First up Doug Stowe writes great copy, it’s
easy to read and to understand what he is getting at. Often design sections of
these books can get a bit too wordy, a bit artsy if you know what I mean. In
this book Doug is straight forward about what he likes and how it’s
achieved. The basic layout of the book
is simple. Ten projects each require a slightly higher level of skill to
achieve. They are all set out in a logical order, an introduction to each box
and some discussion on its form and design. Simple to follow instructions on
how to make the box together with some tips for variations on the theme, are
supported with some good photography as well as excellent sketch illustrations.
The projects here are as the title
suggests small scale so you don’t have to have a lot of shop space or invest in
great quantities of expensive stock to make them. To complete everything though
you would need a well-equipped shop (Band
saw, Router table, Lathe) but Doug offers plenty of tips on how to achieve
results with a less sophisticated arsenal.
There is a great section on creating some custom inlay and I
particularly liked the section on creating tiny versions of the classic
bentwood box.
If you want to take on a real challenge
the final box in the set is a Japanese puzzle box. This not only looks amazing it’s
a fiendishly clever and would be a very satisfying thing to produce and show
off to your pals. As with most quality woodworking books there are hints and
tips throughout and plenty of “that’s a great idea” moments thrown in.
So back to my original question is it worth
the dollars? In short yes, it’s a good book to browse and a great book to work
from, progressively building up your skills. For the experienced woodworker
there are some challenges to overcome as you are operating at the smaller end
of the scale. For the novice it’s a great way to improve your skills and have
inspiring projects to work towards.
Tiny Boxes . . . 10 Skill Building Box Projects by Doug Stowe is available from thegmcgroup.com and other
retailers online. ISBN-978-1-63186-447-6