With Saw, Plane and Chisel: Building Historic American Furniture With Hand Tools

by Zachary Dillinger, Roy Underhill (Foreword)

Build furniture the way your ancestors did! Do you enjoy the satisfaction of creating things entirely by hand? Immerse yourself in the world of traditional woodworking as period furniture expert Zachary Dillinger walks you through the hand-tool-only construction of six pieces of classic American furniture. From preparing stock by hand to period-correct joinery methods, you'll learn how our forefathers built furniture--and why they did things the way they did. Within these pages you'll    • An overview of the historical development of major furniture styles from the 1960s through to the mid-19th century--and the European influences from which they evolved.   • Instruction for period-correct woodworking techniques.   • Six detailed furniture projects covering popular period styles.   • Traditional approaches to finishing touches including insights into upholstering by renowned teacher Michael Mascelli and advice from Nancy Cogger of Londonderry Brasses for choosing period-accurate hardware.With Saw, Plane & Chisel shows you how period furniture was made, explains how furniture styles developed and in turn helps you build excellent, realistic heirloom pieces.

Genres: Woodwork

477 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 19, 2016

Reviews

[Cameron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve really enjoyed Zachary Dillinger’s columns and articles in Popular Woodworking and other hobbyist/trade magazines, so I thought I would give this book a shot.
It’s definitely not for beginners—he assumes a fair amount of background knowledge and experience on the part of the reader, and readily admits that his focus here isn’t on sharpening, tool setting, lumber selection, and other crucial components of hand tool woodworking. In the project section of the book, he also sometimes leaves a lot of latitude to the reader for how to approach a technique or design decision (particularly when it comes to moldings). Some experienced readers might find this editorial choice freeing, especially since it keeps the book relatively slim; less experienced folks might find it overwhelming.
Where this book excels, however, is its very succinct, clear, sometimes idiosyncratic approach to milling, dimensioning, and joining by hand and eye. His rejoinders that “perfect” dovetails and stock preparation are a machine-age product are also worth considering.
The more philosophical section on craft and the list of recommended reading at the end of the book are also terrific.
The six projects he’s included, all featuring measured drawings and cut lists, seem interesting and eclectic.

[Christopher Hachet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am in love with classical/vintage American furniture. This is a great book.