It’s a long drive to Kentucky from most places. So we decided to make some short video tours of our storefront so you can see how we have our workshop set up, take a look at our library and even meet Bean the Three-legged Shop Cat™.
Our first tour is of the bench room, which is where I spend most of my good days. This room is also where most of the interesting events happened during this building’s history as a bar. The drag shows of the 1990s. The female bartender who was shot after she roused a patron asleep at the bar. And the place where the owners used to sell stolen TVs.
These days things are a little more boring in the front room, and the neighbors couldn’t be happier.
Stay tuned for tours of the library, the Klaus Skrudland Memorial Bathroom, our New Kitchen, the Biergarten and the Electric Horse Garage (aka the machine room).
Below my signature are some photos of what the bench room looked like when we bought the place. For your own protection, please wash your hands after viewing these photos.
— Christopher Schwarz
Did you keep any mementos of the Blaze years?
One of my daughters has the disco ball. And we still have some of the glitter-painted heating registers.
What teenager could say no to a disco ball.
Memories. Man, that was fun.
Not having a bar in my bench room (cleverly disguised as a garage shop), I might feel under-equipped, but I don’t.
So a week from today we will be leaving KS to visit our daughter in Raleigh, NC. I’ve always thought I would like to stop by, stick my head in and say hello. Are you open for foot traffic?
I’m afraid we cannot accommodate drop-in visitors. We get requests every week, and opening that floodgate would bring work to a halt here.
Sorry to sound so inhospitable (it hurts; I’m Southern). We just don’t have the staff or slack time to receive people.
Chris
Don’t be upset. I understand completely. That’s why I asked.
What are the odds that Megan’s tool chest under construction will also be blue?
I don’t know. You tell me… (wink)
Are the cats trying to claw their way in to the treats while she’s gone?
Almost. This morning they were circling Megan‘s toolchest and crying
Been there, done that.
Was that bar made from sheets of Home Depot CDX stained 80’s Orange? I smell a new book, Bar Think…
Yes. And it went down like one. Just ask Justin
It certainly did not hold up to a big determined fellow with a big sledge for very long.
I think it was about two seconds.
Is Happy Hour still 4-8?
At Crafts & Vines, yes. See you there!
Ok, it’s a date. My nephew is graduating Miami University in 2023. Hopefully I can go to graduation and it’ll get me into that part of the country. I’d love to buy you and Megan a drink of your choice.
Thanks for the tour, Mr. Schwarz; it’s always interesting to have a look at other folk’s shops.
However, it raised two concerns / questions:
1) What have you got against German-style benches ? The palpable disdain you show for that gorgeous Ulmia bench (standing there on sufferance, derided & ridiculed … “we’ll get rid of you some day soon…” — poor thing) … and compared to your fawning over those clunky, primitive French benches that are so easily taken for farmyard implements. I do not understand.
2) Lord Bean the Tripod Feline — I think it is pretty obvious that his Lordship has been generously bestowed with what I gather is referred to as ‘star quality’ in the glamour trade. With regard to the amount of advertising work he deigns to participate in; he’s effectively become the face of soft wax and who can forget the effortless way he stole the show when you tried to have a Q & A (or whatever, I forget; you don’t have fur) from the shop a while back ? He nonchalantly upstaged you both by simply lounging on one of your own chairs and distracting you with an extended paw. This raises the question: Does he have adequate professional representation ?
In regards to No. 1: The top is too narrow thanks to the tool tray. The tail vise sags, lifting up the work when clamped between dogs. The face vise racks. The enormous tool bin below the benchtop is laughable. Fill it with stuff and it is immobilized (you have to dismantle the entire bench to remove the mechanism). Clamping items to the bench with F-style clamps is nearly impossible. The tool bin prohibits us from using some holdfasts. I had to modify the right-hand leg of the bench base for half-decent edge planing.
But other than that, it’s great!
On No. 2: Bean is represented by William Morris Endeavor, which gets 15 percent of all his cat treats.
Do you have a shaving horse somewhere or is that not a part of your standard kit? And do you have some low benches or horses for ripping and similar long-board action?.
Is it a legal requirement in Kentucky to use banjo music to accompany any film demonstrating woodworking technique or woodworking paraphernalia?
I don’t use a shaving horse. I shave my sticks on the Roman Workbench.
I do handsawing on the Roman bench and the sawbenches (next to my tool chest).
Every faucet in Kentucky has three handles: hot water, cold water and banjo music.
Chris, I’ve watched the previous videos on the benches at LAP HQ and was wondering if you will be recording another video to cover the The Anarchist’s Workbench as well? (I’m a big visual learner)
If stools and carpets could talk….
I don’t understand why you can’t continue the drag shows…
We would go out of business faster than if we switched to selling only posters.
I can’t wait to take a dump in a bathroom named after me!!
Yay? The Plumbing of Covington Welcomes You?
We love your photos of Bean. We have several black kitties and they are very sweet and not intimidating at all. They are not allowed in my shop though because it is a garage where I usually have the door open to work. They would run away.
Super clean and tidy bench room. It must be a joy to work there with all of that natural light.
It is amazing how much roomier it looks on video. Or, perhaps that is just the rearranging of, and absence of, some of the work benches since my last visit.
Loved the video!
I best get back soon; that poor floor looks bereft of random plane shavings.
Another example of Lost Art Press razing the bar…
I think Bean ranks way above the Cheerios bee, but just below the RCA Victor dog, Nipper.
Christopher, I trust the backbar will remain sufficiently stocked that I could enjoy myself while I sit and discuss the Anarchist’s Toolbox with you one of these days!