Recently John and I examined our inventory numbers and reviewed our plans for reprints in the coming year. After much thought, we decided not to reprint “The Book of Plates” when we run out of copies. It is simply too expensive to print again and takes up too much space in the warehouse.
The good news is that we still have plenty on hand, probably enough for another 12 months or so. So please consider this fair warning. When this book is gone, it’s gone forever.
To soften the blow, we also decided to give away a small bonus to people who purchase “The Book of Plates” – a small token that will show them the immediate value of what they’ve purchased. It’s the first complete English translation of plate 11.
This translation covers the workbench, of course, but it also covers setting up a workshop. It discusses how to make a drying chamber and a place for the pitsaw.
Most of the discussion in the text concerns the different tools used by woodworkers and how the bench is constructed. I have not seen a complete translation of this plate anywhere.
So if you buy “The Book of Plates” you will receive a free download of the plate 11 translation immediately.
And what about customers who already purchased “The Book of Plates” from us? Check your email (and your trash, and your junk mail folder). We sent you a copy of the translation this evening. If for some reason you didn’t receive it, send an email to help@lostartpress.com.
“The Book of Plates” is available in our store for $120 (shipping included) and ships to both the United States and Canada.
How do you build a saw bench…without a saw bench? In The Naked Woodworker, Mike Siemsen shows how to begin with a length of 2 × 6 and a pair of 5-gallon buckets. It would appear that 5-gallon buckets aren’t really a thing in Ecuador, as I haven’t been able to find any. I did manage to purchase a couple of reasonably sturdy buckets, but they’re shorter than I would like.
Mark 0 saw bench
While it may be feasible to build a saw bench without a saw bench, I think even Mike Siemsen would have trouble building one without a saw. The only saws that I brought with me were joinery saws, and so aren’t suitable for rough cutting lumber to size. As I mentioned in my previous installment, the saw that I bought at the Mega Kywi looked passable but not that great. As it turns out, I was being optimistic. After a few cuts (in pine), I decided that I wasn’t going to get anywhere unless I sharpened the saw. As delivered, the saw was filed punched straight across (no fleam), with a rather aggressive rake angle. So it actually rips softwood decently well, albeit with so much set in the teeth that the cut wanders like an Amazon tributary.
There are plenty of instructions and videos available online (and also in The Naked Woodworker) that show how to file a saw, but they all involve two things that I don’t have: (1) a saw vise, purpose-built or makeshift, to hold the saw during filing, and (2) a bench upon which to mount said vise.
I spent a full two days pondering the question of how I was going to file this saw without these two crucial tools, but finally hit upon a solution: I removed the handle from the saw and sandwiched the blade between two 2 × 4’s held together with a pair of screws, passing through two holes in the blade. I didn’t yet have anything to mount this “vise” onto, but at least it was substantial enough that I could hold it down on a table top with one hand while I filed with the other.
Mark 0 saw vise
The vise ended up working pretty well, if not the most comfortable way to file a saw. It took me three passes of jointing and shaping the teeth until I was reasonably happy. These passes were straight across; I then took one more pass to add some fleam. The goal was to end up with a hybrid rip/crosscut saw, having a negative rake angle of about 1:4 (14°) and a fleam angle of about 1:5 (11°).
Four passes later…
The saw crosscuts decently now, and the steel is hard (maybe a little too hard for easy filing), so I think it will work. It still has far too much set, but I don’t think there’s much I can do about that without risking damage.
The proof is in the cutting.
Ripping is still a chore, but the saw was cheap enough that I might buy another and set the pair up as dedicated rip and crosscut saws, which should help. I’m expecting some visitors from the U.S. in about a week and a half, and I’ve arranged for them to bring down a couple of good saw files, which should ease the pain.
This particular saw had an interesting little feature that I hadn’t noticed when I bought it: a specialized bloodletting tooth at the heel of the blade. As I already donate more than enough blood while woodworking, I decided to defang my saw and remove the tooth.
The bloodletting tooth. Normally an extra-cost option, I got this one for free.
In related news, my first trip to Aserradero San Morita (aserradero = sawmill) was productive. I neglected to take any photos while I was there, but I will try to do so next time. The place is pretty big, and I only saw a small part of it, but there were piles and piles of boards in all shapes and sizes. It was in many ways a scaled-down version of Midwest Woodworking in Cincinnati, and I got the impression that they do similar kinds of things that Midwest used to do, selling some lumber, doing custom millwork, etc.
Even though walk-in customers are clearly not their main focus, the guy I spoke with was patient enough with my meager Spanish to help me out. It was there that I learned that my interpretation of colorado as being synonymous with quebracho (“axe breaker”) was incorrect, and that in Ecuador, at least, colorado is Eucalyptus grandis x urophylla, better known in the U.S. as Lyptus®.
Lyptus has a mixed reputation. Some people claim that it is unstable and therefore unsuitable for furniture and the like, while others say that it is great to work with. The difference in opinion may at least in part be due to differences in origin, as it is known that Lyptus from different plantations can have significantly different appearance and working characteristics. (You can even buy single-origin Lyptus from Uruguay, if you’re willing to pay the premium.)
Two Lyptus boards (plus one non-Lyptus board—can you spot it?)
I bought two boards, about 1 1/8″ thick by 9″ wide, and just under 8′ long. Both boards have some end checks and the like, but they’re straight, clear and show no signs of warp or twist. The price worked out to $2.50 per board foot, about a third of the cost in the U.S. In addition to the Lyptus, which seems to be the favored wood for furniture and cabinetry in Ecuador, I saw some seique (known as tornillo in the U.S.) and some pine that did not look like P. radiata. They clearly had other kinds of wood in stock, but I didn’t want to take up more of their time than I had to; I’ll do some exploring later.
After years of work, I am pleased to announce that we now ship our books throughout Canada. You can order them through our regular store and they will ship to you from our Canadian warehouse via Canada Post.
And yes, the price includes shipping in Canada.
Note that we are currently able to ship books only. We are not yet able to ship DVDs or posters to Canada.
Here’s how it works: Canadian customers can now purchase books through our store. They will be charged in U.S. dollars plus the Canadian goods and services tax (GST). The customer’s bank will convert the charge to Canadian dollars, which costs the customers a small fee levied by his or her bank.
Then their books will be shipped via Canada Post from a warehouse in Kingston, Ontario. Customers will not encounter duty charges or any other international transaction fees.
As mentioned earlier, the cost shown on the website includes shipping. And any books that are written by me will also include a signed letterpress signature plate, just like in the United States.
We have just launched this service and we are sure there will be a few bumps in the road. If you have problems, please don’t post them in the comments section. Instead, send a note to help@lostartpress.com and we will take care of it immediately.
And now for a personal note: This huge step forward is due entirely to John. He has worked tirelessly for the last six months to make this work. Anyone who says that it’s easy to ship goods to Canada has never really attempted to do business on even a small scale. John has encountered mountains of paperwork, interviews by Canadian officials and has had to become an expert on Canadian tax collection.
Those of you who have followed our company for the last nine years know that this day has been a long time coming.
Right now I am raising a glass to John (but it’s not a Molson; sorry I can only go so far. That stuff is nasty).
I’ve been digging out the nether regions of our household this week to collect tools to sell at our Covington, Ky., storefront this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Directions to our store here.
So far I’ve gathered up about 70 items, everything from a Lie-Nielsen No. 4 to a set of oilstones to a set of turning tools. I’ll also be scouring our basement where there is stuff all the way back to 1993 when I took my first woodworking class.
I won’t be selling any junk. And prices will be incredibly fair. (Side note: There will be junk, but I’ll be giving it away. Come claim my first plastic-handled chisel!)
All tools will be sold cash or personal check (sorry, no credit cards). If there’s anything left after Saturday, I’ll post it for sale on our blog later this summer.
Some of the items I’ve set aside for Saturday:
Saws – premium backsaws and totally usable vintage handsaws. Some coping saws.
Planes – A few premium planes. I gave all my vintage ones away to the Baby Anarchists last fall.
Hammers: For joinery, adjusting, malleting etc.
Nice vintage miter jack.
Winding sticks of my own make
A Stanley 386 jointer fence
… and this is what I can see on top of the piles.
It’s all first come, first served. No exceptions. Please don’t ask me to mail anything to you. Pretty please.
— Christopher Schwarz
P.S. And of course we’ll have all our books for sale, plus some blemished books for 50 percent off retail, free stickers and posters and free woodworking advice….
John is headed to Maine this week to attend the Lie-Nielsen Open House this Friday and Saturday. If you live on the East Coast it is definitely worth attending – take a look at the toolmakers and craftsmen who will be there.
John will be there helping sell books (Lie-Nielsen carries almost our entire line), plus answering questions and talking about woodworking. Please do stop by and say hello to him – he’s the backbone of Lost Art Press and the reason you get your books shipped to you promptly and undamaged.
Meanwhile, back in Covington, Ky., I’ll have the storefront open this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. In addition to our full line of products (plus T-shirts and free stickers), I’ll also have a table of hand tools – new and vintage – for sale. Please do stop by (directions to our store are here).
