Category: Lost Art Press Storefront

I’ve set up several workshops from scratch, and I’ve studied a lot of modern shops and how they are put together.

If you get to frame your own walls, I recommend a couple easy modifications that can make life easier. First, when framing, add blocking throughout so you can hang heavy cabinets with ease. For the wall between the shop and the office shown above, I’ve added two layers of blocking at 71” from the floor so I can hang a nail cabinet and a second supplies cabinet on the back wall of the shop.

Also good to consider: You don’t have to use drywall/wallboard. In my current shop in Fort Mitchell, I sheathed the studs with 1/2” OSB instead of drywall. It cost a bit more, but it was worth it. Thanks to the OSB I can pretty much put a screw anywhere for light-duty hooks and pegs.

I didn’t bother to tape the seams. I just hung it and painted it.

The secondary benefit to the OSB (and not taping it) is that shop maintenance is easy. Whenever I want to add electrical circuits or change their voltage I remove the screws for the OSB panels and do any electrical and plumbing work behind. Then I rehang the OSB. You can’t easily do that with drywall.

OSB is also much stronger than drywall. I used drywall on one wall of my shop and it has gotten beat up and penetrated (accidentally, I swear) a bunch.

Today the storefront was officially christened as a workshop. John and I moved the first workbench and tool chest there so I can build the transom windows. That was a major step for my psyche.

— Christopher Schwarz

 

Last night I freaked out a little in my pants. Like a knot in a becket it was.

My sphincter’s implosion upon its poor self came about when I looked up from the stud wall we were building in the new storefront and I realized 100 people would not fit in that room.

We’re getting ready for the March 12 opening, and when I set up an RSVP system I capped the number at a ridiculous number of attendees – 100. That’s the maximum the fire marshal will allow on the premises. But I thought we’d get 40 or 50 at most.

But no. We have 100 people showing up. As of now we have the front room complete, the back room, the bathrooms and the courtyard. I think it’s still too tight.

So I fetched the sledgehammer and we opened up the bricked-over door to the stables in the courtyard. That gives us a 23’ x 20’ room to which I will lure people with pizza and alcohol.

Also today (sphincter disengaged), the window installers put in the new windows in the shop along Ninth Street. The light in the shop just became even more wonderful.

— Christopher Schwarz

After working with dozens of woodworking authors and editors, I can tell you why most mistakes occur in woodworking books, magazines and blogs. They are caused by interruptions.

If you are writing down numbers, dimensioning a drawing or explaining a complex task, you are doomed if someone walks in and asks you a question. You will transpose something, skip something or copy and paste something completely wrong. I personally guarantee it.

So when I write, edit or design, I like to work in complete solitary. I have a room for writing and a second small and isolated room for editing and designing.

As I was drawing out the floorplan for the new Lost Art Press storefront (opening March 12), I couldn’t place my desk anywhere that would give me the dark burrow I need to work. As luck would have it, however, the overwhelming archaeological evidence is that the two front rooms of our storefront were separated by a wall (perhaps two walls). After sketching in a wall that would make the bench room a nice rectangle I saw it: My spider hole.

It’s an alcove about 7’ x 11’ under the stairs. No windows to the outside. Just the overwhelming claustrophobia that makes for good editing and designing. Today carpenter Mike Sadoff and I framed up most of this new wall and I ran some new electric to the spider hole to fuel my computer and a printer. There won’t be a phone there. Or email. Or SMS.

So now I can relax.

— Christopher Schwarz

Our March 12 book-release party for “The Anarchist’s Design Book” is fully booked. But that doesn’t mean you can’t see the new storefront if you are in town.

On March 12, my daughters will be womaning the store from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. while the rest of us are down the street at Braxton Brewing for the Lie-Nielsen Hand Tool Event. Our store, at 9th and Willard streets, is less than a 10-minute walk from Braxton at 7th and Madison.

Katy and Maddy will have all of our titles there and will be happy to have you look around. We’ll also have some special Covington-only merchandise that celebrates the five-year anniversary of “The Anarchist’s Tool Chest.” A special T-shirt, stickers and other stuff we’re working on now.

— Christopher Schwarz