"Taunton's Complete Illustrated Guide to - Period Furniture Details” is a new release from Taunton Press and author, educator and long time contributor to Fine Woodworking Lonnie Bird.

This slim book is pacted with an extremely wide range of topics from carving shells to creating moldings. Just look at the three part table of contents above. While many of the topics have been covered in whole or part in past issues of Fine Woodworking Magazine I find this type of compellation book very handy around the shop. What I particularly like about this book is that it demonstrates both hand and machine techniques for accomplishing the same task. Check out these samples from the the book (click here). In theses photos, Lonnie demonstrates how to create a crown molding using traditional hand planes and modern shaper techniques. While the book does lean a bit more towards machine use, Lonnie is a master of the shaper, hard core hand tool users will find plenty of useful tips in this book.

I strongly recommend this as an excellent reference book, one that should be on your shelf right next to Taunton's other fine period furniture book "Fine Woodworking on Making Period Furniture".

Taunton's other recommended period furniture book:
"Fine Woodworking on Making Period Furniture"
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=2YVS5OTBO8&isbn=0918804302&itm=1
(accessed 26 Jan. 2004)

Scott P. Calkins
The Society of American Period Furniture Makers