The Art of Marquetry (Schiffer Book for Woodworkers)

Rating:
Summary: An excellent, inspiring and non-threatening first book.
Review: My wife made a terrible mistake one day and went with me to my local woodworking store. Bored, she sat in the book section and found this book. The next thing I know she is so excited about doing inlay work she is carrying the book around everywhere and studying every page over and over. She is asking me how well I can plane wood or if I can make veneers. (She didn't even know what planning or veneer was before.) She did her own research on the tools required. I was stunned! My wife interested in tools! :o)

The projects in this book generally follow the simple, understated Japanese. A style my wife greatly admires.

The book is full of illustrations detailing every step in the four main project presented. With eight to 12 photos per page, the projects details are presented as captions to the step by step photos. It is well organized and covers using scroll saws as well as hand fret saws.

Some may find some of photos that go along with the project a bit redundant, repeated from a previous project. I find this duplication *very* helpful and useful. Each project stands on it's own.

Frankly, I thought inlay work was a bit beyond me. I might have the patience to do 10 dovetail drawers at one sitting, but I didn't think I could ever do this. This book changed that. The techniques are presented in make anyone feel they can do real art. My wife and I "fight" for space in our shop now and I am incorporating her marquetry into my, er, our furniture projects.

I only gave it four stars because I felt that it could have done a better job introducing the tools at the beginning. If half stars were available on this rating I would give it 4 1/2. A good scroll saw book would be a good companion.