We are pleased to announce that “Shop Tails: The Animals Who Help Us Make Things Work,” by Nancy R. Hiller, is now available for purchase and is shipping immediately from our Indianapolis warehouse. The book is $29 plus shipping.
If you purchase the book before Nov. 11, 2021, you will receive a free pdf of the book at checkout. After Nov. 11, buying the book plus the pdf will cost $36.25.
“Shop Tails” is a loving tribute to the animals whose lives have been intertwined with Hiller’s own, and a companion to her first book of essays, “Making Things Work.” In “Making Things Work,” Nancy shares her life story as a series of vignettes, each with a lesson about craft, business and personal relationships, all centered on cabinetmaking in some form. In “Shop Tails,” cabinetmaking remains central because Nancy is, of course, a cabinetmaker – and many of her animal companions shared time in the shop with her over the years. But these essays delve into the lessons her animals have taught Nancy about relationships, loyalty, illness, joy, death and (also important) pudding. They also look unflinchingly into old wounds that have played their own part in making Nancy the person she is. She documents her efforts to prove her worth to others, as well as herself, in the workshop and beyond. And she discovers the empowerment that can come from honoring the life you’ve made in response to the hand you’ve been dealt.
This collection of essays brought tears to my eyes a few times as I read, most often from empathy, but also from laughter. I haven’t had quite as many pets in my life as has Nancy, but every one I’ve had has taught me a worthwhile lesson or two.
We hope that many Lost Art Press retailers will carry this title, but that is their decision. So a note to your favorite retailer might encourage them to carry the title.
In “Saws, Planes, and Scorps,” David Heim celebrates contemporary makers of quality woodworking hand tools and workbenches, from one-person shops that specialize in one or a few tools, to four larger toolworks that offer a wide range of tools.
It’s a who’s who in the hand tool world, with interesting vignettes of the makers and pictures of their tools, arranged by tool type (and some makers appear in more than one section), and an introduction by Joshua Klein.
I could have simply included a picture of the table of contents…but it was more fun to test my memory of “toolworks vs. tool work vs. tool works” for various companies. (If I got one wrong, apologies.) The chapters are as follows:
“Prominent Toolworks:” Lie-Nielsen Toolworks, Lee Valley Tools/Veritas, Bridge City Tool Works and Woodpeckers.
“Workbenches:” Benchcrafted, Plate 11 Woodworking, Frank Strazza, RE-CO BKLYN, Lake Erie Toolworks, Acer-Ferrous Toolworks, Texas Heritage Woodworks, Blum Tool Co. (includes sidebars/profiles on Christopher Schwarz, the French Oak Roubo Project and the Japanese approach).
“Squares, Gauges, Marking Knives, and Awls:” Colen Clenton, Vesper Tools, Blue Spruce Toolworks, Bridge City Tool Works, Sterling Tool Works, Shenandoah Tool Works, Blackburn Tools, Glen-Drake Toolworks, Florip Toolworks, Hamilton Toolworks, DMF Tool Works, Seth Gould and Czeck Edge Hand Tool (includes a sidebar on the sector).
“Hand Saws:” Skelton Saws, Bad Axe Tool Works, Florip Toolworks, Tools for Working Wood, with sidebars/profiles on Marco Terenzi and Blackburn Saws saw kits.
“Hand Planes:” Holtey Classic Hand Planes, Sauer & Steiner Toolworks, The Lazarus Handplane Co., Daed Toolworks, Brese Plane, Bill Carter, BJS Planes and Woodworking, Old Street Tool, M.S. Bickford, Philly Planes, J. Wilding, Voigt Planes, Red Rose Reproductions, Blum Tool Co., Bridge City Tool Works, HNT Gordon & Co., Scott Meek Woodworks, Benedetto, and Walke Moore Tools (includes sidebars/profiles on St. James Bay Tool Co., Ron Hock and James Krenov).
“Hammers, Mallets, and Chisels:” Old Soldier Toolworks, Blue Spruce Toolworks, Crucible Tool, Shenandoah Tool Works, Sterling Tool Works, HNT Gordon & Co., Blum Tool Co., Brent Bailey Forge, Barr Specialty Tools and Brese Plane (includes sidebars/profiles on GreenWood, Seth Gould’s embellished hammers and Elkhead Tools screwdrivers).
“Spokeshaves, Drawknives, Scorps, and Travishers:” Caleb James Maker, Dave’s Shaves, Moberg Tools, HNT Gordon & Co., Cariboo Blades, Barr Specialty Tools, Old Soldier Toolworks, Claire Minihan Woodworks, Elia Bizzarri Hand Tool Woodworking, Crown Plane and The Windsor Workshop (includes profiles on Peter Galbert and Russ Filbeck).
“Adzes, Hatches, and Knives:” Jason A. Lonon Toolmaker, Start Raven Studios, Cariboo Blades, Brent Baily Forge, North Bay Forge, Drake Knives, Craft Lab, Pinewood Forge, Preferred Edge Carving Knives & Supplies and Deepwoods Ventures.
Heim’s selection of “exceptional woodworking tools and their makers” is informed by his experience as a woodworker and former associate editor for Fine Woodworking magazine, and for the most part, I agree with his choices, but in a book that features mostly what are arguably “boutique” hand tools, the inclusion of Woodpeckers is curious. I’m not dissing their tools, but when I think of that company, I think red, anodized table saw fences and drill press tables (and a few marking and measuring tools). And I was kind of surprised that Tools for Working Wood didn’t show up under “Prominent Toolworks” given the company’s range – or at least appear in multiple categories. Also, why include Bridge City in both prominent tool works and hand planes, but not Lie-Nielsen or Veritas in any of the categories? Still, I’d be hard pressed to choose and sort all the makers I know into categories, either – and no doubt someone (many someones) would take issue with my choices.
I do think this book belongs on the shelves of woodworkers. It’s fun to learn a bit about who makes the tools you use, and it’s not a bad shopping list, either!
“Saws, Planes, and Scorps” (Princeton Architectural Press) has a cover price of $27.50, and is available now from bookstores.
I am a biased reviewer. I’ve read and loved all of Nick Offerman’s previous books, and have laughed uproariously at his comedy shows. I’ve watched “Parks & Rec” all the way through several times, and think “Devs” is brilliant. I greatly admire the work Offerman and the rest of the crew do at the Offerman Woodshop. He is an altogether nice fellow. So, I was wholly prepared to enjoy his new book, “Where the Deer and the Antelope Play: The Pastoral Observations of One Ignorant American Who Loves to Walk Outside.”
The book – a response to a challenge from one of Offerman’s heroes, writer Wendell Berry – is in three parts, each exploring a different type of relationship to the land, and our relationships to one another. Throughout, Offerman asks us to confront uncomfortable truths that have helped shape much of the land as we know it today – and he’s not shy with his opinions on racism, strident Christianity, agribusiness, Fox News and more. I sing in the same liberal choir, so I found myself nodding in agreement, but I expect some who are (still!) expecting Ron Swanson will be disgruntled. But perhaps Offerman’s sardonic and self-deprecating humor, and the genuine delight with the natural world that pervades every page, will be enough to keep them reading.
The first part shares a tourist’s relationship with nature – getting out in it through a “bromance brothers” trip to Glacier National Park with Offerman, singer Jeff Tweedy and writer George Saunders. While hiking, rafting, and navigating a couple of scary incidents that could have ended Wilco, the friends had serious and enlightening conversations ranging from food production to Aldo Leopold, and from race relations to how not to be an asswipe. By the end of the trip, writes Offerman, “We three middle- aged white guys, ever aware of our privilege, had taken pretty full advantage of the recreation available in the glorious acreage that some other white guys had set aside for just that purpose.”
In the second part, Offerman helps to shape nature in a small way as he works alongside Cumbrian sheep farmer and writer James Rebanks in a number of flying visits. In this section, Offerman focuses on labor, how agriculture has shaped the land, the ethics of farming and the necessity of ecological stewardship. “We must understand that we are not passive passengers on this mothership Earth, but instead we must participate in the journey, whether that means grabbing an oar and helping to row, or feeding the crew, or holystoning the decks. Only then will we be able to help steer this venerable vessel away from the shopping mall/ Amazon.com and toward the woods and the meadow and the beck.”
The first two sections took part prior to the pandemic, and while Offerman ambles metaphorically through many topics therein, both are (mostly) located in one physical place. Part three is more of a ramble of both place and political topic. With time on their hands due to Covid-19, Offerman and his wife, Megan Mullally (and their dog, Clover), spent the fall of 2020 traveling with an Airstream trailer through West, Midwest and Southwest, safely visiting friends and family, and hiking the trails in some gorgeous locations. (He would like you to know, however, that “Sedona blows” and you shouldn’t bother.) I couldn’t find one quotation I felt summed up the section, but the following is a decent distillation of the book as a whole: “Mother Nature is not an American, and she is not proud. She is all creation, so her vibe encompasses all experience, in every size, shape, and color, from the high to the low. Her economy and its successful evolution thrive on diversity, and her children never rest in their glorious participation, reproducing and adapting, so as to grow ever stronger.”
The above makes the “Where the Deer and the Antelope Play” sound altogether serious – and there is no doubt that Offerman cares passionately about nature and our role in it – but it’s also a funny and entertaining travelogue. And in case I haven’t made it clear: highly recommended.
Katherine heads back to college on Monday, and could use a little pocket money – so she made another big batch of Soft Wax 2.0. It is now up for sale in her etsy.com store. Today’s jars are brought to you by Wally – the second-most friendly of the cats. Bean is downstairs to greet me almost every morning; Wally pops down most days for his elevenses – he knows I keep treats in my top chest till.
I use Katherine’s soft wax on many of my projects, including the tills in the chest on which I’m currently working. Katherine cooks it up here in the machine room using a waterless process. She then packages it in a tough glass jar with a metal screw-top lid. She applies her hand-designed label to each lid, boxes up the jars and ships them in a durable cardboard mailer.
Instructions for Soft Wax 2.0
Soft Wax 2.0 is a safe finish for bare wood that is incredibly easy to apply and imparts a beautiful low luster to the wood.
The finish is made by cooking raw, organic linseed oil (from the flax plant) and combining it with cosmetics-grade beeswax and a small amount of a citrus-based solvent. The result is that this finish can be applied without special safety equipment, such as a respirator. The only safety caution is to dry the rags out flat you used to apply before throwing them away. (All linseed oil generates heat as it cures, and there is a small but real chance of the rags catching fire if they are bunched up while wet.)
Soft Wax 2.0 is an ideal finish for pieces that will be touched a lot, such as chairs, turned objects and spoons. The finish does not build a film, so the wood feels like wood – not plastic. Because of this, the wax does not provide a strong barrier against water or alcohol. If you use it on countertops or a kitchen table, you will need to touch it up every once in a while. Simply add a little more Soft Wax to a deteriorated finish and the repair is done – no stripping or additional chemicals needed.
Soft Wax 2.0 is not intended to be used over a film finish (such as lacquer, shellac or varnish). It is best used on bare wood. However, you can apply it over a porous finish, such as milk paint.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS (VERY IMPORTANT): Applying Soft Wax 2.0 is so easy if you follow the simple instructions. On bare wood, apply a thin coat of soft wax using a rag, applicator pad, 3M gray pad or steel wool. Allow the finish to soak in about 15 minutes. Then, with a clean rag or towel, wipe the entire surface until it feels dry. Do not leave any excess finish on the surface. If you do leave some behind, the wood will get gummy and sticky.
The finish will be dry enough to use in a couple hours. After a couple weeks, the oil will be fully cured. After that, you can add a second coat (or not). A second coat will add more sheen and a little more protection to the wood.
Soft Wax 2.0 is made in small batches in Kentucky using a waterless process. Each glass jar contains 8 oz. of soft wax, enough for at least two chairs (or 30+ ATC tills).
We will open our doors to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 11, to sell books and tools – and allow you to “visit the clock.”
The storefront is at 837 Willard St., Covington, KY, 41011 in the town’s Main Strasse historic district. Our little neighborhood is chock full of good places to eat, drink and shop. In fact, we are part of a developing “oddity” district that we are quite proud of. Tempt your family with:
Hail Dark Aesthetics: A great record store that also sells freeze-dried ducklings, wild taxidermy and things like eyeballs.
Earth 2 Kentucky: If you like vintage memorabilia, toys, vintage action figures, art, quirky T-shirts, you will love this place.
Hierophany & Hedge: A straight-up legit store of magical supplies and arcana. They spent years fixing up the building, and it exceeds anything from the Harry Potter films. Seriously.
Plus there is us! We’ll have our complete line of books and tools – plus blemished examples at 50 percent off retail (cash only for blem sales, please). You can hang out, rifle through our tool chests and even cajole us into a demo or two. I’m sure we’ll have some works in progress on the benches (chairs and tool chests would be my guess).
And there are some great places to eat lunch or dinner around us. Breweries, bars and an axe-throwing bar.
We ask that all visitors be vaccinated. Masks are recommended but not required.
Also, we are happy to sign books, tools, babies and even buttocks (yes, I’ve signed a butt cheek). So feel free to bring any books you’d like personalized. Oh, and be sure to ask to “visit the clock” while you are here. You’ll be glad you did.
I hope you can join us in December. Our next open day won’t likely be until June 2022.
