Raymond F. Yates (1895–1966)

Painstakingly detailed account of reproducing early 19th-century furniture pieces, with emphasis on "primitives," including techniques for distressing, where the craftsman can give an authenticity to a piece's vintage, by making the piece look well-used.

Every design given is authentic in every respect, the actual measurements having been carefully taken from original pieces known to have come from the shops of early craftsmen.

Yates demonstrates construction techniques using only hand tools, a curious policy for 1950, given that woodworkers, e.g., Wallace Kunkel, were promoting power tools, such as the Dewalt radial arm saw, for home workshops when Yates' book was published. (Yates does admit that you can achieve the same results with more up-to-date tools, but that is a personal choice the craftsman has to make.)

The pages of this book reveal Yates personal passion for woodworking. His devotion to the craft is especially shown when he explains details about the "warmth of wood," the feel of the hand tools in your hand as you shape workpieces, but most especially when describing the reconstruction of primitive pieces using hand tools. Taken together, all features about this book appeal to me personally. I have a similar passion for woodworking and Yates' enthusiasm is catching. Yates gives the book itself an appeal that is timeless. In short, it is an "old" book that will never be old, in the sense it is outdated by technological advances.… (more)