Lost Art Press

Anarchist Gift Guide Day 13: Conway Electric Surge Protectors

Posted on November 2, 2021October 20, 2021 by Lost Art Press

I know I’m going to get some flack for this entry, but I’m already over it. Yes, I am about to recommend a surge protector that costs $200. No, I’m not crazy. And yes, I like the pretty colors that they come in.

We don’t have a lot of electrical outlets in our workshop. When we tore out the old bar equipment, we removed miles – literally miles – of electric cabling. And speaker cables. Coaxial. Wire for security cameras. Stuff I couldn’t identify.

I probably went overboard in removing outlets from the building. Megan and I each have an outlet in the floor by our workbenches. It is what powers our task lights, charges our phones and spins the occasional drill. It’s enough, except when we have six additional students and another instructor working in the room.

So last year I decided to upgrade the cheap plastic surge protectors we use to help divide the electricity equitably. I did some research, and I ended up with a few of these Conway Electric surge protectors. Though they’re made in California, they’re built like Soviet tanks. The bodies are stout steel plate. The switches make a hugely satisfying “click.” And the cord is cloth wrapped and nicely flexible.

If I built surge protectors, this is exactly how I would build them.

My only complaint about the product is the ordering is a bit weird. You get a confirmation of your order, but it can take weeks before you hear anything more about your shipment. It always comes (I’ve ordered three times). You just have to be patient.

— Christopher Schwarz

Read other entries from The Anarchist’s Gift Guide here.

Marking Implements – Truth in Your Tools

Posted on November 2, 2021October 31, 2021 by Lost Art Press

I suspect that I learned more about math, civics and language from “Schoolhouse Rock!” than I did from school itself. The magic of “Schoolhouse Rock!” is the magic of all good education. That is: It is so engrossing that you don’t realize you are learning heavy and important lessons.

Practical geometry is one of those topics that can be intensely boring – just look at the beginning chapters of any 18th- or 19th-century text on woodworking, which almost always begis with chapters on geometry. And they are all as dry as a popcorn fart.

The fact is that practical geometry is one of the most exciting subjects for a woodworker. If you can find someone to explain it to you in the right manner, geometry will change your life and your work at the bench.

And that’s why we are dedicated to the work of Jim Tolpin and George Walker, who have made it their life’s work to explain workshop geometry in as many ways as possible – from the academic to the absurd (a talking dog?).

Of all their books, “From Truths to Tools” is probably my favorite. I can give this book to anyone, from a third-grader to an octogenarian, and they will enjoy the heck out of it. It is like a graphic novel for geometry. Each chapter is a discrete short story – heavily illustrated – that explains a very complex subject in simple terms. When I edited this book, I had to stop every few chapters and clear my head. It’s that good.

— Christopher Schwarz

The following is an excerpt of “From Truths to Tools,” by Jim Tolpin and George Walker, illustrated by Andrea Love.

Next: A Small Book (But Not About a Snail)

Posted on November 1, 2021November 1, 2021 by Lost Art Press

*A boxy (presumably) Welsh three-legged comb-back.*

When I sent “The Stick Chair Book” to press in June, my plan was to immediately launch into my next book project. But then I took a look at our family’s finances, and I knew that idea was unwise.

When you don’t sell any furniture or teach any classes for 56 weeks in a row, you feel the pinch – even though Lucy and I have zero debt.

So I started making and selling spec chairs as fast as I could. And now, five months later, I am cooking meatloaf tonight for dinner – so our bank balance is definitely better. Tomorrow I will ship out the last of a run of Hobbit-y chairs and begin on my next book project. Here are the details.

As I was writing “The Stick Chair Book,” I wanted to cover everything – and I mean everything – that I’ve learned about making these chairs. But it simply wasn’t physically possible to shoehorn it all into one volume. So I decided instead to focus only on the core techniques, plus plans for five chair forms. (Despite my narrower focus, “The Stick Chair Book” is a whopping 632 pages.)

Then, my plan was to write a series of smaller books that covered additional chair forms and the techniques particular to that kind of chair. These books would be paperback and similar in size to John Brown’s “Welsh Stick Chairs” – 7.25” x 9.625” and 104 pages or so.

If the first book does well, then I’ll keep writing these smaller books until people get sick of them or I run out of chair forms to explore.

*A fantastic boxy comb-back owned by John Porritt. It is very comfortable and well-made.*

The first book in the series will be about a Welsh form of chair that I call the “boxy comb-back.” These handsome chairs have a rectangular seat and armbow, which gives them the squarish look of an old Volvo (I’ve owned three Volvo 240s and adore them, FYI.)

One of the delightful aspects of these chairs is that they sometimes have three legs. I’ve never built a comb-back with three legs, so that will be exciting. Plus, the chairs’ armbows offer the opportunity for some cool joinery, such as a long diagonal scarf.

I’ve purchased the wood for the first two chairs for the book and hope to start processing it tomorrow.

If these two chairs come out OK, I’ll definitely put them up for sale here. I do not want to experience the heartbreak of another meatloaf deficiency.

— Christopher Schwarz

Anarchist Gift Guide Day 12: WoodOwl Overdrive Bits

Posted on November 1, 2021October 24, 2021 by Lost Art Press

I’m always looking for better drill bits because my work involves making a lot of holes. My dream bit would make a clean hole (entry, exit and every surface in between), it wouldn’t clog and it would make a hole that is the exact dimension stamped on its shaft.

In my experience, you can only get two of those three characteristics in a drill bit.

The WoodOwl Overdrive bits are likely the best bits I’ve encountered so far. They aren’t perfect, but they come closer than any other bit I’ve encountered. Here are some details.

Hole cleanliness: The Overdrives are as good as I’ve seen. The bits cut rapidly and leave a clean hole – even if the exit hole isn’t backed up with a sacrificial board.

Bit cleanliness: The Overdrives don’t clog. They have large flutes that pull the waste away rapidly. And waste doesn’t get packed into the flutes like on some other augers.

Accuracy: Here is where the bits fail me a bit. When used in a handheld drill, the flutes of the bit can cut the round hole into an oval. This is, of course, user error – I moved the drill. But the Overdrives have very sharp flutes, and it can be difficult to avoid making the hole a little bit oval-shaped.

This isn’t a big deal in many applications. In fact, most woodworkers won’t notice it. But if you drill an oval through-mortise and have a round tenon, the error will show.

But other than that detail, I love them. The Japanese-made bits have the added benefit of having a hex shank, so they won’t spin and gall in your drill’s chuck. And they are remarkably inexpensive for what you get. They are outstanding bits for your drill press.

If you live in the U.K., get the Star-M F-Type bits (they’re made by the same manufacturer). They have a little different bit geometry, but that have all the same excellent characteristics of the Overdrives.

— Christopher Schwarz

Read other entries from The Anarchist’s Gift Guide here.

A Nod From Plato

Posted on November 1, 2021October 31, 2021 by fitz

As I was writing this, I looked for photos of my dad woodworking. I couldn’t find any. That was frustrating at first, but then I realized that it just underlines the story I’m about to tell. However I would like you to meet him, so here’s a recent photo of him eating breakfast.

**Ruby (right) has her own chair at the breakfast table.**

My dad didn’t really teach me woodworking. He taught me something even better. Without ever putting it into words.

He’s been making things out of wood as long as I can remember. However, he never considered himself a woodworker. He makes things when he needs them, using tools and materials available. This usually means scrap construction lumber or some wonky log hauled out from the woods. His workbench is small and wobbly and tools are scarce and simple.

There’s no “statement” here.

No concept or a “minimalist woodworker project” behind it. On the contrary, his generation carries an unworded and inherited mentality toward making things instead of buying them. This mindset stems from previous generations – back to the days when woodworking wasn’t a pastime, but a necessary skill of survival.

I’m writing this because I’m afraid his generation might be the last one to naturally and effortlessly affiliate with this tradition. My generation barely knows how to sharpen a pencil. Let alone make or repair things out of wood.

My dad never talked much about woodworking. It was something he just did. And just like a Zen Koan, he taught me everything without teaching me anything. And so I’m writing this as a tribute to the uncomplicated, anti-fancy, somewhat crude, but honest woodworking that has always been there. Long before the hashtags and the woodworking blogs. Here’s a selection of things he’s made. I think they’re great. They keep me grounded and humble and help me keep my own woodworking clean and simple.

— Klaus Skrudland