Lost Art Press

Author: Lost Art Press

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

Nothing Special

Posted on by Lost Art Press

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Sometimes I think this is important to say so that beginners can hear: It does not take much natural talent to become a highly skilled woodworker.

During the last 10 years I’ve taught a lot of students all over the world, and in almost every class there was at least one person who had more natural dexterity than I do. Though these particular students were all at the beginning of their journey in the craft, I could see that they could eclipse me in time if they simply stuck to it.

Likewise, there have only been two students I’d classify as hopeless. One in Connecticut; the other in Maine. That’s only two out of hundreds and hundreds.

Making stuff, really nice stuff, doesn’t require as much nimbleness as it does patience and perseverance. The basics – sharpening, sawing to a line, planing to a line and chopping – take time to seep into your hands. Once the basics are there, everything else gets easier. Turning, veneering, carving, hardware installation and fitting doors and drawers are all skills that build upon the basic set.

But mostly is has to do with the most profound and important piece of advice I ever heard from a student.

During a class in Texas, one of the students recounted how he made his workbench entirely by hand, including ripping 8’ planks for days and days to make the top lamination. One of the other students was simply amazed and asked him: “How did you do that?”

The student answered: “I just decided to commit to it. Once I committed, it was easy.”

— Christopher Schwarz

Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Source Files

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ADB_black_10x12We’ve had several readers inquire about getting a T-shirt with “The Anarchist’s Design Book” logo on a long-sleeve shirt, in a particular large or small size that we don’t carry, or on a thong (I made that one up).

As I mentioned, we don’t make butkus on these shirts. We just think they’re fun.

So here’s the deal. Here are the two source files for printing your own version. One logo is white. The other is black. You have our explicit permission to take these files and make sweatshirts, T-shirts, whatever for your personal use.

Download these files and make your own shirt using an inkjet printer or through a print-on-demand place such as CafePress.

White ADB logo.

Black ADB logo.

Both files are .png with transparent backgrounds and are sized for 10” x 12” at 300 dpi. Have fun!

— Christopher Schwarz

Putting Down the Floor in the Store

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I’m trying to do as much work on our storefront personally to save money, but there are some things I’ve decided to pay for. Installing the oak floor is one of them.

As you can see from the photos, they’re laying the floor at the same 45° slant as the original floor. And though it cost an extra half-day of labor, I’m glad we did it. When you walk into the front door, the floorboards direct your eye to the bar (which is where our books will be shown on a display I’m building) and the location of my workbench.

The crew should be done laying the floor tomorrow. Then comes the sanding and the finishing (also not by me).

Then I’ll get to jump back in with framing a new office wall and running new electric.

Next week I hope to buy a vintage door I spotted a few weeks ago at an architectural salvage place. It’s from about the same era as the building and has frosted glass and nice details. That will become the door that goes back to the office, bathroom, kitchen and almighty beer fridge.

Everything is on track for the March 12 book release party. We still have about a dozen spots left if you’d like to come. Details are here. And don’t forget the Lie-Nielsen Hand Tool Event that same weekend down the street at Braxton Brewing.

The line-up of demonstrators is pretty awesome. I hear there might be an addition or two….

— Christopher Schwarz

‘The Anarchist’s Design Book’ Shirts Now Available

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You can now purchase 100-percent cotton T-shirts emblazoned with the marriage mark from “The Anarchist’s Design Book” on the front. The back of the shirt is blank.

The American Apparel shirts are made and printed in California and are $30, which includes domestic shipping. The come in black with a white logo and grey with a black logo.

You can place your order here.

Please note that these shirts are made to order and don’t make us more than a few dollars each, so we cannot take returns (except of course in the case of damaged goods or a mistake by the printer). So please be careful in choosing your size and color.

American Apparel shirts have a slim fit. So we recommend you order one size larger than normal. Here are the chest sizes for the shirts:

Chest sizes

S   34-36
M    38-40
L     42-44
XL   46-48
2XL 48-50

— Christopher Schwarz

P.S. Next week we’ll be posting roach motels and Hester Prynne outfits with the logo.

One Way to Read ‘The Anarchist’s Design Book’

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I read magazines starting at the back page and work to the front. I’m weird that way. So I’d never presume to tell someone how to read something. Left, right, up, down, bedroom, bathroom, boudoir.

Several readers have commented that there isn’t a lot of design information in “The Anarchist’s Design Book.” That shocked me because I think there is more design information in there than I intended to include.

Perhaps my response is because of the way I design things.

There are 24 ways to approach design. I know four methods pretty well. One is an architectural approach that you will find in “By Hand & Eye” and “By Hound & Eye.” It’s a great way to design good-looking pieces. (If I didn’t think so, we wouldn’t have published these two important books).

There is a prototyping method that you’ll find in the people who like James Krenov. It also works as I’ve seen it first hand.

Jeff Miller – a highly talented designer – has a different approach that he’ll explain in a forthcoming book.

And there is simple Gothic geometry. Oh, and my approach, which is nothing like the above methods.

For those of you who are looking for the maximum amount of in-the-vein design information, here’s how I’d approach reading my own dang book. (First I’m going to sit on my hands for 10 minutes so that when I type this it will feel like a stranger did it.)

ADB_mockup_lo“The Anarchist’s Design Book” is organized with a few introductory chapters that explain my ideas. Then the chapters on building stuff are interspersed with short chapters that are jabs at furniture design and the way we go about it.

So let’s say you need the “Cliff’s Notes” to this book and you can’t find them at Waldenbooks. Here’s how to pass the final without reading the entire book.

Read chapters 1-5:

1: Don’t Make the Furniture of your Gaoler
2: A Guide to Uncivil Engineering
3: An Introduction to Staked Furniture
4: Staked Sawbench
5: Extrude This

That’s pretty easy. Now be sneaky. Skip ahead to read:

9: Heavy Buddhist Feedback
13: Seeing Red

Drink a beer. Read:

14: Bare Bones Basics of Nail Technology
15: Boarded Tool Chest
16: To Make Anything

That will get you familiar with boarded technology. Whilst you get a refill, consider reading:

20: Fear Not
99: Afterword

Finally, unlike most books I put a crap-ton of work into the appendices in “The Anarchist’s Design Book.”  Look them over and read what interests you.

And that’s it, you are done.

The test is next Thursday.

— Christopher Schwarz