'Nick Engler's Weekend Projects Plus'

[JAN. 24, 2001]   Nick Engler’s Weekend Projects Plus." Nick Engler, Rodale Press, 1998, 278 pages.

Wood is one of the world’s most important natural resources. In the development of civilization, wood has been instrumental as a material used to build or create things that are beneficial or decorative.

 

In his book "Nick Engler’s Weekend Projects Plus," woodworker Nick Engler has brought together 40 great woodworking projects for items in and around the home. Joining Engler in this compilation are the entries of 17 people who have contributed their favorite woodworking project.

These "weekend projects" are designed to, in the words of Mechanics Illustrated’s Harry Wicks, "show readers examples of efficient craftsmanship. Woodworkers shouldn’t have to compromise good design to build a project in a weekend. They just have to work smart." This is the theme of Engler’s book — to offer a wide variety of projects that can be completed in a short period without compromising quality. Efficient craftsmanship, according to Engler, "becomes doubly important when you work wood for pleasure because then time is more precious than money. The time I spend in my shop is often the most satisfying time of my day precisely because I can get a lot done and I’m proud of the results."

 

The book’s projects are divided into nine broad categories: Cooking/Eating, Storing/Keeping, Display/Entertainment, Reading/Writing, Sitting/Passing Time, Dressing/Sleeping, Yard/Garden, Celebration/Decoration, and Child’s Play. Each of these categories contains three to five different projects for the weekend woodworker. The projects include many handy and beautiful items for the home, including tables, desks, shelving, frames, beds and chairs. There are some delightful projects unique to this collection that are not usually found in standard woodworking books.

Cooking/Eating offers a project for a spoon rack, a beautiful reproduction of a historical 19th-century piece.

In Storing/Keeping there are plans for a cigar humidor that is "fashioned after a classic keeping box" of the 18th and early 19th century.

Sitting/Passing Time has one of the more distinctive and unusual projects: a pouting chair. Engler explains that it’s called a pouting chair "because it looks like a child’s chair, and tradition has it that this is where children are sent to think about their bad deeds." The beauty of this piece is that it’s not really a chair — it’s a footstool with a long back that serves as the handle to prevent stooping over when picking it up.

 

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The practicality of wood is illustrated in Dressing/Sleeping’s ring holder. These simple holders are tiny turned stands with a shaped neck that is cut slightly smaller than the ring finger.

One of the most interesting outdoor projects is Yard/Garden’s butterfly house. This slender, rectangular structure fastens to any tree and protects butterflies from predators and the elements. It also serves as a hibernation box and is constructed with a hinged top for interior observation.

 

Rounding out the book are two charming projects found in Child’s Play — a marble race and a stegosaurus. The marble race contains ramps, ladders and bases that can be configured in virtually any pattern. Once the configuration is set up, simply drop the marble in the highest ramp and let gravity do the rest. The stegosaurus is another example of the ingenuity that can be applied to create entertaining wooden toys. This dinosaur comes complete with a friendly face and curved spines on its back and tail. As it is pulled along, the legs move back and forth while the head, spines and tail bob up and down.

"Nick Engler’s Weekend Projects Plus" is a great addition to the woodworking books available on the market. The projects include step-by-step instructions and are supported by numerous illustrations and precise measurements. Helpful tips are located throughout, and each project contains at least one time-saving feature.

 

Engler is a qualified spokesperson in the field of woodworking. In addition to over 20 years experience in woodworking he has been a university instructor, founder of the magazine Hands On! and has written nearly 50 woodworking books.

This book is recommended for anyone who enjoys working with wood or is interested in learning how to work with wood.

For more information, visit the library at 725 Pekin St. or call (217) 732-8878.

[Richard Sumrall, Lincoln Public Library District]

 

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