Shaker Inspiration, Christian Becksvoort

Shaker Inspiration by Christian Becksvoort. Not many woodworkers can claim five decades of business success, but Becksvoort is among them. He shares not only his woodworking knowledge and some of his best professional techniques for top-quality work, but also the business advice that helped him sustain a long career in a one-man shop. Actor and woodworker Nick Offerman calls the book an instant treasure.

The book begins with what all woodworkers need: how to make trees into furniture. This requires a firm grasp of wood movement, one of Becksvoort's specialties, and he shares many tricks to keep his pieces sound through the seasons and generations, from the advantages of working with a single species to how much a drawer front will move in a house with forced-air heat. Every page is filled with shop tricks, from removing dovetail waste to aligning a drawer front and side perfectly when dovetailing.

He then dives into the business side, pulling no punches about the difficulties of life as a furniture maker and designer. He offers straightforward advice on setting up a shop, from the roof and heat pump to the sign, and on relationships with suppliers and subcontractors.

The last 60-odd pages offer photos and measured drawings for 13 of his own designs and seven Shaker pieces he has reproduced, plus photos of the original Shaker pieces that inspired him most. The construction drawings allow intermediate woodworkers to make their own versions.

166 pages in full color, 8.5" x 11", on heavy coated paper, sewn and glued, with cotton-covered boards and a tear-resistant dust jacket. Produced in the United States by Lost Art Press.