Lost Art Press

Anthe Building Update No. 4(?)

Posted on by fitz
Funky Winkerbean is expressing concerned we won’t correctly interpret our architect’s approved drawings for Phase 1 of the Anthe Building restoration. (Photo by Lucy May)

I’m not sure what counts as an update in Christopher lexicon – but this is the fourth numbered update on what’s been happening at what will become the new Lost Art Press headquarters, so we’ll go with No. 4! (You can read an FAQ about plans for the new space in this June 28 post.)

The view from the back, looking forward to what will eventually become a retail space (on the far side of the framing). In the foreground is the bathroom.

We received the stamp of approval from the county last week to proceed with the plans as drawn by our Cincinnati-based architect and friend, Trenton Bradford (whom we first met as a student in an ATC class, and we’re awfully glad we did!). Our general contractor, Bill Kreidler (BK Remodeling), has been working at warp speed on framing the walls to replace the old and falling-down ones (and salvaging the old beadboard for re-use) and get all the subcontractors in for the drywall, plumbing, electric, painting….

The Floor
Chris and I sprayed the floor with two heavy coats of shellac to encapsulate some residual machine oil odor after multiple floor scrubbings, and to offer a modicum of protection for the original floorboards (and the new patches that were installed where necessary).

The Bathroom
We got the OK on the bathroom framing two weeks ago – so that’s the most visible and functional change to report: We have a functioning bathroom, complete with tile (that you cannot see much of it in the picture below because it’s currently protected with cardboard). The bathroom is ADA compliant, or will be, as soon as we get the grab bars on the walls. Oh – and we need to get the door installed.

The interior of the new bathroom. I am fond of the exposed brick around the window, with its vestiges of decades-old (possibly a century-old, but probably not) paint.

The bathroom exterior is clad in beadboard that has been painted and glazed to look like the 100-year-old beadboard that was salvaged from the “front of house” (we’ll be using that salvaged stuff on the interior of what will some day become the storefront). The interior is white painted-and-glazed beadboard. I’m fairly certain the end of the rafter tails will be left unpainted (this is, after all, a warehouse!). Atop the bathroom, we’ll be storing boxes and other packing materials.

We couldn’t resist the vintage look of this sink and faucet set. I am particularly fond of the sprayer and soap pedestal.

The Slop Sink
I love our Watermark Fixtures slop sink. In a fit of moving too quickly, we initially got it for the bathroom – but of course it would be impossible to get a wheelchair up to it, so we chose a different one to use in that space. Instead, we have an awfully fancy utility sink hanging on the outside back of the bathroom. In hindsight, that’s a better place for it anyway – it’s more visible. Most important though, we now have easy access to running water!

The Framing
BK and his tireless employee, Eric, are done with the first-floor framing and are getting started in the basement on Monday. I just have to find some not-ugly fire doors to install in the two openings that will lead to the stairwell before we get the drywallers in to add two layers of type X drywall to the walls and type C to the ceilings up front. For the basement, an ugly door will do. (If anyone can point me toward a not-butt-ugly Shaker, Craftsman, or otherwise plain-but-not-flat-slab pre-hung 90-minute fire rated door, 32″ or 36″ wide, I’d greatly appreciate it. Finding doors that meet requirements at which we can also bear to look has proven to be a difficult challenge!)

In order the apply for temporary occupancy, we have to have the safety requirements in place in at least the basement and first floor, so we’re trying to move as quickly as possible on these fronts.

The shelving, and dwindling pile of beadboard as seen from the front of the first floor (with a glimpse at what will be the fire-rated wall along the stairwell).

The Shelving
We are allowed to use the space for storage for now; all the shipping work we’ve been doing in Covington has been out of the editorial offices and machine room at Willard. And it’s been getting awfully crowded with the necessary packing materials and tools, so our new employees, Gabe and Mark, erected some shelving (out of the way of BK’s work) to provide some much-needed storage. And when they need more boxes, the Anthe building is less than a mile away.

And that’s about it for now – but stay tuned: If we can get the fire doors in place and the drywallers in quickly, we should be able to move all shipping operations to Anthe soon!

– Fitz

p.s. If you’d like to learn more about the Anthe Building, and perhaps help with renovations, please check out this page on our main site.

p.p.s. We’ll be giving tours of the new space at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. during our open house on July 29, leaving from 837 Willard St. More info here.

Workbench Curiosities at Skokloster

Posted on by Lost Art Press

Last week I got to examine two Scandinavian workbenches, presumably from the 1600s, that were on display at the Skokloster Castle museum outside Stockholm. Both benches had some interesting details that I had never seen before on workbenches.  

A Different Pinch Dog (& Bench Nipple)

The bigger workbench at Skokloster had a massive shoulder vise that has a curious round protrusion as part of the face vise. We got to calling it the “bench nipple.” It looked like a huge bead, and I strongly suspect it was purely decorative.  

But you always wonder, did the owner find some use for the nipple? The thing had lost a lot of fights with a saw blade during its life. Though, to be fair, the entire bench was covered with tool marks. These woodworkers were not precious about marring their worksurface.  

The other unusual feature of this bench was a forged metal dog that we came to call the “pinch dog.” It fit into the dog holes of the workbench, but it had two peculiar characteristics. It was much longer than the other dogs. And the metal spring of the dog went all the way to the top of the dog.   When the dog was pushed into its dog hole, the leaves closed like the jaws of a vise. But they did not close all the way. I suspect the dog was used to pinch thin stock so it could be worked on its edge – planing it or grooving it, perhaps.  

The dog could also be used like a standard metal bench dog. It was quite clever, and I might need to chat with a blacksmith about making one.  

A Different End Vise

The second bench was much shorter than the first and was equipped with your standard stuff: shoulder vise, tail vise, tool well and a storage locker below.  

The curious part of this bench was a third vise located up by the face vise. The vise had a small screw compared to the face vise and tail vise screws. It had a small chop that was fitted with a small dog hole. A matching small dog hole was mortised into the frame. Clearly a piece was missing from this vise that might have answered some questions.  

After some thought, I suspect this vise could have been used to pinch wide boards between the small dogs for face planing. As I mentioned, the bench is shorter than I would like. So this would be a way to handle longer boards. Both of these benches were used primarily by joiners who were fitting up the castle with wooden hearths. Plus frame-and-panel trim throughout the structure.

If you have seen a vise like this on an old bench, leave a comment.  

— Christopher Schwarz

LAP Open Wire with Joel Moskowitz, July 15, 2023

Posted on by fitz
Joel Moskowitz, not in his shop.

We are delighted to have Joel Moskowitz, co-author of “The Joiner and Cabinet Maker,” and owner of Tools for Working Wood in Brooklyn, N.Y., as the host of today’s Open Wire. 

Here’s how it works: Type your woodworking question in the comment field. Joel will answer it. It is that simple. (Note that he will likely not be sitting at the computer all day, but will drop by as his schedule allows to post answers.)

Update: Thanks for all the great questions today, and thank you to Joel for spending part of his Saturday with LAP. Comments are now closed.

LAP Open Day, July 29 – Plus Tours of Our New HQ

Posted on by Lost Art Press

We will open our doors to the public on Saturday, July 29, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 837 Willard St. in Covington, Ky. We’ll be selling our complete line of products, signing books and – most of all – talking about woodworking.

I’ll display a bunch of the furniture I’m building for my next book, “The American Peasant.” Plus, I’ll be happy to demonstrate the grooving cutters I use to add spells and wards to the furniture.  

We’ll also show off the Anthe building – the 1890s-era factory we are restoring to become our new headquarters. If you would like a tour of the Anthe building, we’ll lead walking tours that leave from Willard Street to 407 Madison Ave. The tours begin inside 837 Willard St. (our current building) at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.  

If it’s too hot for you to walk (or you have mobility concerns), you can drive your car the 0.7 miles to the Anthe building and meet us there.  

Please keep in mind that Anthe is under construction, so be sure to wear comfortable shoes with good traction. There is, however, electricity, plumbing and HVAC there. Other than the two tours, the Anthe building will not be open to the public that Saturday. Our fulfillment employees don’t work on weekends. So if you show up there (outside of the tours mentioned above), you’ll find the doors locked.

— Christopher Schwarz

‘Karvsnitt’ by Jögge Sundqvist Now Available

Posted on by fitz

We are delighted to announce that the English translation of Jögge Sundqvist’s “Karvsnitt: Carving, Pattern & Color in the Slöjd Tradition” is now available in our store!

Cutting patterns and symbols in wood, and enhancing them with vibrant color, are folk traditions kept alive in the slöjd craft. Through decorations imbued with meaning, chip carving has given soul to slöjd woodcraft throughout history. Even today, chip carving offers a natural complement to an artfully crafted spoon, cutting board or shrink box – and it provides the opportunity to develop your own creativity and meaningful patterns.

“Karvsnitt” teaches you techniques for cutting triangle chips, fingernail cuts, lines and letters — plus you’ll learn what kind of wood, knives and tools you need to get started, and techniques for painting your finished work.

You’ll find 15 projects, from simple decorations on knife handles and signs to more demanding objects such as boxes and combs. In addition to providing practical knowledge, “Karvsnitt” opens a window into older slöjd and folk art, and provides fascinating in-depth descriptions of the traditional meanings of different patterns and symbols.

We have sought to reproduce the Swedish edition of this book in every way possible, from the paper’s opacity to the binding and the endsheets. In short, this is a high-quality book that is made to last for generations.