The Big Book of Weekend Woodworking: 150 Easy Projects

First thing first: this is a book of projects, not a book on woodworking techniques. In terms of number of projects, this book is a GREAT value. Each projects comes with at least a two-view drawings: front view and side (or top) view. Most of the projects also have an exploded view to illustrate how the project goes together. Better yet, each project comes with photograph of finished product. One caveat: The drawings are not actual size; we have to enlarge them to full size. The authors explains several methods how we can do it. Below, I give you the complete list of the projects so you can decide yourself whether they are to your liking. Kitchen Projects: 1. Toaster Tongs 2. Classic Cutting Board 3. Pasta and Salad Forks 4. Bread Basket 5. Wooden Trivet 6. Serving Tray 7. Napkin Holder 8. Grocery List Holder 9. Recipe Box 10. Wall Spice Box Office Projects: 11. Clipboard 12. Paperweight 13. Key Rack 14. In/Out Mail Basket 15. Four-Drawer Storage Unit Yard & Garden Projects: 16. Garden Caddy 17. Rabbit Plant Holder 18. Rail Planter 19. Quaint Birdhouse 20. Bluebird Nesting Box 21. Garden Toolbox 22. Wind Chimes 23. Trellis 24. Full-Size & Child's Adirondack Chair Useful Household Projects: 25. Tulips on a Stand 26. Simple Wooden Basket 27. Modern Picture Frame 28. Tie Rack 29. Shoeshine Box 30. Folding Candleholder 31. Simple Toolbox 32. Eight-Sided Jewelry Box 33. Duck Basket 34. Candle Sconce with Drawer 35. Box for Forstner Bits 36. Wall Barometer Clocks: 37. Triangle Clock 38. Tambour Clock 39. Notepad Clock 40. Galley Wall Clock 41. Square New England Wall Clock 42. Shaker Shelf Clock 43. Terry Shelf Clock 44. Schoolhouse Clock 45. Shaker Wall Clock, c.1840 Stools, Stands & Shelves: 46. Small Wall Shelf 47. Folding Plant Stand 48. Knickknack Shelf with Hearts 49. Footstool with Hearts 50. Bed Step Stool 51. Wall Shelf 52. Bathroom Shelf 53. Tall Plant Table 54. Artist's Easel Children's Furniture & Accessories: 55. Cow Jumping Over Moon 56. Dog Bookrack, c.1950 57. Child's Footstool 58. Piggy Bank 59. Elephant Bank 60. Child's Wall Clock 61. Doll Chair 62. Child's Bench 63. Turtle Footstool 64. Dog Seat 65. Child's Small Chest for Drawers 66. Child's Winged Rocking Chair 67. Book House, c.1925 68. Hooded Doll Cradle Toys, Games & Puzzles: 69. Walking Penguin Toy 70. Monkey Business Balancing Trick 71. Color/Shape Puzzle 72. Stegosaurus Puzzle 73. Pyramid Puzzle 74. Nail Puzzle 75. Toy Blocks 76. Nutcracker Horse & Rider Toy 77. Rabbit Pull Toy 78. Small Farm Tractor 79. Toolbox with Tools 80. Simple Toy Train, c.1920 81. Log Cabin 82. Rover Pull Toy, c.1935 83. Checkers Game 84. Horse Pull Toy 85. Pushcart 86. Push Chicken 87. Elephant Pull Toy 88. Caterpillar Pull Toy 89. Crayon Tractor-Trailer 90. Dog Pull Toy 91. Walking Dog Pull Toy 92. Train with Passengers 93. Doll Tricycle 94. Model T Truck 95. Noah's Ark with Animals 96. Model T Runabout 97. Jeep 98. Dump Truck 99. World War I Aeroplane, c.1916 100. Toy Airplane 101. Child's Swedish Sled 102. Country Rocking Horse, c.1935 103. Circus Toy 104. Riding Rocking Horse Folk Art Projects: 105. Folk Weather Vanes 106. Swan Cutting Board 107. Early Toy Roadster 108. Maiden Plant Holder 109. Christmas Tree Decoration 110. Cat Plant Stand 111. Small Decorative Rocking Horse 112. Small Wheelbarrow Planters with Boy & Girl Figures 113. Alligator, c.1930 114. Cranberry Scoop 115. Lawn Bird, c.1935 Fretsaw Projects: 116. Bootjack 117. Fretsaw Knickknack Shelf 118. Fretwork Wall Shelf 1 119. Fretwork Wall Shelf 2 120. Fretsaw Wall Mirror 121. Gothic Wall Mirror 122. Fretwork Corner Wall Shelf Wall Boxes: 123. Heart Wall Box 124. Small Wall Box 125. Fish-Tail Wall Box 126. Salt Box 127. Canted Wall Box 128. Wall Candle Box 129. Early Wall Box Antique Projects: 130. Early American Candlestick 131. Country Mirror 132. Courting Mirror 133. Cricket Footstool 134. Early American Lantern 135. Coasting Sled 136. Candle Box with Sliding Lid 137. Colonial Wall Shelf 138. Milking Stool 139. Country Silver Tray 140. Sewing Box with Drawers 141. Miniature Blanket Chest 142. Country Toolbox with Drawer 143. Small Child's Blanket Chest 144. Country Bench 145. Formal Pipe Box 146. Country Pipe Box 147. Pennsylvania Wall Cupboard 148. Side Table with Drawer 149. Wall Shelf with Drawers 150. Half-Round Plant Stand

I have leafed through a number of project books only to be disappointed with the types of projects that would be offered. Many would be cheesey and not anything you really would find useful or feel comfortable making for another. This book is quite different. If you have friends and family members that enjoy items of a "Michaels" craft variety, you will definitely find something worth making and giving to them for holidays and other special occasions. If you are a father/grandfather/mother/grandmother who would like to see a young child experience a toy or piece of furniture that is not molded in an asian factory, this book would also be for you. Joinery for the projects is somewhat varied. Unlike other project books I have looked through, these are not all butt-joints and overly simple (though there are some projects that are very simple for those getting started). The book will not teach you how to paint, cut, or join. It is what it says it is, a book of projects that has ideas, plans, and diagrams. If you are very new to woodworking, I would suggest buying this with another book that teaches the basic woodworking skills necessary to build the projects listed safely.

With 150 projects in the book, you are bound to find at least a couple that you find interesting enough to build. Such is the case with this book. Most of the projects are so-so and are worth a glance or two. I have a list of about 5 projects that I will actually try. The designs are clear and the instructions mostly thorough. The one error I did find was easily recovered from (a flip-flop in order of steps in the fanning candleholder). I was hoping for about 20-30 projects that would actually be attempted so for that reason I drop the rating to 4 stars. Overall this is a good book that should give the weekend handyman several ideas.

I have a LOT of books and magazines full of plans for all sorts of things, but this one really stands out. So many quick easy projects you run across out there are for things that are outdated or are just plain dumb. This book is different - - the plans are for things that are actually useful and good-looking, things you'll want to make, and be proud of. As soon as I got the book I proceeded to make a bunch of the photo stands as Christmas gifts. There are some really simple items that can be made with a minimum of tools, and others that will be of interest to those with a shop full of power tools. These projects are especially great for those times when you don't want to spend several weeks building something. They're just fun projects that only require a day or two to complete, with a minimum amount of wood and expense. I highly recommend this book!

The book is full of useful projects, each including basic instructions and a list of parts. I'd rate it higher, but the plans have flaws that a woodworker with some experience would note and compensate for. For example, the candle holder has not accounted for blade width. If you make this project as instructed with a bandsaw or other saw, the dimensions will be off from those stated in the drawing.

We recently stumbled onto a supply of small pieces (but usable) of wood. My husband love to "make" things, so for Christmas I found this book. Lots of great ideas and he loved it. Easy to follow instructions and gives him a chance to use the wood supply that we have.

I purchased this for my husband who absolutely loves it and has made some of the project and is working on more. High recommendations from him.

Gave this to my husband for Christmas and he loves it. He loves to build things himself and this has so many new projects for him to do. He'll be busy until next Christmas.

Libro in inglese e progetti in pollici semplice da fare e usare.

Das Buch hatte ich mir etwas anders vorgestellt. Es sind sehr einfach Dinge zum Basteln dort dargestellt, die glaube ich in der Zeit schon etwas zurückliegen.

Came as described has lots of cool projects. My son loves building them

It's a good book to come up with ideas and has some pointers on how to do it but I feel the bullet points are always too vague for a beginner like me. So maybe more recommended for a intermediate level that already knows the basics and feels comfortable with just some pointers. The projects inside the book are interesting and for all taste and sizes. Would be nice to have the dimensions also in the metric system.

Good