20th Anniversary of Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture

I knew it was time to leave my job at a publishing company when the CEO proudly announced that “books are now commodities”. This was the same knucklehead who, in his first week asked “why do we have so many … Continue reading

DXF Files for Craftsman Inlays & Hardware

Drawing files for the Craftsman Inlays & Hardware as seen in my book “Great Book of Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture” are now available for download in both DXF format and PDF format. These were originally published in 2004 as … Continue reading

Philosophy of Craftsman Furniture

  It is like hoisting a danger signal to speak out loud to Mr. Stickley of ornament, yet all people do not know this. “It is very grand,” said one visitor, “but have you no ornament, carving or draperies in … Continue reading

Hardcover Edition – Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture

Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture by Robert W. Lang

One way to judge the merit of an idea is to see how long the results of that idea stay around. A long time ago I thought it would be a good idea if somebody published a book of measured … Continue reading

Thoughts Occasioned By An Anniversary . . .

 . . . A Plea For a Democratic Art In the October 1904 issue of “The Craftsman” magazine, Gustav Stickley looked back on three years of publishing and many more years as a furniture maker. The article is worth reading … Continue reading

Revised Printing: Great Book of Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture

Please Note: The paperback edition of this book has been replaced with a hardcover. CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS OF THE NEW HARDCOVER EDITION OF THE “Great Book of Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture”. Revised Edition of the “Great Book of … Continue reading

Router Templates for Mortises Made Easy (& Accurately)

  Jigs and templates are common in professional woodworking shops, as well as common topics in woodworking books, magazines and blogs. A good jig will do two things; make the work better and get the work done faster. If you … Continue reading

(Not So Great) Book of Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture — Issues Fixed

I haven’t said much about the “Great Book of Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture” since it was released late last summer. Frankly I was rather embarrassed. The book that came from the printer was a far cry from the PDF … Continue reading

Nice Words About “Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture”

I’ve written a lot about my new book the “Great Book of Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture”, and I’m admittedly biased. I wrote the original book in this series because I thought that the furniture of the American Arts & … Continue reading

How to Interpret Shop Drawings for Craftsman (and other) Furniture

A Free Excerpt from the “Great Book of Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture” Step One: Cut all the pieces to the sizes listed in the cut list. Please don’t do that. Not if you’re building from the large format plans … Continue reading

Great Book of Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture-Canadian Shipping

RECENT INCREASES IN INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING RATES HAVE FORCED US TO TEMPORARILY STOP SELLING TO ADDRESSES OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES. CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS Due to popular demand, I’m happy to announce that we are now accepting orders for the “Great Book … Continue reading

Last Copy of Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture

End of An Era and Thank You About this time of year eleven years ago, I was waiting to see what would happen when my first book “Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture” was published. It had taken awhile to move … Continue reading

New Shop Drawings Book Table of Contents

By request, here is the Table of Contents for the compilation book “Great Book of Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture.” Most of the larger pieces are available as large format plans, and you can see images of those pieces at … Continue reading

Legacy of Craftsman Furniture

Quartersawn white oak isn’t the easiest wood to work, but with experience and an understanding of its character, it is steady and predictable. In gaining that experience, you’ll better understand your own character. The work becomes a partnership between man … Continue reading

New Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture Preview

Great Book of Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture

  “Great Book of Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture Now in Stock” The new, corrected printing of  “Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture” is on its way from the publisher.  This is a combination of three of my earlier books, “Shop … Continue reading

Harvey Ellis on Design

Furniture from the American Arts & Crafts period is extremely popular, but it is also misunderstood. We’re not even sure what to call it. Is the correct name Mission or Craftsman or something else? Much of the confusion comes from … Continue reading

Complete Book of Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture

Update the “Great Book of Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture” is now available. Coming Summer 2012 Combined Edition of “Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture” “More Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture” “Shop Drawings for Craftsman Inlays & Hardware” Revised introductory text … Continue reading

Value of Craftsman Furniture

In January 1902, Gustav Stickley suggested to readers of The Craftsman that they should examine furniture in the same way they would examine prospective friends, to look for moral and agreeable qualities in both. That may seem like an odd … Continue reading