Carole Rothman’s varied accomplishments—PhD (clinical psychology), college teacher, eldercare and care-giving expert, professional cake decorator, and musician—have won praise from many quarters. But it was her lifelong love of crafts that took an unexpected turn when she joined a community woodshop in 2005.
Now is the time to think inside and around the box. The author
shows how to make 28 unique boxes using the scroll saw. And, if you
thought that boxes are square Rothman proves that they are
certainly not. There is a Cup Cake Box, an Ice Cream Box, a Coffee
Cup Box and a Ribbons and Bows Box to name just a few. This book
shows that the author is a very adept sawyer and her skills are
well illustrated in this book. She provides precise directions in
both the text and the photos to all of the beautiful boxes. Each
project is preceded with a materials and tools list along with her
recommended wood species. It is apparent that Carole Rothman is as
adept in the kitchen as she is in the woodshop as proven by the
food-based boxes she has designed and built. She even adds a bit of
flavor and aroma to her Apple Tart Box. Great imagination and
talent!
Rothman (Wooden Bowls from the Scroll Saw ) here presents a second
collection of projects, focusing on wooden boxes?but these aren't
the wooden boxes you might imagine. Rothman's boxes are shaped like
wrapped gifts, furniture, and food, and they often include stripes
or resin inlays. The first box in each chapter includes
step-by-step directions with photographs to illustrate basic
techniques, and these can be used as a reference for the other
boxes in the chapter. VERDICT Rothman's designs are eye-catching
and creative; woodworkers can learn from the techniques illustrated
in this collection even if the projects are not their style.
There are a number of books on the subject of making boxes using a
bandsaw. Far fewer offer instructions for making them on a scroll
saw. Yet, as Carole Rothman shows in this book, the scrollsaw has
inherent advantages for this work. The author's introductory notes
are given an unusual twist by being presented as a series of
questions. These include: What if I can't get the recommended wood
for a project? How can I control warping of thin wood and veneer?
How do I drill an angled entry hole? Most of the book is, however,
devoted to the 28 box projects. While the words innovative and
unique are probably overworked in the description of books such as
this, they certainly come to mind when reading through this group
of projects. They begin with four bow boxes. The first looks a
little like an oval Shaker box but has crossed ribbons 'secured' by
a large, florid bow. The box is scrollsawn inside and out from a
sol id block, the top and bottom added, then the ribbons are made
from wood laminated from various species. The loops and waved tails
of ribbon are scrollsawn from the same laminated wood and the
ribbons, loops and tails are all glued in place around the box. The
second bow box has a diagonal ribbon and a sunrise group of loops.
The third is a square box with decoration similar to the first,
while the fourth has sides that taper inwards, both above and below
their horizontal centre. The box is made with stacked ring
construction and again decorated with lavish bows and ribbons. The
remaining boxes include ones with a cookery motif (a tart, a
cupcake, a steaming cup of coffee etc.) and others that are in the
form of miniature furniture as well as barrel hinge and pivot lid
boxes. The text is crisp and informative and the book is well
illustrated with photos and dimensioned drawings.
This book is up in the top 10 of my favourite woodworking books!!
The projects are so, well, creative!! Imagine a box that looks like
a pie, yes, a good ol' apple pie! And not only is it cute as "pie"
but useful too, it is a box, remember. AND if you are handy with
the scroll saw well, I'm sure the projects would be as easy as
"pie" as well, given the in-depth instructions and photos. Besides
the boxes that look like food, we also have boxes with bows, boxes
with hinges and boxes that look like furniture!! The variety of
projects (over two dozen, actually), and the creativity, is, to me,
over the top extraordinary. I love this book! Creative ideas.
Beautiful creations. Practical projects. My Ratings of The Book
Layout and Appearance: Good balance of photos, how-to instructions,
projects. Thumbs Up! Instructions: Clear information and
instructions Thumbs Up! Projects Selection: A wide variety of
projects, simple to complex. Great. Inspiration: Oh how I wish I
was a better scrollsaw-er! I want to make that pie. Overall: Thumbs
Up!
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