Lost Art Press

LAP Open Wire, June 20, 2026

Posted on by fitz
Ask me about my chest(s)! – really.

Comments are now closed. Please join us again on August 8 – same place, same time.

Welcome to Lost Art Press Open Wire, where until 5 p.m. Eastern, you can ask any and all woodworking questions, and we and your fellow readers will do our best to answer. Simply post your questions in the comments section below. But there’s a caveat today: Chris is getting ready to head to the airport this afternoon for an overseas teaching gig, so if you have a chair question or headache-inducing metallurgy question, best to ask before lunchtime. After that, I will simply quote at you from “The Stick Chair Journal” et al for all chair-related questions, and tell you to consult someone who cares about the specific constituent metal amounts in a given alloy (I just care if they are relatively easy to sharpen and can hold an edge).

The remaining Open wire dates for 2026 are:
August 8
October 19
December 12

– Fitz

234 thoughts on “LAP Open Wire, June 20, 2026”

  1. I absolutely love the fish stick glue. I don’t believe yall have published how to make it. Is there any plans to? (I don’t want to make it, I’m happy buying it. More of just insurance if a meteor strikes Covington Kentucky that the glue lives on)

    1. We don’t make the fish stick glue, so I don’t have a recipe I’m afraid. The stuff is a by-product of (and this is true) the frozen fish stick industry. They make it for us. Glad to her you like it!

  2. I’ve noticed that you write a how-to article or book, you are able to keep instructions simple. What tips do you have for teaching a process cleanly and eliminating tip-diarrhea? Or does it come through have it taught it and honed it first?

    2. Thanks Alex. The foundation of my writing is William Zinnser’s “On Writing Well.” It’s a short book, and you don’t even have to read the chapters at the end that deal with specific type of writing (sports, reviews etc.). To boil Zinnser down, it is basically: Write short, declarative sentences. Then go back and ruthlessly remove every word you can without changing the meaning of the sentence. Usually about 20 percent of the words can be eliminated.

      1. Well, it seems like I’m barking up the right tree, because I got about halfway through that book before moving from Salt Lake to Columbus a couple weeks ago. I will finish it and continue honing! Thanks!

  3. Two questions ahead of starting my DTC on Monday:

    clinching nails for the lid batten seems to conflict with the advice to remove the battens before painting, and I think I would prefer the look of just screws from the underside. If that isn’t enough to prevent my 19”+ lid from cupping, could I clamp the lid flat and then add clinched nails at a later date?
    you mention a few times that the way you cut dovetails (fits directly off the saw, not paring, etc.) is fine for shop projects. If you were cutting dovetails for a nice furniture project is there anything you do differently?

    1. Well, if you clinch them, you do then have to tape them off when painting, if you want to avoid getting paint on them. Screws work too, though – but they’ll hold the lid flat more effectively if you drill clearance holes in the top, and screws down into the hardwood battens.

      And no, I don’t do anything differently when cutting dovetails for any project. Except maybe I’m a tiny bit more careful if it’s a small presentation box or something, but my technique is the same.

    1. I do not, I’m afraid. Our machine shop is buried in work right now. They have the steel for the project. They just need to find the time to run them.

  5. Laguna Resaw King vs Lennox Woodmaster? Apparently the Lennox cannot be sharpened, but it’s the Rosewood School’s preferred blade. Perhaps a Never Sponsored article to compare?
    I’ve had this idea kicking around in my head for a while. Basically I’m sick of all the old rich dudes hoarding all of the great old machines they bought for $10 and trying to sell them for insane prices. Is there a foundation (maybe run by Fine Woodworking? Or an Anarchist we all know?) that people can donate their equipment to when they no longer have a need? I imagine myself 50 years from now giving all of my tools away (if my kids don’t want them) to give the wealthy tool hoarders a big middle finger and to help the next generation of woodworkers get a leg up. I want them to go to an institution that holds them “in trust” to be given to young folks who can use them.

    1. We don’t do much resawing here, so I’m afraid we are dummies about the specialty blades made for it.

      I don’t know of any organization that deals with transferring machinery to the next generation. I wish there was. Chairmaker’s Toolbox has a program like this for hand tools. You might consider bequeathing them to your local woodworking club. I know that the Kansas City ends up doing this quite a bit.

      1. Wait a sec. I thought you did a post about donating our tools and then they would be given to some deserving woodworkers. Maybe it was someone else. I’m going to see if I can find it. I agree with the question. There’s a need for something like this. I’d even be willing to help organize it.

        1. We did that for the first CMT class here and I think for a class with another intructor…but we simply don’t have the bandwidth.

  6. Good morning, Fellow Woodworkers.

    Four years ago I finished my Ruobo-style bench from some beautiful cherry slabs I harvested in Athens County, Ohio. Now my benchtop is not flat. Maybe it never was flat. I don’t know truth any longer. It keeps me awake at night. I don’t know how critical top flatness is to bench function- really. I work hard to convince myself that I am being precious and a perfectionist when I seriously consider deploying a toothed blade and getting down to business. So, I convince myself to live with it.

    To be honest, I am reticent to plane it flat because I’ll lose mass, or somehow plane twist into it, or do something terrible that I can’t yet envision to my precious baby. Ladies and Gentlemen of the Craft, I seek your opinions and guidance.

    1. Chris wrote about the historic record here:https://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/flatten-a-workbench%E2%80%99s-top/

      And as he notes, you could make a planing tray, if you don’t want to flatten the bench. It’s a flat platform to put atop the bench when planing. He made the one from Ellis’ “Modern Practical Joinery” (easy to find on the secondary market, if you don’t already have it).

      I, for one, like a flat bench…but I have been known to put a piece of 3/4 ply atop my bench to use as an ersatz planing tray…

    2. I’d say (offhand like) that a benefit of a roubo bench is that it HAS enough mass to spare so you can flatten it when it warps. It’s a design feature. Flatten the bloody thing.

    3. I use a toothed plane blade pretty heavily on my bench (also from home-milled wood so it moved a lot the first year) – the way that little extra texture helps keep the wood you’re working on still is a bonus 🙂

      As long as you’ve got the mass to spare, don’t be shy about refining the top as needed!

    4. Some people don’t need a flat bench for their work. But if you do a lot of handplaning, having most of the bench flat is a definite plus. Hollow spots in the benchtop will make planing wood over it almost impossible. And a high spot will wreak havoc in other ways, especially trying to get your work secure.

      If you aren’t a heavy plane user, a flat bench is of limited utility.

      So it’s your call.

  7. Hi, I am building the low back chair from your Stick Chair book. In the book you recommend pinning the sticks. Do you pin the sticks at both ends in both the seat and the back? I really enjoyed the book and the chair project has been fun!

  8. Hi all- I’m about to build a Lincolnshire Chair for the first time following The Stick Chair Journal No. 3. It indicates that the legs are simple turned cylinders. If one doesn’t own a lathe and doesn’t have any experience turning, how would you approach the legs? Would you prepare the legs as if building a traditional Stick Chair? Thanks much, Charlie

  9. I’ve been watching for stock on the gorilla go-drilla, any estimates when it’ll be available again?

    1. I hope in a few weeks. We are waiting on a new batch of aluminum bodies. They are going to be shipped soon. Then we hav to do some assembly and packaging.

  10. Recently built a table using Piggly No Wiggle glue and had the glues up fail (both on the top but also other areas like corner blocks / drawer runners). Does an unheated shop / freezing temperatures affect the functionality of this glue or is it likely user error in application? Thanks.

    1. Usually the reason the glue fails is because of bacterial attack or if it has been heated too hot. The bacterial attack can be hard to detect until it is WAY too late. That’s why we store ours tightly sealed in the fridge when we aren’t using it.

      If the glue has been opened and has been sitting around for a while, then I suspect the bacteria had a feast.

    1. We aren’t allowed to have 3-phase; I think it has to do with the fact that we’re in an historic district?

  12. can I use quartered wood for a seat? I worry the tapered tenons will split it. would careful orientation of mortise in a rift sawn piece compensate this?

  13. What is the reasoning process behind where you place mortises in a seat? I can’t find any books that discuss it, do you know of any?

    1. I’ve never seen any rules about this. And there is a huge range of positions that will work. Mostly it’s a stylistic/cultural thing. Some cultures push the legs out to the edges. Some prefer them cheated more to the middle. Their position goes hand in hand with the rake and splay so that the feet end up where you need them and the chair is stable.

      With my designs, I simply stare at old chairs I really like and channel the ideas I harvest from them.

      Bottom line: If the chair looks reasonable, it almost certainly is.

  14. Good morning! I am taking a swing at making the Slane chair. Could you share the resultant angles for the legs? I’ve guessed them at 19 for the front and 27 for the back legs. (Apologies if these are anywhere and I have missed them!)

  15. I’ve been attempting to find the name (and plans for) an old layout tool. It is triangular in shape with 90 degree corner and two(?) curves on one long edge, straight on the other and two (?) holes in the middle. I believe it’s made from thin stock. Any help would be appreciated.

    2. Jeff Hansen, are you maybe describing a marking square like Chris describes in Euclid’s Door? I wish I could post a photo

  16. Hi,

    The most of the marking gauges in Odates “Japanese woodworking tools” have their wedges behind the beam relative to the user. From what we can find this seems a bit unusual. Any thoughts on why they are designed like that?

    (Also the wedge is in a slightly narrower mortice than the beam and we’re not sure how important that choice is either)

    Many thanks to the whole lost art team!!

    1. I’m no expert on Japanese gauges (you might search out Wilbur Pan’s blog and ask him). From my meager understanding, the wedge orientation allows you to make minor adjustments by tapping the beam itself against the bench. Sorry!

  17. Any thoughts on traditional wooden boatbuilding? I’m headed up to the Wood Boat School in ME for a two week course with intention of bringing back knowledge to teach a boat building class for kids.

    1. I think that wooden boatbuilding is one of the LostArts—or was on the verge of becoming so until Jon and his cohorts (up there in ME) started WoodenBoat magazine and the WoodenBoat School. That was 50-odd years ago and it’s going strong. You’ll have a great experience, and come home full of ideas.

      Incidentally, their little booklet “Building the six-hour canoe” is a decent curriculum for a kids boat class. (Count on a lot more than six hours though!!)

      I also think the boatbuilders and chairbuilders seldom seem to sit down together, but they ought to. It’s all curves and angles in both worlds, so why not?

  18. I work a lot with black walnut (a plentiful local wood). Highlighting the knife line is a trick (regular black pencil doesn’t work well). I’ve used soapstone pencils (too light and diffuse a mark), 0.5mm white gel pens (the ball gets trapped in the knife line and won’t roll), and white art china pencils (can’t get a sharp enough tip). My best trick is just to use a pencil and then highlight it with a white china pencil. Any other tips would be appreciated. I guess I could shine a bright light directly onto the line but my arm and the saw (unless I position the light exactly right) will cast a shadow.

    Oh, I know I shouldn’t ask this (second) question, but has anyone ever tried a well-tuned infill smoothing plane? Or a new one, like a Sauer and Steiner? Do they avoid tear-out in difficult figure any better? I’m curious about looking at one at Handworks in September.

    Thanks to everyone!

      1. Thanks, Megan! I quickly went to read your article on infills. Very helpful. I thought that (stable, dense) wood might also dampen any vibration in the iron or even the plane body and keep the iron in the cut. But do they cut in difficult woods or figure (say, like crotch wood) better than a LN bronze plane with a 50º (or 55º) frog? That I’d like to know. I buy for use, however pretty they are. And they cost at least several times more than a LN bronze plane. I’ll have to see at Handworks.

        And while the tape idea is a good one, unless I put tape everywhere I want to cut (ripping, crosscutting, etc.), that will get a bit much. The tape, I also find, if you cut too close, gums up the teeth of the saw and will also pull up when torn. I think I’d prefer highlighting the dark pencil line with a band of white china pencil. I then can see the black line much better without worrying about precisely arranging the desk lamp’s direction. If there are other solutions, I’d be grateful.

        Again, thanks to all for your solutions and for this forum! I can’t wait to see Peter Follansbee’s new book (I hope it will be there) at Handworks (among other things). I’ll try to remember to bring the checkbook!

        1. I have not found they work better in general. We had an article in PW years ago on them, too, by planemaker Raney Nelson, that might be worth looking up: “Apologia for the Custom Handplane.”

          As far as blue tape, I know it works for Mike and others…but I don’t like the fuss! I use my fingernail to feel the knifeline that tells me where to cut when I can’t see it. But I don’t know how to teach that.

          We also went through a “pounce bag” phase…a little dusty, but it did work, if memory serves. https://www.popularwoodworking.com/article/high-heels-and-pounce-bags/

          1. Thanks, Megan! All very helpful. I’ve subscribed to PW again to read your recommended article.

    2. I use a white colored pencil on dark woods. The Derwent Studio ones are very good and take a sharp point.

      1. Thanks, Roger. Can you get them into a very fine knife line, as well as a 0.5″ mechnical lead pencil?

        1. yes you can get a fine knife line. keep in mind colored pencils are soft so use a light hand. sharpen more on sandpaper.

          1. Thanks, Roger! I noticed pencil sharpeners just left a blunt tip (and paring with a knife left a weak tip). I’ll try sandpaper. I have some artist’s watercolor pencils. I’ll try sandpaper on them, too. This has been such an issue and I’ll be working in black walnut for years to come (given my easy access to it).

            1. watercolor pencils might be softer, but more brittle than regular colored pencils. The derwent studio have a good balance of softness and durability. They are fairly cheap as singles, though the full sets are costly. Blick sells them for about $1.50 each

    3. I sympathize. Much of my work is with native woods that range from dark brown (mahogany) to black (kamagong, a wood simlar to ebony in colour). I find it very difficult to see knife lines or pencil. I have tried white pencils from Japan at several quid a pop: with limited success.
      What does help is a pair of +2 diopter reading glasses (I don’t need glasses to read normal text.

    4. I have blue 0.5mm lead in one pencil for this purpose. It helps, but certainly isn’t perfect.

  19. I’m getting ready to glue up a complex Welsh Stick chair with 14 posts between the armbow and seat. I’m planning on using fish glue. Any other advice for glueing up chairs with so many posts?

    1. Use the bathroom before getting started. And make sure you have everything arranged on the bench so you know what to grab when you need it. The Fish Stick will give you plenty of open time, though, so don’t panic!

  20. Hello. What is your favorite wood and finish for outdoor furniture?
    Thx. Dennis from West Virginia.

    1. I don’t know if its appropriate to piggy-back on other’s questions – but I had a similar one.

      I built a outdoor garden workbench for plants out of cedar – do I need a finish to protect it? And what non-toxic finish would be best? Linseed?
      Also thanks.

    2. Linseed oil is a great exterior finish – if you reapply regularly. Paint and deck stain are also excellent exterior finishes because they block UV light – but you have to maintain the finish, any finish, for it to remain protective.

      As far as the wood to use, if you want domestic, probably white oak is a good choice. Other good exterior woods with which I’m familiar that would work for chairs are tropical (teak, mahogany).

  21. I am the proud ( but confused/ frustrated) owner of two new wooden planes – having issues (aka I suck at) setting up the blade and keeping it fixed without driving it prouder than I want. Does one of your books offer enlightenment ? Or is there advice in one of your articles? Thanks

    1. I only use wooden planes, and have learned to set the iron and wedge flush, then adjust depth gently with a tap tap on the iron then a light tap on the wedge every time. Takes practice, but you’ll learn to prefer them IMO

    2. Excuse me if I jump in here, although I know your question was aimed at finding texts on the subject…..
      I started hand-tool woodworking in ernest when I retired eight years ago and have almost exclusively used wooden planes since then. I can clearly remember the learning curve I went through so the following thoughts may be of use:
      1) Woodies (or their users) have good days and bad days. The plane I use most is an English-style jack that I made myself. The first time I used it I was surprised how easily it set and took shavings. The next time I set it took too big a shaving and stalled. It took 15 minutes to find the sweet spot where it would cut just right.
      2) Three gentle taps, on the wedge or the blade are better than one wack.
      3) I use the Vs-up technique (Brits will know what I mean). If you are not familiar with this…. Hold the plane in your off hand with the sole facing away from you. Place the pads of your index and middle fingers over the mouth of the plane and advance the blade with gentle taps. With practice you will know what a correctly set blade feels like. For a finer cut press your fingers into the mouth, or relax your fingers for a deeper cut.
      And don’t worry you won’t cut yourself. In eight years I have not been cut once (just don’t slide your fingers along the blade).
      4)keep a trial bit of scrap, softish straight-grained wood on hand and test the plane on the edge of this when you set your plane,
      LAP I apologize for withering on so long….

      1. A fifth point has just occurred to me. Wedge fit is key. If it can’t lightly lock the blade with just finger pressure you need to work out why.
        And talking of wedge fit it is always easier to advance the blade and lock it than to try to reset it,
        If the cut is too deep retract the blade completely and start again.

  22. Good morning! My question for y’all is this: is there an easy way to get rid if the play that has developed in my lump hammer handle. No where ready to fly off but the wiggle/jiggle that has developed makes it hard to deliver precise strikes?

  23. I recently finished the “Irishy” armchair in walnut. I love the look and while i built it for my wife (she picked it from the book) i do all the sitting in it – it reclines too far back for her. One issue I had was the middle short sticks have such an angle off the vertical that the hole ends up oblong through the arms and I had a significant gap on the inside edge where the stick comes through the top of the arm. I made it work and added some woodfiller but am curious if I missed something.

    Love the chair.

    Todd

    1. Likely you reamed out the top of the mortise a bit when you drilled it. The oval shape of the mortise is the same oval shape as the tenon when it passes through the arm. It gets easier to get perfect mortises with a little practice.

  24. Do you expect to offer ‘Sloyd in Wood’ in the future? I can find the book at resellers, but not on the LAP site.

    I’m looking for a beginner’s book on Sloyd, ideally as a starting point for a 10 year old. Any suggestions?

    Thanks for hosting the open wire!

    1. I would go ahead and buy it from a reseller/used bookstore if you want to copy. At the moment, it’s not on our list of things to reprint.

      1. Our contract ran out on that book with Jogge’s Swedish publisher. The cost to re-up for another five years was financially too much for us. Sorry.

  25. I was finally ready to take a chair making class when you announced closing the store front. I see that you travel a d have chair making classes at other studios and workshops. Is there a schedule or list I can access to try and join one of them?

    Thanks

    1. There’s no list, though I’ve long been meaning to make a calendar to share with people about where we’re teaching. However, there should be classes in Covington again early next year — stay tuned.

  26. Many years ago, I finished my “me-built” kitchen cupboards with the best recommended paint from the local paint store. After a couple of years, the paint softened, and provides little protection. Especially around the stove area. Not sure if it was my cleaning?
    I’m in the process of rebuilding….and will be looking for a new finish. Any recommendations on cupboard finishes?

    1. I’ve just used Benjamin Moore Advance, which I’m told by my paint guy is the best cabinet paint they offer. But it hasn’t been on my new cabinets long enough for me to weigh in on how well it will wear or last.

  27. Hi everyone at LAP! Thank you for your time on the Open Wire. I have two unrelated questions and I’ll take my answers offline.

    First, and sorry, but I have a basic logistical question on air travel for a woodworking class: let’s say you’re taking a trip and need all the hand tools and paraphernalia for a chair or chest. How do you pack them? I did search both the blog and ATC and didn’t see anything on this, but I apologize if you’ve answered it before!

    Second, for those of you who don’t work to a commission book anymore, what is your process like for ‘programming’ or scheduling your projects? Do you have a long list of things you want to build out for months, or go project to project, footloose/fancy-free style? Different for everyone?

    -B

    1. Both Chris and I pack our tools in hard-sided cases (he has a Pelican; I have a Nanuk). Below is what we wrote on Never Sponsored some time back on how we pack.

      I use foam in the top and bottom of the case, as well as a strip around the outside so my tools don’t rub against resin shell. But I wrap the ones that fit in a tool roll, then stuff the rest in socks and wrap them in pajamas…which I then wear on my trip. That has the added benefit of freeing up room in my carry on. I then close the case and give it a good shake. If nothing moves, I call it done. If I hear even the slightest of shifting, I jam more clothing inside and test again.

      chris:
      Here’s how I pack my Pelican. Small tools go in a big tool roll. Handplanes go into plane socks (or plain socks). Put the heavy stuff near the wheels so it is less likely to crash into the lightweight stuff.

      Wrap tools in plane socks if you can. Or nestle them next to plane socks if you must – they will end up fine. Place lighter-weight tools (usually wooden ones) up near the handle of the Pelican.

      Throw some of your business cars in on top of the tools – just in case they need to contact you.

      Put lots of stickers on your Pelican so you can identify it. Spray paint it. Add a label that says “Tools – Not Gun Stuff.” It doesn’t always work, but it helps.

      1. Thank you! I should have checked the Substacks / Never Sponsored, I’m a subscriber there.

        Good tip on “Not Gun Stuff”. I’ll also add “These aren’t the droids you’re looking for” for full coverage.

  28. Hey Chris,
    I don’t have a single board for my first stick chair seat. I will be jointing two boards. What is your favorite joint for this? Twenty biscuits, spline, dowel, edge?
    Thanks.
    Bill

  29. Are there any plans for a book on boarded cabinets and furniture?

    2. Our forthcoming book “Smalls” is all boarded furniture. And I have a “someday, dammit” book on boarded furniture exclusively on my back burner. Projects are selected. I just need the time.

  30. Being wood finish purists, how do you finish your wood floors at home and work?

    1. Honestly, we both have polyurethane on our floors. I have water-based in one room that I did myself, and it does not look as good as the oil-based that’s the rest of my house… that I paid someone to do.

  31. A sanding question. For someone who doesn’t yet own a smoothing plane and must rely on sandpaper, I feel a great deal of confusion about using the “correct” grit.

    I understand the sanding process, but what’s the “right” finish grit? Sometimes I hear 180 or 220. Then someone like C.H. Becksvoort says he works up to 500 or 600. I’m not trying to burnish, just make sure the grain shows clearly and the finish absorbs well. If it helps, I use a 1:1 tung oil/citrus solvent finish. Is there a best practice for which grit to use for which wood? Does it depend on finish? Am I overthinking it? Help!

    1. As far as I can tell, the correct finish grit for sandpaper is a question akin to what’s the best way to sharpen. That is, you will get lots of different answers, and all of them are right/wrong. Most of what I build is finished with either paint, or soft wax. I rarely sand above #180 grit for either of those, if I’m sanding. I think the best thing to do is make a test board on the stock you’re using, and sand up to different grits in discrete/taped-off and clearly marked areas, then put on your finish. Choose the one that makes you happy.

  32. I am having hard time planing a thick cut on the face of maple boards with any of my planes. I will start the cut, and the plane will get stuck, then I have to force it forward to finish the cut and it will likely jam again. I can get a thick full width shaving on the edges of maple and a full width shaving on pine. I sharpen up to a lee valley hard Arkansas stone and strop with green honing compound. My planes are older Stanley, definitely not super tuned. Do you have recommendations. Am I asking too much on my planes ? Thank you!

    1. Maple is serious business. It requires a sharp iron and a lighter cut. Usually when I deal with really hard species, I’ll traverse the board and do diagonal strokes to get things flat and where I want them. Then I finish with a smoothing plane set very fine.

      Also, wax or a wipe of oil on the sole can do wonders.

  33. Good morning! I was curious about two things. First, have you found anything that works for heating up the Piggly No Wiggly glue while in the bottle that isn’t a crock pot or a stock pot on the stove? I love using the stuff, but would love something with a little smaller footprint.

    The other question is if you have anywhere a list of all the books that LAP has published? I would love to hunt for some of those no longer in print. I am amassing quite the collection of those in print currently and my completionist ways are curious about the others out there.

    Thank you for doing these!

      1. Good call. I have a local shop around here that carries that sort of thing. I will have to look for some pig candy molds in there, just to have a little fun with it.

    2. We don’t maintain a public list of all titles, I’m afraid. Here’s a Saturday morning stab:

      Art of Joinery
      Grandpa’s Workshop
      The Book of Plates
      Roman Workbenches
      Stanley Catalogue #34
      Sloyd in Wood
      The Difference Makers
      Mechanic’s Companion
      Mechanick Exercises
      Stick Chair Journal Nos. 1 & 2
      LAP Workbook
      Chairmaker’s Workshop: Expanded Edition

  34. Laguna Resaw King vs Lennox Woodmaster? Apparently the Lennox cannot be sharpened, but it’s the Rosewood School’s preferred blade. Perhaps a Never Sponsored article to compare?
    I’ve had this idea kicking around in my head for a while. Basically I’m sick of all the old rich dudes hoarding all of the great old machines they bought for $10 and trying to sell them for insane prices. Is there a foundation (maybe run by Fine Woodworking? Or an Anarchist we all know?) that people can donate their equipment to when they no longer have a need? I imagine myself 50 years from now giving all of my tools away (if my kids don’t want them) to give the wealthy tool hoarders a big middle finger and to help the next generation of woodworkers get a leg up. I want them to go to an institution that holds them “in trust” to be given to young folks who can use them.

  35. I’m thinking about making a stick chair for outside (in the shade of one of the redbuds in my city backyard). What species of wood, or what finish, would you recommend for seat and sticks to hold up against outdoor abuse?

    1. Linseed oil is a great exterior finish – if you reapply regularly. Paint and deck stain are also excellent exterior finishes because they block UV light – but you have to maintain the finish, any finish, for it to remain protective.

      As far as the wood to use, if you want domestic, probably white oak is a good choice. Other good exterior woods with which I’m familiar that would work for chairs are tropical (teak, mahogany).

  36. I sent an email to the help address at LAP asking if using purchased copies of the smalls book would be appropriate for a woodworking boot camp leave behind. There were some particulars that would help me know. I’ve not heard anything yet and worry that the email may have gone astray.

    1. Sorry you’ve not heard back. I’m afraid I don’t quite understand your question… Are you asking if we would have any problem with your leaving copies for future readers the answer to that is no, we’d be delighted to hear that you did. But if that’s not your question, let me know and I’ll try again.

      1. Thanks Megan. I shared in the email for our need of a one day woodworking intro class and wanted to teach joinery for a project then have a reference for other projects that students could then pursue after the class. I thought that the smalls book would be a good resource and wanted a list of joinery covered in the projects for the book.

  37. I am considering building one of your Anarchist Tool chests. Trying to source good grades of eastern white pine has been nearly impossible (Central Ohio) Any suggestions on sources?

  38. Is making a side chair as simple as making a chair without armbows and just using long sticks? Can you point me to any of your books where this is discussed in more detail? How would one modify the BACFBS chair to be a sidechair?

      1. Thanks. I knew I saw it somewhere but Chris has written so much it is hard to keep track of.

  39. I struggle with keeping wood flat after milling. I know it’s a losing battle, but even after taking it down to thickness in stages, I’ll get some bowing especially with drawer thickness parts.

    What’s your usual milling process to minimize this? Do you follow up your jointer machine with your jointer plane any?

    1. The “correct” approach is to not do the final thicknessing until you’re ready for joinery, and to do that ASAP after you’re done processing. But I don’t always follow that “rule” because there’s not enough shop time in the day. So if I process wood then have to walk away, I sticker it, so there is even airflow on top and bottom. That usually works for me.

  40. Does a second holdfast make life better? Can you imagine trying to work with only one?

    1. I use them to hold my Moxon on the bench. I would HATE working with only one. But I’d get used to it if I had to.

  41. Two things:

    First, why no more Sycamore for chair seats? I recently got some flat sawn sycamore 4/4 stock that’s 15-24″ wide. Planing with grain reversal is giving me hell, but I hope to make at least a blanket chest, maybe with a drawer in bottom. Wondering if the challenges you found make this plan folly.

    Second, I saw a Hammond Trim-O-Saw for resale but wasn’t quick enough to get it. How did that project go and what are you currently using yours for?

    Thanks as always, and look forward to seeing you all at Handworks!

    -Chris in Indianapolis

    1. I’m not positive…but I think the no more sycamore is because he has no more sycamore for chair seats. I know that when I go with him to the Longard, and he’s buying stock for chairs, he’ll buy the available good stuff, no matter what it is (as long as it’s appropriate for the intended use, of course!).

      And as far as the Hammond, that is still a work in progress. Which is to say the restoration has not yet been completed.

      1. Your mention of supply and demand of sycamore seat material reminded me of a resource we have here in St Louis, Lumber Logs. They take whatever interesting logs the tree services cut down, amd make lumber from it (the tree services like that they have less disposal to deal with). I don’t now if other cities have some thing similar, but when I’ve been there, LL has had a broad selection of sycamore available.

  42. Tools for cutting dowels/tenons: I followed the advice to get a Stanley 77 doweling machine, but how have it with only one 5/8″ cutter and others sizes not practical to find. So, are the other choices the Ray Iles rounding planes (also hard to find) and the Veritas tenon cutters (common sizes for chairs?)? I would like to avoid swishing at the plate on the next attempt for tools.
    Quick second question: for a first chair attempt, what are your top couple of suggestions? Would the revised Gibson be among them?
    thank you

    1. The tenon cutters I use (either Ray Iles or Veritas) are: 5/8″, 3/4″ and 1″. Those sizes do all my chairs.

      The first two chairs in “The Stick Chair Book” are the ones I recommend you start with. The Gibson is not good “first chair” material I’m afraid.

  43. How many coats of linseed oil wax/soft wax do you typically apply to a newly built chair?

    Thanks, Rob

    1. Two. Or one, if it soaks in well enough with no dry spots. Then add more when needed in the future.

  44. I recently had my first experience with milk paint (Old Fashioned Milk Paint brand) painting a bookcase. The project ultimately turned out great. I did start out just using a brush to apply the paint. The first coat was blotchy as expected, but I thought that with more coats it would all even out. After 6 coats, I was still getting uneven coats along the larger sides of the bookcase. I then picked up a foam roller and after only one coat everything smoothed out. I did have to use multiple mixed batches of paint as I wasn’t sure what the coverage was going to be so there could have been slight variations between coats.

    Any idea what caused the uneven coats? It feels like it was more the brush than the multiple batches of paint. I really expected the multiple coats to even things out. Thank you.

    1. Without seeing your technique, this is merely a guess. But when I use a brush to apply milk paint, I try to draw out as long as stroke as possible and always keep a wet edge. My guess is that you are dipping deeper in on one coat than another, drawing one out more than another, allowing the paint to pool in some places a little bit and not in others. The roller takes most of that out of the equation, because you can do one long pass all at a time. And that’s probably why you’re getting better results with the roller … but again, this is just a guess.

    2. Peter Galbert’s Substack has info on using thin coats of shellac (1/4lb cut) as a seal coat between coats of milk paint. I found that helped hugely.

      FWIW I use isopropyl alcohol, which takes longer to dissolve the shellac but is non-toxic and more easily available here in Canada than other pure alcohol options.

  45. Good morning!

    I live in an apartment with a fairly narrow staircase that’s about 30” wide, which makes moving things in and out tricky. I’m interested in building some knock down style furniture that can be moved in parts and reassembled inside, as bigger pieces with more permanent designs simply aren’t possible. Do you have any suggestions for books, design styles, etc. that might fit this? I’m working on a Moravian workbench per Myers and am considering the trestle table or work table from ADB but I’m not quite confident in my skills to make those designs yet.

    Any reading or resources on woodworking in apartments would also be wonderful!

    Thanks so much and have a great day,

    Alex

    1. A fair amount of knockdown furniture is, to my eye, unattractive. I’ve not seen the book on the subject that I can recommend.But in Arts & Craft style furniture, you’ll find at least some good looking knockdown bookcases and tables – so I’d dive into that style, perhaps. But, the trestle table and work table in ADB are absolutely worth building, and I’ll bet you find they aren’t as difficult as you fear once you get started!

      1. Yes, the looks are admittedly not ideal. I’ve toyed with making stylistic changes once I get the basic construction ideas down but we’ll see. Arts and Crafts will be on my list to explore, though I’m admittedly biased in favor of Shaker. Once I get my bench up and running I’ll try my hand at one of those tables and see how it goes! Thanks so much, Megan.

    2. I built the “American Trestle Table” as a knockdown, by adding tusk tenons at the ends of the stretchers. It has worked great so far. I used metal thread inserts in the top and bolts with clearance holes to keep the top secure.

  46. Do you still use your pollisoirs? I still see them in some of your shop/tool chest shots, but no mention in quite some time. Curious how the experiment went, or if you moved to other methods for burnishing.

    1. From the Feb. 3 LAP Open Wire:

      Lost Art Press says:
      February 3, 2024 at 8:15 am
      Polissoir: I do still use them. They are great for finishing small surfaces. They are a workout to use, however

      1. Most excellent! Now, what is your order of operations with finish—burnish then softwax? Or do you burnish WITH the softwax on the pollisoir or something completely different? Curious how it helps with finish uptake with oils, waxes, and milk paint

  47. Would love to hear Chris’ top 10 chairs, after reading that unfortunate nyt article.

  48. Where did you source the hardware from for the Shaker-style Lap Desk
    (Posted on February 14, 2023 by fitz)

  49. I can’t for the life of me get my boards flat when traversing the grain with my jack plane – I can only get reasonably flat with the grain down the board. What might I be doing wrong?

    1. I’ve never achieved flat while traversing – just flattish. Then I use a jointer plane with the grain to get it flat. I suppose you could also use a blade with little or no camber in a jack plane to go with the grain – but the long sole of a jointer helps.

  50. To put a 10″ curveon a jack plane blade, some years back Chris described a method using a template + sharpie then working to the line on a grinder. Is this still how he does it? Thank you.

  51. Hi Chris and Megan,
    I’m about to glue up a table top for a trestle table. The glue up will consist of 4 boards (8/4 white oak, each approx 10″ wide).

    What are your thoughts on heart side/bark side orientation? Orient each board heart side up, bark side up, or alternate heart, bark?

    1. I orient them all the same; it makes planing a whole lot easier. Heart side out. Then I use buttons to attach the top to the undercarriage, whatever it may be, which holds things flat.

  52. I’m looking for a good sturdy binder to store notes and remembered Chris recommended Wisdom Supply, but they seem to be out of business. Have you found any good alternatives?

  53. Could you give some measurements for the medium size tool chest shown above? Or a suggestion for a medium size tool chest shown.

    1. https://blog.lostartpress.com/2011/11/07/download-plans-for-the-traveling-tool-chest/

      And here’s the cutlist for the video on it for The Wood Whisperer Guild
      Traveling chest
      2 Front/Back 7/8 x 13-1/4 x 38
      2 Ends 7/8 x 13-1/4 x 18
      Bottom 3/4 x 38 x 18 (multiple boards, shiplapped) – can use “carsding:” (aka T&G) from home center (5/8”)
      3 Battens 1/2 x 2-1/4 x 18
      2 Base skirt (front, back) 7/8 x 4-3/4 x 40 (cut overlong by at least 1”; fit to case for final length)
      2 Base skirt (ends) 7/8 x 4-3/4 x 20 (cut overlong by at least 1”; fit to case for final length)
      2 Top skirt (front, back) 7/8 x 3 x 40 (cut overlong by at least 1”; fit to case for final length)
      2 Top skirt (ends) 7/8 x 3 x 20 (cut overlong by at least 1”; fit to case for final length)

      On the lid, it’s safer to cut the rails and stiles 1/8” or so overwide and overlong, then trim the assembly to fit after glue-up, before attaching the dust seal pieces
      2 Lid stiles 7/8 x 4 x 38
      2 Lid rails 7/8 x 4 x 21-7/8
      1 Lid panel 7/8 x 14-3/8 x 30-1/2
      1 Dust seal (front) 7/8 x 1-1/2 x 40 (cut overlong by at least 1”; fit to case for final length)
      2 Dust seal (ends) 7/8 x 1-1/2 x 20 (cut overlong by at least 1”; fit to case for final length)

  54. How necessary is it for chair legs to be from 1-3/4 inch square stock? You seem to be pretty consistent (insistent?) on that. It’s so much easier to find 1-1/2 inch stock?

  55. Our Makerspace is trying to decide between a spiral or helical head on a new 20″ planer. Do y’all have any experience or comments on this choice?

    1. We use helical cutterheads in our jointer and planer. They seem to leave a better finish. But they also don’t seem to take as big a bite as we would like at times.

    1. I haven’t used the Tried & True…but isn’t their original oil finish a mix of linseed oil and beeswax? In which case, I think it would look not much different.

        1. Pretty sure our soft wax has more wax in it (it’s not a liquid), so maybe a little bit? But I don’t think it would make a lot of diff.

  57. Hi all, I have a great set of sharpening stones but a pretty crappy Amazon purchases eclipse style honing guide. I feel like it is hard for me to sharpen chisels to 90 degrees properly, but I’m not sure if this is just lack of experience. Does something like the Lie Nielsen honing guide make a significant difference from something cheaper, or do I just need to spend more time sharpening? Could it just be that I have cheap chisels that are too soft? Just trying to get a consistent result so I can spend less time sharpening and more making a mess!

    1. Often, there’s a drip of paint or some gunk in the gripping surfaces of the inexpensive Eclipse clones, and you have to file it out to get a solid bits on your blades. The LN works out of the box. You can make a cheap one perform OK, but it will likely take some work.

  58. Yes I found it! Fine Woodworking did a post on its blog. It’s called “The Living Tools Project”. It seems that The Chairmaker’s Toolbox started it.

  59. Keep your ear to the ground for children needing clean-out of an elderly parent’s shop. You bring the labor and take the tools away for the cost of moving them. Recently picked up a 50yo mill, a 75yo lathe, and a 90yo band saw this way. I had to take everything in the shop though. 22 palettes of stuff to go with the machines. Be patient, be prepared.

  60. Hi, thank you for the Open Wire. I am having trouble getting a “sharp” line at the spindle deck when saddling seats. What can I do to improve this line? Is there a video that shows how to do this? Or is it just a matter of practice and experience.

    1. It really is a practice thing. I nibble up to the line with my travisher. Then I create a trough that is parallel to the spindle deck line but about 1/4″ away. I work that trough until the travisher follows it reliably. Then I run the tool in the trough while drifting sideways toward the spindle deck.

  61. Where did you source the hardware from for the Shaker-style Lap Desk
    (Posted on February 14, 2023 by fitz)

  62. What is recommended source for Huck towels? Have tried the earlier link but ended up lost in the woods- thanks

    1. The ones we offer are out of stock at our supplier, and you have to buy from them in bulk. So for individual towels, you can buy from us… (I feel so slimy saying that!). https://lostartpress.com/products/soft-wax-soft-wax-kits?variant=41921661173823

      But the best ones I have ever found were in the variety store at my mom’s retirement community. They had been washed, so I knew they were lint free because there were no strings sticking to them. But I’ll be darned if I can find any more with the same SKU on the tag. So… I keep haunting the variety store in hopes of more.

      Maybe someone else here has a source for good ones?

        1. Huck towels are not all the same. Even surgical ones can be crap (don’t buy Medline surgical huck towels, please).

          So I can’t vouch for these. Sorry.

    2. Hi, Thomas. I just did a search on EBay for used surgical huck towels. I saw several items come up. Not sure if this what you had in mind, but I hope it helps.

  63. I have a question about the Dutch tool chest. I have 3 sets of chisels a beginner set, a blue spruce tool set and a beginner japanese set. Would you put only one set in the tool chest or how would you arrange them to hold all three?

    1. If that’s your only chest, yes, I’d put them all in there. If you use them all with regularity, I’d make slots/holes in a hanging rack on the back wall. But if you tend to use one set a lot more than the others, I’d store the two you’re not using in a tool roll in the bottom well, and just put the user set on the back wall so as to free up space for other hanging tools.

  64. Good morning! I made Van Dyke’s “workbench in a weekend”. Top is a sandwich of two layers MDF topped with particle board. Glued with a roller, countersunk screws below flush. Finished with oil based Spar Urethane. The top rounded! I can seesaw with a flat edge. I used yellow glue- should I have used #2 or #3 waterproof? Or did the spar urethane swell the particle board?

  65. What do you think of using straight sharpened blades (non cambered) blades for everything and just working on improving my planing skills. Ad difficult as that might be it seems simpler than doing a food camber sharpening and getting more planes and or more blades.

    1. Some people use straight blades for everything. I find that more challenging than using cambered blades. I use only cambered blades in my bench planes (no need to swap out blades ever). Once you learn to put a camber on a blade (it’s basically adding pressure at the corners) and you process some stock with cambered blades, you will be unlikely to ever want to use a straight blade again.

        1. Absolutely yes! It’s more difficult to with a square-edged blade (plane tracks). On a smoothing plane, the corners of the blade are tucked up into the body of the tool – thanks to the camber.

  66. Thanks as always for doing this.

    I see y’all and other prominent chair makers using one form or another of hide glue. Using it for dovetails seems less common and using it for panel glue ups doesn’t seem to happen at all. Am I misunderstanding or is that accurate, and if so can you say why?

    1. I use liquid hide glue all the time for dovetails. And I like hot hide glue for some panel glue-ups if I don’t have a lot of clamps handy, because you can use its property of quick tack to hold the pieces together with one…or even no…clamps. And, it’s a lot easier to clean up squeeze out than with PVA so I highly recommend hide glue (and for me, that’s most often the liquid variety). I don’t use fish glue for most of my cabinet work, simply because it takes longer to set up, so I have to wait longer to get back at it. But if that’s what available and I’m ready to glue, I would not hesitate to use it over PVA. Unless I need my clamps back ASAP, say in a class or during class prep, when I nee to get as much done as possible in as little time as possible.

      This is merely my impression, but because you don’t need a long open time for most panel glue-ups, or really for most DT glue-ups, lot of people don’t want to bother with heating up hide glue (whether liquid or not). And you have to plan ahead. You can’t simply walk into the big box store and buy hide glue or fish glue. (OK…you can buy the Titebond liquid hide glue at some places, but we’ve seen it fail one too many times, so we don’t use it anymore.)

      1. I had one bottle of TiteBond fail on me 5 or 6 years ago in which two boards came apart during final glue up. Freaked me out. For about two or three years, I went back to PVA. About 2 or 3 years ago I went back to TiteBond liquid hide glue and it’s been fine. Were your TB liquid hide glues possibly for just one bad batch?

    2. We use liquid hide for everything except panel glue-ups (and that is for speed reasons). We use it and recommend it for dovetails, mortise-and-tenon joints… pretty much everything.

      Can’t say why other choose yellow glue in those instances. You’ll have to ask them.

  67. Another quick question: Chris, when editors in magazines, newspapers, etc choose the title of an article it often seems like a problem, poorly summarizing or sensationalizing the article. Is this because of the race to publish? Should this stop happening?

    1. Not Chris (he might answer later…but he’s getting ready to leave soon), but it is a sales game. When I was a magazine editor, we had to write coverlines that would catch people eyes, and make them want to pick up the magazine off the newsstand. I don’t think that’s changed much in the absence of newsstands… Think click bait. Same idea. The trick is to write a good headline or title that is both interesting and eye-catching, but doesn’t tell lies. I don’t think you’ll ever see us publishing a book titled “The Ultimate…” or the “Best-ever…”

      Of course it should stop happening. And I’m sure it will, just as soon as it stops working.

  68. Hoping I catch Chris.

    I leapt without looking when you posted the updated Gibson plans on the sub stack this week. I got excited and milled my blanks and seat. I’ve now become very aware that the template doesn’t have stick angle info and what I thought was a Gibson in TSCB is the Irish-y chair. I’m wondering if that stick angle info is available somewhere. I have 2 stick chair videos from LAP, this will be my second chair and I’d love to avoid buying the video if possible as I feel confident in my technique but not the math.

    1. The only angles you need to know for the chair are this:

      front leg resultant: 18°
      rear leg resultant: 32°
      post resultant (through arm and seat): 30°

      All the other angles are derived/created by the parts and templates. Once you drill the 30° through the arm and seat, you can shave the posts to size and use them to hover the arm above the seat to drill the short sticks.

      Once the posts are created, you can screw the template for the backrest to the posts and use the hole positions (with a bit extender) to drill the angled mortises in the seat.

      Then, once the back sticks are fitted in, you can use those sticks to lay out the mortise angles on the underside of the backrest.

      Hope this makes sense.

  69. I’d like to be able to ship medium sized furniture pieces to clients on commission, but my brain tells me that a regular cardboard box with bubble wrap is not the way to go.

    What guidelines and process do you all follow when shipping heavy stick chairs to customers so that they arrive beautiful and undamaged? If you’ve written about this topic already I’d love to give it a read!

    Thanks for all that you do and for being an inspiration to me as a humble woodworker!

  70. Thanks as always for doing this.

    I have a memory of one of you saying chisel planes have no place in furniture making. I’m trying to understand why.

    It seems perfect for cleaning up long inside corners. What alternative technique am I missing?

    1. I usually just use a square scraper or a chisel. I always manage to dig in with a chisel plane.

      1. Ah, thanks. I’m still not really friends with scrapers, but I’m working on it.

    2. Cleaning up what? Glue? We clean out glue with a stiff toothbrush (or bonsai brush) while it is still fresh.

      I’m sure people can come up with uses for a chisel plane in furniture. I’ve just never found the need.

      1. Sometimes glue at a long joint where the grain got raised by gluing/cleaning up. But also the inside corner on a board edge where to saw cuts meet imperfectly.

  71. I’m working on the anarchist tool chest right now. What type of nails should I use? And where can I find them?

    1. The best commercially available nails, and the ones we use, are from Rivierre (the square shank holds tenaciously). Lee Valley carries them. https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/hardware/fasteners/nails/115698-black-steel-diamond-head-forged-nails-from-clouterie-rivierre

      But we’ve also used cut nails with success (they also hold a lot better than the round ones) – make sure you get ones with a head; that’s what holds the bottom board in place – i.e. the shingle nails or clout nails https://tremontnail.com/tremont-steel-cut-nails/furniture-cabinets-doors.html

  72. Hi there, do you have a recommendation for a stick chair without arms? I’m a musician and looking to build a practice chair, thanks so much!

  74. When making half-blind dovetails do you use the technique (originally attributed to Tage Frid) of hammering on a saw blade with no teeth but same kerf as the dovetail saw so as to extend the saw cut from diagonal to fully vertical in the inside corners of the half-blind?

  75. Chris, I have your DVD from a while back where you go through a bookcase build. Would you still do it the same way or are there some modifications you would make today?

    1. I can’t think of any changes I’ve made to that project. Double-check The Anarchist’s Design Book, which is where the project is from.

  76. Hi, do you have a list of schools/training facilities where both of you will be teaching in 2026 and 2027? Would love to take a course from either of you! Thanks.

    1. I’m afraid we don’t – we announce them on the blog & substacks when registration opens, but… I’ve been meaning to make a public calendar. I’ll try to get to that soon. But I do know the only classes either of us has that are currently accepting registrations and are not already sold out are my Dutch tool chest and Shaker tray class in Florida in November (https://schoolofwoodwork.com/classes/), and my October DTC class in London (https://www.londoniwf.uk/shop/p/introduction-to-cad-for-woodworkers-kysch)

    2. This year, my classes are sold out, I’m afraid. Next year (2027), most of my teaching will be at the new woodworking school coming to Covington that we will be affiliated with. We will have details later this year.

  77. In regards to the recipe for milk paint in the book you publish are there shortcuts to the process like using vinegar for example? In Chris’s tool video published years ago mentioned having one large chisel. Can you remind me what it’s for? And should it be used more as a slick or a pairing chisel and therefore have a lower angle of attack? Thanks for everything that all of you do at Lost Art Express, we all appreciate it

    1. For milk paint, yes, vinegar or lemon juice can be used to make quark…or you can buy it already made. But for all things milk paint per that book, I’d follow https://www.instagram.com/thehobojournals/

      As far as a large chisel, I use mine for splitting out pegs, and for splitting off tenon faces in oak and other easily split species. And for cleaning out large mortises, when that need arises. And for scaring people 😉

    2. My 2″ chisel is used for lots of things. Mostly deepening shoulder lines when cutting tenons. Splitting and paring waste from tenons. Cleaning up the walls of large mortises. Shaping drawbore pegs. I would be lost without it.

  78. I work a lot with black walnut (a plentiful local wood). Highlighting the knife line is a trick (regular black pencil doesn’t work well). I’ve used soapstone pencils (too light and diffuse a mark), 0.5mm white gel pens (the ball gets trapped in the knife line and won’t roll), and white art china pencils (can’t get a sharp enough tip). My best trick is just to use a pencil and then highlight it with a white china pencil. Any other tips would be appreciated. I guess I could shine a bright light directly onto the line but my arm and the saw (unless I position the light exactly right) will cast a shadow.

    Oh, I know I shouldn’t ask this (second) question, but has anyone ever tried a well-tuned infill smoothing plane? Or a new one, like a Sauer and Steiner? Do they avoid tear-out in difficult figure any better? I’m curious about looking at one at Handworks in September.

    Thanks to everyone!

  79. When mounting the carvers vise on the low Roman Bench, have you found an optimal position? Will be mounting my vise and was wondering about that.

  80. I’ve bout 2 Lennox carbide tipped resaw blades. The both broke, quickly. I’ve since use Resaw King blades on my 14″ and 18″ Lagunas. They are fantastic. I’ve resawn about a zillion feet on them. Fantastic blades.

  81. Since the DTC book came out, would you cange anything, if you were building a new one for yourself? I’m thinking of details, rather than construction methods.

    1. Nothing really comes to mind. But I should note that the one I travel with is a little bit narrower side to the side than the one in the book – and that’s because I don’t need to fit a No 8 in it. I do think sometimes of making a special one with dedicated storage for a discrete set of tools, but that’s low on the list.

  82. @megan Did anyone ask about your tool chests? What’s up with that middle one?

    1. There have been tool chest questions today. The one in the middle is the traveling, anarchist, tool, chest, and further up in the questions/answers you’ll find the cutlist for it.

  83. All your bench planes are cambered, do you ever match plane boards when doing a panel glue up? If so, does the camber mess up the match plane?

  84. What is your current drill bits for chair seat spindles and undercarriage stretchers?
    Thank you.

    1. For the last few years I’ve been using Star M F-type bits from Taylor Toolworks. They are good bits, but you have to be careful with them. They are not HSS, so you have to keep the het down. Also, their side flutes are sharp and will waller out the hole.

      I use the 16mm bits for most chairs. And the 19mm bits for the Irish ones.

  85. Do you ever run edge glue-ups through your thickness planer? No splines, no loose tenons, just straight up edge glued.

    1. Yes – when I’m in a hurry and things are quite flush. And after drilling chair seats, we sometimes run them through to remove any minor tear-out from the drilling.

  86. Chris, you have mentioned finishing a few chairs with linseed oil and pigments. Is there a difference between what you are doing and what could be called home-made linseed oil paint?

    1. I make quite a few chairs now with this 50/50 pigment/oil treatment. It works more like a glaze. Paint has more pigment (usually more like 75/25). So it’s easy to brush and stretch. After it sets up a bit, I rub it back lightly with a huck towel to let the grain show through in places (or all over).

  87. Good afternoon. Thanks Chris and Megan for doing this public service. If you couldn’t be in the publishing/writing or woodworking fields what would you do?

    Completely unrelated thought. In the last open wire, someone had asked about Juniper for a chair seat. When I was visiting my mom in AZ, we went to Prescott and I picked up some Juniper and made a Paul Sellers style clock out it. It is indeed as Chris surmised very soft and incredibly brittle. So brittle that housing dado snugness I typically used would result in layers of the wood delaminating. It is wonderful to hand plane and smells great and kind of reminds me of working with cedar. Given the challenges I had with it, I don’t think it would be a good wood for a seat. My two cents.

    1. I’d likely be teaching Shakespeare/English literature. And at retirement, if my health still allowed, I would volunteer at a stable so I could ride horses (might still do that) – or at a cat cafe.

  88. When compressing tenons made of ring-porous hardwoods (ash and oak), I often hear the grain getting crushed. Am I overdoing it and compromising the structural integrity of the sticks?

    1. If it’s too tight to go in w/out compressing, my guess is (based on watching a lot of classes, mind you, not much actual doing) that you’ll be fine. The water content of the glue will swell those right back up. I know I could not possibly over-compress with soft jaw pliers and my puny hands…but maybe you can.

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