Lost Art Press

“…(I)t was a fact that more tools were spoiled through a simple want of care than were worn out by constant use.”

When I teach classes, I have to restrain myself from saying something incendiary to many students who are frustrated with their tools, even precision planes that cost hundreds of dollars. Here’s what I want to say:

“Of course the tool is fighting you. You haven’t shown it any love.”

Even the best and the most pedestrian tools must be cared for in equal measure. Sharpen them before they get dull. Wipe them down with oil after every use. Ease their hard edges and wax their handles.

These things are discussed in this excellent article dug up by carpenter Jeff Burks, who deserves his own blog (hint). This article was originally published in Scientific American. The following scan is from an 1873 edition of The Manufacturer and Builder. Including this nugget:

“Now, one word about lending tools, and that is – don’t! We know of nothing more aggravating than to work nearly a whole rainy Saturday putting tools to order and then be required to lend one to some shiftless mortal whom we are sure will turn the edge, knock the handle off, and probably throw it down wherever he happens to use it.”

Download the entire article here. It’s a good, quick read. Also, a reader has typed in the text into a .doc file that you can download if you prefer that format.

Take Care of Your Tools

— Christopher Schwarz

“…(F)or if the professional works to live, does not the amateur in an equal degree live to work?”

— Work Magazine, Issue 1, Vol. 1.

For several years, Joel Moskowitz at Tools for Working Wood has extolled the virtues of Work magazine, a publication that began in 1889. The magazine was, in Joel’s words, the “greatest of all the DIY publications.”

And starting Friday, Joel will try to prove his assertion by republishing the magazine in digital format starting with issue 1. And it will be free for anyone with a connection to the Internet.

Joel let me read the first couple issues this week, and I think they are definitely worth your time to download, print out and read. Both of the 16-page issues had articles that were interesting and enjoyable reading for a woodworker. And they had some stuff that I just skimmed over – ah such is the problem of producing a general-interest publication.

Here are some highlights of the first couple issues that you can look forward to:

In Issue 1, the best article, hands-down, is “A Chat About Furniture” by David Adamson. This piece, which is about the construction of two tables, is how every project article should be written.

Instead of simply telling you “put tab A in slot B,” the author engages you in a lengthy design discussion about these tables. He knows that you will want to modify the plan for your own use, and so he takes great pains to explain the design language of the elements. In other words, after you read the article, you’ll know how to draw and make a table in this mode without making a serious blunder.

The joinery is discussed, but not in a “how you cut the tenons” manner. It’s more about choosing the correct joinery and scaling it correctly for this object.

I also enjoyed the author’s sharp tongue/pen. Here’s a sample:

“In all its horrible eccentricity of non-descript Gothic, worse Chinese, and inane rococo, combined though they be with the most exquisite workmanship and occasionally a quaint gracefulness, Chippendale’s style is not in favour with those whose training enables them to discriminate between the true and false in design.”

Issue 1 also has some articles that are amusing if not useful. They have many pages on how to turn your lathe into a table saw. It is in every way, exactly what Shopsmith does with its machine.

Issue 2 has some good stuff as well. At the top of the list is an article on “Artistic Furniture,” which also could be titled “A Primer on Dumpster Diving.”

It’s about the author busting up some packing crates to salvage the wood and make an overmantle using nails and screws. Most of the article is, again, an interesting discussion of the design and a defense of the simple joinery methods. It’s the kind of article that will inspire the beginner and make them hungry to build something.

The issue also has an article by David Denning (another familiar name) on making a wooden copying press – a project that most moderns would use for pressing flowers. It’s a fun project that I’d like to make myself someday.

Each issue also has tool reviews and letters that are fun to read. Plus the advertisements are a hoot. I read every one of them. I don’t want to spoil the fun, but my favorite advert was for “Pond’s Extract,” which cures gout, hemorrhoids, wounds, burns etc. The copy exclaims in huge letters that it is used by “HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN” and below that in tiny type “of Romania.”

Good stuff. To read more about Work magazine, read this blog entry from Joel. And to download the first issue on Friday, go to this page – a special blog devoted to Work.

— Christopher Schwarz

One of my favorite English tools is the traditional infill joiner’s mallet. It has a brass head that is “infilled” with a dense wood and equipped with a nice chamfered handle.

These mallets were made in a variety of sizes and use for everything from driving chisels and carving tools to heavy-duty assembly chores. They have all the punch of a deadblow mallet without looking like a plastic clown hammer.

The bad news is that these joiner’s mallets are difficult to find in North America – I bought mine from English tool dealers. And when you do find them, they are pricey – too pricey for a working tool.

But now Glen D. Huey of the WoodworkersEdge.com has resurrected this awesome tool after years of making and testing prototypes. I’ve been testing one of those prototypes for more than a month now, and I can report that it is fantastic.

The head is 16 oz. of brass that is milled out of a solid billet (by a U.S. company, by the way). It’s a complex shape with some important details. The brass shell has a coffin shape, and this curve lets you drive tools with some delicacy. See Glen’s video that shows this in action here.

The ends of the mallet head are properly angled to match the angles on the striking surface. These angles ensure your mallet blows will be properly directed straight down when you hit the head of a tool.

The infilled wood on these mallets is quartersawn white oak, a tough wood and a very American touch. The corners of the infill are chamfered to prevent the infill from splintering when you strike a glancing blow.

The 11-3/4”-long handle on the Woodworkers Edge mallet is actually nicer than the ones on the originals. Huey gave the handle a nice silhouette and added stop-chamfers so the corners don’t bite into your hand. The handle is available in maple, cherry, walnut or a custom wood for a slight upcharge.

In other words, he got all the details right.

Though Glen is known mainly as a custom furniture-maker, author and teacher, he has long been interested in making tools such as this mallet and (I hope someday) a nice folding rule.

In the interests of full disclosure: I’ve known Glen for a long time and worked with him for many years at Popular Woodworking Magazine. I also think the world of his work, and I know you will too once you see this mallet and put it to use. Glen loaned me this prototype to test, but he ain’t getting it back. Instead, I’m sending him a check.

The mallets are available for $185 for one of the stock woods from Glen’s store. Click here to check them out. Highly, highly recommended.

— Christopher Schwarz