This week I sat down for a detailed interview with Brandon Cullum of the “Make or Break Show” podcast to discuss workbenches, plus how we dig up historical techniques here at Lost Art Press and the exact moment I knew I was going to do woodworking for the rest of my life.
It’s an hour-long interview and delves into areas I rarely go (Brandon is a very well-prepared interviewer, and he did his homework). So in addition to woodworking, we discuss my love of trailer fires and the random way I got into both writing and woodworking as a profession.
So if you aren’t sick of me yet, give it a listen here. Also, be sure to check out the other 76 episodes – there are some good interviews in there.
I don’t talk much about the logistical side of Lost Art Press because it’s not woodworking. And I try to stick to woodworking as much as possible.
But occasionally, it’s necessary to drop the curtain and acknowledge a milestone.
About six years ago, John and I filled every order from our houses. I had our order processing computer propped on a folding table, and I’d put my feet on the litter box as I manually printed out every label for every order. John and his family did the same thing (without the litter box – John has dogs).
It was a good kind of drudgery. John and I now know enough about order systems and customer service that we’re picky about how our boxes are packed and our customers are treated.
This year, John devoted a ton of his time to find a new fulfillment service for Lost Art Press and Crucible Tool that makes everything better for you and us. The service is TF Fulfillment, and it’s northwest of Indianapolis in an area that is a hotbed of services such as this.
What’s in this for you? The warehouse is climate controlled and humidity controlled, so your books will arrive without having absorbed excess moisture. (We’re also starting to shrinkwrap all of our titles to help control moisture. We’re not wild about the extra plastic and extra expense, but it’s the best way to protect our goods.)
Also, TF Fulfillment is far more automated and modern than our previous efforts. So you are less likely to get a shipment with the wrong things in the box. One person picks the books. A second person checks their work. Also, we have the same two people working on our orders every day. So they know the difference between “To Make as Perfectly as Possible” and “With All the Precision Possible.”
Also, TF does a great job of packing boxes. If you’ve received a box from us in the last couple months you might have noticed. Good packaging means fewer damaged books.
I also think it’s important to say this on occasion: I couldn’t do this without John. We’re equal partners in Lost Art Press, and we both do difficult jobs that we wouldn’t wish on other people. I get a lot of credit because my name is at the bottom of most of these blog posts, but this business wouldn’t be successful without the both of us.
“I’ve just received this crate of Triton tools to review. They’re awesome and…” Click. Unfollow.
“This is the first in a series of unboxing videos on my latest acquisition. I can’t wait for you to…” Unfollow.
“Here’s a tiny detail of my latest project. I don’t want to spoil the surprise. Any guesses as to what it is?” Nope. Unfollow.
“To bring you more fantastic content, I’ve started a gofundme page…” Unfollow.
“There’s only a few more weeks left until the BIG REVEAL where I get to show you the beautiful project I’ve been working on all these weeks. I’m so excited to…” I am excited as well. To unfollow you.
“I hate to tease you, but…” Unfollow with extreme prejudice.
“I can’t wait to show you what I’ve been working on. But I have to manufacture some false drama first because I am otherwise completely out of things to say. And my business sensei (the Money Chicken Wizard (TM)) says I have to post something on social every day or people will forget I exist. So here’s a confusing photo of something really close up that will only confuse you. Feel free to leave a guess in the comments if you are as helpless as I am.” Thank you for your honesty. You may stay in my feed.
A large number of Crucible Lump Hammers will go up for sale in our store at noon Eastern time on Thursday, Nov. 15. This likely will be the last batch of lump hammers we will sell before Christmas.
This is our largest batch so far – Raney has been toiling for weeks in the Crucible Lab to get the heads milled and the hammers assembled and finished. We hope this batch will last a good long time so that everyone who wants one can get one, but we simply don’t know if we’ve made enough this time. So mark your calendars and set an alarm to avoid disappointment.
And Sweatshirts! We now offer high-quality Champion sweatshirts that feature the Crucible logo – an ancient symbol used by alchemists in recipes to depict a crucible. These sweatshirts are the best we can get our hands on – hence the price. (We’re taking very little profit on these.)
One last note: If you have a question about Crucible, please send it to help@crucibletool.com. Sending questions about Crucible to Lost Art Press will only delay you getting your answer. Crucible is a separate company with different people handling different chores. Thanks.
