The Big Book of Weekend Woodworking: 150 Easy Projects

I was looking for a woodworking book for my 12 yr old nephew. Most woodworking books were too simple for a 12 yr old or too advanced. This book was a good fit with interesting projects that ranged from simple to slightly more complex but managable in a weekend. He loved it (my brother loved it too!)

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.

This book has so many projects in it that some are bound to interest you. The problem with books that feature, say 25 projects, is that if you find 10% of them interesting you get 2-3 projects out of the book. This has 150 projects. If you find 10% of them interesting then you walk away with clear instructions and pretty detailed plans for 15 projects. This book is well written and includes sections on finishing and material selection. I own many "project" books. This book outshines them all by a wide margin. Joinery is pretty basic and the projects run from beginner to intermediate, with most of them being the former. One point that I feel compelled to mention, however, is that most projects in this book require a machine (or hand tool) that will cut curves. Just buy it!

I just got started in serious woodworking, and was looking for a good book to get me started with small projects to cut my teeth on. This was it. I've already completed a couple of the items and have more on my to-do list. The drawings are excellent, the instructions are, for the most part, helpful and accurate, and the materials lists are simple and low cost. The bulk of my Christmas gifts this year are going to come from making projects found in this book. If you or someone you know is just getting started, this is the book to give them for a bunch of great project ideas that will build skills without incurring a bunch of costs.

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!