Wednesday, May 16, 2012

PlyDesign: Never look at a sheet of plywood the same way again!


About a year ago I was asked by fellow author and woodworker, Philip Schmidt, if I’d like to contribute a project to a book he was working on. I replied with a resounding “YES!” The book, PlyDesign: 73 Distinctive DIY Projects in Plywood, is now out and it’s a stunner. Not so surprisingly, it contains 73 distinctive projects crafted from plywood. But this is no ordinary book and these are no ordinary projects. It gives one a new appreciation of the versatility of plywood—and those that work with it.


         There are laptop desks, bookshelves, chairs, dining room tables, candle holders, toolboxes, skateboards and “Drunken Monkey” wine racks,
         A few of my favorite projects are:
         * The One-Sheet Table and Benches—A contemporary trio of furniture pieces that are attractive and functional when in use and nest together neatly when not.
         * Light Within—A space age-looking light fixture made of plywood and vellum paper.
         * Mudroom Organizer—a heavenly host of cubbyholes for shoes, backpacks, hats and everything else that usually winds up on the floor.
         * And of course, the Bowlegged Plant Stand, designed by yours truly. The design was inspired by a Craftsman-style table I ran across a few years ago.

The Bow-Legged Table as it appears in the PlyDesign (page  89)


The inspiration for the Bow-Legged Table (plus the author's  "how it goes together" doodle)

 In the spirit of full disclosure (and shameless self-promotion), the book was published by Storey Publishing—the same great folks responsible for my most recent book, Woodworking FAQ: The Workshop Companion. These two books are one of their first forays into the world of woodworking and they’ve done a stunning job.

         Check out PlyDesign; you’ll never look at a sheet of plywood the same way again.

1 comment:

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