Lost Art Press

More Soft Wax 2.0 (and a Big Boy)

Posted on by Lost Art Press

Katherine has cooked up another big batch of Soft Wax 2.0, a safe and beautiful finish that I use on all my chairs and much of my casework. It is available for sale in her etsy store.

Katherine makes the wax in our machine room using a waterless process and then packages it in durable glass jars with coated metal lids. The result: no rust or discoloration.

As always, Katherine has Bean the Shop Cat by her side. Here he is playing with his new (thank you, Megan) scratching post. This is not the most flattering photo of the poor boy, but….

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 two chairs.

John Porritt’s Chairs: The Genuine Article

Posted on by Lost Art Press
One of John Porritt’s comb-backs. The form and the finish are top-notch.

The stick chairs that I make are on the contemporary side, with lots of chamfers, sharp angles and crisp facets. But the chairs I love – the ones that take my breath away – are the old ones, especially from Wales. These chairs are worn and polished from hundreds of hands and thousands of nights in front of the fire. 

The materials the chairs are made from are nothing exotic – they are built from the hedges and woods surrounding the maker. 

All of these things add up to a chair that I don’t have the materials or skills (especially finishing skills) to make.

But John Porritt does. You might remember John from a 2019 blog entry when I visited him in New York. Since then, we’ve tried to arrange for him to teach a class here, which was unfortunately cancelled by the pandemic.

A four-stick comb-back. Note the shape of the arms and how the through-tenons are proud.

Recently John finished up his latest batch of chairs and had a professional photographer, Lydia Curran of Monster Machine in Chatham, NY, take some photos. I have been staring at these photos for more than a week now. The chairs are gorgeous, like nothing I have seen from any modern maker.

John is one of those rare makers who understands how these chairs should look and feel. The forms are spot-on – like something that is 200 years old. The surfaces and finishes are truly extraordinary. Though John isn’t trying to make fakes, these chairs look like the chairs I’ve seen at St Fagans National Museum of History and Tim Bowen Antiques in Ferryside, Wales.

This is how many old chairs look.

John has invited me and Megan to his workshop to learn more about his finishing techniques. And I am eager to take him up on his offer. “One of my finishing techniques,” John writes, “maybe the most important – is belligerence.”

These chairs are extremely special. And though this might sound weird coming from a guy who sells chairs: If you are at all interested in the real deal, talk to John about buying one of his chairs. In addition to his deep knowledge of chairs from the British Isles and finishing, John restores old tools for several prominent tool dealers. He’s a delight to talk to and one of the hidden gems in the United States.

To contact John, email is best: porritt3@gmail.com.

— Christopher Schwarz

The underside of a seat.

The Tools of ‘By Hand & Eye’

Posted on by Kara Uhl

Following is a post by George Walker, author (along with Jim Tolpin) of “By Hand & Eye,” By Hound & Eye” and “From Truths to Tools.” If you are able to come to our open house Saturday, August 7, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (details here), you will be lucky enough to meet George – and the beautiful tools shown above – in person.

I’m looking forward to the upcoming open house at Lost Art Press on August 7th. It’s a chance to share a project Jim Tolpin and I have been working on. Yes, we are at it again – exploring the world of design and artisan geometry. This latest adventure began after looking at a number of historic tool chests and tools used by pre-industrial woodworkers. Most of the tools like hand planes, saws and chisels were typically acquired from specialty toolmakers. Yet there was a group of tools that were often user made, including straight edges, try squares and miter squares. This grouping of tools had a few things in common. Generally, they are used for design and layout and they all embody the geometry that lies beneath everything. They provide that physical link between our designer’s eye and the work at hand.

After Jim and I made some of these tools and began using them, we both came to realize there is something deeper going on. Yes they are highly functional and a pleasure to use. More than that, these tools are teachers. Turns out that building a set of traditional layout tools is a class in advanced hand-tool techniques as well as a master class in artisan geometry. All these tool builds use geometry to generate the tool, but also utilize geometry to dial in each tool to a high level of perfection.

A simple tool exploration on our part blossomed as we looked at historic examples and built one tool after another. To our delight we learned that each build and each tool contains insights that deepens the connection between hand and eye. Jim won’t be able to attend the open house, but  I’ll be there with a pile of these “Tools of By Hand & Eye” for you to handle and see for yourself. I look forward to hearing from you and perhaps gaining insights from your questions and perspective. These tools have a way of sparking the imagination.

P.S. I also will be bringing along a special surprise for anyone interested in the nautical history of the Ohio River Valley.

— George Walker

OK, So We Made About $5

Posted on by Lost Art Press

We sold out of the letterpress posters today. I did a little math, and we broke even. We might have even made $5. 

I don’t like making limited-edition things. I’d like everyone who wants one of these to get one. But I also don’t want to wipe the bottoms of my future grandbabies with letterpress posters.

So here’s what I’d like to do. If you want to buy a letterpress poster of the “Family Tree of Chairs,” leave a comment below with your name and the country where you live. That will help me determine if we can afford another run of posters, and if we should make them available to our overseas vendors.

The poster would be the same price ($33) and printed via letterpress with a different ink, such as green, blue or brown.

And for those of you who purchased posters today, thank you. Your support helped fund the custom endsheets in “The Stick Chair Book.”

— Christopher Schwarz

Letterpress Poster & Pencils Now Shipping

Posted on by Lost Art Press

Our “Family Tree of Chairs” letterpress poster is now available in our store. There are only 200 available. So if you want one, don’t tarry. If these sell out, we will consider doing another run in a different ink color, such as green or brown.

Also, our next generation of woodworking pencils are also available today here. A box of five in a nicely printed box is available for $12. These pencils are made to our specifications in the USA. We have been testing different pencil configurations for months. These pencils are robust, make a good mark and sharpen easily. 

Finally, some customers have asked to purchase replacement handles for our lump hammer, mostly to have a spare on hand in case the handle ever breaks. The hickory handle is a custom shape that requires both turning and handwork. It ships with oak and metal wedges for installing the head. You can read the details here.

— Christopher Schwarz