As promised, here is a quick update on the books we are working on at Lost Art Press.
“By Hand & By Eye” by George Walker and Jim Tolpin
Layout artist Linda Watts has just finished her part of the book – with a couple loose ends. Tonight, Megan Fitzpatrick and I are going to review her layouts and make sure everything looks good before we do the final copy editing and send it to the authors for their approval. I hope to have this book to the printer in about three weeks.
“To Make as Perfectly as Possible: Roubo on Marquetry” by Don Williams, Michele Pietryka-Pagán and Philippe LaFargue
This project has been keeping us up late at night. I have a bit of editing to do on the last chapter. Don is taking some additional photography. And book designer Wesley Tanner is now laying out pages. We are running behind schedule, but we are all doing everything we can to get this book to the printer in February.
“Windsor Chairs: A Foundation” by Peter Galbert
Peter has completed his first draft of the chapters. He is revising the first draft and drawing the illustrations for the book. I’ve read through most of the chapters. As a chairmaker, I am very excited about this book. Peter is a gifted craftsman and has many methods that are new to me. We hope to have this book ready for Christmas.
“Saws: Construction, Tuning & Use” (Tentative Title) by Andrew Lunn
Andrew has been plugging away on this book. His first draft is mostly complete and it is pretty mind-blowing. I don’t know when this one will be done, but work continues.
“Build a 17th-century Chest” (Tentative Title) by Peter Follansbee
Peter is building chests – they look great – for this book. No word yet on when he’ll be done.
“Virtuoso: The Tool Chest of H.O. Studley” by Don Williams
Don and the photography team will make a return visit to the chest in March. Don has been researching Studley’s masonic history. No release date yet.
“Furniture of Necessity” by Christopher Schwarz
I’ve written three chapters now. But I have put all my personal writing projects on hold until I get Roubo and “By Hand & By Eye” to the printer.
“Campaign Furniture” by Christopher Schwarz
Ditto. I’m designing the second campaign chest for the book, which I’ll begin building next month. But progress is slow because… see above.
“Super-secret LAP book” by Cannot Say
I’ve hinted at this book for some time. This is a project we have been working on since the day we started this company. Things are finally coming together on this title, thanks to a computer script written by shop assistant Ty Black. This allowed us to process thousands of images automatically, shortening our timeline by at least two years. We are shooting to announce this book sometime this summer and publish it in late 2013 or early 2014. Don’t bother asking more about this book because we’ve all sworn a blood oath.
There are other projects still in the pipeline, but these are the ones we are actively working on.
— Christopher Schwarz
Glad to see you are not very busy…sheesh! Lots of good looking titles there. Keep up the good work.
I promised myself at least three books this year. By Hand & By Eye is one. Will it in Kindle soon?
Sorry about the ungrammar. Do you know how hard it is to type with one finger on a Fire keyboard?
I swear you guys are going to bankrupt me. Keep up the good work. 🙂
The forthcoming book by Andrew Lunn sounds right up my alley because I don’t know jack when it comes to tuning a handsaw. Hopefully it’s out sooner rather than later.
Shut up and take my money.
http://imageshack.us/f/37/82653901.gif/
Exactly!
Yay for Peter Galbert! These Windsor guys have some mind blowing shop tips and I can’t wait to see all of his wisdom in one place.
LAP seems to concentrate on “Lost Arts” from European colonization and onwards. Any plans to cover some truly lost arts ( or rapidly losing arts ) from this continent’s First Nations people? They seemed to know a thing or two about the trees and to work them into everyday things? Canoes, qamutiks, snowshoes, baskets, boxes, bowls, bows are just a few of things of which I am aware – but there is no one book to cover all of these.
I can just see the run on flint knives now . . .
so all secret oaths aside…..what is the topic or name of the super secret book
Maybe it’s a compendium of all the issues of “The Woodworker” magazine from the late 1800’s early 1900’s. Mayyyyybe. 😉
Can’t say. Sorry.
But I can. I didn’t swear any blood oaths…
It’s called “The tale of two Woobies”.
Sorry Chris, but you know it was going to get out.
It is a Michael Jackson biography.
Is it the Presidential Book of Secrets? Are you really Nicholas Cage? Dr Chase is quite hot by the way.
The beer drinker not the singer, right?
I can haz American Federal period book?
You should talk to Mr. Millard about that.
So you’re saying there’s a chance…
Will be book marking some of these for Christmas presents 2013
I am holding off on purchasing several LAP books because I am waiting for the DRM-free eBook versions. Maybe I am in the minority, but I would love to see eBook versions of existing books prioritized ahead of new books.
Are there titles that will not be published in eBook form, or is it a LAP objective to eventually fill out the line with eBook versions?
Brad,
Not every book can be made into an eBook because we cannot secure the rights – the joint stool book is one example (museums own the electronic rights to the museum images and won’t relinquish them). Or “Grandpa’s Workshop,” where the French publisher will not allow it.
As to priorities, the print edition will always come first. That’s partly a function of the way books are designed and partly a result of our personal preference.
I believe we will make electronic versions available of Becksvoort’s new book, Roubo and any other books that we can.
But you have to remember, we are just two people.
Thanks for posting my Christmas list. And you forgot to add “Nanner, nanner, nanner” to the “I’ve got a secret and won’t tell” portion of the post.
Presuming that the “Subscriptions” to the deluxe edition of the Roubo book have gone well, have you considered a “subscription” model for all LAP projects? That could either take the form of a subscription to a particular book in the works, or to all LAP projects (giving the subscriber something like a discount on all LAP books or choice of one book, etc. In either case, it might provide a signal on which books to prioritize as well as provide cash flow to either accelerate production or invest in LAP infrastructure that would pay off across all projects.
Wow! What a line up! I want to read all of them.
Sorry, I’m only feeling a quarter witty today… I continue to be impressed by the quality and now the increasing quantity of what you publish. I think most folks have no idea how labor intensive publishing a book can be (especially if you’re nudging towards the perfectionist end of the spectrum). A labor of love indeed.
Chris, I find your energy, wood working passion and travel schedule amazing. I think back to your idea for “Woodworking Magazine” then making it happen. The advertisers may not have liked it, but you proved your point. The above list brings lost arts to the attention of many of us who don’t know what we don’t know and appreciate your and other master craftsman’s efforts of research and experimentation. Recommendation – A book on using rasps and files in the Lost Art way including their manufacturing process. Perhaps Roy U. could help you with this?
Anyway “You Dun Gud”!
P.S. – Glad to see you using support from Megan and Linda Watts to help you “Deal In Dun”.
Slav would do it!
uh…. yeah, I will take one of each title please. And T-shirts to go with each title also.
Too many books to choose from! Thank you for working so diligently to get these titles out the door. I am especially interested in “Saws: Construction, Tuning & Use”, “By Hand & By Eye”, and of course “To Make as Perfectly as Possible: Roubo on Marquetry”. Also, if I swear a blood oath can I be in on the super-secret LAP book? If my wife asks where the large gash on the palm of my hand came from I’ll just look at her quizically and tell her she must be seeing things.
Will all of these be picked up by your Canadian/international distributors at time of release? Can’t wait to see the “Furniture of Necessity” title along with most of the others…
Was wondering if you would be printing the other sections of the Roubo Book? Garden Furniture, etc.
We don’t know. It depends on how the first two books are received and the schedules of the translators and editors.
Ok, so I must now secure a gps tracking device to don williams car, too. This is getting expensive….
Well, your tracker would correctly identify my position in the part of Texas that is south of South Texas (installing the Chinese Pavilion exhibit, a project that has nothing to do with LAP, although I am tweaking TMAPAP 1 or editing and writing TMAPAP 2 almost every evening, a tough slog as #2 is twice as big as #1). I am finding the pace of retirement more frenzied than employment, and that is even without juggling the work on six books more or less at the same time! Chris has given me the thumbs up on a couple more than he has talked about already, one of which must remain under wraps for a good bit longer while I do all the background research and permission-obtaining necessary for these kinds of things to occur (but I could hear his eyes pop wide when I told him about it over the phone).
I sent Chris another batch of photos and am reviewing his edits on the penultimate chapter for #1. Once #1 clears the gate I will concentrate on #2, which we hope to have in Chris’ hands by the end of summer.
Wish us well.
Never ming all the abbreviations, just tell us what the secret book will be about!
If you need company on you trip in March, I can make time…
Upon research I found Henry O. to be my 3rd cousin (5th removed). Certainly I think It would be something for another Studley to handle (gloved of course) these fine tools… I’d be happy to add a turned piece to the owners collection from a current Studley. I also have some genoelogical info I’ve gathered i’d be happy to share.
Notice the thousands of images comment. What is that big? If it is pictures of cats or birdhouses I will call you sellouts 🙂
Oh, I’d love to purchase some of these fine books but you’ve restricted yourself to the American continent and I can only admire from afar. My money stays with me.
After checking out Wesley Tanner’s site I’m dying to see the finished Roubo, both editions. Also been waiting patiently for “By Hand and Eye.” Good thing I’ll soon have “With the Grain” to make the waiting a little easier. So many good titles so little time….
What kind of dividers are those?
Great… Now I have to Own ALL of these books. Each one of them is interesting in its own right, and together support an independent publisher…. I hope you are all REALY happy.. Where’s my debit card (cause Dave Ramesy says crediat cards are nto a wise move… and… I have alreay proved he is right)?
The real problem with many of these books is that they are not yet available in e-book format. There is no way in hell that my (ordered) deluxe copy of Roubo is getting near my shop. It’s far easier to replace a monitor (even an expensive monitor) than it is to replace a book of that quality. I need both; one to fondle and an e-book to work with.
Speaking of e-books, what are people using in the shop? I’m considering the Kindle for PC program with an ultra sharp 24 – 27 inch display. My hand held Kindle is nice for reading, but too delicate to have on the bench. A wall mounted display and cheap wireless mouse seems like the way to go.