I’ve just been informed that my book “Handplane Essentials” (F+W Media) will not be reprinted, either in paperback or hardbound. It will, however, continue to be available as a downloadable pdf.
So the following announcement is a public service. Full disclosure: I’ve never received royalties from writing that book – I was an employee of F+W at the time and worked on it during company time. So buying that book – new or used – has no affect on my bank account.
But if you have ever wanted to own that book in paperback or hardback, you might want to buy it soon before the last ones dry up. I was told that while ShopWoodworking.com lists it on its site, the book is actually backordered and they will not be fulfilling it. However Amazon, ABE and other sellers still list “Handplane Essentials” as in stock.
I am pleased to announce that “Calvin Cobb: Radio Woodworker!” by Roy Underhill has arrived in our Indianapolis warehouse and is shipping out to customers as I type this.
Our warehouse has set up a special line in its packaging department to fulfill “Calvin Cobb.” If you ordered your copy before today it will be in the mail to you by Friday. (Administrative note: Some customers will receive two notifications that their book has shipped. Please do not be alarmed. You will receive the correct number of books – not twice as many as you ordered. It was a small computer snafu.)
If you haven’t yet ordered “Calvin Cobb: Radio Woodworker!” you have 17 more days to do that and receive free domestic shipping. After Nov. 29, 2014, shipping will be about $7. Also good to note: Orders made now will make it to their destination for Christmas.
This morning I drove the 100 miles to our Indianapolis warehouse to pick up some copies and it was well worth the drive. The book – every bit of it – is impressive. The matte dust jacket looks fantastic, the interior printing job is crisp and even the cloth headbands on the spine match the cloth cover and internal stamping. I think you will be impressed with the physical product.
As those of you who have already read the electronic version of the book know, you know the story is great fun to read.
Thanks to everyone who worked on this crazy project – from Roy who signed on for a wild ride, to editor Megan Fitzpatrick, designer Linda Watts and cover illustrator Jode Thompson.
— Christopher Schwarz
P.S. For our international customers and those who buy our books through other sources, such as Lee Valley Tools, Henry Eckert and Lie-Nielsen Toolworks (to name a few). Their books are en route, but we have no information on when they will arrive or when those vendors will begin selling them.
Mike Siemsen, the host of “The Naked Woodworker” DVD, has a new video that is being streamed through the Craftsy.com site on building benches and boxes with basic hand tools.
The seven-part high-definition video takes a bootstrap approach to getting started with hand tools and (amazingly) employs even fewer tools than “The Naked Woodworker.” As always, Mike comes up with ingenious low-tech solutions to common workshop problems, such as laying out dovetails with the help of an index card.
The videos show you how to build a simple boot bench using dados and a second bench using through-dovetails. Then you build a dovetailed box.
The videos are normally $49.99 for lifetime access, but if you use the following link, the price is $39.99. (Also, if you use the above link, Mike gets a slightly bigger cut.)
We’re huge fans of Mike and his enthusiasm for teaching beginners. So if you know someone who wants to get started in the craft (or that someone is you), it’s definitely worth checking out.
Despite what seems like common sense, John and I like to keep our retail network small and personal. We enjoy working with people who share our philosophy on craft and business. Those people are few and far between.
Recently we began working with Best Made Co., a retail and online store headquartered in Tribeca in New York City. After initial conversations, it became obvious that our businesses were well-matched. Best Made Co. offers really nice tools, knives, books and outdoor clothing.
We are pleased and honored to be associated with Best Made Co. They currently carry three of our titles: “With the Grain,” “The Anarchist’s Tool Chest” and “By Hand & Eye.” Be sure to check them out next time you are in the city or online.
I hope to stop by their retail store at 36 White St. during a visit to Brooklyn in January for a Lie-Nielsen Hand Tool Event.
Editor’s note: Mike Siemsen, the host of “The Naked Woodworker” DVD has built a cool little knockdown bench designed for traveling and apartments. Check it out – and we promise that more copies of “The Naked Woodworker” are on the way to our warehouse! Thanks for your patience.
I decided to try my hand at a knockdown bench for transport to shows and demonstrations. Such a bench could also be used by people with limited space.
It is 5’ long so it fits in the trunk of my Honda Civic with its back seats folded down. With the bench’s aprons folded down, it is 6-3/4” thick. If you pull the hinge pins and remove the aprons it is only 4-1/2” thick. It is 22-3/4” wide and stands 32” tall when assembled. The leg sections do not break down. If you leave the aprons attached there is no loose hardware. As to workholding, the crochet is removable for easier transport; there are no vises, only holdfasts and planing stops.
Above is the bench when it is knocked up.
Here it is knocked down. The aprons are hinged to fold flat, or you can knock out the pins and remove the aprons. The leg sections do not disassemble. The legs slide into the large dados in the aprons and pins lock the aprons to the legs.
This is the hardware I made for the leg-to-apron joint. A bolt through the apron and into the leg would work just as well, but I was going for a tool-less knockdown.
The mortise for the crochet before the top goes on.
I made the crochet just a 1″-square stick that slides in a mortise so it can be removed for easier packing and hauling. Chris thinks this is an emasculator, but it is too late for that!
I made a simple planing stop. A 3/4” dowel with a 1/4” x 1” x 1” square of steel screwed to the top. I sharpened the leading edge and cut in some notches. I still need to recess it into the top. I also made a “doe’s foot” and there is a stick that goes in the slot in the center of the bench for use as a planing stop as well for traversing.
Just another shot with one set of legs removed. It is very solid and a bit heavy. I can move it by myself, though.
Here is the hardware for the pins. It is just 1-1/2” x 1/4” steel bar cut to the width of the leg and drilled for a 1/4” x 4 steel pin. Drill them in pairs so the 1/4” holes match up so the pins slide in after assembly. I drilled the apron plate that receives the pin 1/64” bigger in diameter (that’s 9/64”) for clearance and I ground a chamfer on the ends of the pins. The pin is offset because I wanted the holdfast holes in the legs to be in the center.
I used 4” x 4” hinges for the aprons, three on each apron. When you mortise for the hinges make sure there is no gap between the apron and the benchtop.
I used bigger screws than the ones that came with the hinges.
I clamped the legs to the aprons when I bored the holdfast holes through the apron and into the top of the leg. I drew the location of all the hardware and screws on the face of the apron and top of the bench so I wouldn’t hit them when boring holes. You can see that the holes at the bottom of the leg are offset to avoid the screws that attach the stretcher to the leg.
I used the drill press to bore a 3/4” hole through a thick block of wood for a guide for the brace and 3/4” bit. I clamped it for the first hole and then used a holdfast in that hole to clamp it for the next one.
This is a very solid little bench that I plan to bring to Handworks in May 2015.
I’ve just been informed that my book “Handplane Essentials” (F+W Media) will not be reprinted, either in paperback or hardbound. It will, however, continue to be available as a downloadable pdf.
