David Charlesworth’s Furniture Making Techniques

David Charlesworth

Reviewed by:

Charles L. Driggs

This book is a two volume set, sold separately. It is essentially a compendium of Charlesworth’s columns in Furniture & Cabinet Making magazine (UK). If you start with Vol. 1, published in 1999, you first have to get past Charlesworth’s writing style, which displays an obsession with precision execution of details of all aspects of cabinetmaking. Precision when appropriate is good in my view, but 'obsessive' isn't an endearing writing style for me. Despite the Zen-like instructional flavor of the writing, there are some points and tips worth consideration. I found the first book tiring to read and hopped from section to section to find some bit of knowledge worth wading through all the baggage that surrounded it.

Volume 2 was published in 2001, [ISBN 1-86108-295-9] and I found the columns included in this volume much more readable. I was underwhelmed by the first article, especially when I came to the point where Charlesworth writes: "... my advice is that [this approach] would only be suitable for a serious masochist or the totally deranged -- I include myself in both of these categories!". My thought: uh-oh, we're on the same slope as Volume 1. But beginning with the second article, this volume proved to be a more interesting collection, with a somewhat greater focus on use, tuning and selection of tools (always an interest of Porch occupants) along with cabinetmaking methods. I found a few tips that should prove helpful and several validations of things that I had deduced on my own. So I suggest that Galoots might be happier reading Vol. 2 first, and then perusing Vol. 1 if an opportunity presents itself. Charlesworth continues to contribute to Furniture & Cabinet Making magazine.