Lost Art Press

The Opportunity Cost, Don’t be a Hoarder & July 9

Posted on by Lost Art Press

tool_sale_IMG_5545

The most amazing and inspiring photos of woodworking shops feature a wall (or many walls) of tools neatly arranged and ready for use. Eugene Landon’s shop in Fine Woodworking is one. Patrick Edwards is another. And Ron Herman is a third – one I’ve witnessed in person.

Like anyone who builds, I feel an odd ache when I see these photos. I want to grab every tool in every nook and put it to use. I want to see what they can do. I imagine that I could build almost anything if I had all those tools. And they were all sharp and tuned, with arrow-straight soles and tight-fitting wedges. Shavings would fly….

The truth, however, is different.

During the last 20 years I’ve seen a lot of “tool walls” and picked through them. Wooden planes are a trick to maintain. I own about a dozen of them and I fuss over them constantly to keep them working.

So when I step up to a wall containing 300 tools, I’m not surprised to find them lacking. The wedges don’t fit. The irons need work. The soles are bendy. Yes, they could be fixed with love. But by the time you fixed plane No. 300, then plane No. 1 would be out of truth.

This isn’t just a problem with people who own wooden-bodied planes.

When I meet a woodworker who owns a lot of metal planes, they tend to have lots of Nos. 4, 5 and 6 bench planes (who needs three No. 6s?). And about 63 block planes. Many of these tools simply followed the owner home. They didn’t intend to own a stable of 20 bench planes; it just happened.

The truth is this: It’s easier to acquire tools than it is to get rid of them.

Even if you try to reduce the number of tools you own, people dump them at your door. I know this problem well. Sometimes I think I run the Schwarz Home for Wayward Saws. (Or perhaps saws have intercourse and reproduce like rabbits.)

So every year or so I make a pile of tools that have somehow accumulated in my house and make an effort to get rid of them. I’ll give them away if I can. Or I’ll sell them.

I say all this for two reasons.

No. 1: You don’t need four smoothing planes or six A2 gazintas. And holding onto excess tools robs other beginning woodworkers from using them. You are – in a small way – hurting the craft. Sell them or give them away. Today.

No. 2: In that spirit, Lost Art Press is holding a tool sale at its headquarters during the next open house on Saturday, July 9. We’ll have hand tools (and some power tools) from myself, John Hoffman, Megan Fitzpatrick and Popular Woodworking. All will be cash and carry and priced to move.

Details and lists of tools to come. Mark your calendar.

— Christopher Schwarz

A Father’s Day Forum Update

Posted on by meghanlostartpress

planes

Happy belated Father’s Day to all you dads out there. Hopefully everyone had a relaxing weekend filled with sunshine, good food and a great build. I am not sure if ours was relaxing but we did get good pictures of dragging our toddler around behind the boat in a tube. This is a form of initiation into our family so it made it a big weekend. It was also a big weekend on the forum as a lot of people seem to be wrapping up projects. Remember, if you have a question about our products, procedures in our books or anything related to Lost Art Press, the fastest way to get an answer is our forum. Check it out here.

‘Finally got the staked chair dry fit.’
Daniel has made headway on his staked chair from “Anarchist’s Design Book” and has the pictures to prove it. Also, the personal touch to his crest rail shows how every project can be made your own.

staked-chair

leg-vice

Old Bench Screws
William’s wife found an old leg vice screw (right) in amish country and he is looking to put it to use. The question is: is it in good enough shape? There seem to be two solutions. Either way it is fun to look at.

Sash Planes
The vice screw isn’t the only antique tool being discussed. Adam acquired a set of wooden sash planes (picture at top) and had a few questions about sharpening and setting the blades.

Soft Wax
If you have any questions about making your own soft wax, my guess is that they are probably answered somewhere in this thread. It is definitely something to read if you are about to give it a go.

Shaker Bench Designs
Kevin finished his trestle table and is looking to make benches that go with. Style, height and stability were the original questions but it seems that Chris has made a bench that might serve as a good model. On a side note, this is the thread that has the beautiful Atelier Marolles furniture in it.

— MB

Soft Wax: Furniture Loves it (Cats Don’t)

Posted on by Lost Art Press

wally-soft-wax-IMG_5542

Katy has a new batch of soft wax up in her store today. She tried to get Wally the cat (aka Black Phillip) to pose with the wax. He took one sniff and backed away. Slowly.

Soft wax: furniture finish and cat repellent. Get yours here.

— Christopher Schwarz

New Street Numbers and Stable Door at our Storefront

Posted on by Lost Art Press

willard_street_numbers_IMG_5391-(1)

Though I’ve been up to my neck in “Woodworking in Estonia” and building a Danish Modern Campaign chest, I’ve been sneaking in a little work on our Willard Street storefront.

Most of that work is happening in my savings account. We need a new roof. And because we want one that will last longer than we will, it’s going to cost us about $19,000. Good thing Katy works at a grocery store and gets a discount on generic ramen.

I’ve been working on our facade a bit; I removed the furry (yes, furry) exhaust fan and rebuilt the top of our entrance to have three windows. This improvement lets in even more light. Then I hired designer Nicholas Moegly to paint our street numbers on the new center window.

The numbers are hand-painted and then gold leaf is applied in what is called a Boston gild. I’m still sweeping up little scraps of gold (I have a little PTSD from the glitter).

nicholas_IMG_5369

Nicholas’s work is outstanding. You can see the street numbers from a block away and they look a lot classier than the plastic Blaze bar sign we inherited. We should receive our new custom entry door in the next week or so. And after I install that and the fire exit signs, I’ll hire Nicholas to paint our logo on the new door – once I get city approval.

stable_door_shop_IMG_5540

The other progress is in the stables. Today I finished building a braced and ledged door for the stable’s entrance to the courtyard. This doorway was formerly secured with a tarp. The door was a blast to build because I did it all by hand.

I also built and installed a new door frame and I’ll hang the door on massive strap hinges tomorrow.

With the stables secure, I can start to lay a new wooden floor and (after replenishing the savings account) reconnect the electric service to the stables.

— Christopher Schwarz

stable_door-in-frame_IMG_5541

Tools in ‘The Anarchist’s Tool Chest:’ Part 5, Miscellaneous Bits

Posted on by Lost Art Press

new_drills_IMG_9891

This last entry in this series will focus on the remainder of tools I have in my chest today. Most of them have to do with making holes and filling them.

Boring Tools
While I had great affection for my Spofford brace, I found that a ratcheting brace is really helpful for reaming mortises, particularly when correcting a reaming gone wrong (boy, that sounds salacious). So I gave my Spofford brace to a student and now have one of the Stanley versions of the North Bros. famous brace.

The other big change in the world of hole-making is I use WoodOwl augers instead of Irwins. The WoodOwls cut faster than any vintage auger I’ve tried. And they work in my electric drills, too. I store my augers in a tool roll from Texas Heritage Woodworks. Normally I wouldn’t single out a tool roll for praise, but this is the best one I’ve ever owned. It’s bulletproof, rolls up tight and holds a lot of bits.

I’m a big fan of hand drills, and when I wrote “The Anarchist’s Tool Chest,” I had a Millers Falls No. 2A or 5 (I forget). Five years later I have a Millers Falls No. 2A or 5 (I forget). In the intervening years I had a Goodell-Pratt, but a friend fell in love with it, so I gave it to him.

As far as bits for the hand drill go, I have the little plastic boxed set from Rockler (best $20 I’ve spent in boring) and a set of Snappy countersink bits. The Snappys are made in the U.S. and are much cheaper than the Fullers (also made in the U.S.). Get the Snappys, they are 11.4 times better.

elementary_overall_IMG_4742

The Wonderful World of Screwdriving
I had to become a better person who drives screws to write “Campaign Furniture,”  which involved installing hundreds of pieces of inlaid brass hardware. I have the Grace USA set of screwdrivers, which is what I have in my chest’s tool rack. They have held up really well.

I also have the two Elemen’tary screwdrivers that take replaceable bits. And I use gunsmith bits from Brownell’s (I have the standard set No. 2). One caution: If you order from Brownell’s, be ready to receive lots of gun literature, which may be welcome or unwelcome in your house. The NRA sent my wife a tote bag as a result. Weird.

Also new to my chest is a Starrett centerpunch, which makes installing hinges easy. I still use (and love) my Czeck Edge birdcage awl.

I also have some junky hardware store screwdrivers and an eyeglass screwdriver for odd jobs (or to loan to people).

LN_overall_IMG_9028

Sharpening
I don’t keep my sharpening gear in my chest – I keep it in a boot tray under my bench. I use Shapton Pro stones (#1,000, #5,000 and #8,000) and a Lie-Nielsen Honing Guide. I have been switching back and forth between oilstones and waterstones and landed on Shaptons because they will sharpen everything, even D2.

Rasps
I still have three Auriou rasps: The cabinet rasp, modeller’s and a rattail. All are protected in a  tool roll. I also have a brush for cleaning them.

Odds & Sods
The second till of my chest has become a repository for spares – spare TiteMark blades, a lifetime of Pegas blades, a toothing iron for my block plane, a whole box of pencil leads.

My Cabinet Scraper
Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention my Sandvik cabinet scraper, which I’ve had since day 1. They don’t make it anymore (the story is that the machine that ground them broke and Sandvik decided not to replace it). It’s protected in its original plastic holder and is sharpened with an Arno carbide burnisher.
— Christopher Schwarz