Warning: If you are reading this then this warning is for you. Every word you read of this useless fine print is another second off your life. Don’t you have other things to do? Is your life so empty that you honestly can’t think of a better way to spend these moments? Or are you so impressed with authority that you give respect and credence to all that claim it? Do you read everything you’re supposed to read? Do you think every thing you’re supposed to think? Buy what you’re told to want? Get out of your apartment. Meet a member of the opposite sex. Stop the excessive shopping…. Quit your job. Start a fight. Prove you’re alive. If you don’t claim your humanity you will become a statistic. You have been warned- Tyler.
— Tyler Durden, “Fight Club”
Ah, but if I didn’t read that and click on the link, I may never have seen this Gorgeous Campaign Secretary!!
I am only here for the pictures, why would I want to read all the meaningless blather you authors think you must put into print. I know you only do it just so someone will give you a pat on the head because you family hates your hobby because you spend all the money on tools and wood.
You know, one of my favorite things about all of the woodworking blogs that I frequent is the *almost* total lack of negative comments and personal attacks that the internet is so often full of…
If you don’t enjoy Chris’s blog, or any other blog, why do you read it? Please go elsewhere and keep your unhelpful opinions to yourself.
Absolutely one of the best moments in cinema I have ever experienced. Even though he is not really there, Tyler’s message (and the author of the original book) is very clear.
Mass consumerism and conformity is no good for our society.
Thanks for keeping me in stiches. However, I’m going broke buying all the tools you recommend. This in itself is not too bad, I’ve always been nearly broke (teacher, five kids). I was compellled to build the Ruobe bench (wonderful, I love it!! Gush gush. It really works as advertised.) I collect and restore handplanes (E-bayaddicted bidder); have to build a white oak display case now. When do I get to craft my own molding planes? Will it never end? Too soon I fear.
I’m intrigued by the dovetails on the drawers… a half pin at top, pin about 3/4 down, then nothing. Also the teensy shallow dados for the bottoms of the vertical dividers, in contrast with the more substantial ones at the tops.
It’s funny. The drawers don’t look funny to me. This is copied from 18th c English chests. The half tail at the bottom obscures the groove for the drawer bottom. The full tail above is typical.
Sometimes the half tail at the bottom would have zero slope – like a box joint. Sometimes I make them that way. Sometimes I make them this way.
The dados for the gallery are based on traditional work and an old article by Charles Hayward on building galleries.
I guess you need to write an article on design theory now. I don’t remember ever seeing anything about “how many” dovetails you really need to make a drawer, box or other piece of work. I’ve been basing my ideas on the visuals from your toolbox, the craptastic drawers in my bedroom furniture (dovetails into MDF??? (which fail)), and commercial wooden machine made boxes made with box joints.
All of these have lots of little dovetails/joints with regular spacing. All of these examples tend to the conclusion that you’re not “allowed” to do anything else. I mean, there must be a reason they make all these joints – do I want to put in fewer and have the project that I spent all this time and money on fall apart in front of me?
Which leads me into a request – would you mind telling us in advance if you’re going to produce a leather bound volume? I’ve bought “The Anarchist’s Tool Chest” twice – once in the original binding, once in Kindle format – and I just can’t bring myself to buy it three times. I’d like to plan in advance for the Roubo book and the Bickford book.
Ed,
On dovetails: There are lots of published rules for spacing them, but it is largely a matter of taste. In general, big tails and pins for coarse or structural work, small pins for fine work.
My taste in dovetails is informed by English casework — I’ve looked at hundreds and hundreds of chests in the last 15 years. Then I just make them look like what I remember. I don’t even know what sort of measurements I use. Mostly I make the bottom of the pin fit one of my chisels to make it easy to remove waste. So go to a good antique store and just observe the drawers. It will click soon enough.
On the editions, we do announce beforehand if we are going to do leather versions. We haven’t made those decisions with the projects you mentioned. I *suspect* that Roubo will be offered two different ways: A fancy edition with hand work and a trade version with a lower price.
On Matt’s book: A leather edition will be up to Matt. They are expensive and time-consuming to produce. They also aren’t really a profit-maker as much as just something cool we like to do.
Great insights into Campaign design! Don’t know if I can elevate my inspiration from a saw bench to such elegant furniture!! Love the picture …. loathe the condescending commentary. I DO read every word because I respect the source ….. I do not “follow” Tyler Durden. I HOPE I am following Chris Swartze …. but even he is not so sarcastic as to demean my interest in his written word. Whatever….
Don
I need to put a warning on all these posts that involve quotes: Do not take them literally. Consider the source. “Fight Club” is a book, a movie and even has T-shirts that are made in China (my kids bought me one, understanding the irony). It is a piece of media designed to be consumed in the sitting position.
Chris, what material are you using for the drawer bottoms? I’m ashamed to say I can’t tell if its unfinished mahogany or something else.