What's the best book to help me make a dresser?

[Erik Frederiksen]

I plan to make a couple of dressers soon (my first ones) and would like to buy a good book or two to help me make them as nice as possible.

Any suggestions?

thanks,
Erik

[Jamie Buxton]

Chests of Drawers, Bill Hylton, Taunton Press. Seven different designs, with plans and lots of how-to and why-to background. You can either build one of his designs, or just read the book as good education.

[Mikail Khan]

You could consider building them from plans.

Check out Plansnow.com

MK

[Jerome Hanby]

+1 on Bill Hylton's book. I checked it out of the library then tracked it down on Amazon because I wanted it on my bookshelf permanently.

Also I know at least one Norm book (Classics from the NYWS) and I think his first NYWS book have each have a dresser. The Classics one has a chest on a chest of which my wife wants two, and the original has a lower slung wider chest. I recommend both of those books, they contain older Norm projects and use more modest equipment than his latter day projects. Even uses a Shopsmith on several!


Chests of Drawers, Bill Hylton, Taunton Press. Seven different designs, with plans and lots of how-to and why-to background. You can either build one of his designs, or just read the book as good education.

[Bill Orbine]

I think you'd make a nice dresser out of wood, like cherry or walnut, instead of a book! :D:D:D

[Doug Hepler]

+1 on the Hylton book

[Montgomery Scott]

Andy Rae's book The Complete Illustrated Guide to Furniture and Cabinet Construction. Great reference book for construction techniques and more.

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Illustrated-Furniture-Cabinet-Construction/dp/1561584029/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1250185088&sr=8-1

[Jerome Hanby]

Several of those illustrated guides are on my Amazon wish list.

[Erik Frederiksen]

Thank you for suggestions everybody, I ended up ordering these three from Amazon, due in tomorrow.

"The Complete Dovetail: Handmade Furniture's Signature Joint"
Ian Kirby

"The Complete Illustrated Guide to Furniture and Cabinet Construction"
Andy Rae

"The Complete Illustrated Guide to Joinery"
Gary Rogowski
I'm also headed over to plansnow.com to check it out!

Can't wait to see the books and get started on the project. Of course, I have to buy some new tools for this one!

[Frank Drew]

I'm not familiar with some of those books, although I was glad to see one by Ian Kirby listed, but IMO Ernest Joyce's Encyclopedia of Furniture Making belongs in every furniture maker's collection.