Making Authentic Craftsman Furniture: Instructions and Plans for 62 Projects (Dover Crafts: Woodworking) Paperback – January 1, 1986

My wife gave this to me for Christmas (I'm using my wife's Amazon profile to fill this out...) and I love it. The book does not provide much in the way of instructions or detailed measurements, but it does say what the builder needs do to complete the project. Each project gives a cut list with rough cut and finish cut measurements. Diagrams show and tell which types of joints should be used (mortise/tenon/dowel/rebated, etc...) but it will come down to the builder to make a judgement call on how thick/thin/deep to cut mortise/tenon joints, and such.The book is NOT for somebody who cannot extrapolate missing information or who cannot intuit basic woodworking concepts. Not a book for absolute beginners, but the projects are approachable, do-able without the more expensive tools, and helps to understand furniture building.

As previous reviewers have commented, this book is written for the reader with joinery knowledge, and can formulate their own plans based off the provided drawings and cut lists, and choose the joinery of their liking in the craftsman tradition. As someone familiar with joinery, this book will be used to reference design features on the furniture referenced in the book. With that said, I am very happy with the book and would recommend to others seeking the same purpose of the book.This is not a step by step project book.Cheers!

Important Update - Feb 2013.Recently finished the Morris Chair shown above. Be aware that the measurements ARE INCORRECT for the leg posts cut list. To make the chair look like the illustration (with the arms proportionally higher), add four inches (4") to the post heights.The book shows 19" to the underside of arm which IMHO is wrong, should be 23" Unfortunately my friend and I cut pieces for three chairs from some 1970s used teak from a Kodak plant. So, I docked one star for that error.I bought this book in 2004 and only just used it to make the Morris chair shown above. You definitely need to be an intermediate woodworker to take the raw plans and cut lists from it and build a piece of furniture.From my perspective, to have a catalog of authentic Gustav Stickley plans is invaluable.Nick D. BensonThe National Center for CraftsmanshipFort Collins, CO

If you appreciate the craftsman style, have some basic skill and a few tools, this is a great reference to quickly get started on a project. I’ve built three items from this book, they are all still in use and should be for years to come. Eventually…I will tackle the legendary Morris chair!

This book is hand drawn prints with very little explanation or detail. As a carpenter and not a cabinet maker I’ll have difficulty with these but will be able to use them. This book will be no help for a novice woodworker. Many assumptions must be made to complete a project. Basically this book is a 3 view print of each design with a rough and finish cut list. There are no assembly instructions at all.

In order to use this book you have to have experience or a good basic understanding on woodworking, they are basic plans that show a plan view with outside measurements, excellent in size and proportions but no details, joints, caucus construction, drawer details, if you have this knowledge this is one fantastic guide on this type of furniture, enjoy.

Shipping said it would take a week but showed up earlier! Buyer sent it out very fast. Book was in the condition as described and packaged with care.

I received this as a gift from my wife. What a great woman! While these plans are not the detailed step-by-step plans you'd see in a modern woodworking magazine, they don't need to be. Any moderately experienced woodworker can take a look at the drawings and understand how it should be constructed. Any subtle details are explained by Stickley's original notes on the project. The inclusion of cut lists for materials is fantastic. Highly recommended if you're a competent woodworker looking to reproduce (or be inspired by) some of Stickley's original designs.