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After recently adding the final two books reviewed below to my library, I figured I'd repost this compilation of boxmaking book reviews from myself and others from 2007 to 2009. I also added some editorial remarks to the review of the Po Shun Leong review.
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Below are some quick impressions of some box making books I currently have checked out of my local library.
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Doug Stowe books:
I like these two books for their focus on the mechanics of making boxes. IMHO they do a decent job of exposing the technique options to accomplish a given result. If I had to pick a nit of shortcoming, it would be that the box styling in these books is fairly pedestrian compared to the range covered by some of the other books reviewed. However, the purpose of these is not to be pretty picture books kept on the coffee table. Rather they are structured to be reference books to keep handy in the shop for quick access & problem-solving sessions.
Taunton's complete illustrated guide to box making
A relatively comprehensive book for a beginner on the craft of boxmaking. Works up from materials used, tools and stock prep through joints, steps of construction, styles, to a quick coverage of inlay/veneer/carving and lathe or bent boxes. I would recommend this as a "first to get" book if you are just starting out on boxmaking.
Creating beautiful boxes with inlay techniques
Informative on how to make your own inlay banding. Not a lot of variety in the styling of the boxes themselves -- they are basically all rectalinear. Good instructions on the "how to" techniques of making the boxes themselves and making the inlay channels.
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Tony Lydgate books:
I tend to get Tony Lydgate's books confused with each other. That is due to the similarity of format and content (and sometimes duplication of artists and boxes) within them. On average I like his books more for inspiration than for instruction. His interest focuses on the artistic range and design variety possibilities of boxes, while mostly ignoring how those designs get executed. Nonetheless, the level of design and execution illustrated in his books is very high. As inspiration and imagination-ticklers for boxmaking I rank his books near the top, behind only the "400 Boxes" and "Celebrating Boxes" books.
Tony Lydgate's books typically show a photo of each completed box and an exploded line-art view of the components. They do not say how to make the joinery shown in the exploded views. Thus his books, especially the three "The Art Of Making...." books, assume a fair degree of craftsmanship and compentence on the part of the reader. These books are much more about what to make than how to make it.
Po Shun Leong : art boxes
In this book Tony investigates the complex and often obtusely convoluted art pieces of Po Shun Leong. While they are boxes in the sense that they have drawers and doors, the emphasis is distinctly on the visually busy playfulness more than the practical storage aspects. IMHO this is a good coffee table book. However, the similarity of Leong's boxes to each other makes the book rather quickly grow self-redundant, in spite of the richness of variety that can be gotten through inspection of Leong's pieces if you are willing to exert the effort. I am somewhat torn on Leong's pieces. There is lots there that I really like, but those aspects are not self-evident. IMHO you have to work to "get it" with his pieces. I guess I rank Leong's boxes with the paintings of Kandinsky and the music of Sun Ra or some of Coltrane -- I admire the technical expertise necessary to execute something that complex, but I'm a little baffled at the result of all that effort. Nonetheless, I find this richly photographed book has plenty of inspiration between the covers, if I just dig deep enough to find it.
(updated comments, 2012):
I've spent more time perusing the pages of Tony Lydgate's volume on Po Shun Leong and feel my initial confusion and somewhat lukewarm reception of the book and Mr Leong's works was misplaced. As with the pieces themselves, the more time one spends digging into the book, both in casual perusal and in focused inspection, the greater one's appreciation for the breadth of Leong's artistic horizons & inspirations becomes (3,500-year-old Sumerian chariot wheel to modern skyscrapers to imaginary apocalyptic landscapes).
I've also come to appreciate the diversity of methods used to produce Leong's intricate and staggeringly imaginative sculptural boxes. It is also a sign of generosity that at the rear of the book are five "how to" sections for woodworkers who would like to make boxes based on some Leong designs of rather diverse nature. Leong emphasizes that these designs are starting points for launching the woodworker's own exploration into the world of boxmaking, not rigid dictates to be followed slavishly.
I think it speaks volumes of his vision and talent that his designs and methods scale from rather small architectural pieces to monumental size pieces of furniture. In retrospect, I heartily endorse the inclusion of this book from Tony Lydgate on the intricate, playful, sometimes socially cogent, and vastly artistic realizations of Po Shun Leong's vision in your library of boxmaking books.
The art of making elegant wood boxes
The boxes in the main section of this book are Tony's own designs. Again, a book where you get a photo of the finished box and an exploded drawing of the components. There is a small Gallery section at the end with a fair diversity of styles from different artists, including Tony himself.
The following three books are so similar to each other that each of them gets the same review from me: "A collection of very nice boxes from a wide variety of artists in a diverse range of styles." Since no one artist or style gets too many pages, these books work well as an introduction to how wide the boundaries of boxmaking can be. IMHO these three are coffee table books, not shop references. I like all three of these books, though they are so similar to each other that none of them really stands out in my mind, even as I am looking at any one of them.
The art of making elegant jewelry boxes : design & techniques
The art of making small wood boxes
Award-winning wood boxes : design & technique
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Peter Lloyd books:
Celebrating Boxes by Peter Lloyd & Andrew Crawford
This is "boxes as art" at its finest. This book is a gallery collection of boxes from a broad selection of artists. This collection highlights works of artists from around the world moreso than the usual parochial emphasis on boxmakers from the USA with an occasional representative from the UK or Canada. The sheer breadth of design range and decorative techniques in this book blows me away. This is the book to reach for whenever you suffer a case of boxmaker's block and need to tickle your imagination into motion.
Making heirloom boxes
More of a "how to" book, this one starts with a short tools and basic techniques section. The bulk of the book is dedicated to milling & assembly steps to make a variety of boxes. The steps needed to make each box are shown in an exploded drawing of the components followed by a mix of photos and line drawings. The interesting (confusing? amusing?) thing about this book is that the boxes are categorized together based on what type of hinge is used to attach the lid.
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Miscellaneous boxmaking books:
400 wood boxes : the fine art of containment & concealment by Veronika Alice Gunther
This smaller (8"x8") book contains the broadest illustration of boxes of all the books here. However, its breadth seems only a bit wider than the more easily found "Celebrating Boxes" book by Lloyd & Crawford. For design students, I would recommend this book with the same enthusiasm I do the "1000 Chairs" book. Each of them shows succinctly how widely divergent and different pieces sharing the same name can be.
Box-making basics : design, technique, projects by David M. Freedman
Although the black & white photos and line drawings used in this book lack the sheer decorative impact of the coffee table gallery books above, this is one of my favorite "how to" books in the boxmaker's pantheon. As an introductory primer into the boxmaking craft, I rank this one at the top. If you are just starting to investigate boxmaking and want to get only one book on the craft of making boxes (vs the art of designing boxes), IMHO this is the book.
The best of wood boxes by R. Adam Blake
This is another gallery book showing the works of a variety of artists. I would put its breadth of design variety on par with "Celebrating Boxes" from Lloyd & Crawford. As in the other gallery books, there are some amazing examples of very high design and craftsmanship in this volume. However, it is even less educational on construction technique than the Lydgate books. Each box is shown in a photo, then in a line drawing of the assembled box (basically a duplication of the photo) with the outer dimensions penciled in. Included on the drawing page is a brief bio of the artist, a minimal materials list, and perhaps a quick statement on the project design. While not particularly helpful on how to make a box, this volume serves its purpose as a decent coffee table book. But I don't think it is the best of that category. There are other books in this review that don't waste page space on redundant black & white line drawings that don't contribute to the decorative value on the pages, which is this book's raison d'etre.
Making small wooden boxes by James A. Jacobson
Printed in 1986, this 20-year-old book shows its age. The box designs are seriously dated, as are the black & white photos and line art drawings. If we keep its era in mind, I think it has value as a progenitor of the other books reviewed here. It shows how much both the art of boxmaking and the art of printing boxmaking books have evolved. It lacks the breadth of design daring shown in the gallery books. It also lacks the depth or comprehensive illustration of construction techniques shown in the "how to" books. But I would still grab a copy if I came across it cheap at a garage sale.
Marvelous wooden boxes you can make by Jeff Greef
A good "how to" book on boxmaking. Each design is shown in black & white photos: a completed piece and a few technique photos among the text for how to make the particular piece. Even though there aren't a lot of pictures for each box, the ones included show their particular technique clearly. This is IMHO one of the better construction manuals for boxmaking on the market.
Turned boxes : 50 designs by Chris Stott
I don't lathe turn wood (yet) so the designs throughout the main section of this book looked pretty similar to me. Each turned box is shown in a color photo, followed by a line drawing of the piece with significant dimensions penciled in. At the back of the book is a small gallery of pieces from other artists. I am somewhat ambivalent about this volume, likely largely due to my ignorance of the turning techniques needed to make these pieces, but also brought on by what I perceive as an uncertainty in the book on its own purpose. The color photos are well enough done to classify this as a coffee table book. But the lack of design diversity and the inclusion of the dimensioned line drawings keep it from fulfilling that role. However, I suspect the sparseness of construction instruction would keep this from being a "how to" book, at least for a neophyte like myself.
Wood magazine : making great boxes from the staff of Better Homes & Gardens Wood Magazine
I like this book and recommend it as a construction manual for the shop library of a boxmaker. The photos and line drawings throughout the book are in color and show clearly the techniques illustrated. As a "how to" book this one is one of my favorites of the bunch. However, the arrangement of the content is a little confusing. It starts with veneering, marquetry, and inlay, which are pretty complex & demanding techniques. It then wanders through a section of bandsawn boxes. The bulk of the book (about a third of the book) is dedicated to construction of rectilinear boxes with various joinery and decorative techniques covered in the process. It wraps up with a bit on making boxes from moulding and patterns to use in the construction of the boxes in the book. Nonetheless, as I noted earlier, this one comes with my recommendation due to the clarity of its instruction.
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Andyman
Box by Box, by Jim Stack
It's set up mostly as a technique book, giving step-by-step instructions starting with the easiest projects and working up through more complicated/advanced ones. Some plain rectilinear, some bandsawn curves, some unique 3D polygons, etc. The author suggests that making boxes is an excellent way to practice and advance your woodworking skills, and I can't disagree (though I have limited experience with boxes specifically). Several of the projects looked interesting to me, and many would be great for gifts. But after looking through the library's copy a few times, I didn't feel the need to go out and buy my own. I'd probably check it out again if I wanted to make some boxes. However, after this thread, I might look for the FWW or Wood box-books instead.
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John92024
...I agree with you on the Box-making basics : design, technique, projects by David M. Freedman book, I have it and it is great.
One other book worth considering if someone likes using their bandsaw is: Building Beautiful Boxes with Your Bandsaw by Lois Keener Ventura. This is not only a "how to" book on the art of bandsawing freeform boxes but also includes templates for all of the projects contained in the book. All of the photos are in full color and do a nice job of showing the procedures involved from gluing up the initial stock all the way through to the finished box.
One last thought for anyone interested in picking up any of the books mentioned in this thread. I've found that if you go to Amazon and plug in the title and then click on the "Used" link that comes up in the description of the book, you'll find it for a couple of dollars. That link takes you to various book sellers that not only sell used books, but also sell overruns, shelf scuffs, minor damage, etc. You can pretty much tell what you're getting by the description. As an example, the bandsaw book I mentioned above lists for $23 and I got it for $3.50...the back cover has a small crease on it, boy, that really looks bad on the bench!
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RokJok
Here's my review of a boxmaking book I ordered to fill out an Amazon order to reach the free shipping limit.
Making Wooden Boxes with Dale Power
62 pages, 8.5"x11", paperback, Schiffer Publishing
Publisher's page for this book
Short story short: Don't bother getting this one. There are much better books on the market for the same or less money.
Short story long: This book is definitely a "how to" manual more than an artistic inspiration book. It is printed on heavy paper, with all the photos being full-color with the color being visually rich and saturated. There are no line drawings. The book is captioned photographs illustrating how to make bandsawn and rectilinear boxes, with a small gallery section of uninspired pieces at the back of the book.
The first thing I noted is that the photo captions are not numbered. Thus there is confusion on what sequence to follow as you view the pictures. The sequence seems to change from page-to-page, being "left column first, then right column" on some pages while other pages seem to go "top to bottom and (roughly) left to right". IMHO this failure to number the captions is a serious and unforgivable error in a book that uses captioned photos exclusively.
The author does a good job keeping his fingers and hands out of the way in the photos. This allows the reader a very clear view of the wood-to-machine interface where the action is taking place. The photographer has also done a good job of composing the pictures so that the reader's view isn't obstructed.
However, the pictures look like they are either slightly out of focus or that the field of focus isn't quite where you expect it. I have a tough time deciphering what is being done in many of the shots. This may be caused by, or exacerbated by, the next fault I note with the photos.
Tthe wood used in the pictures seems to be quite plain maple or soft pine (hem-fir in Vancouver, WA where the author lives.... which is local to me) such as you would find at Home Depot. The maple in the out-of-focus pictures washes to a mostly-white color field that doesn't have enough grain contrast in it to delineate or differentiate the shapes of the boxes being made. This may be what makes it hard to "see" what is going on in the photos. Even the shots with pine wood, with its light-dark contrast of early and late growth wood, seems washed out enough in the pictures to not distinctly show the shapes of the pieces. I don't know whether to blame the photographer (Jeffrey B Snyder) for shooting slightly out of focus or the editor for soft-focusing the pictures in the printing process.
This choice of woods for use in the book, both of which are pretty much at the bottom of the price scale, gives the reader the impression that the author, editor, publisher, and photographer didn't care enough about the reader to get wood with rich enough figure (or to set up the shots with appropriate lighting) to better illustrate the box shapes. Thus the reader is left struggling to compensate for what I perceive as an up-front cheapness on the part of the production personnel.
I also take issue with the level of craftsmanship (or lack thereof) promoted by the author. He appears to be willing to accept blown out chunks of wood from the edges of joints, sawtooth marks, untrimmed feathering from saw or router, and through-routed dados (which he then filled with a plug of glaringly mismatched grain wood) on his boxes. The overall level of tightness in the joinery looks to be a bit sloppy and loose to my eye. One caption reads, "Once properly adjusted, this is the way your joints should fit." However, the photo shows a box joint with visible gaps around the fingers of the joint.
Another insult came in the finishing section of the book, where red mahogany stain was used "to give this pure white holly wood more interest". A better craftsman would have simply chosen a more appropriately colored wood initially to make his piece, rather than wasting the value of the holly's white color by burying it under stain.
I expect an author to present his very best work and methods to his reading public. I sincerely hope this book and its failings does not represent the best that Mr Power has to offer.
Part of the problem may be that Schiffer Publishing's woodworking books (a small part of their catalog) seem to focus pretty strongly on carving books. Perhaps their carving books are better than this boxmaking book. Given my disappointment at this book, I intend to never buy any of them and so will never know.
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RokJok
Since Pomelle Sapele linked in a picture of the following book, I checked it out of my local library and am adding a review of it.
The Book of Boxes by Andrew Crawford
This "how to make it" book contains boxes equal in quality to those found in the "Celebrating Boxes" book I reviewed in my first posting, which is to say very high quality.
In spite of being a "how to" book, I found it to also be a good design book due to the breadth, integration, and strength of Crawford's vision and designs, coupled with his masterful craftsmanship. While most of the boxes shown are rectilinear, there is enough diversity in how they are decorated or constructed to kick-start the imagination into gear on how the techniques could be applied elsewhere.
As far as the actual making of the boxes shown, I think this volume is an advanced primer that quickly reaches beyond basic boxmaking to teach more esoteric, intricate, and demanding techniques. This book assumes a very high level of skills and competence on the part of the reader.
The first few boxes shown are pretty simple, but the level of complexity and commitment rises in a hurry after those first few are dispensed with. I would not recommend this book as a "first book to buy" to a neophyte boxmaker. There are better basic primers on the shelves to teach the rudiments of the craft, with the Stowe, Freedman, or Wood Magazine books being my primary choices. However, for an intermediate boxmaker looking to stretch his skillset or an advance maker seeking specific instructions on the techniques which Crawford shows in this book, this one deserves a place in your library.
The layout of "The Book of Boxes" is:
1. A very sketchy and quick section on tools, milling & woodworking techniques, wood choices & properties, and design & planning steps. The tools part is almost superfluous, in that a reader capable of woodworking at this level will have long ago learned what this quick tool description conveys. This first section of the book contains text and colored line art illustrations.
2. The main section shows how the author made several styles of boxes. The boxes run roughly in order of simplest in construction to most complex. The description of how to make each box shows how to perform the tougher steps that a reader would least likely figure out without being told. This section, like the rest of the book assumes that the reader is already competent and comfortable in his skills and techniques. It tells you what to do, but not in a step-by-step way. This section has both photos and line art drawings to illustrate the steps and techniques covered.
3. A couple quick sections on decorative techniques (making you own inlay, banding, marquetry, parquetry, Tunbridgeware) and finishing (French polishing, shellac with wax, and oil finish). This is not a terribly comprehensive or in-depth coverage of the fields of veneer work or finishing, but a quick description of how to perform the techniques.
4. A gallery of photos showing very fine boxmaking examples from a number of boxmakers, including the author.
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RokJok
A quick overview article from Doug Stowe of some considerations and choices when designing boxes is contained in Fine Woodworking, issue #197 (March/April 2008), pages 62-67, "Designing Boxes".
The design aspects covered are:
- wood choice color or contrast
- continuous grain resawing
- corner joints
- foot styles
- dividers & trays
- lids
- pulls
- hinges
For each aspect covered, there is a photo showing a few options. There are also three line drawings showing the continuous grain resaw technique, corner joinery, and a lid construction method.
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RokJok
Here are reviews of a couple boxmaking books I recently bought. One is an expansion on the coverage of "Box By Box" reviewed by Andyman above. The other is a review of another Doug Stowe book.
Box By Box by Jim Stack for Popular Woodworking
http://www.amazon.com/Box-Popular-Woodwo...1558707743
As Andyman indicated, this book starts with the simplest version of a box and grows increasingly complex as the chapters progress. There is one project covered in each of the 21 chapters, which is normal format for a small-project-oriented book. At the start of each chapter is a photo of the finished project, an exploded view line drawing, a cut list with dimensions, and a list of the tools expected to be used in completing the project.
The format of Box By Box is captioned photos. The sequence is clearly marked with numerals on each photo and there is no confusion over what caption goes with which photo. Photos are in color, clearly illustrating the technique/step covered, and logically sequenced to walk the reader through the construction of each of the projects.
Interestingly and fortunately IMHO is that the binding of the book is wirebound, sort of like a school notebook. That allows the book to lay flat on a bench/table for reference while working, without the tendency of stitch-bound books to close themselves up at the most inopportune moment.
With each project along the way a new concept or technique is introduced. Here is a quick 'n dirty breakdown of the boxes and techniques for each chapter, which also indicates to some degree the progression of difficulty and complexity through the chapters.
1. rectangular box -- glued butt joints with separate lid
2. rectangular box -- nails added to the joints and a handle on the lid
3. rectangular box -- mortised hinges to make a flip-up lid
4. rectangular box with separate lid -- internal cleats and a divided tray that sits on them, bottom set in dados
5. rectangular box with flip-up lid -- brass pin hinges through the sides and a notched front for handle
6. rectangular box -- raised-panel shaped lid slides in grooves cut into sides
7. rectangular box -- adds feet below body and carving on top of lid, divided tray within
8. rectangular box -- box-joints for case and frame-and-panel construction on the lid
9. imitation safe rectangular box -- crafting tumbler lock device from wood and paint as finish
10. rectangular box -- dovetailed body and coopered lid
11. hexagonal box -- compound-angle cuts for body & lid and splined miter joints
12. twenty-sided icosahedron box -- adds complexity and accuracy for the compound angle cuts
13. oval bandsawn box -- introduces slabbing off lid & bottom and bandsawing out interior cavity, also adds drawer making
14. round bandsawn box -- adds pivot hinge for stacked drawers
15. freeform bandsawn box -- sawing with paper pattern and laminating cutouts into drawers
16. truncated triangle stack of drawers -- multiple & tapered-sided drawers
17. rectangular box -- dovetailed drawers via DT jig and tray lifting mechanism on lid (like fishing tackle box)
18. rectangular display box -- glazed lid and french-fitted interior tray
19. lap desk -- dado'ed case construction
20. lap desk -- veneering
21. silverware chest -- adds inlay to veneer and putting profiled serpentine edges on the top & bottom
I'd add this one to my list of good books for giving to a beginning boxmaker. It's escalating difficulty that starts at super-basic and the clarity of instructive photos make it a volume well worth adding to your library of boxmaking books IMHO.
Simply Beautiful Boxes by Doug Stowe
http://www.amazon.com/Simply-Beautiful-B...1558705147
The 15 projects covered by this book fall pretty solidly and consistently in the medium to medium-difficult range. The book assumes that the craftsman has already mastered the basic woodworking skills to machine component parts accurately and precisely and is familiar with the joinery necessary to make a box. The book jumps right into the "how-to" of the more-than-basic techniques the boxmaker will need to complete the projects outlined.
While the boxes seem to maintain a sometimes deceptive simplicity of form, each also has some special technique, shape, or other illustrated attribute that sets it apart.
The format of each chapter starts with a photo of the completed project. This is followed by a line drawing of the completed project with dimensions and sometimes a line drawing of a noteworthy component part, joinery technique used, or cross-section of the project showing the juxtaposition of the parts. This pictorial introduction to each project is followed by a Bill Of Materials with dimensions for each part and a listing of any hardware the project will need.
The rest of the chapter is text describing the making of the box, interspersed with frequent clear photos illlustrating the techniques unique or particular to that project. For instance, the box covered in the first chapter has an inlaid lid and most of the photos and text is concerned with teaching how to make your own laminated inlay banding and getting it installed on the lid. The book assumes that you already know how to make (or can guess how to reverse-engineer) the basic rectangular box on which the inlaid lid gets attached.
There are a few side-bars throughout the book that show how to make some of the jigs, sleds, or other tooling to make the parts shown via the method outlined by the author. The parts to make these accessory tools are shown in a separate Bill Of Materials at the front of the chapter in which the sidebar exists.
In my opinion, this is a good book for intermediate boxmakers who have already gone through the learning curve of making basic boxes, practicing the craft as taught in other introductory books outlined above. This volume then serves to introduce and teach some of the next level of eye-candy and intriguing techniques to enhance their boxmaking craft.
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RokJok
Here is a review of another recent addition to my library of boxmaking books.
"New Masters of the Wooden Box: Expanding the Boundaries of Box-Making"
by Oscar P. Fitzgerald
Publisher: Fox Chapel Publishing (October 1, 2009)
Paperback: 208 pages
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1565233921
ISBN-13: 978-1565233928
Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.5 inches
http://www.amazon.com/New-Masters-Wooden...1565233921
Short review:
I recommend "New Masters of the Wooden Box" highly!! It is a lushly photographed, inspirational box-making coffee table picture book with as much artistic and imaginative range as "400 Boxes:The Fine Art of Containment & Concealment" in a larger format, albeit with fewer artists and boxes shown. The major downside to me is the amount of page space New Masters dedicates to text about the artist's history or inspirations. I consider New Masters a picture book displaying stunning artworks, so I think anything on the page that isn't a picture is detracting from the book. Nonetheless, I find New Masters to be a valuable addition to my library of boxmaking books.
One note on "New Masters" as compared to (or in conjunction with) "400 Boxes" -- many of the same artists and even some of the same boxes show up in both books. If we consider that both books cover a rather specialized subject (contemporary art boxes made from wood), it's not surprising that both authors would occasionally have to draw from the same pool of talent and workpieces to fill their pages.
Long review:
New Masters is essentially a catalog to accompany a show that opened in Sept 2009 at the Messler Gallery of the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship (CFC) in Maine and touring the USA thereafter.
The introduction of the book is 18 pages covering the history of boxes from ancient Egypt up to contemporary times and from cultures all over the world. The photos of historical boxes in the introduction are on par with the excellent photos shown throughout the rest of the book. Given that the subject of historical boxes and their uses could cover a great many volumes on its own, the introduction here is necessarily rather generic and abrupt in dealing with boxes in each historical age. However, it is wide-ranging enough and diverse enough in introducing containers I don't typically think about that I found myself eager to get to the next era covered to see what tidbits of info I would get on its uses of boxes.
The last part of the introduction was three-and-a-half pages of summation on the artists in the book and often a hint about specific work(s) from that artist. I think this is mostly a verbose waste of page space. I don't care what percentage of artists covered in the book are women or couples or any other grouping by type. I also don't want the author to coyly hint at the workpieces contained in the later parts of the book. My attitude on this part of the introduction was, "Skip all the blathering about, JUST SHOW ME THE BOXES!!!!"
The main body of the book covers the 30 artists alphabetically by their last name, with each artist getting a chapter to him- or her-self. The first page of each chapter is a full-page photo of a typical box -- or two or three or so -- by the artist. There is also at the front of the chapter a portrait of the artist, typically shown at work or in their studio. That is followed by six pages of extremely well-photographed less-than-full-page pictures of the artist's work interspersed with text on the artist's history and/or inspirations for their style. One of the things I like about New Masters over 400 Boxes is that in 400 Boxes the quality of photos varied somewhat, with some of the photos rather out-of-focus or having odd coloration. All of the photos in New Masters are very well done and consistent in presenting the boxes and other works in a very good light.
That "other works" brings me to a minor nit I would pick with the editors of New Masters -- not all the works shown are boxes, even if they are stunningly imaginative and extremely well-crafted. In a boxmaking book I expect to see boxes, not the occasional table, chair, tool, or non-container art piece which is included in the pages of New Masters. I can forgive the inclusion of the bowls and basket-like objects included, since as containers they are cousins of solid-sided boxes and, in the hands of the very clever artists shown, can strongly blur the delineations on what should strictly be called a box.
At the rear of the book is a brief bibliography and an index listing alphabetically each box by title and each artist by last name.
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Traditional Box Projects by Strother Purdy, published by Taunton Press, 149 pages
In it's simplest description, this book is a "how to do it" manual for the making of eight projects. Eight projects may sound like a rather small number of subjects for a book of this sort, especially considering that there is not a Gallery section of other pieces or various artists' work. In this regard, Traditional Box Projects is one of the most narrowly focused, most limited in scope books in this grouping.
However, by the thoroughness of its instructions plus the supplementary information contained in the chapters, in the process of making those eight boxes this volume teaches a diverse set of woodworking skills that can be applied to projects well beyond boxmaking. That supplementary information, contained in sidebars throughout the book, adds shop accessories & fixtures and non-project-specific techniques to the woodworkers arsenal.
IMHO this book would make a good introduction to boxmaking, though it is perhaps a little advanced to consider it an introductory book to general woodworking practices. It assumes a certain basic familiarity with the operation of shop power tools like the tablesaw, bandsaw, jointer, sanders, drill press, and router, as well as hand tools. It does not go into the setup or operation of those machines, but places its emphasis on the parts coming off those machines.
One of the things that I like about Traditional Box Projects is its mix of power and hand tool methods. Thus the woodworker working their way through the book will come away with competency and a skill set to tackle most small, and some large, woodworking projects. Most of the stock preparation is done on powered machines, though dovetails are cut and chopped by hand. While the instructions throughout the book are very, very clear and explicit on how to do each step and cautious in keeping track of various parts via the marking of them, I didn't see much, if any, alternative method pointed out in the text on other ways to accomplish each step.
The projects contained in this book are:
-- Oval Bandsaw Box with lift-off lid
-- Shaker Candle Box with sliding lid
-- Simple Dovetailed Box with hinged lid
-- Walnut Display Case with glass-glazed lid
-- Fumed Oak Humidor with add-on feet
-- Shaker Lap Desk with small pull-out drawer
-- Stacking Book Box with mortised-in handles
-- Jewelry Box with drawer tower and swing-out doors
Each chapter starts with a large picture of the finished project. That is followed by a shaded line drawing of the exploded view of the project, a cut list, and the instructional text and photos to mill, assemble, and finish the project. The marking of the photos and their references in the text are EXCELLENTLY handled in this book. There is no confusion over which photo the text is referring to or what procedure is involved. In this regard Purdy and the editorial staff have done an exemplary job and deserve to be applauded for the job well done!
I would recommend this book to woodworkers already comfortable in shop practices who would like to start making boxes as a new form factor. The thoroughness and comprehensiveness of the instruction in this book are some of the best I've seen.
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Box Builder's Handbook subtitled "Essential Techniques with 20 Step-by-Step Projects"
by A.J. Hamler, published by Popular Woodworking Books, 173 pages
This is a book balanced between being a "how to make" and a "what to make" volume, with the preponderance leaning toward the design oriented "what to make" aspects over the techniques and methods to actually craft the boxes. The diversity of boxes is fairly broad, while the instructions on how to make each box are relatively minimal and focused on techniques peculiar to the project that an intermediate woodworker will likely want to focus on as they make the box.
The projects contained in this book are:
-- Itty Bitty Box, mitered corners with lift-off lid
-- Wine Box, mitered corners & lift-off lid insert
-- Post Office Box, locking door
-- Watch Box, narrow oblong bandsaw box
-- Tote Box Duo, pair of open-top totes
-- Heart Box, bandsaw-shaped box with lathe turned recess
-- Potpourri Box, lathe turned box
-- Lidded Lathe Box, turned box with finial lid
-- Kim's Christmas Box, bevel-sided rectangular box
-- Bead Box, mitered body and open lid frame
-- Spool Cabinet, two drawers in fake panel frame case
-- Shaker Oval Box, #3 size fingered bentwood box
-- Band Saw Box, slab-and-reassemble rectangular container
-- Pencil Box, finger-joints and slide-off lid
-- Kestrel Bird Box, larger somewhat rougher outdoor project
-- Business Card Holder, laminated body with recessed flip-top
-- Mailbox, taper sided container
-- Game Box, home for 2 decks of cards
-- Vertical Jewelry Box, three drawers in doweled carcass
-- Child's Box, shape-puzzle top openings
Each chapter starts with a color picture of the finished project with introductory comments (many of which seemed to breezily casual for my tastes, YMMV), followed by a line drawing exploded view, cut list, and the text/photos used to describe and illustrate the crafting of each project. However, note that many, if not most, of the other steps needed to achieve the initial formation of the project are cursorily covered or glossed over. This book assumes a fairly high degree of competence and theoretical & practical woodworking expertise on the part of the reader.
While the photos are well-shot and do a very good job of illustrating the procedure they address, this book of Hamler's places somewhat more of a premium on descriptive text telling the reader how much of the project work is done, with excellent call-outs to the photos where applicable.
The Box Builder's Handbook is a book for woodcrafters who are already competent and comfortable in their craft and are more seeking inspiration for projects on which to apply that craft, rather than woodworkers who are looking for hand-holding through the process of making a box. For that sort of hand-holding, Strother Purdy's book reviewed above would be a much better recommendation. Hamler's book is more to kick-start the imagination, trusting the hands are capable of executing the design once the vision is formulated.
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I love looking at this stuff and imagine I'm not alone.
