Hand-Built Outdoor Furniture

May 16, 2016
Furniture designer Jackson, who for four years headed the woodworking program at Camp Onaway in New Hampshire, opens new possibilities for those who want to create their own outdoor space according to their tastes and design sense. Step-by-step building guidance, coupled with more than 500 color photographs, enables serious craftspeople to create novelties such as a rolling coffee table, stair planters, and a gothic-arch chickadee house, to name only a few. Twenty projects are highlighted with detailed instructions to such precision as "put a small drop of glue into each screw hole." But be warned: these projects are a notch above the standard jury-rigging hit-or-miss style of many home crafters. The early chapters offer a thorough listing of all tools and accoutrements that will be needed for the various projects, including wood types, measuring tools, drilling tools, and different types of saws. Novice builders will be schooled in how to use a clamp, drill press, palm sander, and sanding block. The projects require a degree of skill, have a learning curve, will incur expenses, and will require functional workspace. If the reader is game, this creative offering will open up a fun world of outdoor project possibilities. Color photos.

April 1, 2016

If you want to build your own outdoor furniture, but have zero to little woodworking experience, this book is for you. Furniture designer and first-time author Jackson strives to take the stress out of woodworking for beginners. At the start, the fundamentals of tool use, techniques, and material selection are finely detailed before jumping into 20 simple projects. Clearly organized with tools, a cutting list, and other materials needed, each project contains steps of construction that are illustrated, helpful, and encouraging. Many of these garden-related arrangements include containers, seating, and tables. Some standouts showcase a pretty bistro table, a modern slat bench, and an ingenious rolling coffee-table. However, many designs are very familiar and can be found in other outdoor furniture project books. VERDICT The strength of this work is the high level of instruction, which makes it perfect for beginners. Recommended for woodworkers who are new to the craft.

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