LAP Digest: New Hammers, Ridiculous Woodworking Books & Drunk Bees

Here's a look at what we've posted on the blog, on our three Substacks and on Instagram during the last 7 days.

View this email in your browser Lost Art Press Digest A quick look at all the stuff Lost Art Press published during the last seven days. We are delighted to have a Chairmaker's Toolbox chair class going on this week, and we're happy to report that "The Stick Chair Journal" Vol. 2 is finally on its way to the warehouse, and will be up in the store soon (keep an eye on the blog and Insta – I' sure we'll be announcing it as soon as it's available). Here's what you might have missed last week…. Lost Art Press Blog Finishes Used by John Brown "American chairs are really polished. Typically, the finish is paint. Without exception all the American chairmakers I meet ask me how I get my finish. I fail to understand this because it is the least interesting part of my work. It's an aggravating necessity, as far as I am concerned."Here are the finishes that John Brown regularly used. These were always applied before assembling the chair. 'Dutch Tool Chests' Has Left the Building I am so happy/relieved that the book I (Megan) started writing four years ago – "Dutch Tool Chests" – is finally in the hands of our printer. Inside is everything you need to build your own Dutch tool chest – 192 pages, from choosing materials at the home center or lumberyard to the paint. And of course, lots of hand-tool instruction in between – techniques and tool instruction that will come in handy for any number of projects. LAP Open Wire, Sept. 14, 2024 Chris and I answered woodworking questions all day Saturday – worth a look (especially if you have chair questions). Our next Open Wire is Oct. 19. The American Peasant Substack The Chairmaker's Nightmare I don't have bad dreams about woodworking. Instead, what I have is worse: Sleepless nights about woodworking. Sometimes my brain is trying to figure out a tricky design or assembly. But mostly, the anxiety goes like this: I have now shipped hundreds of chairs all over the country during the last 20 years. When will one of them break? Then what will I do? Will I have to fly to Seattle or New York City or Texas to fix it? What is going to break? The stretchers? The long sticks? A split seat? And when it happens, will I even be able to fix the problem? (Free for everyone) Hammers + Handles = Headaches We began some trial assembly of our Exeter-pattern hammers today. The handles, made by Caleb James, are fantastic. But marrying the handles to the heads is a challenge. Most of the problems were about getting the heads onto the handles so they were perfectly perpendicular. A lot of the problems will be solved with jigs and fixtures. I'm not a fan of jigs when making one-off chairs. But when we have to make 500 hammers in a row… yes please. (For paid subscribers, with a free preview) Earlywood: Ridiculous Woodworking Books Everybody has a list of woodworking books they enjoy and a stack of woodworking books that they shouldn't have bought (anything with "Krenovian Birdhouses" in the title). And most woodworkers have a list of woodworking books that they wish would get published someday. That is not what we are writing about today. Below are the books that should never see the light of day. Or are simply ridiculous. Joel Moskowitz, the founder of Tools for Working Wood, came up with 11 sample titles below. (Free for everyone) Free Plans & Patterns: 7-stick Comb-back Chair This is me handing over the plans for the seven-stick comb-back to everyone out there. You are welcome to make this chair for yourself or for sale. You don't have to credit me (though hat tips are always appreciated). The only thing I ask that you don't be a butthole and sell these plans to other people. They are free. (Free for everyone) The Anarchist's Apprentice Substack Accidentus Interruptus To correct or not to correct – Chris ponders when to step in to avoid bad results, and when to let Kale learn on their own. (For paid subscribers, with a free preview) The 'Common Chair' – the First of Many Kale: "No one prepares you for the inner turmoil that comes at the end of each build or creation that doesn't perfectly match a vision. For that sick game of tug of war between the itching need to share a creation and the fear of vulnerability that comes with the exposure." (For paid subscribers, with a free preview) Never Sponsored Substack Star M Bits: How to Prepare & Use Them For now, Chris has landed on using Star M F-type bits for all the 5/8" and 3/4" mortises in his chairmaking. They are not perfect – not by a long shot. But if you are willing to pay the price, they can do excellent work (For paid subscribers, with a free preview) Magna-Tip Gunsmith Screwdriver Bits Megan and Chris are slotted-screw snobs. If you are willing to use Torx screws in reproduction hardware then don't read any further. This post won't make any sense. (For paid subscribers, with a free preview) Setting Block for Lie-Nielsen Honing Guides John Byer, an Indiana woodworker, makes these two setting blocks for Lie-Nielsen honing guides that marry with my sharpening philosophy: Pick one angle for all your tools and stick with it. On Instagram This Week Too much alcohol is a buzz kill. Visit Lost Art Press Copyright (C) 2024 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... 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