very creative ideas using basic building blocks. Making Toys in Wood (Haywood) could be a next step up for those interested in larger toys of increased complexity. Making Vintage Aircraft (Hicks) and Wooden Toys and Games (Parkinson) also contain more involved projects for a higher skill level. Fun stuff!

Tools
Here the library comes through with some great entries. Dictionary of Woodworking Tools (Salamon) describes and illustrates every tool known throughout American History (arranged alphabetically as you might expect). Art of Fine Tools and Tools Rare and Ingenious (Nagyszalanczy) are incredible books in their own right, as they portray outstanding examples of hand tools used in both historical and modern times, all in full color. Tools - Encyclopedia (Wade) defines how to work wood in today's world using a full complement of hand and power tools, also complete with full color pictures. I'm partial to this portion of our collection, as I consider use of fine tooling to rank among the greatest pleasures of our craft.

Carving
Maybe we can't boast about carving like the carver's club can, but we have some darn good entries in our library on the subject! The Complete Guide to Sharpening (Lee) is a comprehensive how-to for just about any blade you may own, including carving tools. Chip Carving Patterns (Barton) is a great source of instruction and patterns for anyone interested in the distinctive art form of chip carving. Celtic Designs (James) provides excellent black and white patterns for all sorts of traditional Irish designs. Basic Woodcarving for Beginners (Welnack) is an entry-level book for anyone wanting to take their first steps toward carving wood.

Furniture Making
We have many fine examples of furniture books in our library. In fact, I think this category has grown more than any other in recent months. Masterpieces of Furniture (Salomonsky) is a real tribute to some of the finest creations ever realized. Hidden Treasures (Keno Twins) is a fun book with exquisite pictures of some of the grandest furniture brought to auction. How to Repair and Restore Furniture (Cook & Sons) offers excellent instruction for fixing both utilitarian and museum-quality pieces. Care and Repair of Furniture (Jackson/Day) offers exhaustive illustration on furniture construction for breakdown and re-assembly. And if you're looking specifically for instruction, check out any of the books by Frid, Krenov, or any of the Fine Woodworking Techniques books we have.

Housebuilding
Housebuilding - Do It Yourself (Cristoforo) could probably inspire just about anyone to tackle building their own home! Wood-Frame Houses (Various Authors) describes in detail how modern wooden structures are pieced together using standard construction methods. The Very Efficient Carpenter (Haun) I reviewed last month, which explains how to not only build any structure you desire, but do it quickly with reduced cost. And if you're into small-scale, check out Super Simple Bird Houses You Can Build (Self). After all, housebuilding doesn't necessarily have to be restricted to us humans!

Please note this is just a sampling of what our library has to offer. There are many books available covering a diverse range of interests. Additionally, the library contains an extensive collection of magazines and a growing list of video (both VHS and DVD formats) on a wide range of topics. I hope you find one or more of these entries of interest. As I stated earlier, some of these I've reviewed in past newsletters, while others I still hope to peruse at some point in the future. Items mentioned in this article will be available for check-out at the next general membership meeting.