Modern Practical Joinery

George Ellis

Reviewed by:

Paul Womack

http://www.astragalpress.com/modern_practical_joinery.htm

This review is based on an original 1908 copy.

This book is aimed at apprentices (or working craftsman).

It starts by detailing the various tools of the trade, and describes their mode of use and application.

This section of the book is quite large, and gives glimpses and insights into the practices of the day. As with all old books, careful interpretation of "throwaway" references can be as informative as what the author meant to say (what our historian friends refer to as unwitting testimony). In some cases the detail is wanting (from our galootish point of view) since I think the books assumes you have a live master to show you the basics, so stock preparation and sizing (for example) is not discussed.

The book then proceeds to instruct the reader in the specifics of various parts of the joiners trade. In these degraded times, joiners make windows and doors. In the period of this book, windows and doors were more much elaborate, including carving, and (of course) a detailed description on making sash windows.

The book also covers other areas of what-was-then-joinery, including fine shop fittings, office furniture and storage, paneling, elaborate roof structures, museum display cases and cabinets, drawer units.

Special mention must be made of the extensive chapter on hand rails for stairs; by most people's standards it's detailed and scary, but Ellis probably thought it was a "gloss", since he actually wrote a 274 page book dedicated to hand rails;

http://www.astragalpress.com/modern_stairbuilding_handrailing.htm

I would recommend all galoots to read Modern Practical Joinery; the tools and techniques stuff is from another age, and the details and quality of the work of the age is inspiring.

Given my other review (Modern Cabinet Work, Furniture & Fitments by Hooper and Wells), the reader may well wonder which of the two I prefer.

Frankly it depends what you want. If you simply want a feel for the times, either book will serve well; Ellis gives more details of tool use, and Hooper & Wells give very fine furniture plans.

If I were forced to choose one for a desert island, it would be Hooper & Wells, which is "deeper". But I'm happy that I own both.