Lost Art Press

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Free Shipping Extended to Midnight Nov. 24

Posted on by Lost Art Press
A real live photo of the real books filling our real warehouse.

We are extending our free shipping offer until midnight Nov. 24 for one reason: It’s working.

While most “inventory reduction” sales verge on bunkum, we are offering free shipping for one single reason: to reduce our inventory. Right now, the Anthe building is loaded to its maximum capacity (as per a report from our structural engineer). And we still have six storage lockers filled with pallets of books.

We are working to get the third floor and basement ready for storage, but whether we have enough room for everything is still a guess.

The free shipping offer costs us. But we’re thrilled to store the books on your bookshelves instead of on the pallets in the Anthe building or (worse!) in storage lockers. And thank you to everyone who has already bought a book, tool or piece of apparel.

Free shipping applies to everything in our store. You can start shopping here.

— Christopher Schwarz

2023 Anarchist’s Gift Guide: Day 1

Posted on by Lost Art Press

The Anarchist’s Gift Guide – comprised only of stuff I have bought and used in our shop – starts today and runs over the next two weeks.

I started this “gift guide” years ago (read past recommendations here) after watching a woodworking TV personality’s “gift guide” for one of his sponsors. Clearly, he’d been given a list of worthless stuff that they wanted gone. 

I thought: What if some poor spouse/child/friend actually took this crap advice?

This gift guide is – as always – unsponsored. Toolmakers who ask to be included in the guide (and they sometimes do) are automatically excluded from it. We don’t make money from these recommendations – there are no affiliate links. I paid full price for these items. And I’ve sought out at least a few things that your children could afford to buy for you.

Here goes.

Marshalltown 829 Masonry Brush
This brush was suggested by a reader. It’s a U.S.-made masonry brush that is just the right size and stiffness to make a great bench brush. And it’s less than $12. I bought two, and I plan to buy a few more for our machine room.

Most bench brushes have fibers that are too fine for my taste. A bench brush needs some coarse fibers to deal with chips – not just fine sawdust.

The Marshalltown 829 (shown above) is made using Tampico fiber, which is harvested from cacti in northern Mexico. The fibers come from inside the cactus leaves. And the fibers are what makes this brush a gem (the hardwood handle and block are nothing special). The fibers are bundled in a way that makes them just right for bench work. You can brush up fine sanding dust. And you can also wrangle those weird cross-grain chips that elude fine brushes.

The Marshalltown 829 is not pretty. But it works exceptionally well.

Update: Tools to Help Jerome Bias’ Class

Posted on by Lost Art Press
Do you have some spare user tools?

You are all so very kind – thank you! We have more offers now than we need now for tools, so we’re set there. And for those of you who are interested in donating a dollar or two toward a few unpaiud bills with this class, we have this link set up: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=QHGYHGZMS5EY6

– Fitz

Jerome Bias is teaching a scholarship class here next month. Most of these students are new to hand tool woodworking, so we are gathering tools to give them or loan them during the week.

I’ve got the saws and block planes and hammers we need. But if y’all have some excess user tools that have followed you home at one time or another that you could donate, read on.

Jack Planes
I’m hoping to hand each student a sharp and functioning metallic jack plane they can take home and use. Nothing fancy. Just a Stanley No. 5 or equivalent. I don’t care about what “type” it is, just that it doesn’t need restoration (I don’t have time to do that, I’m afraid). I can easily grind and sharpen the iron.

12” Combination Square
Likewise, I’d like to give them a 12” combination square to take home. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but it would be nice if it were better than the plastic ones at the big box stores.

Hand Drill
The students are going to be boring a lot of pilot holes for nails. If you have a functioning hand drill that could use a good home, let us know.

If you have any of these tools you could send, email Megan at fitz@lostartpress.com and let her know. She’ll give you shipping instructions (and let you know if we have already collected enough tools).

Thanks in advance for helping these six new woodworkers.

— Christopher Schwarz

Holiday Open House: Sat., Dec. 2, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Posted on by fitz

Join us at 837 Willard Street (the Lost Art Press storefront and shop) for our 2023 Holiday Open House, Saturday, December 2, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. As long as supplies last, we’ll hand out (free!) the old posters that magically appeared when we moved our stuff from our former warehouse to our own warehouse, the Anthe Building.

Speaking of the Anthe building, we’ll lead two tours thereof (starting from the shop on Willard): the first at 11 a.m.; the second at 2 p.m. The Anthe building is just more than a half-mile away at 407 Madison Ave., so if the weather allows, anyone who wants to can walk over (but there’s parking available if you prefer to drive).

We will have available at the storefront our full line of books and tools, of course. But more importantly we are here to answer your questions and talk about/demonstrate woodworking (in-person Open Wire!). And to show you the clock if you ask (if you know, you know – but let’s just say you need to be 21 to see the clock, and it’s not naughty). We’ll also have cookies and hot spiced cider.

We will also have on hand blemished books and tools (and possibly a few apparel items) at up to 50 percent off. (We might also have a few personal tools to sell – but no promises) Blemished books, tools and apparel are cash only.

Our storefront is at 837 Willard St., Covington, Ky. 41011

We hope to see you in December!

Moving always turns up the oddest things – items you thought were lost or sold out years ago!

Free Shipping on All Products until Nov. 15

Posted on by Lost Art Press
The Anthe building – bursting with books (for now). Mark and I cleaned 20 years of grime off the windows last week.

One of the great advantages of having all our inventory in Covington – and employees to fill boxes – is that we can offer a free shipping promotion without setting a pile of money on fire. (Our storage and salaries are now fixed overhead costs; before we had to pay $4 for every order packed. Plus storage. Plus boxes, tape, etc.)

We have all our inventory in place. Mark and Gabe are well trained and ready. 

So for the next two weeks we are offering free shipping on every product, from pencils to holdfasts. There’s no code to type in. No coupon. When you check out, you’ll see a button for free shipping. Click it. (Yes, even the new engraving tools I just added to the site yesterday.)

Thanks to all of you who have helped us get our fulfillment center up and running. We have heat and AC because of you. And an ADA-compliant bathroom. 

Consider this the smallest of “thank yous.”

You can start shopping here.

— Christopher Schwarz