Period furniture makers are an elite bunch who are well aware that most publishers consider them too small a group to devote much space to. Why describe how to build a Chippendale chair when three or four times as many readers will attempt a Morris chair or a Shaker chair? It therefore came as a very pleasant surprise to receive not one but two books that go into great detail how to build some of the most challenging pieces of furniture every made in this country.

Tony  Kubalak is a period furniture maker near Minneapolis, MN who has appeared in Fine Woodworking magazine. In his book he focuses on carving ten signature motifs ranging from the cabriole leg to convex and concave Newport shells. The book is richly illustrated with many of the author’s stunning finished pieces, and step-by-step photos of each process. This is no book for newcomers to carving, but those with some experience who are keen to scale the summits of carving will find it a great companion at their workbench. Published by Linden, the book costs $24.95 and can be founded at good bookshops and at the author’s website: www.TonyKubalak.com.

On the acknowledgements page of his book, Kubalak thanks Gene Landon for “inspiration and motivation”. In his many years of teaching classes at the Olde Mill Cabinet Shoppe (www.oldemill.com) as well as his articles in Fine Woodworking, Gene Landon has taught many an aspiring furniture maker that they DO have the skill to tackle even the most challenging piece. One of his devoted students, Rick Vannan, has now published a book that is a cross between a biography of Gene and an introduction to making furniture the 18th century way. The book starts with a tour of the highlights of Gene’s woodworking career including presenting bible boxes to Presidents Carter and George W. Bush. It then follows with illustrated guides on how to cut a mortise-and-tenon and dovetail joints with hand tools, working up to rosettes and a ball-and-claw foot. At $60 plus S&H it is a bit pricey but anyone who knows Gene will want a copy to keep with their carving tools. To order a copy email Rick Vannan at [email protected]

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