Proy Wood

Title: Bookcase with Bracket Feet with Phillip C. Lowe
Run Time: 40 minutes
Production Date: 2010
Produced By: Taunton Press
Price: $29.99 (Buy Now)
Marc’s Score: 2.4 Grape Sodas out of 5
Matt”s Score: 2.7 Grape Sodas out of 5

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“Join award-winning woodworker and teacher Philip C. Lowe in this video workshop. Watch as he guides you through the critical steps and demonstrates the techniques needed to build this elegant bookcase with bracket feed – or with ogee feet, if you prefer. Follow along as he constructs a sturdy case and face frames, cuts curves with a bandsaw, edges plywood, shapes moldings, glues up, and adds masterful finishing touches. Includes digital SketchUp plan. Great for intermediate and advanced woodworkers.”

Matt: When it comes down to it. Phil Lowe is an experienced, master craftsman who understands design and construction and in this DVD he demonstrates it well. Overall, based on the description of the DVD case, I felt the vast majority of the topics were discussed and it lives up to what I expected to see. This is a title in which the person who’s purchasing it will definitely be learning something from it, because if they don’t, they’re obviously not watching.

Marc: Phil Lowe is an accomplished craftsman and its a pleasure watching him build a project in his shop, but the aggressive pacing makes it difficult to keep up. The editor tried to cram so much action into the voiceovers that its difficult to appreciate the actual woodworking that’s being performed. All this comes at the expense of details and overall comprehension. That said, an intermediate to advanced woodworker should be able to reproduce this project easily but with two caveats: they don’t mind pausing and rewinding frequently, and they actually want to build the project in the video, and not the one pictured on/in the case.

Entertainment Value: Marc 2.5/5 | Matt 2.5/5
Production Quality: Marc 2/5 | Matt 3/5
Information Quality: Marc 3/5 | Matt 3/5
Overall Value: Marc 3/5 | Matt 3/5
Keeps Its Promise: Marc 1/5 | Matt 2/5
Final Score: Marc 2.4/5 | Matt 2.7/5

Simply head on over to the Wood Talk Online Forum and leave a post in the thread for this review and simply post a picture of a bookcase you built previously, or one you would really like to build.

And congratulations to last show’s winners, SDWoodworker and SunshineGerl, who both won a copy of 12 Great Tablesaw Jigs with Jim Heavey.

Click Here and Start WoodWorking

When I think of Texas I have to admit some things come to my cartoon fed imagination, right or wrong, there they are. I envision ten-gallon hats and fancy cowboy boots, I think of the comic book of the Alamo I read to tatters as a child and of ZZTop. I think of cowboys sitting in a group around a campfire, eating large quantities of beans and releasing large amounts of methane and other green house gasses from inside their Levis (a la Blazing Saddles) and a president who spends his vacations clearing brush with a chainsaw infront of a crowd of reporters, (why you would stand there just to watch a dude run a chainsaw is beyond me). The legends of Texas are bigger than life and make this poor Wisconsin boy, who has never been further south than Kansas, think of things like independence, tenaciousness, and a distinct air that says "You cant mess with me. Do you know where Im from?"

Though if I think about it rationally, away from the legendary stereotypes, Im sure Texas carries the same varriety of humanity and experiences that I have come to know in Western Wisconsin. But I have a new argument to add to the stories, not a tale of independent spirit, or of overwhelming bravery, but a tale of open friendliness and generosity. David Kirtley is the man who has shown me the other side of Texas.

David was one of the first guys to find my blog and make regular comments. He always has some good additional advice or gives a nice turn of perspective on what Im up to. Through this blog and eventually through emails, we have developed a fun and easy banter. I look forward to hearing from him and seeing a comment from him sitting in my moderation in box always brings a smile to my face. But recently he had the chance to take me by surprise.

I had made a blog post about turning a couple of spindles for a local entertainer to use as fire sticks. David replied in the comment area that he had also been out in the shop, playing with a new metal lathe, and turning some pins that hold the blade in a bow saw. Ribbing him a little I asked if he could spare a set. Well my jaw hit the floor a few hours later when I got an email asking for my mailing address. So what would you do? I sent him the address.

A couple of days later he sent me an email titled, "Hey, just thought I would torture you" which had a tracking number, I went to UPS.com and plugged in the number and the package was closing in on me, but closer inspection of the page told me it weighed more than 11 lbs. There is no what two little aluminum pins would make up a weight of 11 lbs. I was out to dinner with my family when the email got to me on my phone, and my wife immediately said "You look like the cat that ate the canary. What did you do?" She loves and trusts me so much.

A couple more emails back and forth and I knew David had gone and added some extras to the box, he wouldnt tell me what though. I didnt pry too hard, I was enjoying the surprise. Its been a long time since Ive had a Christmas as good as this. A couple more days and I had the box in my hands and I was not disappointed.