Woodshop library

WOODWORKER’S GUIDE TO BENDING WOOD, by Jonathan Benson, offers instruction for using heat, steam and water to bend wood, veneers and laminations. Using seven step-by-step projects with sequenced photos, readers learn how to make curved Shaker boxes, a bow for an arrow, a rustic chair, the sides of a guitar, and bent panels used for tables and pedestals. All of the necessary tools and equipment are discussed with consideration to budget and practicality. Benson is a professional furniture maker whose work has been exhibited in 40 galleries nationwide. The 192-page book sells for $24.95. Contact: Fox Chapel Publishing Co. Inc., 1970 Broad St., East Petersburg, PA 17520. Tel: 800-457-9112. www.foxchapelpublishing.com

VACUUM KILN DRYING FOR WOODWORKERS, by Joshua Salesin, is a practical do-it-yourself alternative for drying wood. Accompanied by dozens of color photographs, the guide offers step-by-step instructions on how to build a vacuum kiln chamber for drying wood. Whether you make furniture, carvings, inlays, turnings or other wood art and craft, the book will help you make projects faster and better. Salesin has produced a variety of turned, carved and decorative wood vessels for many years. His interest in vacuum kiln drying originated from a desire to create hand-cut threaded boxes, which require tolerances that leave little room form wood movement. The 62-page softcover sells for $19.95. Contact: Salesin Enterprises, P.O. Box 701, Santa Cruz, CA 95061. Email: info@vacuumkilndrying.com. www.vacuumkilndrying.com

FINE FURNITURE FOR A LIFETIME, by Glen Huey, provides easy-to-follow instructions and step-by-step photos for 10 elegant projects inspired by 18th- and 19th- century designs. The projects include a Shaker sewing desk, Mount Lebanon Shaker counter, Queen Anne drop-leaf dining table, Chester County tall chest, Townsend Newport high chest, Chippendale entertainment center, Seymour sideboard, Shaker press cupboard, New York/Canadian stepback and a Sheraton field bed. Huey shares his professional skills in teaching readers how to master mortise-and-tenon joinery, dovetailed drawers and other techniques for handcrafting pieces with classic lines and solid construction. The 128-page softcover sells for $26.99. Contact: Popular Woodworking Books, F&W Publications Inc., 4700 E. Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236. Tel: 800-448-0915. www.popularwoodworking.com

TRADITIONAL AMERICAN ROOMS, by Brent Hull and Christine G.H. Franck, treats readers through a guided tour of the former residence of Henry Francis du Pont, the Winterthur Museum and Country Estate. Featuring 20 classic rooms preserved at the Winterthur Museum from the Georgian and Federal periods, the book showcases each room’s amazing architectural millwork, as well as the fascinating history on who designed, constructed and once occupied them. Hull is a nationally recognized expert in residential design, and historically accurate architecture. Franck is a designer and educator specializing in classical architecture. The 200-page softcover sells for $35. Contact: Fox Chapel Publishing Co. Inc., 1970 Broad St., East Petersburg, PA 17520. Tel: 800-457-9112. www.foxchapelpublishing.com