Lost Art Press

Author: Lost Art Press

Publisher of woodworking books and videos specializing in hand tool techniques.

The Traviscraper from The Windsor Workshop

Posted on by Lost Art Press

James Mursell at The Windsor Workshop has always made tools that work very well but look different than traditional tools. His travisher, for example, is a great worker, but it looks far more organic than a traditional travisher. Mursell’s travisher is all about rounded edges.

Mursell’s new Traviscraper, is in the same vein. Or is it? What the heck is a “traviscraper?”

Here in the States, most Windsor (aka Forest) chairs are made with seats in soft white pine and tulip poplar. Americans have little need to scrape their seats much at all. But in the U.K., seats are typically elm, ash or oak. So finishing a seat in these woods can be a lot of work with a travisher alone.

I build stick chairs, which have hardwood seats. So I struggle at times to finish them with only a travisher and a curved card scraper. The Traviscraper is the answer to a lot of my problems. It is like a scraper plane for concave hardwood seats. Like any scraping tool, it can work in almost any direction on the seat’s saddle. And the curved sole of the Traviscraper lets you make clean cuts in places that a travisher would struggle. 

In fact, I wonder why this tool didn’t already exist. (Perhaps it did and I’ve never encountered it.)

In any case, the Traviscraper is a thoroughly modern tool. It’s made from Delrin and brass, so it has a real heft to it. Every surface of the tool is curved, except for two sharp corners of the blade (ease these over with a file or sander as they are sharp).

If you’ve used a travisher, you already know how to use the Traviscraper. You pinch it between your index fingers and thumbs and push it forward. I needed to use a bit more downward pressure with the Traviscraper than a travisher to keep it in the cut – you’ll figure it out. It’s pretty intuitive.

All in all, I really like the Traviscraper. It cleaned up the tear-out left by my travisher, but the tool’s sole continued to refine the seat’s saddle. After scraping my seat with the tool, it needed only some minor sanding to be ready for finish.

The tool is easy to set and resharpen – Mursell’s website has videos that demonstrate the process. 

If you make chairs with hardwood seats, the Traviscraper will make your life much easier. If you make chairs with soft seats, I don’t think you’ll find it very useful. 

The Traviscraper is available for sale directly through The Windsor Workshop website.  

— Christopher Schwarz

P.S. As always, I paid full retail (plus shipping) for this tool and received nothing in return for my comments. 

Crucible ‘Type 2 Dividers’ Begin Production

Posted on by Lost Art Press

We began production of our Type 2 Dividers this week, and we hope to begin selling them in June or July.

As long-time customers know, we struggled to produce the first version of these dividers. They were beautiful. They functioned very well. But they were difficult to manufacture in great volume. While we were charging $185 per pair, we probably should have charged $285 or more because of all the hand-fitting and hand-polishing. 

So we took the dividers out of production and have been tinkering with them for some time.

OK, so the next part of this story is what you don’t ever get to read when it comes to tool production. Many toolmakers are loath to credit the designers and machinists who figure out the nitty-gritty stuff. I want to give them their due.

Last year, we began working with Josh Cook, a mechanical designer and woodworker who was really interested in our original dividers. He sent me a pair that he’d made based on photos from our website. And we went from there.

Enter machinist Craig Jackson of Machine Time. You might know Craig as the creator of the EasyWood turning tools, which I love. After the EasyWood business was sold to another party and things went south, Craig went back to high-tolerance part production. But he loves making woodworking tools. So he took pity on me and now works with Crucible on some of our tools.

Together the three of us worked through a bunch of variables to come up with a design for these dividers that is:

  1. Functionally perfect from the user’s point of view
  2. Easy to make with minimal setups on the mill
  3. Relatively inexpensive

The Crucible Type 2 dividers are new from the ground up. I can promise you that they have the same feel in the hand – like a heavy and smooth stone you found on a riverbank. Ever since we finished the first pre-production versions, I have kept a pair at arm’s length.

The hinge is completely redesigned and astonishingly smooth in use. While the pointy legs of the dividers are the most visible aspect of the tool, the hinge might be the most difficult part to design and manufacture. After I-don’t-know-how-many iterations, the current hinge is (here’s a technical term) sweet. Its tension is adjusted with a No. 8 screwdriver – something every woodworker has. You can set the dividers to move stiffly and hold a setting. Or you can lock them down to rabidly maintain the position of the points.

We also wanted to make these as affordable as possible while still making them functionally and aesthetically great. And make them in the U.S. with U.S. materials. The goal was a $100 retail – a little less than you would pay for a Starrett compass.

On Tuesday, Craig called me to let me know that they were cranking out legs for the dividers. In a few weeks, hinges will begin production at another shop. If we have any luck, assembly will begin in June and we will start selling them shortly after.

Thank you for all your patience. It won’t be long now.

— Christopher Schwarz

P.S. I know that some of you are asking: Where is Raney Nelson in this? We parted ways amicably more than two years ago. Raney has evolved the design for the dividers to match his aesthetic. We have promoted his version many times on our blog this year and fully support his efforts at Daed Toolworks. If you are looking for ill will or grudges, you won’t find them here.

Inshave from Blacksmith Lucian Avery

Posted on by Lost Art Press

Since we started making tools at Lost Art Press under the Crucible name, I have avoided writing anything that could be considered a tool review, save for my annual Anarchist’s Gift Guide. It doesn’t seem fair for a toolmaker to pass judgment on other toolmakers.

However, during my research for “The Stick Chair Book,” I have been purchasing and using all manner of new-to-me chairmaking tools in order to understand different approaches to the craft. Some of them have been duds, of course. But some of them have opened my eyes.

Because a book is a terrible place to review a tool, I am going to publish my thoughts on many of these tools here on the blog. As always, I pay full price for all my tools. I don’t exchange reviews for anything. And I hope that this is one of the reasons you are still reading this ancient blog.

The first tool I’d like to talk about is the inshave made by blacksmith Lucian Avery.

Lucian Avery Inshave

For almost 20 years, I’ve used the same inshave/scorp from Barr Tools to saddle all my chairs. Barr Quarton doesn’t make this exact scorp anymore, though he makes a similar one called the Mike Dunbar-Style Scorp.

It’s a hell of a tool. Of all the hand tools I’ve owned in my life, I haven’t owned a tool that takes a better edge or keeps it longer. (Yes, even premium Japanese tools.)

Its handles are dark grey from my sweat and grime. If you own one of my chairs, this tool saddled its seat.

For “The Stick Chair Book,” I wanted to try a different style of inshave, which has a flat curve along most of the blade with tight-radius corners. I did a lot of homework and settled on an inshave from Lucian Avery that was designed with the help of George Sawyer (Dave Sawyer’s son).

I don’t make Windsor chairs, but I thought the flat curve of Avery’s inshave would help me achieve the shallow saddle found on stick chairs – with a lot less fussing.

As I mentioned, I’ve been using the Barr scorp for a long time, which has a tight-radius curve – 2-1/4”. It can hollow out a seat with incredible speed. The downside to this shape is that it’s easy to overdo it. An errant stroke or two adds a lot of work with the travisher later.

The Avery inshave is different in every respect. The tool is half the weight of the Barr (9 oz. vs. 18 oz). The handles are in a much lower working position (2-3/4” off the bevel as compared to 4-3/4” off the bevel). But the biggest difference is the shape of the blade. The shallow curve is not as aggressive, but it leaves a much flatter and smoother curve behind. Yet, the tight-radius curves at its edges allow you to carve along the spindle deck with confidence.

In short, the shape of the Avery tool is much more suited for the type of saddle I carve. The saddle is much flatter, which cuts down on the time I spend with the travisher considerably.

As a bonus, the lower handles and reduced weight of the Avery make the tool less tiring to use. 

I’m in love. It’s an extraordinary tool. Light, nimble and responsive. I look forward to using it as much as my travisher.

The current price is $263, which is a beyond-fair price for a blacksmith-made tool of this caliber. It also comes with a clever rawhide sheath that adds no bulk or real weight to the tool.

 If you make stick chairs and need an inshave, this one is perfect.

— Christopher Schwarz

New Books & Restocks

Posted on by Lost Art Press

We have two new products in our store today, and we have been able to restock our supply of tools and some books that were sold out. All of the following products are in stock and ready to ship from our warehouse.

“The Workshop Book” by Scott Landis, with a new foreword by Roy Underhill

We are happy to announce the release of “The Workshop Book,” which is the definitive book on setting up shop. The book is the companion to “The Workbench Book,” also by Scott Landis, which we released last year.

If you are just setting up shop or wish to improve where you work, I cannot recommend a better text.

“The Workshop Book” is $38 and is printed in the USA to our usual high standards. The pages are a bright white, sewn for durability and bound between thick cotton-covered boards. The whole thing is wrapped with a tear-resistant dust jacket. You can read more about the book and download an excerpt here.

“Mechanic’s Companion” by Peter Nicholson

“Mechanic’s Companion” is one of the foundational English-language books on hand-tool woodworking. First published in 1812, “Mechanic’s Companion” was written by a trained cabinetmaker, and the methods discussed are relevant today for anyone who works with hand tools.

If you are interested in hand tools and history, this is an essential text. Our version is printed in the USA on offset presses – not print-on-demand. The pages are folded, sewn and glued, not simply cut and glued together. The pages are wrapped in hard boards that are covered with cotton cloth. This is a permanent book. Because we think all hand tool woodworkers should own it, we have kept the price at a reasonable $23.

Restock: “Door Making & Window-Making” by Anonymous

“Door Making & Window-Making” has been out of stock for a couple months, and we have just received a new shipment.

Restock: Crucible Bench Squares

We have also replenished our supply of Crucible Bench Squares. This handy square is an ideal little tool to keep on the bench – or hanging on a bench leg. It’s great for checking squareness while edge-jointing and marking 90° or 45° lines on your work. Read more about it here.

New 10th Anniversary “The Anarchist’s Tool Chest” Hats

And finally, a reward for reading this far: We have a limited supply of “The Anarchist’s Tool Chest” Hats made by Ebbets Field in the USA. These are about the nicest ballcaps around. And they feature a stitched felt anarchist’s square on the front. We have only 144 of these, and we don’t expect them to last long in the store. 

— Christopher Schwarz

‘Anarchist’s Tool Chest’ 10-year Bandana

Posted on by Lost Art Press

June marks the 10-year anniversary of the publication of “The Anarchist’s Tool Chest,” which is the book that allowed me to release myself on my own recognizance from corporate publishing.

As promised, to mark the occasion we are doing almost nothing.

I have a blog entry planned that I promised readers five years ago. And we are releasing two products: this stunning red bandana that was cut, sewn and printed by One Feather Press. And a ballcap from Ebbets Field, which will be in the store next week.

We are making only 144 bandanas and 144 hats. There are limits to what the small manufacturers can make, and we love to order a “gross” of objects, whatever they may be. Once these bandanas and hats are gone, they will be gone forever.

The bandana mimics the one press run of the “Anarchist’s Tool Chest” that we did with a red cover five years ago. Details of the hat are forthcoming.

We are in our 13th printing of the “Anarchist’s Tool Chest” and have printed more than 35,000 copies, which would be nothing to a corporate publishing house. But it is everything to me and the people who keep Lost Art Press running: John, Megan, Meghan and Kara (and our families).

— Christopher Schwarz