What appeared to be an innocent truckload of lumber turned out to be a bootlegger’s vehicle loaded with prime scotch when the Los Angeles Federal Prohibition Agents smelled the odor of a broken bottle. Investigation disclosed a cleverly conceals trapdoor of board ends leading to the interior, from which 70 cases of liquor were taken. The device is said to be the most ingenious ever caught here.
We finished up work today on a special H.O. Studley T-shirt design for the Handworks event on May 24-25, and we ordered enough to sell them here on the web site.
The shirts will be heather gray, 100-percent cotton and from American Apparel – just like all our shirts. On the front is a stylized image of H.O. Studley’s signature from the metal plate on his impressive tool chest. On the back is the name of the forthcoming book “Virtuoso: The Toolbox of Henry O. Studley” plus our logo. We’ve substituted Studley’s register calipers in the place of our corporate compass.
The shirts will be $20 each and will be available in sizes between medium and 2XL.
As with all products in our store, these shirts are made entirely in the United States.
Lots more mahogany in 16″ and 18″ widths. No knots.
When the only tool you have to flatten a board is a 6” electric jointer, all your boards look 6” wide.
One of the greatest gifts of handwork is the ability to flatten boards of almost any width. Many times when I demonstrate flattening stock by hand I get asked the following question: Isn’t it grueling work?
To which I reply: When you are working with 18”-wide stock, nothing is too grueling.
Today I led a bunch of woodworkers (there were 15 or 20 of us at one point) to Midwest Woodworking in Norwood, Ohio, so they could experience this epiphany themselves. We bought tons of old mahogany that was 18” and wider for less than $7 a board foot. We bought 30-year-old sugar pine – dead flat and about 12” wide – for about the same price. Many of these boards will become campaign chests at my class next week at Marc Adams School of Woodworking.
And then we went around the corner to Gordo’s Pub for a burger and a beer – my definition of a perfect day.
You can have your own perfect day wherever you live. Getting wide stock is a matter of looking, asking and refusing to settle for low-quality raw materials.
Do you have a phone? Call Wall Lumber, Hearne Hardwood, Horizon Wood Products or Irion Lumber and tell them what you want. They can truck it to you. And if you are willing to buy 100 board feet or so, you will get a surprisingly fair price.
Wide boards are always worth the money. To me, good lumber is more exciting than a fancy shop or an expensive plane.
What did I buy at Midwest? About 20 board feet of old teak from Malaysia for my next project: A full-size fold-up officers’ desk, circa 1830.
— Christopher Schwarz
P.S. Thanks to Andy Brownell of Brownell Furniture for helping me arrange this special visit to Midwest. Andy also supplied us all with free Gorilla Glue (PVA and poly) and T-shirts.
Planing some 24″-wide sapele.Another of many 18″-wide mahogany boards. That’s not sapwood. It’s dust.
One of the reasons that campaign furniture was so common in English society is that officers were required to purchase their own furniture and necessities for their commission.
As a result, The Army & Navy Co-operative Society, Limited, was an important part of the lives of servicemen, their families and (later on) England at large. The idea behind the Society, which traces its roots back to 1871, was to provide goods to officers at low prices.
The Society was where officers would buy every item they might need in service of the British Empire, from their sidearm to their shaving mirror.
My research into campaign furniture for a forthcoming book has had me plunging into the catalogues and rules of the Society. One of the interesting documents I turned up was an 1891 list of what officers needed to buy for their training:
Ash Chest of 3 long Drawers Large square Table on four legs (forming front cover to chest). Ash Tripod Washstand, fitted with 16 in. enamelled iron basin, chamber, soap and brush trays, goblet and bottle and glass. Birch Camp Bedstead, size 2 ft. 4 in. by 6 ft. 4 in. Quilted Horsehair Mattress. Horsehair Pillow. Three striped coloured Blankets. Waterproof Sheet to cover bed. Sponge Bath. Lantern. Looking-glass to stand or hang. Tent pole-strap. Strong Camp Hammock Chair. Strip of Matting. Piece of Rope (to secure matting round chest when packed).
Price complete to purchase 12 pounds 19 shillings 6 pennies.
The next stage of my research is to amass as many of the catalogues as I can – especially the early ones. One catalogue from 1898 is where the Roorkhee chair allegedly made its debut.
