The leather editions of “Mouldings in Practice” by Matthew Sheldon Bickford are finished and ready to be picked up from the bindery.
Unfortunately, I’m on a bus to Chicago today.
So here’s the update: The leather books will go on sale Monday about noon Eastern time. They will be $185 postage-paid to anywhere in the United States. We have 30 of them for sale, and it will be first-come, first serve in the Lost Art Press store.
I’ll make an announcement on the blog at noon on Monday with photos and links.
Lost Art Press is hosting a special event during the Woodworking in America conference where you will be able to see (and touch) the original 18th-century volumes of A.J. Roubo’s “L’Art du Menuisier” and learn some of the publishing details of the forthcoming translation “To Make as Perfectly as Possible.”
The event will be at 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 2, in Covington, Ky. There is no admission charge, but you must register to attend because space is limited. (UPDATE: Registration is closed as the event is full).
One registration per e-mail address, please.
You will be sent a confirmation e-mail, directions to the event and a registration number indicating that you are indeed registered. You will need to print out this e-mail and bring it with you to the event to get in. We’re not trying to be jerks – it’s just a small space and there are fire codes to obey.
We will have Don Williams there, the leader of the team of translators and craftsmen during the last four years. Don will be happy to discuss details of the first volume on finishing and marquetry, plus show off some of the tools he built (such as his polissoir and shoulder knife).
Plus we’ll have Wesley Tanner of Passim Editions there, who is designing the Roubo volumes. He’ll be sharing some of the cool details of the design (ask him about the font. Seriously). Also, he’ll have all of our high-resolution scans of all the plates on hand for you to view while projected on a high-resolution screen.
Also, we’ll be bringing the original editions of Roubo for you to see and (if you are brave and careful) examine yourself. We have complete copies of the first edition that’s bound in calfskin, plus the 1977 reprints.
We’ll also discuss the publishing of “To Make as Perfectly as Possible,” which is in full swing right now. There will be two versions of the book coming out soon – a premium edition and a trade edition. We’ll have many more details to share at the event.
It’s all going to be very casual.
The event is a short walk from the Northern Kentucky Convention Center, where WIA is being held. We hope to have a fine selection of bourbons and craft beers on draft (this should come as no surprise). It will be a cash bar.
For your viewing pleasure: Steve Schafer sent along this photo of a joint stool that he built after asking himself the following question: “What would Ruhlmann do had he lived during the American Federal Period?”
The stool is made from curly cherry, holly and Texas ebony. The checkerboard inlay design was inserted using a technique from Rutager West. Rutager’s method will be shown in an upcoming article in Popular Woodworking Magazine.
It will be interesting to see how the authors of “Make a Joint Stool from a Tree” will react to this piece. Horror? Amusement? Something that involves a hatchet?
Steve asked me to point out one thing about the project: “Boys and girls, this is NOT how you make a joint stool.”
Editing of “To Make as Perfectly as Possible” is in full swing this week, and our house has been overcome by the process.
The 1977 reprint volumes of “L’Art du Menuisier” have transformed our bedroom into a library. There’s no better way to page through the books (including the 18th-century originals) than on our bed with the boards supported by pillows.
All our extra hard drive space is filled with backups and more backups of digital images. I even looked for a hard drive at Kroger this morning.
To process the photos, manipulate the line scans, edit the text and compare it to the original, I have all our computer screens crammed with the book. Laptop is on my lap and the desktop is on my desk. A. J. Roubo’s shoulder knives are stacked on the dresser. Polissoirs are propping up an extra 4-terabyte drive.
And speaking of Roubo, are you going to be in Cincinnati for Woodworking in America next week? Are you free that Friday night? If the answer to both questions is “yes,” then stay tuned to the blog tomorrow for a special Lost Art Press event we’re planning.
I was an odd child. All through grade school, my favorite ensemble consisted of denim overalls, a T-shirt and cowboy boots – or moccasins. We were, after all, living next to a Cherokee reservation.
It is truly a miracle that I reproduced.
During the last two years I’ve experienced a retrograde in the way I dress. No matter the occasion, I wear carpenter’s jeans, a T-shirt and moccasin boots or shoes. Of these three fashion accoutrements, the moccasins are the most interesting and endearing.
They are, in essence, the equivalent of hand tools for your feet.
For years, I’ve worn all manner of hard-soled boots at work and play. My favorites – Gokey snake-proof boots I’ve owned for nearly 20 years, protected me from all sorts of nastiness. But protection comes at a price. I can wear these boots for only short periods.
As I’ve slipped back into my grade-school ways, I’ve rediscovered moccasins and moccasin boots. These are the only shoes that I regret removing at the end of the day. Like hand tools, these shoes transmit every detail of the ground I’m covering – instead of homogenizing it.
They mold to the shape of my feet, instead of twisting my toes to their shape.
Also a bonus: Many of these boots are stitched by hand, are re-soleable (a money-saving miracle) and are definitely not disposable footwear.
There are lots of shoe-makers out there who can provide you with boots that will ease your long days in the shop. I have become fond of Quoddy boots, which are made in Maine. They are expensive, but I can guarantee you that they are worth every penny. I saved for many months to buy Grizzly Boots from Quoddy and have beaten them into the ground. I’ve stomped all over the Western world. I’ve stood on my feet all day in them and regretted removing them at the end of the day. I’ve kept them oiled so that they last as long as their owner.
