Woodworking for the Weekend: 20 Projects Using Reclaimed Timber by Mark Griffiths
| Woodworking for the Weekend: 20 Projects Using Reclaimed Timber by Mark Griffiths | |
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| Category: Crafts | |
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Reviewer: Sue Magee
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| Summary: Twenty usuful projects which even a relative novice could complete in a weekend. Inspirational. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 192 | Date: July 2013 |
| Publisher: Ivy Press | |
| ISBN: 978-1782400578 | |
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I realised a long time ago that there's a great deal to be said for reclaimed timber. Not only is there virtue in reusing wood (and it's often hardwood) which might otherwise end up on a bonfire or in landfill, it has character, with marks and shadings which speak of its history. Used in the right place it can sing as no completely new piece could ever could - but the trick is in knowing the right place and how to use the wood. Mark Griffiths has come up with twenty projects, most of which are likely to be complete in a weekend and all of which will give pleasure to the woodworker and to the people who use the end results.
You'll need some basic skills - I'd describe them as competence and confidence with the tools. The aim of the book is that projects can be completed from reclaimed timber and without the need to go to a timber yard. Tools are basic with more expensive equipment generally only coming into play when it would make life easier. It's an excellent way of getting into the way of woodworking. There's advice given on where to find the wood (as well as understanding the different types) and the tools which you'll need. - and there's no need to think in terms of spending a small fortune. I was particularly interested to read about the workspace - once again there's an acceptance that the novice is not going to have a top-of-the-range space with all the kit, but there's a good emphasis on safety.
The projects themselves range from the fairly simple, such as the birdhouse feeder, to the more complex. There's a plant stand made out of an old ladder which is simpler than it looks and which could be very effective in the garden. My favourite is the shaker plank bench which you'll see on the cover. It's simple to make and versatile in that the size can be varied to suit your location and needs. It could be made in five hours - even if you doubled that for an absolute novice it's still not a vast investment of time for an interesting and useable piece of furniture. There are useful tips - such as collecting different planks for the seat to give a more interesting look and helpful advice for when you're working.
Pictures are good throughout the book with handy illustrations of things like the underside or back of a project - the angles which you so often struggle to visualise when you're offering a piece and it doesn't seem to fit. Working diagrams are line drawings and are clear.
I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.
For some rather more exotic furniture and how it was made you might appreciate Furniture with Soul: Master Woodworkers and Their Craft by David Savage. If you're looking for an autobiographical read, we think you'll enjoy Why We Make Things and Why It Matters: The Education of a Craftsman by Peter Korn.
Actually, Bookbag cheated: we had some wonderful work done by Smart Roofing and Joinery.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Woodworking for the Weekend: 20 Projects Using Reclaimed Timber by Mark Griffiths at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Woodworking for the Weekend: 20 Projects Using Reclaimed Timber by Mark Griffiths at Amazon.com.
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