Category: Campaign Furniture

While we’re a few weeks away from the release date of our “Campaign Furniture” book, we already have the related T-shirts and hardware in stock and ready to ship. Here are the details and links for these items. Both items are available for only a short time.

‘Stop Staring at My Chest’ Shirts
This shirt, like all our shirts, is made in the United States on soft 100-percent cotton. The front features a campaign-style chest of drawers from the 1909 catalog of the Army & Navy Co-Operative Society. The back features the phrase “Stop Staring at My Chest” and the new Lost Art Press logo.

The army green shirt is made by American Apparel shirts in Los Angeles. The shirts (4.3 oz. cotton) are printed by a small family-run firm in Noblesville, Ind. The shirts are $20, plus first-class shipping in the United States.

If you want one of these shirts, we recommend you order now. We usually carry a shirt design for about three months until they are sold out. Then we make a new one. Click here to order.

Tribolts for a Campaign Stool
The only thing difficult about building the camp stool from “Campaign Furniture” is finding an affordable tribolt that allows the legs to fold smoothly. The book offers a hardware-store solution, and it shows you how to make the tribolt pictured here.

If, however, you do not have a drill press or a proper tap to make the tribolt, buying one might be the best answer. So we asked woodworker Mike Siemsen (who came up with the idea for the hardware) to make 100 of these tribolts, which we are selling for $12 plus $3 first-class domestic shipping.

These bolts are ready to use with legs that are 1-3/16” in diameter, which is the size we recommend for these stools after testing several to failure. The tribolt is installed easily by drilling a 5/16” hole in each of the legs. Then you screw the three bolts into the center nut. You can lock them in place with thread-locking fluid if you wish, though we have not found it necessary.

The center hexagonal nut is not visible in the finished stool unless you get your face right up in the stool. However, if you do not like the nut, we recommend turning a small wooden finial or cap that can screw into the nut.

Please note: This is not a stock item for us. We have 100 tribolts. Once they are gone, we will not restock. Click here to order.

— Christopher Schwarz

Lots of people ask me what I miss the most about working at Popular Woodworking Magazine. I am supposed to reply: “I miss the people.” But that’s not true.

I miss the fights.

Now, I don’t miss the jerk-won’t-look-you-in-the-eye brooding that sometimes accompanies an office brawl. But nine times out of ten, an honest spat made the end product better. Magazine covers looked better. Techniques were explored deeper. Assumptions were sunk.

Now that I work at home alone, I have tried to maintain that atmosphere by sending out my work to friends, colleagues and people I know who disagree with me for them to look it over. And as always, many of my ideas are vetted first on the blog, where people are happy to take a hatchet to them.

The result is, almost always, a better product.

Last night I pored over my proofs for “Campaign Furniture,” and realized I didn’t like some of the “beauty shots” of the finished furniture. So today I tore apart our house to shoot new photos. And then I sent them to Megan Fitzpatrick for her to assail. Then I took them over again. Sent them out….

This process continued until I needed a beer. Which is right now.

— Christopher Schwarz

P.S. While all the photographic criticism below is appreciated, it is for naught. The shoot is over. The pages are set.