Curved Joinery - techniques that will change the way you work and how your work will look.

My name is Daniel and I have enjoyed working with wood, not as a wood worker but using different species of wood to build my homes. I would hire people to help build the home of my dreams with wood that I was fond of...I have never given thought to becoming a wood worker building tables, chairs, lamps, hanging art, beds, sculptures, and etc.. I have known Marc growing up in Chicago as young kids...and was aware of many of Marc's talents. As life evolves we separated for many years and have recently regained our friendship. I have seen Marc's wood working skills and have been intrigued. The depth of skill to create the beautiful art that he has developed is mind boggling...Attempting to learn such a skill appeared beyond my personal abilities. I have read his newest edition of Curved Joinery and have begun to re-think my capability to create such beautiful work. Curved Joinery is masterfully written to provide such in depth detail and illustrations that a person such as myself would like to embark on the task of creating woodwork. I am certain that someone with professional woodworking experience would receive a great deal of knowledge reading Marc's " CURVED JOINERY ".

In full disclosure (because that's what you're supposed to do these days), I know Marc Lamm. He was my neighbor and I've have a few beers with him, and once, went to a baseball game with him. When he lived across the alley from me, he seemed to be always working on something, in his garage; trying and failing, experimenting and such, even in the dead of a -40 below windchill weather outside. In the spring and summers, he was often away; selling his art....because he's an artist. But more important than that, he's a craftsman; a worker of wood. I've seen him staring at wood; studying it, looking deeper into wood than anyone I'd ever witnessed or known. The man knows wood.In this book, Marc take you on a step by step process, on how to make wood a more wondrous thing than what it already is. In this book, Marc makes it look easy. And it might be...if you love wood and are an accomplished craftsman, with the heart and soul of an artist. But again, more important than even that, this book is about craft work, with a goal in mind, that any artist or any worker of wood, can follow and benefit from.

Full Disclosure: I’ve known Marc since right after he bought his first tablesaw in the mid-‘70s. I’ve been a professional woodworker since then. This book is written so that any novice woodworker can follow the directions and start experimenting with the techniques. An experienced woodworker may skim the directions, as some of the processes used will be familiar to them. However, I recommend this book to other skilled woodworkers as well as the novices, as the techniques do expand the woodworking vocabulary. For me as an experienced woodworker, the startling and wonderful part of the book was the pictures of Marc’s work that used the techniques. It’s one thing to read a detailed set of directions to fit a thin strip of wood between two other curved pieces; it’s totally mind-boggling to see the flowing movement that Marc can create doing it multiple times. For those who do buy the book, I hope you practice the techniques, get inspired by Marc’s work, and then find your own expression of the art within you.

I am a novice. I bought the book because it looked interesting. It was!

I live in the same city as the author, so I have had the pleasure of seeing and holding his work at many local craft shows and art exhibitions. Several years ago, I bought one of his ornamental bread boards. We have used it constantly and it showing no wear at all. I am also an amateur woodworker, but I was so totally intimidated by his craftsmanship that I never thought I could make pieces like he does. Now, with his book in hand, I am make steading progress in learning how to make the cuts and the joinery that makes these pieces so unique. I have found the instructions in the book to be very clear and easy to follow. I recommend this book to amateur craftsman like myself.

Amazingly detailed description of an exotic workshop skill. Includes such essentials as selecting tools and boards, cutting boards and curved lines safely, and considering the grain to avoid twists and warps. What I didn't realize before reading this book is that curved joinery actually makes stronger butt joints than standard techniques (there is more surface area touching than simply joining flat edges and the grain lines are not going to be parallel or perpendicular to a curved edge). The author includes helpful photos and diagrams to explain the techniques. Makes even simple projects look elegant and bespoke (skillfully hand made). For the woodworker with even a simple home workshop looking to elevate their craft.

I loved this book! I've just been getting into woodworking, and this was the perfect book for a novice. Lamm tackles a huge variety of techniques and breaks them down with easy-to-understand diagrams, illustrations and descriptions. I never realized you could do these things with wood.The writing is as precisely calibrated as the joinery. Lamm is great company on the page and recounts his triumphs and mishaps with delightful wit and grace. The book is a mix of step-by-step directions and personal recollections, and when I'd finished reading it, I felt I'd received a great lesson not just on how to handle a block of wood, but on how to handle my life.

Hi.To say that I am disappointed in the book is an understatement. I paid AUD43.82 for a Curved Joinery Book with black and white illustrations.The cover of the book is in colour showing the different colours of various timbers, looks great.Open the book and it is a different story. I understand that the cheap illustrations do not take away from the books technical information, but please!!!CheersGeorge Martin