Lost Art Press

Author: Lost Art Press

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

Too Idle, Too Talkative, Too Passionate

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These men cannot live in regular society. They are too idle, too talkative, too passionate, too prodigal, and too shiftless to acquire either property or character. They are impatient with the restraints of law, religion, and morality; grumble about the taxes by which rulers, ministers, and schoolmasters are supported; and complain incessantly, as well as bitterly, of the extortions of mechanics, farmers, merchants, and physicians to who they are always indebted.

— Timothy Dwight, president of Yale College from 1795 to 1817, on the lumberers of Maine.

The No. 7 Reason to Attend Woodworking in America 2013

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7. The third Peter – Peter Follansbee. (Hmmm, it seems the theme of this year’s WIA is “Peters in Woodworking” – Peter Ross, Peter Galbert and Peter Follansbee are all speaking).

I hope you know Peter Follansbee from his book “Make a Joint Stool from a Tree” (now offered with free shipping from Lost Art Press). But if you haven’t heard Peter in a classroom/lecture situation, you are only getting half of the picture of the man.

His quick and dry Massachusetts wit and deftness with an axe is worth traveling to see. This year Peter is demonstrating 17th-century carving (I’ll be sitting in on that) and is giving the keynote at the big WIA banquet on Friday night.

Sign up for Woodworking in America, Oct. 18-20. Thirty Peters agree.

— Peter Schwarz

The No. 8 Reason to Attend Woodworking in America 2013

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8. Peter Ross, the blacksmith wunderkind of Colonial Williamsburg, will be speaking at WIA. Peter makes some of the finest historic tools, and locks and hinges and hardware I’ve ever seen. He’s going to be talking at WIA on lots of subjects where the blacksmith’s art crosses paths with that of the woodworker – including fixing tools that have been overheated and some of his insights into historic tools.

Peter should know. He was one of the few craftsmen at Williamsburg to inspect and record all of the contents of the Benjamin Seaton tool chest during its U.S. tour. His work and drawings are in the newly revised “The Tool Chest of Benjamin Seaton” book. It is a must-have for history and tool nerds. (Nerd alert: I’m going to ask Peter to sign mine.)

Prying Peter out of his shop in North Carolina is a major coup for WIA. Don’t miss this.

Continued tomorrow.

Sign up for Woodworking in America, Oct. 18-20. Monkeys will not fly out of your bum.

— Christopher Schwarz

Make Wood (And Your Shirts) Flat

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An ironing board met a spindly manual-training workbench at a bar. Drinks were consumed. And nine months later, the Chandler & Barber patented “Handy Bench Cabinet” came into this world in 1902.

The “bench” is a testament to human will – that something so odd and ill-conceived could be patented and brought to market.

Observe the arrangement of the vise and the opening of the cabinet. A right-handed woodworker would pretty much slam his or her handplane into the rear of the cabinet with almost every stroke. There is an incredible amount of wasted space in the closed cabinet. And the lower shelves (12” x 18”) look sized for almost anything except woodworking tools. Where do the long planes go?

Other than that, very nice!

— Christopher Schwarz

Thanks to Jeff Burks for digging up this love child.

Long-overdue Tool Chest Storage Stuff

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I used to have a nice presentation for my students on the different kinds of storage schemes they might consider for their tool chests.

I somehow lost that presentation this year. I deleted it, overwrote it and lit it on fire I suppose.

During the last few months I’ve tried to rebuild that presentation. But until I find some free time to do that, this blog entry will suffice.

Above is a heretofore private little video I shot for a webinar on tool chests. It discusses some storage options. Also, below you will find downloads to two good historic resources you should study before dividing up the interior of your chest.

The first is from Vol. II of “Practical Woodworker,” from my personal collection.

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The second is from “Spons Mechanics Own Companion,” also from my collection.

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Hope these get you started. And apologies to all my students for the delay.

— Christopher Schwarz