Finishing has gotten a lot easier here now that we have switched to raw linseed oil that has been purified/refined. These oils are lighter than your hardware store linseed oil, they dry fast and they don’t have any heavy metallic driers. You can use them on their own or in making your own finishes (such as soft wax or our “shop finish,” which is equal parts varnish, linseed oil and mineral spirits).
We have used four brands that we can recommend. There are others out there, we just haven’t tried them.
This endorsement isn’t a knock against the other brands. As I said, we just haven’t tried them. No matter which brand you choose, you will be thrilled with this lighter oil in comparison to the stuff from the hardware store, which is gummy and thick in comparison.
The exterior of our storefront needs work. But that’s for another day.
It’s been a while since I wrote about our work on the Anthe Building, the old factory where our fulfillment center is located. This fall we’ve been working on the storefront of the building, which faces Madison Avenue in downtown Covington. And on some offices upstairs for the editorial staff. Here’s the latest.
The Storefront
This will be operational by the end of the year. The entire facade of the Anthe Building is one of the last remaining completely original storefronts in Covington. So every repair here is aimed at conservation of the original materials and altering as little as possible.
The plate-glass windows are trimmed in ornamental steel and were originally painted a bright green. We’ve removed some of the old paint on the trim and will repaint it in the original color. Likewise, all the woodwork surrounding the windows and doors is original. Some of it is in rough shape, but we will keep it all. But that’s a project for later. Most of the work has been to the interior space.
The beginnings of the storefront interior.
We have tidied up the original pine floors – removing some mastic left from some late 20th-century flooring – and adding some varnish to preserve them. The back wall of the storefront and its gallery are now complete and await some final painting.
We’ve moved the storefront’s main bookcase into the storefront, hung a cork board to display apparel and not much else. This month I’ll build some freestanding displays for books and other fun window displays. The goal is to look like a 19th-century storefront, because that’s what it is.
The second-floor offices under construction.
Offices
Upstairs, we’ve carved out 370 square feet for offices, with another 200 square feet for tool assembly. The area was drywalled during the first phase of the project, so we’ve been trying to make it habitable. That meant adding a heat pump system for the second floor, plus a nice floor (the original floor is too worn out to use, so we preserved it under felt and OSB). Our offices have yellow-pine floors to match the rest of the building.
We should move some desks in there by the end of the week. And we’ll be working there every day by the end of the year.
What Does This Mean for You?
Our Willard Street storefront, which is below our living quarters, will remain basically unchanged. We’ll use it for classes, furniture construction and photography. But it won’t be home base anymore.
All retail sales will move to the nearby Anthe Building at 407 Madison Ave. The good news is we will have regular storefront hours for people to visit – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. The bad news is we won’t be open for weekends just yet. We don’t yet have the staff to cover those shifts.
When we embarked on this project, we held a fundraiser where we sold special products (classes, hammers, books) with the proceeds going to building repairs. We also had plans for an opening day party for everyone who contributed. We keep putting that party off because Anthe is still an active construction zone.
I can’t say exactly when we might have the party. But we will have it. Maybe February 2025.
This year I have completely embraced the Pica marking stuff. It is not perfect (details below). But it is still miles beyond what I was using before.
What makes it awesome? Pica’s “Longlife Cap.” This is basically a scabbard that clips tenaciously to your shop apron, waist apron or other pocket. It protects the pencil or marker when not in use. And it makes the marking tool always available. I can grab the pencil or marker by only half-looking down and grabbing the orange thing (marker) or green thing (pencil).
The scabbard prevents the pencil from getting smashed or clogged with debris. And it keeps the marker from getting lost.
The second thing I love about the Pica gear is that it has long and skinny tips. This allows you to mark through templates with ease, and otherwise get the tip where it needs to go.
So what’s my beef with the Pica gear? Its short lifespan. The mechanism on the first two gave out and refused to advance the lead any more. The markers are fantastic, but they run out of ink too quickly. I’m on my third marker this year (I usually go through one Sharpie marker in about 12 months.)
You can pull out the marker’s tip, flip it and reinsert it for additional life. But the tip wears down rather quickly, and you do run out of ink.
Even with those faults, I love the Pica gear (there’s nothing better) and I hope the gear will continue to improve.
Day 5: Hans Karlsson & Jason Lonon Scorps/Inshaves
Good scorps/inshaves are expensive and difficult to come by. Most of the used and discount scorps I’ve seen are not worth messing with. I’ve tried grinding them and even cold-bending their handles in an effort to make them work. Most times the old tool simply wasn’t made for chairmaking and it will fight you at every stroke.
I’ve been a long-time fan of Lucien Avery’s inshave. It’s what I use on every chair seat. It’s the perfect shape for the shallow saddle of a stick chair. It has a long flat area in the middle with curved bits at the ends. The typical Dunbar-style scorp (which is circular) is difficult to use with stick chairs. (I know this because this is what I used for many years.)
So I offer up these two other options. They aren’t as perfect as the Lucien Avery, but the waiting list is always smaller.
The Hans Karlsson inshave is excellent. Almost as good as the Avery. It has the blade shape I prefer and the handles are quite comfortable. It’s heavier than the Avery, which makes it more tiring to use. But otherwise it is completely excellent. The inshave isn’t available right now, but I’m sure they will make more. There are also retailers for the company that carry the inshave, so it’s worth looking around.
The Jason Lonon scorp/inshave also works well for saddling stick chairs. I wish the middle part of the blade were flatter, but it works well when making a stick chair. The Lonon (also currently sold out) is the prettiest scorp I’ve ever seen. The fit and finish are top-notch, and so is the steel.
Eventually the world will have a steady supply of inshaves and scorps. But not today apparently.
Dec. 15 is the last day to place an order with Lost Art Press and be assured that it will arrive in time for Christmas.
Our storefront will be open during weekdays up until Dec. 24. We are currently setting up the new storefront at 407 Madison Ave. Until that comes on line, we have stock available at our old location, 837 Willard St. in Covington, Ky.
We are doing everything we can to keep things in stock, and I plan to start making some more Exeter hammers on Sunday afternoon. Sign up to be notified when they go up for sale here.
One important note: We are running low on stock of “The Anarchist’s Tool Chest.” And it will then go out of print until I finish up the revised edition of the book. So if you want a copy as a gift for someone. Or you want a copy of the original edition (we are in its 16th printing), better do it now.
