No comments about Antiguedades - Cuidado y Restauracion.

No comments about Insider's Guide to Antique Furniture.

No comments about Furniture Makeovers (The in a Weekend Series).

No comments about Ming Furniture: Rare Examples from the 16th and 17th Centuries.

4 comments about The Encyclopedia of Picture Framing Techniques.

1. The book was OK, some good ideas, some very elaborate ones. I think the scale was too extreme. It's not an encyclopedia by any means, wrong word to have in the title. Good book to flip through in the bookstore, not sure you need to own it.



2. A proper frame is of a great importance for a painting. It can either make it shine in all its beauty or simply spoil it. In spite of wide availability of framing materials nowadays, it is surprisingly difficult to find exact hues required for the balanced color harmony that suits a particular piece of art.
   
   If you are yourself a painter and would like to give your work a final boost, I recommend you read this book carefully and try your framing skills. For most artists who have been through all kinds of painting techniques it will be an easy and welcome new activity. Frame may well become a work of art in its own.
   
   The book gives all necessary instructions for framing. Starting with the mechanics of cutting and gluing pre-decorated picture frame mouldings together, it goes on to more enjoyable and artistic topics of actually painting and decorating the mouldings yourself. Chapters like Decorative Mounts, Wood Finishes, Paint Finishes and Gilding as well as the Restoration and Repair are very interesting and really useful. At the end the book gives a nice selection of finished frames. I recommend you start with this last chapter. It is so rich with ideas!
   --This text refers to anoher edition of his book



3. Chapter 1 Materials and Equipment
   The book begins from the assumption that you own little to know tools and then goes on to cover the basic tools need for framing. This includes sharp, modern, color photographs with detailed descriptions of each item and how it is used. The author also does a nice job at providing more than one tool example to accomplish the same job, such as the different type of mat cutters. He explains the differences between the simple inexpensive models to the costly advanced versions and how you would need to implement them. This chapter also covers the five basic parts of a frame (backing board, picture, mat, glass, and frame) and the primary categories of moldings. One glaring omission: there is only one brief mention of power miter saws.

   Chapter 2 Making a Simple Frame
   The chapter begins with cutting the mat, which after reading through the book, you'll discover is one of the most challenging tasks in framing a picture. The author covers several different methods in cutting a frame from a standard knife to an expensive professional cutting system. Next is cutting and joining the frame, and looking at this book from a woodworker's point of view, this was both inspiring and frustrating. It was an inspiration in that the displayed techniques sent my creative thought process into motion and gave me direction as to what type of frame I would like to design and make. It was frustrating seeing how the cutting and joining process was oversimplified. The uninitiated in the skill of cutting and joining small pieces, especially mitered pieces, will be very disappointed at how the process has a higher than normal learning curve. And God help you if you skimp out on any of tools presented and opt for the wooden miter box to produce a tight fitting 45° angle. I can just see the weekend hobbyist throwing this book and the miter box across the garage!
   This chapter has another flaw due to the author being too general: how to determine the depth of cut for the rabbit to hold the glass, picture, mat, and backing is never mentioned. As for joining a mitered corner there are far better ways to do so than the methods described in the book. Although they will all certainly work, I can come up with four methods that use better materials and will produce a higher quality joint with no more experience or tools needed than the methods described in this chapter.
   The following sections cover cutting glass and assembling the pieces. It is well written, and easy to follow.

   Chapter 3 Advanced Carpentry
   Here we go, now I was ready to learn something! The opening topic on homemade profiles was excellent; the advice was right on and useful for beginners through advanced alike. The author mentions using preformed moldings like those readily available at your local home store and more advanced ideas like making mirrored inlaid banding from inlay veneer. I was very upset over the light mention of how to use a router to make profiles. It was very oversimplified and I believe it could lead a person to serious injury without further mention of a necessary learning curve. Advanced joinery was another useful topic although it was lacking in many common techniques used by many woodworkers.
   The section on ornamental extended corners was very interesting but should be left for the advanced framer/woodworker. I also believe that his method for making ovals and circles is far more difficult than it needs to. The following section on slips, box frames, and floating frames is really fun and is a section that woodworkers can shine. However, here we once again run into that "depth of the rabbit" problem. It's never mentioned and I kept wondering what is an acceptable amount of space to leave, if any at all, between the backing board, the item in the frame, and the glass. The section on multisided frames (those being more than four sides) is another poor section that will lead the beginning and even many intermediate readers down a dark path.

   Chapter 4 Decorative Mats
   What a great chapter, I learned a new way to draw an oval, that's simple and uses a compass, nail, and thread, why the bottom "stile" of a mat should be wider than the top, and how to figure the proportions for mats with multiple windows. The section on double and triple mats, and making unusual shapes was equally useful, as were the detailed descriptions about the variety of matboards. The section using other materials in place of matboard got me to thinking about using wide pieces of veneer.

   Chapter 5 Wood and Wood Finishes
   This chapter covers basic domestic woods (assuming you live in the UK or Europe!) and what you can do to cover them in stains and finishes. The one glaring error in this chapter is the assertion that veneers can only be used on flat or gently curved moldings. The author needs an education on bendable veneers! There was also a nice side bar on building your own mini-fuming tent. The section on stains was basic at best and does not even take into account the many differences in staining different species of woods. Additional techinques such as graining and pickling are covered in useful detail.

   Chapter 6 Paint Finishes
   I will give the author credit where credit is due. All sections in this chapter were informative and full of relevant details. This included a great chart about painting and varnish qualities and uses.

   I enjoyed reading this book and it certainly inspired me to go out and start building some frames. Although I was a little disappointed over the vague descriptions in some of the sections, I thought the low cost and high production values helped balance the scales. I wouldn't recommend it for absolute beginners, but for everyone else it's a good buy.




4. Demonstrates in full color, step-by-step photographs all stages of making and decorating frames and mounts. This useful and well designed book is an encyclodedic introduction to picture framing crafts. It offers comprehensive descriptions of equipment for both beginning and advanced techniques and explains a wide range of decorative effects, from wood and paint finishes to gilding. It gives advice on how to restore and repair frames and includes an inspiring creative gallery of finished frames by professional artists.

No comments about A Collectors Guide to Trivets and Stands.

No comments about American Oak Furniture: Styles and Prices : Book II (American Oak Furniture).

3 comments about The Fireplace Book (World of Art).

1. In The Fireplace Book there are lots of beautiful pictures and a short introduction for each topic (approximately a few pages per topic); however, there is no depth. The author talks about a lot of designers, periods, and parts of fireplace design. She talks about historical changes and adaptations. What this book could really use is twice the information and an improved index (the existing one is VERY weak). It absolutely needs a section for sources and further reading, along with a glossary of terms and people. If you are looking for a coffee table or idea book and know all the design terms, this could be the one for you. If you are looking for information on designers, periods, historical development, etc. or don't already know all the terms this book could be interesting, but you will need to a more wordy book to complement it.



2. A well presented book with a wide variety of photographs making it a good source of ideas for interior designers. Beyond that there is little to commend it. Most of the pictures are not referenced, even those of grand or unique designs of fireplace. The commentary is lacking in technical and historical detail and the organisation into historical periods is only loosely adhered to. Not a bad coffee table book but not much good if you want information on designing, building or choosing a fireplace.



3. Photographs of hundreds of fireplaces worldwide offer options for giving your fireplace a different look. What's your preference? Art Deco? Something reminiscent of the Renaissance period or more Contemporary? Included in this book is a directory. Detailed information is presented covering salvaged fireplace parts, antique and reproduction mantels. Miranda Innes has provided a timely book to enrich the beauty of the home and hearth. There's no place like home for the holidays sitting before a warm fire or the glowing embers emanating from a classic fireplace.

1 comments about Furniture Field Guide: Field Guide (Warman's Field Guides).

1. At last, a guide you can really carry along to flean markets and antique stores, comtaining hundreds of illustrations and photos to make on-the-spot appraisals easy. Hundreds of listings including up-to-date prices. Over 400 photos and illustrations. Quick-find furniture caregories and styles. Dating chart, furniture terms, construction details and more.

No comments about Four Poster and Tester Beds (Shire Albums).