Lost Art Press

Author: Lost Art Press

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

How Much Does That Tool Chest Weigh?

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When I post photos of my tool chest, there’s a 50 percent chance someone will ask me how much it weighs. My usual and honest answer: I don’t know. It weighs a lot. Two people can easily move it, however.

Today we broke out the heavy-duty scale and weighed my tool chest, which is full of tools. And we weighed two empty tool chests that are on the way out the door to customers. Here are the results.

A full-size Anarchist tool chest in pine (with oak runners) and loaded with my tools weighs 208.6 lbs.

A full-size Anarchist tool chest in pine with pine tills and oak runners and empty weighs 101 lbs.

A full-size Anarchist tool chest in pine with walnut interior and oak runners, empty, weighs 106 lbs.

I hope this satisfies the curious.

— Christopher Schwarz

The Tools in my Chest, 2018

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Readers frequently ask for a list of tools I have in my chest with brand names, tool sizes and short comments on the efficacy of each tool.

I hesitate to do this because a lot of my tools are dictated by the type of work I do. Most people don’t need three sliding bevels. I wish I had six because chairs. But despite my instincts, here is a snapshot of what’s in my chest right now.

Note that this list doesn’t include some specialty tools for chairmaking – a scorp, travisher and spokeshaves – which I keep elsewhere.

Tools in the Top Till of my Tool Chest

The Tools in the Second Till of my Tool Chest

The Tools in the Third Till of my Tool Chest

The Tools in the Bottom of my Tool Chest

— Christopher Schwarz

New Stickers Coming (Very) Soon

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sticker experto credeMy daughter Maddy is about to graduate from college, but she says she has the time and the desire to fulfill some sticker orders. So we have a new round of stickers on the way.

I’d hoped to design a new “Fancy Lad Academy” sticker for this round, but I couldn’t find enough alcohol inspiration to do the deed. Maybe next time. So here’s what we’ll have.

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  1. A “Disoby” sticker a la Shepard Fairey designed by Jason Weaver. Jason has published this design on a T-shirt and says that he will be offering those shirts again. I really dislike looking at myself, but Jason did such a clever thing with this image that I forgive him.
  2. A detail of the cover of “From Truths to Tools.” This image is an homage to William Blake’s “The Ancient of Days” by Andrea Love.
  3. An image from “Ingenious Mechanicks” featuring my personal motto: Experto Crede.T2T2

You’ll be able to order sets of three stickers for $5 with an SASE, or order them through Maddy’s etsy store. More details on ordering as soon as the stickers arrive from StickerMule.com.

— Christopher Schwarz

Tool Chest: Changes to the Sawtill

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One of the significant changes to the interior of the tool chests I build for customers is how the sawtill is constructed. The original from “The Anarchist’s Tool Chest” was built like a few chests I had observed with a solid wall between the sawtill and the area for the bench planes.

I have replaced that solid wall with two horizontal rails. This change allows more light to enter the sawtill so you can find objects that have fallen down there or you have stashed there. And it reduces the overall weight of the chest.

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I’ve also reduced the height of the sawtill to 9-1/2” so the three sliding tills float above it without interference.

Finally, I now add a bit of moulding to the components for the sawtill and the moulding plane till. In this case, I used a 1/2” square ovolo. These are decorative – spats on a sloth.

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All of these components are merely nailed and screwed together so they can be removed for repair or when your heirs decide to store blankets instead of tools in your precious tool chest.

— Christopher Schwarz

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Lost Art Press Open Day, Tool Sale & Book-release Party

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If you plan to come to one of our open days, might I recommend May 12?

On that day we will have a surplus tool sale where Megan, Brendan and I are going to dispose of all the extra woodworking stuff we have accumulated. We’ll post photos of the stuff in the next week or so, but I’ve dug up some woodworking vises, two (?) hand-cranked drill presses, a miter box and a bunch of other small stuff. Brendan and Megan also have heaps of stuff.

All tool sales will be cash only.

Second: We hear tell that Jameel and Father John Abraham from Benchcrafted will visit the store that day. You know what that means – breakdancing and oud solos. And talk of workbenches. Lots of talk about workbenches.

We’ll have two Roman workbenches on hand from “Ingenious Mechanicks: Early Workbenches & Workholding” for you to use. And that’s because we are going to hold a free book-release party for “Ingenious Mechanicks” that same evening, and you are invited.

The party – 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. – will feature special guest and researcher Suzanne “Saucy Indexer” Ellison, who performed a lot of heavy research for the book. Suzanne and I will sign books and then give an illustrated lecture on the history of workbenches as shown through religious and secular painting.

Suzanne is also cooking up some special gifts for attendees.

We are limited to 60 spots. The event is free but you need to register here. We will also provide snacks, beer, wine and soda.

We hope you can attend! The storefront is located at 837 Willard St. in Covington, KY 41011. The store will be open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The party will be 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

— Christopher Schwarz