Replies

1. 
   WEF53 | Dec 11, 2022 02:43pm | #1

   Maybe take a look at Foundations of Woodworking - Essential joinery techniques and building strategies. Wish this book was available when I first started.

1. 
   wood_trek | Dec 12, 2022 08:04pm | #3

   Thanks for the suggestion. I'll take a look at the book.

2. 
   mattk41 | Dec 12, 2022 02:47pm | #2

   This is, I think, a much less straightforward question than you think it to be. You've run three words together there...Modern Furniture Making. First of all, are you using the word "modern" to modify the word furniture (as in a design style or the aesthetics)? Or is it modifying Furiniture-Making...say the joinery?

   Im kind of assuming you want to know about the former...that is how to make furniture with a design language rooted in the 20th/21st century? And then the question is what do think of as "modern?" Frank Lloyd Wright and Charles Renny MacKintosh, both considered giants of modern design, each had their feet (so to speak) in the pre-WWII Arts & Crafts, Art Deco and Art Nouveau movements. Look at enough Danish and American Mid Century design and you'll observe the influence of the Shakers (19th century).

   If you are asking about the latter--the making itself--as modern? Some tools and techniques might be more common to more contemporary makers --say loose tenon joinery, miter joints and bent laminations. But much is the same as it ever was --mortise/tenon, dovetails, rabbets, dadoes, laps and bridles.

   Regardless, I'd recommend these three:

   Cabinet Makers Notebook - James Krenov
   Shaker Inspiration -- Christian Becksvoort (and all his articles here on FWW)
   Tage Frid Teaches Woodworking (3 book set) --Tage Frid

1. 
   wood_trek | Dec 12, 2022 08:31pm | #4

   Your assumptions are spot on. I was thinking Danish and American Mid Century design. As an example, it would be great to have details about how this chair by Finn Juhl (http://danishdesignreview.com/a-danish-chair-1/2017/12/29/chair-45-by-finn-juhl-1945-h5jgh) was created - what are techniques and staging to layout the joints, sculpt, etc. The best I could find are some youtube videos, which are very helpful, but having a good book reference would be great. I have Tage Frid teaches Woodworking (book 2) and it's fantastic but I'll take a look at your other two suggestions.

   Thanks for the detailed response.

1. 
   john_c2 | Dec 13, 2022 06:04am | #5

   That's a pretty chair. And tricky joinery.