Civil War Woodworking: 17 Authentic Projects for Woodworkers and Reenactors

Great project book for a reenactor. Well written, easy to understand, complete help start to finish.

Mr Hamler has made an excellent resource book for those wanting to make authentic Civil War wood crafts. Very clear instructions and drawings. Tips for achieving the most authentic construction, while still allowing for the passage of almost 150 years of technology. The projects range from so simple anyone can do them with minimal materials and tools, to those that will challenge people with more advanced skills and tools. A must read/own for Civil War buffs/re-enactors and living historians that like to work with wood.

A.J. Hamnler has written a book that is a must for a reenactors bookshelf. For the reenacting there are a lot of reference books out there covering uniforms, ammunition, weapons, and flags. This is the first book that covers some of the most common items used by reenactors. Mr. Hammler's book provides background information on 17 items that were in common use during the civil war. Each project has drawings, clear instructions and photos to help guide either the most experienced wood worker or beginner. I hope he is working on a volume II.

I am not a Civil War reenactor, but I am very much interested in history. I am also not the world's most experienced woodworker, but I do like to spend time in the workshop, building, among other things, my skills. That's why Civil War Woodworking is an ideal book for someone like me. Interspersed through the projects is a fascinating dose of history, both of the Civil War and of the craft of woodworking, accompanied by numerous photos and illustrations. The projects run the gamut from extremely simple and easy to ones that will maintain interest for more advanced woodworkers, especially the ones who, in the name of authenticity, choose to do all the work with the types of hand tools available in the mid-19th century. Fortunately for power tool junkies like me, the author offers guidance for practitioners of either mode of construction. And while all the projects are things that could be used in a battlefield reenactment, many are not limited to that purpose. In addition to being dead easy to make, the Five Board Bench would be as at home in a garden as on the field of Gettysburg. The Officer's Field Desk would make a handy work station for a laptop computer, and the Folding Camp Table is a nice upgrade over the kind one normally sets up in front of the TV as a staging area for snacks.

As the editor of 'The Collins Complete Woodworker' and a dedicated Civil War reenactor, A. J. Hamler brings a very special expertise to "Civil War Woodworking: 17 Authentic Projects for Woodworkers and Reenactors". This profusely illustrated 160-page compendium of authentic Civil Ear era woodworking projects opens with two chapters dedicated to providing an informed and informative overview by defining authenticity with respect to the Civil War in terms of reenactments and 'period correct' projects, then surveying the tools, techniques, materials needed to insure historic accuracy. The projects themselves range from benches, crates, ammunition boxes, and a folding camp table, to a bucksaw, folding camp stool, and an officer's field desk. Of special note is the chapter devoted to games. Enhanced with period photography, a bibliography, thematically appropriate web sites, and a useful source list for materials and hardware, "Civil War Woodworking: 17 Authentic Projects for Woodworkers and Reenactors" is enthusiastically recommended for personal and professional woodworking reference collections, and will prove of immense interest to Civil War buffs as well.