Drums, PA

Civil War

Woodworking

Greetings, and welcome to the online resource page for the original "Civil War Woodworking" and its sequel, "Civil War Woodworking, Volume II."

On this page, you'll find news, updates and corrections to the books, as well as download options for full-size patterns and templates for some of the projects. As noted, this page is constantly changing, so check back often.

First, though, let me address a question many of you have asked. "Civil War Woodworking, Volume II" has been discountinued by the publisher and is now considered "out of print." Some of you are still finding copies online at independent sellers for ridculous prices -- I recently found one seller asking over $1,000! Keep in mind that those are independent booksellers who can charge whatever they like, so those insane prices are out of my control. (And, unfortunately, since those were purchased from the publisher at their original prices, I don't see an extra penny on those inflated sales.)

The promising news is that the publisher has informed me that sales of Volume I are steady, and they will sell out their stock before too much longer. How is this good news? Well, once those are gone they're considering combining both books and into a new single, omnibus volume. This will contain all the projects from both books, plus I'll add some new projects, as well.

So, I apologize to those of you who've been trying to find a copy of Volume II, but hope is on the horizon. Hang in!

CAMP CHEST HASP

The Camp Chest Project in "Civil War Woodworking Vol. II" features a unique iron hasp patterned after the one used on the camp chest of Confederate General William Taliaferro. Master blacksmith Jim Brown of Iron Mule Blacksmithing reproduced the hand-crafted hasp seen in the project and had offered to supply them to interested readers. I'm sad to report that Jim passed away a few months ago. His good humor and dedication to authentic Civil War ironwork will be sincerely missed.

I've just found a new source for these hasps that will make your project perfect, and he's already made and sent out a number of them to readers. His name is Michael Elledge and he charges a very reasonable $30 for the hasp and a pair of the mounting staples, plus shipping. If you want one just contact me through this site and I'll put you in touch with him, or reach him through his site at www.jmelledge.com.

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CORRECTIONS

Note: Most errors are corrected on subsequent printings, so if you have a later printing of either book chances are good that corrections have already been made. Older printings, however, may still contain errors. If you find an error or typo in either book, please contact me and I'll post the correction here.

Civil War Woodworking, Volume I

Page 110 in the Field Desk project. In the Cut List, the correct width for the formal top is 11", and not the ridiculous 17-5/8" as printed. No idea how that weird typo slipped in.

Civil War Woodworking, Volume II

Page 58 in the Ballot Box Project. In the drawing at the top of the page labeled "Rear Joinery Detail," the two figures at the bottom of the drawing denoting box widths have been reversed. The box interior width is 5-1/4" while the overall width is 6". These figures were inadvertently swapped during layout.

Page 93 in the Folding Camp Stool Project. In the leg pattern at the bottom of the page, the hole for the rung should be 3/4", not 1/4" as noted. The instructions for drilling this hole in the text correctly state the 3/4" diameter, however. (Full-size pattern is available in the download section at right, with correct rung diameter noted.)

PATTERNS & TEMPLATES

To make completing the projects a bit simpler, here are downloads of some plans, patterns, templates, graphics, etc., from the books.

Hardtack Crate Stencil (Vol. I)

Full-size stencil for a Robert Stears hardtack crate. Print out on large paper and use a razor or Xacto knife to cut out the letters. Note: Text area 13" x 17"

Stears Hardtack Crate stencil

Hardtack Crate Stencil (Vol. I)

Full-size stencil for an A.T. Hanks hardtack crate. Print out on large paper and use a razor or Xacto knife to cut out the letters. Note: This stencil is smaller than the Stears, text area 8-1/2" x 13"

Hanks Hardtack Crate stencil

Ammo Crate Stencil (Vol. I)

Full-size stencil for an ammo crate. Print out on large paper and use a razor or Xacto knife to cut out the letters.

Ammo Crate stencil

Civil War Field Cot (Vol. II)

Based on an original described by Captain Randolph B. Marcy in his 1859 book, The Prairie Traveler. These patterns include the legs and the headboard/footboard.

Field Cot patterns

Folding Camp Stool (Vol. II)