Introduction
Like many an aspiring woodworker, I found myself
drawn to the designs of Gustav Stickley and other
Arts & Crafts period makers early on. I dropped
out of college in the early 1970s with a desire to
fi nd a career where there would be some physical
evidence of my efforts at the end of the day. I didn’t
want to sit in an offi ce and I didn’t want to wear a
tie. My father advised me to learn a trade so I could,
as he put it “pay the bills while you fi gure out what
you want to do”.
Instead, I decided to become a musician. But
that rebellious decision did lead me to the
cabinetmaker’s trade. A band mate and I went into
business making speaker cabinets for PA systems
and I enjoyed the process of making things from
wood more than I expected. A few years later,
after a stint repairing wooden boats, leading the
scenery shop for an aquatic theme park and work
in a commercial cabinet shop, I took the plunge
and began building furniture as an independent
craftsman.
At that time, the resources we enjoy today were
few and far between. One of the ways I learned
about making furniture was the study of earlier
work, and I particularly enjoyed books of measured
drawings. As I worked my way through books of
Shaker, Chinese and Early American furniture I
noticed a lack of resources for what was becoming
my favorite style, the American Arts & Crafts period
of the early 20th century. I fully expected that
someone would someday come along with a book
of measured drawings for this style.
Instead, I found a steady stream of magazine
articles and books that promised authenticity but
delivered “Arts & Crafts Made Easy” or “Almost
a Reproduction of One of Those Stickley Guys”.
I began digging into the period myself because I
felt that this style was important. It was a reaction
to the mass-produced junk of the “Golden Oak”
period. Gustav Stickley went back to the basics and
made chairs, tables and case pieces that served their
functions, were beautifully proportioned and were
too well made to wear out – a unique style that
hadn’t been seen before.
This stuff is a wonderful example of the way
furniture should be made. As a builder the
challenge is to perform the basic tasks of joinery
and wood selection well enough that they are
worthy of being the focus, not hidden under piles
of fancy molding or showy brass. As a designer, the
lessons are those of proportion and subtle details.
My dissatisfaction with what was being published
eventually pushed me into writing the book I would
have liked to own when I was started out. My fi rst
book “Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture” was
successful enough that it led to others, and that
eventually brought me into my current job on the
Popular Woodworking Magazine staff.
In my work at the magazine, I tried to explore the
projects that had been overlooked and present
methods of building that make exposed joinery
approachable and possible. The projects in this
book were chosen selfi shly; they are pieces I wanted
to make for myself, challenges I wanted to take on,
and side trips to the less-travelled areas of the Arts
& Crafts period. The issues and needs that original
pieces of Craftsman furniture addressed are still
with us, and making this furniture is an excellent
way to both fi ll your home and let your family and
guests know that quality material, sound design and
good craftsmanship are still worthy values.
Robert W. Lang, March 2013
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