Archive for the 'Taunton Press' Category

Fine Woodworking’s Irion Company Shop Tour

Friday, April 11th, 2008
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If you’ve never seen a high-end pro furniture shop, take a look at the Fine Woodworking “Pro Portfolio” of the Irion Company Furniture Makers in Christiana, Pa.  This small shop boasts a long history of first-class furniture.

Check out the audio slideshow for some info on the shop and the craftsmen who work there. We’re amazed by the amount of work that’s done by hand, not because they can’t do it another way, but because it’s still the best way to achieve period-correct, old-school furniture.  The work that comes out of this shop looks dead-on correct — you’d have to know what to look for to prove it was made in the 21st century, not the 19th.

Pro Portfolio: Irion Company Furniture Makers [Fine Woodworking]

Housebuilding DVDs

Friday, March 28th, 2008
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Have you ever watched a how-to video and wanted to jump right into a new project as soon as it was over? That’s how I feel after watching part of Taunton’s three-DVD set on house building.

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Today’s Photovoltaics And You

Thursday, February 21st, 2008
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The electric company pays you — that’s the urban legend that surrounds the idea of powering your home with solar-energy panels. The problem is, first you have to put twenty to thirty thousand dollars into a solar-powered system for your roof, and then it’s a slow burn back to where you started in the cash department. Still, you might come out ahead in the long run.

A recent article from Fine Homebuilding gives the rundown on sun-powered homes, and the news is good and bad. Yes, it does cost a ton — but the technology has improved drastically since the ‘70s, and it’s better for the planet. Just don’t expect a return on your investment in less than 12 years.

The New Age of Photovoltaics [Fine Homebuilding]

The Half Off Deal From Taunton Press

Tuesday, January 8th, 2008
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Taunton’s putting on their Winter Warehouse Sale next week, with 50 percent off select books that were well into the “not a shot in hell” price range. With the discount, most of the selected stock runs for $12 to $22 instead of the normal $20 to $50.

While this isn’t a steal, you can get some good deals like Furniture & Cabinet Construction for $19 and Building, Carving, and Turning Techniques for 18th-Century Furniture for $13. The same people who bring you Fine Woodworking magazine also put out these books, so they’re worth a peek.

Winter Warehouse Sale [Taunton Press]