Federal Furniture

Mike Dunbar

Reviewed by:

Darrell LaRue

The introduction of "Federal Furniture" contains descriptions of Mike's house, and the furniture in it. Mike and his wife seem to have tried to furnish the house much as it would have been in 1820. This book documents a number of pieces of furniture that Mike owns.

Each chapter is devoted to one piece. Some history of the furniture, general construction information for reproducing the piece, and scale drawings are included, enough for the seasoned woodworker to make a reasonable attempt at reproduction. Then you get to the coolest part: one aspect of the construction is provided in great detail, all done with hand tools. The descriptions, photos, and drawings provide you with all the information you need to do the job.

Rope turnings, sliding dovetail sockets, reeded legs, wooden hinge, and so on. I have used the book as a reference when making a number of pieces of furniture. I have yet to attempt a full reproduction of one of Mike's pieces, but the information he provides can be used for other purposes than just building these particular pieces. In and of themselves these handtool specific techniques are a great resource.

If you're a handtool user, you should try to find a copy of this book. There are some great techniques presented in it.

Reviewed by:

Charles L. Driggs

This was one of the first books I bought when I became more interested in early American furniture, and it led to buying Mike’s book on restoration of hand tools. This book is a little difficult to find now as it’s been out of print for a while, so the going rate for a used copy seems to be about double the original list price. Why? Because it’s a good primer on not only early 19th century furniture styles, but also on how to make re-creations of various pieces using hand tools and hand tool methods. It lacks a bit in the measured drawing department, but makes up for it in showing how to build a project. A good read, and a good resource if you can find a copy. Margon’s book (see elsewhere) is a better reference for details on dimensions and construction, but Mike Dunbar’s writing style is much easier to curl up with in your favorite chair.