Paul Meisel's experience in woodworking and design is extensive. During his 10 years as an industrial arts instructor, Mr. Meisel realized the need for project plans that the beginning woodworker could manage. He began designing projects that excited interest in students, yet did not exceed their skill level.

Realizing the need for well-designed plans for the school as well as the home-hobbyist woodworker, he and his wife, Pat, set about creating a mail order company for the distribution of these plans. They took their unique concept one step further by offering many hard-to-find specialty hardware parts. This company, Meisel Hardware Specialties, has become one of the nation's leading project plan and woodworking supply companies.

Their company has published plans for over 2,500 woodworking projects, all of which feature Mr. Meisel's rigid criteria for simple, practical construction. He's dedicated to providing fresh ideas each year with a focus on clean, straight-forward designs that create maximum impact, while using common sizes of lumber and simple painting and finishing techniques. He specifies materials and power tools that are readily available to the do-it-yourselfer.

Mr. Meisel has received numerous awards for his woodworking projects. Many have appeared in books and magazines. In addition to his woodworking and design interests, Mr. Meisel is an accomplished writer. While pursuing his doctorate, he researched the area of educational gaming and published numerous games in the mid-1970s. Most of these games are still being marketed nationally. Based in part on his experience as a shop instructor, he published over 20 booklets in the area of technology education and has also written books on designing and creating board games, chemical safety and measurement. In 1993, Mr. Meisel co-authored a book with Patrick Spielman titled Country Mailboxes. In 1999, his book, Making Lawn Ornaments in Wood, was published by Fox Chapel Publishing Company as well as the Big Book of Christmas Scroll Saw Projects and the How-to Book of Birdhouses and Feeders.

Find more articles and books by Paul Meisel at www.foxchapelpublishing.com