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$40.00 $24.00 |
Bird decoys, which were first fashioned by Native American hunter-artists at least 1,500 years ago, are the only major folk art form to originate in North America. Today, decoys made during the heyday of decoy carving--roughly from 1840 to 1950--rank among the most avidly sought of all folk art collectibles, with some rare and outstanding examples fetching upwards of $8000,000 apiece at auction. These humble hunting tools, intended to deceive wildfowl by luring them into shooters' range, are now appreciated on many levels: as compelling works of sculpture, as exacting portraits of living and extinct species, and as irreplaceable historical objects. Successful decoy carvers of the past knew their prey intimately--spending countless hours observing game birds in the wild and then bringing their accumulated knowledge of different species' appearance and behavior to the carving bench. Because the works these artisans created were meant to attract avian eyes--conveying the essence of a bird's plumage, form, and attitude at a glance--older handmade decoys are deeply observed symbols of living birds that no merely decorative object, no matter how photographically accurate, can match. In this definitive, lavishly illustrated work, folk-art expert Robert Shaw chronicles the now-vanished era in which the great decoy makers pursued their craft. Shaw traces the natural history of North American bird species--more than sixty of which are represented in antique decoys. He relates the history of wildfowl hunting on this continent, detailing the excesses of nineteenth-century commercial hunting and the rise of a conservation movement aimed at ensuring bird species' long-term survival. He examines the distinctive forms produced in each major hunting area, from the Maritime Provinces of Canada to the Chesapeake Bay to the bayous of Louisiana and beyond. And, with a storyteller's gift for the entertaining anecdote, Shaw puts us in touch with the lives and circumstances of the decoy makers themselves.
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$29.95 |
In these two classic volumes, now combined into one convenient paperback, Frid has packed more than 50 years of practical woodworking experience. He his techniques step by step, with instructions keyed to sharp black-and-white photographs. In the first part, Frid shows you how to make a wide variety of joints with hand tools and machines, and how to select the right joinery for each application. In the second part, Frid continues the documentation of essential woodworking techniques: bending, shaping, carving, turning, veneering, inlaying, and finishing.
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$9.95 $5.97 |
"The Definitive Guide to Lumber Calculation". "A Simple but valuable book. Next time I go to the lumberyard, this low tech calculator is coming with me." - Fine Woodworking. Quick reference tables that provide the board foot measurements for lumber from one to more than 25 inches wide, one to 20 feet long, and one to four inches thick. Whether you need to figure inventory going out or coming in, buying to a cut list, or figuring for an invoice, this is a very helpful book and a remarkable time-saver.
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$9.95 $5.97 |
This follow-up to The Boy Mechanic features more than 200 unique toys and games that anyone with a basic tool kit will want to make. Charmingly designed to capture that old-fashioned flavor, every imaginative project remains as engaging today as ever, with its appeal fully intact. Theres amusement for little kids, including a toy donkey that nods and wags its tail; a childs playhouse and a miniature windmill; magic tricks, such as an X-Ray pack of cards and mystery coin box; items for the great outdoors, which range from a homebuilt canoe to a diving tower; plus gizmos and gadgets, scien-terrific motors and engines, and entertaining objects for an older child to create and play with.
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$19.95 $11.97 |
Starting with safety measure, and tool use, professional turner Dennis White presents advice on posture and turning the perfect cylinder.
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$19.95 $11.97 |
By the nature of where it spends its life, outdoor furniture has to be designed, first and foremost, to withstand its toughest enemy - the elements. While makers of indoor furniture need to consider the swelling and contraction of wood due to seasonal changes in relative humidity, outdoor furniture builders must also allow for the fact that their pieces will occasionally be drenched in water, dried by the wind, and baked by the sun. With appropriate materials, design, joinery, and hardware, you can fashion pieces that will be as durable and long-lasting as any kitchen side chair or bedroom armoire. Included in the book are projects for outdoor chairs, benches, tables, swings, gliders and other garden structures.