Monday, December 29, 2025

‘Campaign Furniture” Free, New Workshop Layout, Toilet Roller Trick & More

͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌

View this email in your browser

'Campaign Furniture" Free, New Workshop Layout, Toilet Roller Trick & More

A quick look at all the stuff Lost Art Press published during the last seven days.

It's been slow at the office – the only one at the "office" has been Chris, because it's his shop and he lives above it. But we still have a few things for your reading pleasure while we're on break (we'll be back on Friday, January 2, 2026).

Chris has been (surprise!) building another chair in the interim, and I'm busy building my kitchen; he'll be done first. (And I'm sure everyone else at LAP is having fun, too!) The final coat of finish went on my floor a week ago, and the smell is finally dissipating, but the cats and I have been hanging out on the third floor a lot, where I have a separate HVAC system so we can escape the fumes. I moved my Roorkee (pictured above) up there for reading, because not only is it easily portable, it's the most comfortable chair in my house for long sits. Olivia agrees…so I haven't gotten to sit in it much.

Why am I sharing that with you (other than that Olivia is cute)? Well, the book the Roorkee chair is from, Chris's "Campaign Furniture," is now a free pdf download. See below.

Happy holidays!

– Fitz

Lost Art Press Blog

New Layout for the Workshop

We are down to four benches – set up like we live in 18th-century France – and a low assembly table. Have a look!

The Rejoicing Spirit

A Christmas excerpt from our Charles H. Hayward collection, "Honest Labour."

Mind Upon Mind: Spring-loaded Stretcher

Craig Regan shares his clever solution for perfect stretcher location – just don't steal the toilet paper roller from your bathroom to make it.

The American Peasant Substack

Free Now & Forever: 'Campaign Furniture'

Now all of Christopher Schwarz's Lost Art Press books are available as free pdf downloads. No need to give us your name, email or first-born (though if your firstborn can build a range hood, I would like to borrow her).

(Free for everyone)

Woodworking Classes are a Trap

You might be there for the project, for time with like-minded friends or just to escape the daily grind. But be careful…you might catch something.

(For paid subscribers, with a free preview)

The Anarchist's Apprentice Substack

Is This Stool Taken?

Kale's experience as a first-timer on a commission job, plus sage advice from a pro who's been in the business longer than Kale has been alive.

(For paid subscribers, with a free preview)

Flush Cut Saws

Keep an eye on the parts that can hurt you – and keep the lube handy.

(Free for everyone)

Never Sponsored Substack

Bougie Backsaws

We've been too busy with vacation to write during the last week, so I've "unlocked" (i.e. I made it free) one of my favorite posts from the pasts. (I'll have a new one for you on Wednesday – something I've been using a lot this week.)

(Free for everyone)

On Instagram This Week

Chris posted yesterday that by tomorrow (i.e. today), he'd have a finished chair. Stay tuned to the IG feed to see if he did indeed finish. (If not, he can blame me…I stopped in for a couple hours yesterday to use the machines and grab the rest of the stock cluttering up my bench.)

Visit Lost Art Press

Copyright (C) 2025 Lost Art Press. All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you subscribed to the Lost Art Press blog. Welcome! We try our best to make this a good experience for both of us...

Our mailing address is:
Lost Art Press 407 Madison Ave Covington, KY 41011-1519 USA

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe

Monday, December 22, 2025

Hot Sausage Steam Box, Carve with a View, a Legendary Chair & More

View this email in your browser

Hot Sausage Steam Box, Carve with a View, a Legendary Chair & More

A quick look at all the stuff Lost Art Press published during the last seven days.

This week, we're in a frenzy of shop rearrangement. With no more classes in the shop, we're dropping from eight benches to four, and we've added a low assembly table (you'll see it at the bottom of this email, in the Instagram slot). One of the four surplus benches, the "petit Roubo" I built circa 2011, is returning to my basement shop (the other three have been sold). So on Sunday, I scurried around making space for it. I was unable to liberate floor space for its final location, mind you – but at least there's now a path to my benchroom amidst the current house renovation project mess! (I'm embarrassed that Chris is going to see my shop in its current state – he's so tidy…I am not.)

Perhaps I'll get things cleaned up between Christmas and the new year – I should have time, because Chris and John kindly gave us the week off between the holidays. All Lost Art Press offices, the warehouse and customer service will be closed December 25 through January 1, 2026 – though we'll still have blog posts for your reading pleasure – though the substacks might be a bit slow…depends on how much time we can carve out of family stuff).

But we're not closed just yet: the storefront, at 407 Madison Ave., Covington, Kentucky, 41011, will be open this Wednesday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. for your last-minute book or tool needs.

From all of us at LAP, happy holidays!

– Fitz

Lost Art Press Blog

Mary May Opens a New Woodcarving School In the Ozarks

Mary May recently moved from South Carolina to Missouri, where her new carving school has a gorgeous view of the Lake of the Ozarks.

'Country Woodcraft' Back in Stock

Drew Langsner's "Country Woodcraft: Then & Now" – an updated version of his 1978 classic – is now back in stock.

Molly Gregory: For the Good of Community

Discover the amazing life Mary "Molly" Gregory – a talented and determined woodworker who used her skills in myriad ways, and whose work ended up in museums.

Mind Upon Mind: Hot Sausage (Steam Bending Without a Box)

Discover Sam Robinson's clever solution for steam bending without a steam box.

The American Peasant Substack

Earlywood: A Vampire Chair

Read about a Tennessee ladderback chair from the early 1800s that is the stuff of legend. And pain. And blood. Merry Christmas.

(Free for everyone)

Getting Through the Rough

Chris is working his way through a self-diagnosed slump (I can't see it from the outside) by going back to the basics.

(For paid subscribers, with a free preview)

Stick Chair Journal No. 3

In the new issue, Chris and a team of chairmakers explore the earliest-known Windsor, a Lincolnshire chair. Plus a simple and safe finish that looks fabulous, the Stanley No. 77 doweling machine, and more. The issue is at the printer and due out January, but paid subscribers can download a pdf now.

(For paid subscribers, with a free preview)

The Anarchist's Apprentice Substack

Building with Stinky Boys

Katherine takes us through her experience of building her second apprenticeship chair alongside her father and two friends from afar. All of whom apparently smell bad.

(Free for everyone)

Wax On, Wax…You Know…

Soft Wax 2.0 is good for all kinds of things – including the new railing at Anthe (which we put up mostly to keep clumsy me from taking another tumble).

(Free for everyone)

Never Sponsored Substack

Video Review: No. 77 Doweling Machine

Chris walks us through how to use this clever machine that not only makes dowels, but cuts perfectly centered tenons.

(For paid subscribers, with a free preview)

On Instagram This Week

Our new low assembly bench, a new (old) chair from Chris, and the cover of the new Stick Chair Journal, which is now with the printer.

Visit Lost Art Press

Monday, December 15, 2025

Last Order Day for Christmas Delivery, ‘Best’ Tape Measures, Open Wire & More

View this email in your browser

Last Order Day for Christmas Delivery, 'Best' Tape Measures, Open Wire & More

A quick look at all the stuff Lost Art Press published during the last seven days.

As always, things are busy leading up to the winter holidays. Mark and Gabe are working long hours every day, and Kale and Katherine have been helping out in the warehouse to make sure orders get packed quickly and on their way. So we're all grateful to Chris and John for giving us a break between Christmas and New Year. Lost Art Press will be closed December 25 through January 1. (Hey – think I can get my kitchen done that week? Probably not – but I'm going to try!)

– Fitz

Lost Art Press Blog

LAP Open Wire, Dec. 13., 2025

Chris answered more than 100 woodworking questions on Saturday (I answered maybe 5, because I was busy teaching) – have a look at the Qs and As! (And, you'll find the 2026 dates at the top of the post.

Order by 5 p.m. Monday (Dec. 15) for Christmas Delivery

Place your Christmas orders by 5 p.m. today, and we'll get them boxed up and in the postal system in time for Christmas delivery. (Special thanks to Mark and Gabe for all their hard work!)

Crucible Big Protractors – Now in Wood (and Less Expensive)

In our ongoing effort to as much as possible get away from using plastics, we're now offering our Big Protractors in 1/8" Baltic birch, and have lowered the price.

The American Peasant Substack

Earlywood: Add a Book Ribbon to Hardbound Books

You know those ribbon placeholders that are often in fancy dictionaries and other large tomes to mark your place? We have one in "The Anarchist's Design Book," and people have asked why we don't offer that in other titles – here's a way to add your own.

(Free for everyone)

Crimes Against the Craft

People who damage the craft solely for personal gain – and it is almost always at the expense of others – are the worst.

(For paid subscribers, with a free preview)

The Anarchist's Apprentice Substack

Pinning, Pining - It's All the Same

Kale is into image…images, that is. Have a look at what's their using as inspiration for their future builds

(Free for everyone)

What in the Heck is Decarb?

I recently got a new blade from the most reputable of companies, and it didn't hold an edge. That's not an altogether uncommon problem – and it's an easy fix.

(Free for everyone)

Never Sponsored Substack

More (Begrudging) Love for a Diamond Stone

Diamond bench stones aren't are favorite (we're waterstone users) – but in special applications, diamonds are the answer.

(Free for everyone)

German Tape Measures for the American Shop

Chris picked up a couple new tape measures on his recent travels, and has fallen in love. (And I kinda love the same one he does. I wonder if he'd notice its absence….)

(For paid subscribers, with a free preview)