Simple Colonial Furniture

by Franklin H. Gottshall

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0517069571
• Release Date: January 1985
• Publisher: Crescent
• Length: 124 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Good projects, but require a lot of the user

The 39 projects consist of a single page of plans, not exploded diagrams with step-by-step as in modern how-to, with a list of parts to cut, and a short commentary on particular problems. The most complicated have two pages of plans with two pages of remarks and "Bill of Material" (parts list).Originally copyrighted in 1931, this has been reprinted by the likes of Bonanza Books in recent years. This book was designed for the trained home woodworker and for the teacher of advanced wood shop classes at vocational high schools. The projects are called "problems" for classrooms, and are designed to challenge students as they increase in skill, though the book itself does not teach the skills: turning on the lathe, cutting mortise & tenon joints, etc. Even where he gives rudimentary instructions on making rush seats, he suggests getting a book on chair seating.If you can deal with this, you may enjoy the project range. The 8 miscellaneous projects range from book ends and frames to lectern and library magazine rack. There are nine tables, 6 stools or chairs, 6 desks or chests, 6 cabinets or shelving units (they overlap), 2 clocks and 2 beds. I should note that none of these are "authentic" reproductions of any particular antique, but are all the author's (excellent, skilled) designs in the Early American style, often a bit simplified from the original methods. He also includes furniture for modern living: smoking stands (ashtray pedestals), radio cabinets, bulletin boards, etc.The chapter on furniture finishing weighs the pros and cons of shellac vs. varnish, and tells how to apply both and trad wood sealers, but of course has nothing to say about modern finishes like acrylic or urethane.Consider this an addition of projects to your library of how-to books on woodworking and finishing, rather than any kind of training text, either beginning or advanced.