Marc is the host and creator of The Wood Whisperer. He has contributed to Popular Woodworking and FineWoodworking.com and continuously publishes articles and videos at 
Matt is the host of 
Shannon is the host of the 
Title: Bookcase with Bracket Feet w/ Phillip Lowe
Run Time: 40 minutes
Production Date: 2010
Produced By: Taunton Press
Price: $29.99 (Buy Now)
Marc’s Score: 2.4 Grape Sodas out of 5
Matt”s Score: 2.7 Grape Sodas out of 5
From the Back of the Case:
“Join award-winning woodworker and teacher Philip C. Lowe in this video workshop. Watch as he guides you through the critical steps and demonstrates the techniques needed to build this elegant bookcase with bracket feed – or with ogee feet, if you prefer. Follow along as he constructs a sturdy case and face frames, cuts curves with a bandsaw, edges plywood, shapes moldings, glues up, and adds masterful finishing touches. Includes digital SketchUp plan. Great for intermediate and advanced woodworkers.”
Our Thoughts:
Matt: When it comes down to it. Phil Lowe is an experienced, master craftsman who understands design and construction and in this DVD he demonstrates it well. Overall, based on the description of the DVD case, I felt the vast majority of the topics were discussed and it lives up to what I expected to see. This is a title in which the person who’s purchasing it will definitely be learning something from it, because if they don’t, they’re obviously not watching.
Marc: Phil Lowe is an accomplished craftsman and its a pleasure watching him build a project in his shop, but the aggressive pacing makes it difficult to keep up. The editor tried to cram so much action into the voiceovers that its difficult to appreciate the actual woodworking that’s being performed. All this comes at the expense of details and overall comprehension. That said, an intermediate to advanced woodworker should be able to reproduce this project easily but with two caveats: they don?t mind pausing and rewinding frequently, and they actually want to build the project in the video, and not the one pictured on/in the case.
The Breakdown:
Entertainment Value: Marc 2.5/5 | Matt 2.5/5
Production Quality: Marc 2/5 | Matt 3/5
Information Quality: Marc 3/5 | Matt 3/5
Overall Value: Marc 3/5 | Matt 3/5
Keeps Its Promise: Marc 1/5 | Matt 2/5
Final Score: Marc 2.4/5 | Matt 2.7/5
This was once again a great review. These type of reviews is preventing the purchasing of media that will only collect dust and is helping you to build up a stable woodworking media library.
This looks an awful lot like the “Bookcase with 2 Bases” on the FWW website. Does anyone know if it is the same one, just presented as an FWW workshop video?
I’m pretty sure its the same video, but I’m wondering if they added anything to that isn’t in the online video workshop?
I guess you get the sketchup plan, which is not online.
I would hope they added some other content though as it’s significantly more expensive than just paying for a monthly subscription and watching it online. Obviously, it costs them more to make it into DVD, but I would still like to think they added something.
Anyone got any idea?
Anyway, good review. I love all the FWW video workshops, and wish they would do more.
Thanks for doing these. I learn a ton from them.
I’m really enjoying these reviews as there are a lot of videos out there and you just don’t know what you are going to get until it’s too late.
Books about bookcases are fine things, but I tend to spend my money on books more or less about techniques about working wood using jigs and technique. I am technically inclined, so the theory of using hand tools, and using them safely were job one. Most books I’ve purchased were books on Jigs and have subscriptions to a few magazines for plans and ideas. I would only consider watching a bookcase video via streaming services as I cannot justify paying $30+ tax on a book that may potentially have only one use, before retiring it to a dark corner of my closet.
I bought Marc’s book and it covers every angle of finishing that I can think of and the video You and Dye (found both here and bundled with the book) rounds out any questions in my mind on how I’ll handle any/every future project, and that will most certainly include a few coats of Arm-r-seal semigloss wiped on using a thick layer of lint free cotton rags.
Good points Brian. And thanks for the kind words about the book. Glad you enjoyed it!