5 comments about Pinewood Derby Speed Secrets: Design and Build the Ultimate Car.

1. This book was easy to follow and understand. First year we were second place and second year we took first! It's the book for those who do not know anything about derby cars. Thanks Dave!



2. Pinewood Derby Speed Secrets has set a new standard in the Pinewood Car Derby industry! It is by far the most complete Pinewood Car Derby manual ever produced! Weighing in at 106 pages, it leaves other derby books jockeying for second place. Visual learners will find this book a welcome breath of fresh air. With over 200 photos and technical diagrams, it is clearly the most visual, hands-on Pinewood Car Derby book available. The author has taken all of the guesswork out of building a winning car. First time builders will find the book inviting and "down to earth." Experienced builders will be thrilled with the powerful line-up of speed tips presented within its pages. It is written in a style and format that make it fun to read and easy to understand.



3. this was horrible! i followed all the steps and i was in last place! don't read it.



4. I expected a rehash of all the stuff I'd read on the web, but was surprised to learn some new information here. It's laid-out in a very useful format, with excellent pictures and helpful tips.
   
   The book contains some useful designs but, as you'd expect from the title, they're all focused on performance and not looks.
   
   Make sure that you check with your local pack before you apply some of the more 'advanced' options, since they might be disallowed, and no one wants a disappointed cub scout on their hands on race day.



5. Great pictures and tips. For a beginner this book offers great ideas. Highly recommend.

4 comments about Action Whirligigs: 25 Easy-to-Do Projects (Woodworking Whirligigs).

1. for the amount of pieces to be used in some of these items, the instructions were fairly easy to understand



2. It doesn't have every design, but there are enough varied plans to give you a good start. The introductory section on building the propellers and general design considerations should be enough for a moderately experienced wood worker to make whatever they want.



3. This book came in very very helpful. My son had to make one of these for a project in school that was due the first of of school. You know I could not find a single book that resembled what I was looking for!! 3 counties and still no luck. Thank god I found this one, is very insightful, informative, and interesting. If you're wondering how to make these things, this book does make it easier.
   
   Was delivered on time, good condition.



4. Lots of detailed diagrams on how to make these cute whirlygigs.
   
   But be careful where you put yours... they will disappear from your front yard if you're not careful!!

5 comments about Zany Wooden Toys That Whiz, Spin, Pop, and Fly: 28 Top-Secret Projects You Can Build from the Toy Inventor's Workshop.

1. can't wait to make some of these with my kids. they each have picked out the item they want to make. we have plenty of scrap wood that they will be able to use and paint and they already know how to use most of the tools required for these projects. good section on woodworking basics, but would have liked better patterns. definately kids will need an adult to help. looks like fun family projects!



2. very good book easy to follow plans of very interesting toys the kids love em



3. I was excited to receive this book and imeadiately decided to try a simple project from it. The projects aren't hard and the schematics are easy to understand but be aware that some modification may be nessesary. Fortunately, I do have some experience with making toys so the changes were easy for me. The author does try to encourage the reader to improvise and make their own designs. I recommend this book but be aware of some modification by you. The toys are enjoyable and would be appreciated by most active kids.



4. I bought this book on the idea that my son would be interested in building things together. Many times he wanted to build something and I was short on ideas. He looked through this book and is very excited. Most of the projects are fairly simple and can be built quickly (a plus if your child has a short attention span). Most can be made from scrap wood, glue, rubberbands and simple hand tools. The book is full color with pictures and step by step instructions.



5. This book puts the fun back into playing with your kids beyond the electronic world we're living in. Turn off the computer and the game machines and create your own fun with the help of this fabulous book. Its so easy to tell the kids to turn off the tv and go outside and play, especially if you JOIN them, with the details supplied and the laughs that will follow. I highly recommend this book for all parents and anyone who has the privilege to play with kids!

4 comments about Pinewood Derby Designs and Patterns.

1. This book provides some detailed plans for an adult building a car. The problem is that it is supposed to be an event for you and your son to work on together. I went overboard in the begining of pinewood derby. I realized that it is supposed to be a kids event. The shame is that if you are making the advanced cars in this book your kid is sitting in the den watching TV while you are doing all of the work. What is the point? What is he getting out of this project?
   
   The book also includes several basic designs that are decent simple car plans. You can photocopy then to transfer them on your pinewood block.
   
   There are also some basic tips to make you car faster.
   
   Some of the designs are banned, so check you local rules prior to picking a plan.
   
   If you are going to get one pinewood book I would get this one.



2. This book has everything you will need to create a car and enjoy the pinewood derby experience. A picture is worth a thousand words and this is packed with photo's galore. Many car plans to choose from and step by step instructions on design, shaping, painting, and fine tuning a car for maximum speed. I have been doing pinewood derby for 8 years. I have bought most books on this subject and I cut out about 110-150 cars a year for our church and thought that I had seen it all but this book took me to another level. Our pinewood doesn't start for another 3 months and I am already to get started.
   
   I don't just recommend this book, I suggest you get 2-3 copies and pass them around!
   
   Wade Charlesworth
   New Life Worship Center



3. This book provide some great ideas to constructing a pinewood derby car. Although it does go over basic speed tips, this is not a book about building fast cars rather a book about design options and detailing a very nice car. Also several very unique design templates are provided if you need an idea on what to build with your scout.



4. 
   About a week ago I attended my son's first cub scout meeting. The pack leader handed me a plastic "lunch box" that contained all of the parts I would need to build a pinewood derby racer!
   
   I was suddenly transported back in time and I had wonderful visions of my first (and only) pinewood derby car. I remember racing and winning, over and over again! What I didn't remember was the finer points of designing and building the car. Maybe because my dad never had me participate in that part of it!?
   
   I'm not much of a woodworker, in fact I am not very good at any type of measuring, cutting, shaping or construction tasks. I can measure something five times and still manage to cut it incorrectly. I knew immediately that I was going to need some serious help to get this car put together. I've got plenty of friends who are engineers/fabricators would be willing to help out. I've got access to computer controlled lathes, mills and exotic materials like titanium and aluminum. Heck, I'm sure I could track down a physicist around here who could come up with a nice design for this car to win some races...
   
   Then I thought that it would have really been nice if my dad would have included me in on building my car when I was younger. I knew that I needed to build as much of this car as I can, without help and to include my son as much as possible.
   
   I did a little research on the internet and came across this book. My wife ended up finding it (along with others) at the local library. I started reading. I really like how the author has taken the time to provide the reader with templates, pictures, diagrams, tool lists etc. He even has a few sections on tips & tricks and reminds the reader at every opportunity that this is the cub scout's car and he should be included.
   
   In the book, there are three major designs where the author gives detailed instructions on how to build the car from start to finish. In the rear of the book he has a few templates and design ideas that aren't useful to a casual builder. The tool lists are somewhat inaccurate but they are a good starting point. I recommend you review the build process along with the tool list to ensure you have everything you need.
   
   I was a little disappointed by the author's lack of information on the speed of the car designs. I would have expected he posted which car designs were the fastest...he did not.
   
   At this point, I'm nowhere near finished with the car that my son chose for us to build. We're building a stock car because it looks cool (the design is AWESOME). I had to bring the main block into work to get it drilled on the drill press...tonight we'll glue it all together and tomorrow I will cut it out here on the band saw....yep, you're going to need some of the more exotic tools if you want to build a cool car. A dremel is a MUST for any of the designs in this book. I could not imagine cutting some of these templates out using a handsaw.
   
   All in all, it's a really decent book for someone like me. I just wish he had more designs in the book or more complete templates because some of his ideas are very, very cool. Wish me luck, I'm heading home to do some work on the car!

1 comments about Wooden Puzzles: 31 Favorite Projects & Patterns (Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Book).

1. If you're anything like me, somewhere in your house or apartment there's every copy of ScrollSaw magazine you've purchased. (OK, that only applies to those of you who are into scrollsawing, but you probably wouldn't be reading this review otherwise.) This book puts all the best puzzles from the magazine into one place, which sure beats pawing through that pile of old magazines to find the puzzle pattern you're sure you remembered seeing but don't remember which issue from which year. I had already made several of the puzzles in this book but was glad to have them all in the same place. There's something for everyone in this book, whatever their skill level or complexity of their shop. Many can be made with a cheaper scrollsaw and access to a photocopier.
   
   The only thing I would change in this book would be the binding. A spiral binding would make photocopying much easier.

2 comments about Great Book of Wooden Toys: More Than 50 Easy-to-Build Projects (American Woodworker).

1. This book is OK. Not great, not horrible, but OK. There are a lot of projects in here (they say 50) however several of them are individual cars for a train set, which I would argue are pieces of a single project and not separate projects. The stuff looks nice in some cases but the aesthetics that two of the other notable authors come up with are a bit better, namely Jim Makowicki two books and Les Neufeld book on building toy trucks, which look a bit more like pieces of art.
   
   My main complaint is that this book kind of misses the mark by making things too complex in several cases, or the drawings/templates are too small to be useful, or it makes the toys so simple you don't really need this book to help you. I doubt I'll make any projects from this book.
   
   Like I said, try Makowicki or Neufeld, they have cooler projects, better step-by-step, and nicer drawings. Plus, the toys look way cooler.



2. The book is exactly what I ordered, the service is on par with the federal government, lots of form letters, no personal attention and they lied everytime they wrote to you. First the book was in stock and was ready for immediate shipping, then it had to be back ordered, then they had a problem with the supplier, yada yada yada. They shipped on the 12th as finally promised but it took over two weeks to travel 800 miles... did somebody walk it down? I will NEVER for any reason buy from these people again... did I mention their customer service sucks?, and frankly it is questionable whether I will ever buy from Amazon again, at least Ebay and others act sincere when they inquire about the purchase.

5 comments about Making Mad Toys & Mechanical Marvels in Wood.

1. As always, just enough information to spur the imagination & allow you to create your own special toys! Better than getting fully detailed drawings & making a copy is to create your own similar, yet dissimilar creations! I enjoy his books & their ability to let you daydream your own creations!



2. This author is somewhat neurotic. These projects rather qualify as kinetic art for a sculptor who might just as easily be a recluse hiding in the desert making cats disappear. The projects seem just a little disturbing the finish work is ... rustic. Much attention is given to making a frenetic movement in an old-worldesque style. One whirlygig has a allied machine gunner noisily blasting away at german keiser helmeted targets. It may work for some, but none of the projects would make me proud I made them, or proud to show them. Some would even make me worried that the neighbors thought that I aught to be institutionalized. There are a couple of schematics showing how he got arms to move from rotating shafts. But there are better sources for that.
   
   This book just feels creepy.



3. This is an excelent book for advanced toymakers.
   I have made several of the mechanisms.
   
   For old timers be aware trhis is just a reprint of his pevious book
   "Whacky Toys,.Whirligigs & Whatchamacallits."with a new cover.



4. Although this book has lots of intersting ideas it is difficult to follow the plans to complese these projects. Other than that is is a good resource.



5. Great book but as noted below, exactly the same as the other book still being sold here. 5 stars if you don't have the other book, one star if you do.

5 comments about Crafting Wood Logic Puzzles: 18 Three-dimensional Games for the Hands and Mind.

1. I found this book at my local library but had to eventually purchase it. Lots of variety in construction and difficulty. Some of the puzzles in this book can be made in a few hours, some take several evenings. Similarly, some take a few minutes to solve and some several days without instructions.
   
   Easy to follow instructions, good photos, an all-around fun book and great intro to wood logic puzzles.



2. This turned out to be a great gift for my father, he loves his scroll saw and the intricate details he can craft with it. He saws this book is great.



3. I've made three puzzles so far. Making them is a bit of a puzzle in itself, as you can imagine. All were done using a bandsaw. They all worked. I did'nt have to redue anything, so the plans were acurate. I made the twenty minute puzzle first and passed a few to freinds and family. I was surprized with the response. They could'nt leave them alone. So far, this book has been well worth it.



4. This book has proved to provide both interesting and in some cases challenging wood working exercises.
   
   The resulting puzzles are a big hit with friends and family - the hints for presents are mounting.
   
   Its also a great way to use up all those scraps of wood I've been hording but haven't been able to use.



5. This is a really great book. It has plans for a couple of sleds for the table saw and 18 puzzles. It has materials lists, easy to use instructions with solutions to all puzzles and lots of helpful tips. Highly Recommended.

5 comments about Making Animated Whirligigs (Woodworking Whirligigs).

1. This is the greatest book ever if you are looking for direction to make a whirlygig. My husband made one and the instructions were clear and concise. There are illustrations and step by step instructions on how to make one.



2. Lots of detailed diagrams on how to make these cute whirlygigs.
   
   But be careful where you put yours... they will disappear from your front yard if you're not careful!!



3. I've had this book for several months now, and I have had a chance to look it over carefully.
   I'm a teacher by training, and I have to say that Mr Lunde could use a lesson or two about organization, the use of an outline, as well as good pictures.
   This book is very poorly organized - the author skips around as if he never had an outline or plan.
   The result is half-written instructions that rarely contain all the necessary info you'll need to create one of his projects.
   Mr. Lunde tends to waste your time with personal stories that aren't relevant to YOUR project at hand.
   His instructions are often confusing and contradictory - he refers to different projects often while confusing you as to the project at hand.
   His pictures are very poor as well - the hand drawn pictures often have absolutely no information about them - the actual photographs very rarely show you all of the piece - instead showing sections of the project you may or may not need to actually see.
   Photographs are expensive to add to books and it is clear that Lunde and his publisher cheaped out -
   and left you - the buyer - hanging in mid air with next to no visual reference.
   I'm sure Mr. Lunde is a great fellow -
   but this is what happens when you let a craftsman - who may or may not be able to write clearly -
   write a book.
   Wouldn't recommend this book if you need adequate info on making any kind of whirligig.



4. I have seen whirlygigs in movies, and occasionally the simple birds with spinning wings. I wanted to know what sort of materials were needed to make the more involved mechanical devices - such as the man sawing wood. This book did not disappoint. The author provides information on materials to use for reliable service in a device exposed to the elements. This is an excellent place to start.



5. I haven't actually made a whirligig yet, but I plan on it. Since I read this book I really believe I can. What I wanted to know, it told me, mainly things you can use to make the mechanical components of a whirligig. I've done woodworking and that part I knew I could do but putting it all together was another matter. This book definitely helped me see how it can be done.

5 comments about Making Furniture & Dollhouses for American Girl and Other 18-Inch Dolls.

1. The accessories in the book were very nice - but the instructions are mostly word based and the pictures are not step by step. The "house" portion of the book is lacking - sure it gives some good information on houses, but leaves you to design it yourself. The only thing in the book on "dollhouses" is the small one room one story house that you see on the cover. I will get some good use from this book, and I might even be able to sell some of the items online after making them, but overall I was disappointed with this book. --TODDL



2. the book has lots o f nice plans, most have patterns that are to scale, a couple of the bigger patterns have to be enlarged which cannot be easily done at home i took it to staples and it cost me about $8.00,it would br nice if for these plans it had a fold out full size pattern for these pieces.
   
   I also found out tha Lowes caries a lot of the smaller size boards in several species which saves a lot of time cutting 3/4" boards down.
   
   All and all this book is well worth the money,I am in the process of building my daughter the bunk bed for her dolls for Christmas.



3. Haven't built anything yet but the book looks very good. I like the drawings.
   I am barely a novice...I bought Woodworking for Dummies also.



4. My husband and I can't wait to start building furniture for the 18" dolls. He really enjoyes working with wood.



5. This book had several good furniture designs for beds, chests, bookcases, etc. However the assembly instructions were very hard to follow. It could really use an assembly drawing to illustrate how each piece of furniture goes together. You should also be aware that you will need a pretty good assortment of tools to cut and assemble the parts. It would be nice if there were a list of recommended tools. This was not a problem for me, but it could be if you are not a woodworker. Also, check the measurements as I found several incorrect measurements in the book.