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$24.95 $14.97 |
Whether you're a seasoned pro or have never picked up a hammer, here's a valuable reference guide to building a safe, affordable, energy-efficient home -- brought to you by the world's leading authority on community home building, Habitat for Humanity International. By providing inside advice, expert tips, and step-by-step techniques, Haun simplifies the complex in a user-friendly manual that guides you from beginning to end.
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$40.00 $24.00 |
Bird decoys, which were first fashioned by Native American hunter-artists at least 1,500 years ago, are the only major folk art form to originate in North America. Today, decoys made during the heyday of decoy carving--roughly from 1840 to 1950--rank among the most avidly sought of all folk art collectibles, with some rare and outstanding examples fetching upwards of $8000,000 apiece at auction. These humble hunting tools, intended to deceive wildfowl by luring them into shooters' range, are now appreciated on many levels: as compelling works of sculpture, as exacting portraits of living and extinct species, and as irreplaceable historical objects. Successful decoy carvers of the past knew their prey intimately--spending countless hours observing game birds in the wild and then bringing their accumulated knowledge of different species' appearance and behavior to the carving bench. Because the works these artisans created were meant to attract avian eyes--conveying the essence of a bird's plumage, form, and attitude at a glance--older handmade decoys are deeply observed symbols of living birds that no merely decorative object, no matter how photographically accurate, can match. In this definitive, lavishly illustrated work, folk-art expert Robert Shaw chronicles the now-vanished era in which the great decoy makers pursued their craft. Shaw traces the natural history of North American bird species--more than sixty of which are represented in antique decoys. He relates the history of wildfowl hunting on this continent, detailing the excesses of nineteenth-century commercial hunting and the rise of a conservation movement aimed at ensuring bird species' long-term survival. He examines the distinctive forms produced in each major hunting area, from the Maritime Provinces of Canada to the Chesapeake Bay to the bayous of Louisiana and beyond. And, with a storyteller's gift for the entertaining anecdote, Shaw puts us in touch with the lives and circumstances of the decoy makers themselves.
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$24.95 $18.99 |
by David Schiff. Outdoor projects are perfect for the do-it-yourselfer, and the projects in this book are designed and presented specifically for those of us who spend 9 to 5 doing something other than carpentry or woodworking. I This Stanley-branded book is designed to help you think about your outdoor space as a whole and then create the garden structures and furnishings that fit the way your family lives. Here you will find: •14 great projects covering everything from simple outdoor furniture to a small garden shed and a colorful chicken coop •each project is designed to fulfill a need •easy to build without special skills •customizable to fit your space and your style. If you can read a tape measure, drive a screw and a nail, and cut a straight line, you can handle any project in this book. Even if you are new to working with wood, you'll find handsome and useful projects in these pages that are perfect for getting your feet wet.
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$19.95 $11.97 |
A contemporary view of the effects of wood, as used for building and fuel, and of deforestation on the development of civilization. Until the ascendancy of fossil fuels, wood has been the principal fuel and building material from the dawn of civilization. Its abundance or scarcity greatly shaped successive societies over the millennia. This book was named one of the "100 Great Books" by Harvard University Press.
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$17.95 |
Woodcarving is a time-honored art, and here is the definitive beginner's guide to this traditional craft, from carving with a pocket knife to sculpting with chisels and mallets. Starting with a detailed course in techniques such as chip carving, relief carving, and sculptural carving, it goes on to offer detailed plans, templates, and instructions for 50 projects, from distinctive front-door house numbers to a spectacular fire-breathing dragon. Every step is thoroughly illustrated with photos, right up to applying finishes such as paint, varnish, burning, or oiling.
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$17.95 $10.77 |
"Planning, Layout, Installation". The best articles on tiling from Fine Homebuilding magazine. Step-by-step instructions, professional tips, technical expertise, and seasoned advice. Covers a huge range of tiling projects.