Lost Art Press

New Chapter: Mule Chest

Posted on by Lost Art Press

mule_chest_BW_IMG_0507

I’ve finished the first rough draft of the chapter on the Mule Chest for the expanded edition of “The Anarchist’s Design Book.” This chapter is offered as a free download for those who already own the book.

The chapter is offered on the honor system. If you own the book (either the hardbound or pdf), then please download this chapter and enjoy it. If you haven’t bought the book, know that downloading it will make your glue curdle and your finishes wrinkle.

ADB Mule Chest4

Other important things to note about this chapter:

  • It is a draft. If you find errors, please let us know in the comments.
  • The illustrations are not the final and beautiful ones that will be provided by Briony Morrow-Cribbs. The illustrations in the text were made by me. And I suck.
  • The opening photo isn’t the final photo. It’s just a quick snapshot I took today without my photo lights.

But other than that, all the information you need to build a mule chest is there.

I’ve published three additional new chapters, which you can download using the links below:

Boarded Settle Chair

Staked Armchair   

Staked High Stool

In addition to the project chapters, the expansion of “The Anarchist’s Design Book” will contain more personal stories, a chapter on designing chairs for an individual sitter and some new research on glue.

The expanded edition should arrive in January 2020. When it is released, we’ll provide a way for everyone who owns a copy of the original edition (no matter where they bought it) with a way to download the new content for free.

— Christopher Schwarz

Update on ‘The Difference Makers’

Posted on by Lost Art Press
DM_cover_web
Number One Chairs by Michael Fortune (photo by Michael Cullen)

We have been eagerly awaiting the printing press to finish its work on Marc Adams’s book “The Difference Makers: 30 Contemporary Makers; 30 Remarkable Stories.” The book is in its final stages at the bindery and should leave the docks in about a week.

The hold-up has been with the printing quality.

Our reputation for pickiness precedes us. Our prepress service’s quality control people rejected one of the book’s printing forms before it even made it to us for review. This is, in my experience, rare. Usually the prepress service tries to hustle the publisher into accepting whatever comes off the press.

So we’re a few days behind our planned release date. That’s the bad news. The good news is that quality is indeed infectious.*

— Christopher Schwarz

* “Quality is contagious” is John Economaki’s mantra. Hat tip to that.

Saturday: Derek Jones Demonstrates French Polishing

Posted on by Lost Art Press

derek_jones_IMG_2894

We have Derek Jones in the shop this week to teach a two-day class in French polishing, and Derek has generously agreed to give a free short demo on the process at 2 p.m. Saturday at our Covington, Ky., storefront.

Derek is the editor of Furniture & Cabinetmaking Magazine and runs the Lowfat Roubo site, where he sells tools and offers courses in the U.K. This is his first trip to the United States, and after the class here he heads to the Marc Adams School of Woodworking to teach two courses.

Derek is a wiz at French polishing and an outstanding teacher. His process focuses more on the results than historical dogma. I think you’ll be amazed.

The demo will begin at 2 p.m. Our storefront is at 837 Willard St., Covington, KY 41011.

If you are interested at all in finishing, you don’t want to miss this.

— Christopher Schwarz

The Hat I Wanted…

Posted on by Lost Art Press

NewMarriageMark_mockup_Front_Kelly-White-Kelly

I know that we are not supplying your headwear needs with our new hats. Two colors? One rim size? And that crown? It’s easily 3/8” too small. I know that your haberdasher chortled mightily when he opened our webpage.

Here’s the solution. Make you own dang hat. Below is a link to the vector file we used to make the embroidery pattern for these hats. The marriage mark cannot be copyrighted any more than you could copyright a question mark. Click here.

MarriageMark4.ai

Here’s a note you can print out for your local embroider.

Hi,

The vector file you’ve just been handed (it looks like a triangle with fins and a tail) is a mark that has been in use by woodworkers since at least the 1700s. It’s called the “marriage mark” and is used to mark out parts that belong together. It’s in the public domain as much as any historical symbol (the Christian cross, the lotus plant, the middle finger). 

I personally drew this image in about 5 seconds in Adobe Illustrator and give permission to anyone to use it as they see fit. Put it on baby jammies, Yoda costumes, thong underwear.

Thanks,

Chris Schwarz, drawer of the triangle thingy.

If you don’t like our hat selections, do the DIY thing and make a hat for yourself. You can support a local business and get exactly what you want. You might even save a few bucks in the process.

— Christopher Schwarz