Lost Art Press

Peter Galbert on Chairmaking

Posted on by Lost Art Press

The Sterling Historical Society presents PeterGalbert from Robert McKay Jones on Vimeo.

With all the (well-earned) hoopla about our Roubo translation, we haven’t been talking as much about the other projects coming up from Lost Art Press – including a fantastic book on chairmaking by Peter Galbert.

The book is essentially written, and now Peter is making the illustrations (by hand, natch) for the book. I’ve been editing the text and I can say that it is outstanding. And I say that as a chairmaker, not as a publisher. Look for it in 2014.

If you’d like an introduction Peter and his way of working, check out the above video shot at the Sterling (Mass.) Historical Society. If you’ve had the benefit of taking a class from Peter or attended one of his seminars, then you know his book will be nothing less than fantastic.

— Christopher Schwarz

Oh Crap, it Works

Posted on by Lost Art Press

desk_open_IMG_7661

When you start working in the world of furniture that folds and unfolds, it’s easy to get your frontal lobe into a blender. Even though you know that this contraption should work, you don’t actually believe it until you build it.

With this folding officer’s desk, I had six butt hinges all turning in different directions. So keeping inside and outside all straight as I screwed them in kept me flummoxed. And I kept wondering how much spacing I should leave between the folding aprons and the inside of the legs (my experiments with the mechanism told me the answer was “none”).

But still you worry.

So it was satisfying for the table base to snap open and shut perfectly on the first try.

Now I just need to build the folding desktop, which locks the base in the open position. I’d better get the jack plane sharpened up – the top is 24” wide, and I have only a 13” surface planer.

— Christopher Schwarz

desk_shut_IMG_7662

Fast and Slow Moulding

Posted on by fitz

moulders

The moulder that produces the most work is not always the one that makes the most motions. The contrary is generally true. The man who does a large day’s work, if observed, will be seen to be attentive, calm, and thoughtful, but never, apparently, in a hurry. You will never see him excited, or making a false move.

If he steps across the shop to find some tool, you will generally see him bring back more than he went for. On his way he sees something that he will want further on in his job. His thoughts are on his work, and he sees ahead of what he is doing, and does not have to wait until he comes to the different parts of his job to know what he wants.

Materials and tools are always waiting for him, not he for them. When he has a new job he sees its requirements before he begins it. He thinks before he acts. His brains are always ahead of his muscle, and he never makes two motions where one will do. This requires thought and study. All men are not capable of this, but many that are do not practice it. They would sooner be in a sweat than bother their brains with thought, or study how to accomplish the most work with the least labor.
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Barefaced and Burly

Posted on by Lost Art Press

bareface_drw_

You don’t see bareface tenons discussed much, but they can sometimes be the right joint when you need some extra strength.

For those of you new to joinery, a bareface tenon is a tenon that is missing a face cheek. Instead, the face of the workpiece acts as a tenon cheek.

The primary disadvantage is you give up the face shoulder that can conceal the rim of your mortise. And you might be giving up a little strength against lateral forces – sometimes called racking forces.

But you get some real advantages, too. You can use a thick tenon and still have a beefy mortise wall. This is helpful with workbenches and many table constructions in my experience. It makes a joint that is robust enough for drawboring with little risk of you cracking the tenon or the mortise wall.

Plus, you have one less shoulder to fit – there’s no chance that an inside shoulder can interfere with the fit of the shoulder on the outside. Oh, and the joint is less work to make.

I wouldn’t use a bareface tenon when you could easily see the inside surfaces, and a ragged mortise wall might be evident. But for apron tables and the like, it’s definitely a joint to consider.

— Christopher Schwarz

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Reason No. 3 to Attend Woodworking in America – Roubo Book Signing Event

Posted on by Lost Art Press

Roubo Triumph

3. If you are planning on picking up your pre-ordered copy of “To Make as Perfectly as Possible” at Woodworking in America (or perhaps buy a copy at the show), please stop by the Lost Art Press booth at noon on Saturday, Oct. 19.

We will have many of the people involved with the project available to chat about the book and sign your copy. We’re not sure how long the event will run — it depends on how many people show up and what other obligations the authors, translators, etc. have.

Soon we also will be announcing details of a book-release party on Thursday, Oct. 17, at a local Cincinnati restaurant. We’re still running some numbers.

Sign up for Woodworking in America, Oct. 18-20. I mean come on, do you really need to weed the garden that weekend?

— Christopher Schwarz