This week I’m building a version of these folding campaign bookshelves for the “Campaign Furniture” book. I made slight changes to the original Victorian design – incorporating some features that I spied in some other folding units.
The result is – I hope – a more stable set of shelves.
I’ve built several sets of backless shelves such as this – they were common during the Arts & Crafts period – and there are lots of little things you can do to make things start stiff and stay stiff. (No blue pill required.)
These shelves are surprisingly small: 24” high, 22-3/8” wide and 9-1/2” deep. So even if my first unit is a failure, It won’t take much wood to build another one.
While you can place orders on our web site 365 days a year, we will not be shipping orders between Wednesday, Nov. 27, and Sunday, Dec. 1. Any orders received during that time will be mailed on Monday, Dec. 2.
So if you need something lickety split, I recommend you order it today or tomorrow.
If you’ve attended classes at Roy Underhill’s The Woodwright’s School, you might have noticed a printout of a book cover that’s tacked to the back wall – behind the coffeemaker and next to the poster of the Barnes foot-powered machines.
“That,” Roy tells students, “is the cover to my novel.”
Most people don’t know if Roy is joking about the novel or not. He is, after all, apt to sprinkle his live routines with tales of his “uncle,” who was a “radio woodworker.”
But the novel is real. And I’ve read it many times.
Roy spent several years of his life carefully crafting a 1930s-era novel titled “Calvin Cobb: Radio Woodworker!” – a novel with measured drawings – that combines his love of history, woodworking, Washington, D.C., and a good story. But like many first-time novels, it has remained on a shelf gathering dust.
After twisting his arm, Roy passed me (and Megan Fitzpatrick) the manuscript several years ago. We both loved the story. It is a screwball comedy about a government bureaucrat who studies manure spreaders who then lands the unlikely job as a radio woodworker. While “Calvin Cobb” makes me laugh on almost every page, it also raises troubling questions about the fraudulent way some of us interpret history. And it has some great woodworking parts.
Unlike a traditional novel, this one has measured drawings that play an important role in the plot. I know you’ll want to build some of these projects – I do – and you’ll thoroughly enjoy reading “Calvin Cobb – Radio Woodworker!” – a novel with measured drawings.
That’s because Lost Art Press is thrilled to announce that we’ll be publishing this novel in late 2014. It will be illustrated – like a Hardy Boys book – and will indeed feature measured drawings and have the look and feel of a high-quality 1930s novel (but on acid-free paper).
I’ll be blogging about this book (it’s impossible not to). But Megan Fitzpatrick will also be blogging about it here. That’s because she is the primary editor on this book and will be lending her literary talents to the books as she polishes it for publication.
One final note: Yes, we know this is a bit crazy to publish a woodworking novel. With measured drawings. And high-quality domestic manufacturing. Absolutely nothing about that equation makes economic sense. But we love this book – and that sort of gut feeling hasn’t failed us a single time in our five years.
Danny with a jewelry box he made for my mother. It is made out of poplar, African mahogany and cherry. It is dovetailed at the corners and has a tray that lifts out to allow for more storage. The tray is dovetailed at the corners with houndstooth dovetails.
Editor’s note: This summer John Hoffman met young woodworker Danny Spatz at the Lie-Nielsen Open House event in Warren, Maine. Danny is an enthusiastic young woodworker and spent the day working with all the demonstrators at the show.
During the day, Danny mentioned that he had written a book report on “The Joiner and Cabinet Maker” for school, and we have reprinted it here with his permission.
When Thomas starts out in Mr. Jackson’s shop as an apprentice, he is neglected until he could prove his worth. He shows his potential by taking on the odd jobs he is given with pride. This leads to Mr. Jackson giving him the packing box project. One of the major themes in The Joiner and Cabinet Maker, is proving one’s worth. Thomas gets to do this when Mr. Jackson gives him the task of making the packing box.
Thomas first gets a chance to show his potential, when he builds the packing box. When Thomas finishes it in the allotted time, Mr. Jackson is very pleased and says, “‘Well done Thomas, it is a very well made box, square and firm, and nicely put together. You may take it home to Mr. Green yourself.’” Mr. Jackson is delighted to see how Thomas made a good box with time to spare, and how seriously he took a minor project like this. He takes pride in his apprentice, and sees his usefulness. Also, as he is writing out his bills to Thomas for the odd jobs he has done, Mr. Jackson, “Finds the value of his apprentice, and treats him well accordingly.” These small jobs show his master that he is a hard worker, and he allows Thomas to build the next, higher profile job.
By making the packing box, Thomas is considered very highly by Mr. Jackson. Mr. Jackson then thinks Thomas is fit for making the schoolbox, and Thomas uses this opportunity to further prove his worth. Mr. Jackson remarks on the practice dovetail joints that he has cut, “‘Well, really it is not a bad joint, and I am very glad to see it, for I think you will be able to make the schoolbox for Master John.’” Thomas has proved he is worthy of the project, and he has exhibited that he spends his free time well, by practicing in his craft. After Thomas is finished with construction of the box, Mr. Jackson examines it and has no imperfections to point out, “‘Thomas it is a very good job, and for so young a workman you have not been long over it.’” Mr. Jackson is impressed by Thomas’ performance, and realizes his full potential to be a great journeyman.
Mr. Jackson, having seen that Thomas will become very skilled in the craft, begins to pay him after about half of his seven years have passed. Thomas seizes the opportunity to purchase tools of his own, and treats them well, like a responsible journeyman should. “Already Thomas is doing things which bring in profit to his master; and has begun to receive small weekly wages himself.” This proves that Mr. Jackson believes that Thomas is a trustworthy apprentice, and begins to pay him so he can have a full set of tools by the time he is working on his own. Thomas builds a full sized chest of drawers for his master to sell. Mr. Jackson is so pleased with the job that, “Mr. Jackson thinks it is very creditable to his young apprentice, and boasts that it is as well made and handsome a piece of furniture as need be sent out of any cabinet maker’s shop.” Thomas is such a favorite of Mr. Jackson, that he brags about how he has such a great apprentice, building such great projects. By the end of his apprenticeship, Thomas has proved to his master that he will become one of the most skilled craftsmen as could be.
Since Thomas started out in his apprenticeship doing the odd jobs with gusto, he was considered by Mr. Jackson as having potential. When Mr. jackson was presented the opportunity to give Thomas a project that the other apprentices considered was beneath them, Thomas got to prove his worth. This enabled him to take a step further in his education as a joiner.
Since making my first Roorkee chair, which was based on the 19th-century original, I’ve been lucky enough to study some additional antique examples. This has led me to alter the chair’s design in about 20 different ways, from the turnings to the rivets.
While I don’t have room to discuss the evolutionary process and my reasoning (gotta save something for the book), I have promised several readers that I would post the leather patterns that I now use to build these chairs.
Below is a drawing I made of the three major leather components. (If you cannot figure out the armrests or belts, may I recommend golf as a hobby?) As to the sketch, I took enough drafting at Chaffin Junior High from Mr. Hogue to know that it’s not a proper mechanical drawing.
Click on the drawing to enlarge it to full size. Then print that.
Truth is, most early furniture was made using an sketch that was one step above NapkinCAD 1.0 (right Suzanne? I haven’t forgotten the research for a future book on Gillows). So if you can’t make the leather bits from this sketch, might I suggest vertical Jarts as a hobby?
The leather is 8 oz. latigo we buy from a wholesale supplier in Pennsylvania. The straps are regular 7/8 oz. veg tan leather. Solid brass 3/4” buckles from Tandy. All the rivets are No. 9 1/2” two-part solid copper rivets. The 13mm ball studs for the armrests are from McMaster-Carr.
If you are making patterns for your leather, I recommend thin tempered hardboard, which doesn’t take up much space and holds up better against your knife.
OK, gotta go. “Campaign Furniture” ain’t going to write itself.
