Lost Art Press

‘The Art of Joinery’ & Beer. And Bourbon.

Posted on by fitz

Here’s a known fact about Christopher Schwarz: he enjoys beer. And here’s a little-known fact about me: I do not enjoy beer. (But I do love bourbon.)

With the 2012 Woodworking in America Midwest conference coming up in about two weeks, I suspect there might be a bar bill or three to cover. I suspect it will exceed my credit card limit. So, on eBay, I’ve up for auction two of the three copies of the long-sold-out 2008 hardcover “The Art of Joinery” I have in my woodworking library. (I’m hanging on to the last one … until I need money for a kidney transplant.) There is no reserve, and the starting bid on each is 99 cents.

Both of these books are signed by Christopher, and on one copy, Chris drew in a mustache on the frontispiece portrait of Joseph Moxon. I do not know why. There was probably beer involved.

All proceeds will be used to cover libations at Woodworking in America (and one bottle of ibuprofen). So if you win, you can be proud that your money is going to an excellent cause (Pappy van Winkle 15-year, and IPA).

Click here for the mustachioed Moxon auction. For the non-graffito version, click here.

— Megan Fitzpatrick

p.s. The image uploader at eBay is screwy at the moment; I’m told the auction pictures should show up within a couple hours.

Update on ‘Grandpa’s Workshop’

Posted on by Lost Art Press

Our shipment of “Grandpa’s Workshop” arrived late yesterday and – thanks to some help from friends – we got the first 400 packed up before bedtime.

The printing quality of the book is top shelf – it was worth the delays and headaches. I think you will be pleased by both the story and the physical object itself.

If you ordered the book from Lost Art Press, your book (or books) will be in the mail today or tomorrow. If you are waiting for it to arrive at one of our retailers – Lee Valley Tools, Lie-Nielsen Toolworks, Highland Hardware, Tools for Working Wood or Classic Handtools in the U.K. – their books are on the way.

After publishing four new titles in 16 months, I have decided what I want for Christmas: a loading dock. But that’s not gonna happen.

— Christopher Schwarz

‘Grandpa’s Workshop’ Ships Tomorrow

Posted on by Lost Art Press

Our shipment of “Grandpa’s Workshop” arrives tomorrow morning. As soon as I get the books under tarps, I’ll start mailing them out to readers.

Apologies to everyone for the manufacturing delays. They were out of our control, and no amount of yelling could fix them. I think you’ll be pleased with the results and find the book worth the wait.

— Christopher Schwarz

Lost Art Press: A Statement of Ethics

Posted on by Lost Art Press

I do not accept free or discounted tools. I purchased every tool in my chest and have marked it with my shop mark. I do not accept free or discounted materials – lumber, glue, finish or hardware.

On occasion, a manufacturer will send me a tool for private evaluation. If I choose to keep it and use it, I pay full retail for it. If I don’t keep it, I return it to the manufacturer or donate it to a school or student who cannot afford it.

Why am I writing this?

Every time I write a blog entry and I mention that I paid for some item, I get a few messages from readers who advise me to stop adding that caveat. They are tired of reading it. And in truth, I am weary of writing it. I don’t mean to sound sanctimonious.

But here is the truth: New people encounter my blog every day. And if they don’t know who I am, it’s easy for them to assume that I get all my tools for free. Most woodworking writers are bombarded with free tools in the hopes they will write about them. Or they are given free machines or entire batches of workshop supplies in exchange for advertising.

I do not question the ethics of other bloggers. All I know is what I was trained to do in journalism school: Take nothing from the people you write about. (And if you think I’m hardcore, you need to meet my journalist wife. She won’t even drink from the water fountain at a corporation she writes about.)

To finish up, a few more important notes: I am not an “affiliate” at any web site. I do not receive a percentage of the sale of any tool or woodworking material I write about.

I receive income from only three sources: the schools at which I teach, F+W Media Inc. (where I am a contributing editor) and from you, the Lost Art Press customer.

From this point forward, any time I review a tool or woodworking material, I will add a link to this statement of ethics. In that way, I won’t have to waste any more words on this topic, and you will not have to read them.

— Christopher Schwarz

Sawbench in 60 Minutes: The Movie

Posted on by Lost Art Press

Crap. I forgot to show this movie to the audience at Woodworking in America. I blame jet lag, alcohol and the boll weevil.

The week before flying out to Pasadena, Calif., for the show I built a lot of sawbenches to try to cut my time down to about 30 minutes. That would allow me to work at a pace where I could talk and not have sweat coming out of my nipples as I built the sawbench.

After getting comfortable with my procedure last week, I had my shop assistant, Ty Black, build the bench as I filmed it. He had helped me figure out some of the geometry, but this film shows the first time he gave my procedure a go.

— Christopher Schwarz