Lost Art Digest – Everything we posted this week

Six-legged Catalan chairs, a Shaker Bake Table and Digital Frames for Inspiration

View this email in your browser Lost Art Press Digest, July 15, 2024 What We Posted & Where Here is a list of what we've posted on the Lost Art Press blog and other platforms during the week. Note that some of the posts require subscriptions (either free or paid) to read. Dang this was a busy week. Lost Art Press Blog Joint Stool Decoration: Turnings, Chamfers & Lamb's Tongues Peter Follansbee shows how he decorates the legs of a joint stool using turnings from his pole lathe and carving tools. Lots of great photos and drawings of the process. It's an excerpt from the book "Make a Joint Stool" from Follansbee and Jennie Alexander. Wood for Your First Stick Chair A detailed entry on what species of North American woods are ideal for making your first stick chair. The focus is on woods that are easy to acquire, inexpensive and up to the task. Plus some advice on combining species, even if you want a clear finish on your chair. Modified 'Bake House' Table for a Boot Tray Editor Megan Fitzpatrick recounts the challenges of adapting a Shaker design as an entry table and boot tray for her home. The cherry (of course) piece features some traditional (and not) construction techniques. There are lots of little tips and cat photos. LAP Open Wire, July 13, 2024 We held one of our "Open Wire" sessions on Saturday where readers could ask woodworking questions, and we tried to answer them. Our next Open Wire is July 20 (this Saturday). The post also includes a schedule for the Open Wires for the rest of the year. Behold the Six-legged Catalan Chair LAP indexer Suzanne Ellison posted a surprise entry on a fascinating vernacular ladderback chair designed for lounging that originated in Catalan. As always with Suzanne's posts, there are great photos of original chairs and manufactured versions. Meet the Designer: Tom Bonamici The people we work with at Lost Art Press – inside and outside of the company – always surprise me. Their backstories. Their motivations. But none has surprised me as much as that of our clothing design, Tom Bonamici. Check out the story. It is worth your time. The American Peasant Substack The 'A' Is Now at the End Why publisher Christopher Schwarz doesn't call himself an "anarchist" anymore. The entry is an excerpt from "The Anarchist's Workbench" book, a free download. (Free for everyone) The Trouble Might be the Sharpening Stone Some ancient communities had giant sharpening stones that were used by the entire village – Sliprännor is one word for them. A place where you couldn't disagree with the sharpening media. Also examined: An unlikely sharpening media from your dining table that we all share today. (For paid subscribers, with a free preview) The Anarchist's Apprentice Substack Prototyping as Child's Play Kale Vogt recalls their history as a childhood inventor – you probably didn't know that Kale invented the Swiffer. And how these early inventions (with fantastic photos) relate to the current chair design they are working on. (For paid subscribers, with a free preview) Never Sponsored Substack My Best Sub-$20 Tool Buy: Saddle Square Megan counts the ways she loves her inexpensive Veritas Saddle Square – the one with straight sides. And she discusses other saddle squares – good and not-so-much. (For paid subscribers, with a free preview) Design Inspiration Everyday: The Pix-Star Like many woodworkers, Chris collects hundreds of photos of pieces he loves, in hopes of using them for future inspiration. But how do you absorb them without spending hours at your computer? Chris uses a digital frame loaded with thousands of images he's collected. (Free for everyone) On Instagram This Week Chris is in Germany this week teaching classes on stick chairs and a Dutch tool chest. Plus Peter Follansbee is at the Lost Art Press shop teaching carving. Visit the LAP Blog Follow Us 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... 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

New: The Lost Art Digest

Everything we posted last week in one place

View this email in your browser Lost Art Digest, July 8, 2024 Editor's note: Every week, we post a lot of information on a lot of platforms. We know it can be overwhelming. To keep everyone up to speed,I'm trying out this weekly digest. If you like it (or hate it), let us know. We are still (as always) finding our way. Lost Art Press Blog News: 'American Peasant' Release, FWW Cover & The Stick Chair Journal A surprise here: I'm on the latest cover of Fine Woodworking magazine. The biggest surprise? I don't look like a lab animal. In the article, I build an Irish armchair. If you are a FWW subscriber, you can read all about it here (and see some videos). Other news: The Stick Chair Journal No. 2 is on press. Cover article: the Hobbit-y Chair. Painting & Finishing Slöjd A meaty excerpt from Jogge Sunquist's "Slojd in Wood" book. Jogge shows you how he uses artists' paints to color his carving projects. Color is one of Jogge's secret weapons, and embracing it will add another dimension to your carved objects. Now Shipping: 'American Peasant' (the PDF is Free) 'American Peasant' is now available as a free PDF download (just go here).Or you can buy the US-made hardback book for $37. All the details about the book are on the blog. We also have new ball caps in stock: navy blue with dividers embroidered in white thread. The American Peasant Substack The Ghost in the Machine The manual typewriter is the hand tool of the writing world. Chris explains how his hate/love relationship with this machine helped him as a writer and woodworker. And why he purchased a restored Smith-Corona Silent. Plans for the Stoutback Chair Chris just finished his latest chair design, which is for larger sitters. The engineering is a combination of good wood selection and slightly increased part sizes. The result looks like a lightweight and airy place to sit. Paid subscribers to the substack can download the full-size patterns for the chair. Never Sponsored Substack Conway Electric Devices Take a Beating Surge suppressors from the office supply store don't last long in a dusty workshop. We review Conway Electric's USA-made cast-aluminum surge protectors, which have survived four years in our workshop. And no, you can't build these devices from off-the-shelf parts. Japanese Nail Set: Cheap & Versatile This $12 nail set is better than anything else on the market. In addition to the pointy tip (which can be easily configured for cut nails), the nail set has an additional tip that allows you to set nails in close quarters. The Anarchist's Apprentice Substack Ladderback and XL Stick Chair A look at Kale's prototype ladderback chair, which is fueling Kale's love affair with the lathe. Megan is editing a new book from George Walker and Jim Tolpin. And how we are trying to survive the summer, which is our slow sales season On Instagram this Week We're planting a tree in front of the workshop (we don't just kill them). Plus a tip for how to get your spokeshave into really tight spaces (hint: remove its handles). And Chris heads off to Germany to teach. Follow Us 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... 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

Now Shipping 'American Peasant' (the PDF is Free)

Plus new hats....

View this email in your browser Now Shipping: 'American Peasant' (the PDF is FREE). Plus New Hats My latest book, "American Peasant," is now shipping from our Covington warehouse. The price is $37 plus shipping. All copies purchased from us are autographed. If you can't afford the book, or aren't sure it's for you, the pdf of the complete book is free. You can download it by clicking this link. This is not a trap. You don't have to register or give up your email. Just click this, and the pdf will download to your device. No strings attached. The pdf is free now and for always. Tell your friends. A quick note for those who bought merchandise to support our renovation of the Anthe Warehouse, your book is on the way. Check the bottom of this entry for details. What's the Book About? "American Peasant" is an introduction to a style of peasant furniture and decoration that is almost unheard of in the Americas. Built primarily with tongues, grooves and pegs, the furniture is frequently engraved with geometric symbols that beautify the piece and protect its owner. With this book, you will learn to build 10 simple pieces using common tools and whatever lumber is on hand. And you'll learn to engrave the pieces using nothing more than a cheap craft knife and a vinyl flooring cutter. (We were so thrilled with this tool that we now make a commercial version of it.) In addition to furniture making, "American Peasant" delves into other areas of the craft that will make you a more independent woodworker. Learn to make your own commercial-grade glue using only three ingredients (food-grade gelatin, salt and water), all of which you can find at the grocery store. The glue is strong, reversible and non-toxic (it's edible, though we don't recommend eating it). You can make your own finish using beeswax, linseed oil and citrus solvent. This non-toxic finish is easy to apply and to repair. Plus, it looks better with age and use. Finally, you'll learn the language of the engravings, which come from Scandinavia, Eastern Europe and the U.K. These geometric engravings can protect a loved one from sickness, guard your valuables and grant good fortune to others (there are no negative engravings or spells in this book). It's the most beautiful book I have written, designed and printed. The cover is our first two-color diestamp, and the plant did a beautiful job of stamping it extra-deep so the cloth has a fantastic texture ("...with the look and feel of hand-tooled leather.").I hope you enjoy it. Anthe Supporters – Read This! If you were one of the 445 people who purchased a special class, a spell panel, lump hammer or book that supported our effort to fix up our Covington warehouse, this section is for you. Last month I sent out a couple emails to all of you. If you didn't get one, check your junk folder. I have signed all your books, personalized them to you and they are shipping now (I labeled a bunch of them this morning). If you think or know you are entitled to a book but you haven't received an email, don't leave a comment here. Instead, reach out to help@lostartpress.com. They will help sort it out. Customer service stuff aside, thank you – all of you. Your purchases raised about $120,000 that was beyond helpful. Buy the book New LAP Hats (And a Price Cut) We also have a batch of new hats in the store. These are navy blue with our dividers embroidered in white. These are unstructured, soft and have a metal clasp to adjust them. We got a special deal on them and were able to lower the price by $5. Buy a Hat Follow Us 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... 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

A List of July 7 Price Increases

Plus chopping a chair seat and an excerpt from 'Backwoods Chairmakers'

View this email in your browser List of Price Increases for July 7, Plus how to Chop a Seat Out We have finally worked out all of the price increases that will take effect on Sunday, July 7. This blog entry is our final reminder. The price increases will also take effect with our retailers in the U.S. and elsewhere. The price increases for books are the result of increased costs of paper and cotton cloth – plus increased labor costs at the printing plants we use in Tennessee and Michigan. Here are the books that will see price increases and the new prices. By Hand & Eye: $51 (a $3 increase) Doormaking & Window-making: $34 (a $6 increase) Campaign Furniture: $51 (a $4 increase) Chairmakers Notebook: $63 (a $4 increase) The Woodworker: The Charles Hayward Years Vol. 3 Joinery: $47 (a $3 increase) Truth to Tools: $37 (an $8 increase) Making Things Work: $37 (a $7 increase) The Anarchist's Workbench: $37 (a $6 increase) Country Woodcraft: Then & Now: $54 (a $9 increase) Woodworker's Pocketbook: $23 (a $5 increase) The Stick Chair Book: $53 (a $6 increase) Shop Tails: $37 (a $7 increase) The Handcrafted Life of Dick Proenneke: $59 (a $5 increase) Karvsnitt: $44 (a $2 increase) Backwoods Chairmakers $51 (a $4 increase) The price increases for tools are more significant. Metal prices continue to go up, and we decline to switch to plastics or other inexpensive materials (in fact, we are reducing our use of plastic this year). In addition to the cost of metal going up, our price structure wasn't consistent. Some tools (such as the sliding bevel) were way underpriced for all the machining and handwork that goes into them).  Because we want to keep making tools (and develop new ones), we have to make sure that Crucible isn't robbing Lost Art Press. Here the tools and their price increases. Protractor: $66 (a $20 increase) Lump Hammer: $137 (a $36 increase) Crucible Sliding Bevel: $350 (a $140 increase) Crucible Center Squares:  Brass: $197 (a $77 increase) Steel: $113 (a $54 increase) Dovetail Templates (both the 1:4 and the 1:6 & 1:8): (both will be $70 each, a $19 increase) Crucible Type 2 Dividers: $210 (an $84 increase) Warrington Hammer: $133 (a $36 increase) Crucible Engraving Tool: $34 (a $7 increase) GoDrilla: $83 (a $25 increase) Crucible Card Scraper: $25 (a $1 increase) Crucible Planing Stop: $63 (a $12 increase) Crucible Iron Holdfast: $156 (a $12 increase) Before you give us grief in the comments, please keep in mind that all of our products are made here in the States. We pay our employees a more-than-fair wage with health insurance coverage. We could go overseas and reduce our prices (or keep the profits). But we prefer to employ our neighbors. — Christopher Schwarz Chop a Chair Seat with Chris Williams Chris Williams – who worked with John Brown for years and wrote a biography about him – is teaching a Welsh stick chair class in our shop this week. Yesterday, the students saddled their seats. Chris convinced at least a few of them to try his preferred method for rough stock removal: the adze. We caught some of it on video for your viewing pleasure and instruction. Watch the Video 'All Good Things' The following is excerpted from "Backwoods Chairmakers," by Andrew D. Glenn. Part travelogue, part profile and part how-to, "Backwoods Chairmakers" explores the tradition of the enduring Appalachian ladderback form. Glenn takes you inside the shops of more than 20 makers, with photos and personal interviews about their lives and techniques. Then, Glenn shows you how to make a post-and-rung side chair and rocking chair using the traditional techniques explored in the book. ———— "I think it was a lack of choice when I was young. This was successful enough, you just keep doing it, but you're always looking for something better. One day you just realize, 'I don't want nothing better.' That usually comes later in your life." — Randy Ogle I had mixed emotions while pulling away from Terry Ratliff's place for the last time. The day had been filled with laughter and insight, as with each time I traveled out his way. Yet in returning his photo album, I'd removed the necessity for another visit. During this project, the path between our places had grown familiar. I'd gotten better at traversing Terry's drive, and at this point I knew he'd be able to fix the Element even if I ran into trouble. And I was always interested in the chairs. Terry's were some of my favorites. As my travels came to an end, it was natural to weigh the state of affairs. I set out with a simple question in mind: Does the backwoods chairmaker still exist? I found a good deal more makers than I expected. Read the Complete Entry Follow Us 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... 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

Price Increase (Boo!), Scholarship Class (Yay!) and a Class in London

Act now before prices go up July 7

View this email in your browser Price Hike July 7, New Scholarship Class, A London Chest Class and… Like every company, Lost Art Press has been buffeted by the increased costs of raw materials during the last three years. We have tried to keep our prices steady, but it's just not possible anymore. On July 7, we will increase retail prices on the following books and tools. The price increases on the books will range from $3 to $10. The increases on the tools will be a lot more. Steel and brass prices have been significant. If you have been meaning to buy any of these products, you can save some money by making your purchase before July 7. Here are the products that will increase in price: Books By Hand & Eye Doormaking & Window-making Campaign Furniture Chairmakers Notebook The Woodworker: The Charles Hayward Years Vol. 3 Joinery Truth to Tools Making Things Work  The Anarchist's Workbench Country Woodcraft: Then & Now Woodworker's Pocketbook The Stick Chair Book Shop Tails The Handcrafted Life of Dick Proenneke Karvsnitt Backwoods Chairmakers Crucible Tools Bevel Monkey  Protractor Lump Hammer Crucible Sliding Bevel Crucible Center Squares Dovetail Templates (both the 1:4 and the 1:6 & 1:8) Crucible Type 2 Dividers Warrington Hammer Crucible Engraving Tool GoDrilla Crucible Card Scraper Crucible Planing Stop Crucible Iron Holdfast — Christopher Schwarz Visit the LAP Store Chairmaker's Toolbox Applications Open Applications are now open for this year's full-scholarship class here at Lost Art Press. Six spots are available for six aspiring chairmakers to build a comb-back stick chair in beautiful Covington, Kentucky. The class will be held Sept. 16-20, 2024. If you aren't familiar, The Chairmaker's Toolbox is an organization founded by fellow under-represented chair nerds for under-represented chair nerds. The Chairmaker's Toolbox aim is to provide access and equity in the field of chairmaking. Are you an aspiring chairmaker who has been historically excluded from the trade? This is your class. We encourage you to apply for the chance to work alongside like-minded individuals who share a love for all things chair. Applications are due by July 12th. Apply via The Chairmaker's Toolbox website. – Kale Read more here Dutch Tool Chest Class & London Woodworking Bazaar There are still a few spots left in my Dutch Tool Chest class, Oct. 30-Nov. 1 in London, England. In the class, you'll learn some fundamental hand-tool woodworking skills (planing, sawing and chisel use, as you cut dados, rabbets, dovetails, thumbnail mouldings, chamfers and more – plus how and why to use cut nails) as you build a solid tool chest that will serve you (and your heirs) well for many years. (Note: It also makes an excellent toy chest – kids love the hidden compartment!) Plus, tickets are go on sale Sat., June 22, for the London IWF Bazaar on Fri., Nov. 1 and Sat. Nov. 2. The bazaar will feature Saturday seminars, with talks on 18th-century furniture, cricket tables, peasant furniture, Shaker furniture, saw sharpening and more, as well as the following vendors: Classic Hand Tools, Lie-Nielsen Toolwords, Lost Art Press (hey – that's us!), Bad Axe Toolworks, Ian Parker, The Windsor Workshop, Niegel Melfi/Melfi Planes, Michel Auriou, Richard Arnold, Veritas, Sean Hellman, Skelton Saws, St.John Starkie & Bryony Roberts/The Quiet Workshop, Oscar Rush/Hand Forged Edge Tools, Philip Edwards/Philly Planes, Southern Fellowship of Woodworkers, Furniture Maker's Company, Lowfat Roubo /Derek Jones, G-Sharp Tools/Gervaise Evans, Festool UK, Lamello. The courses and the bazaar are at the London Design & Engineering UTC, 15 University Way, London E16 2RD. 'The Value of Nothing: A Play in Four Acts' The following is excerpted from Nancy R. Hiller's "Making Things Work: Tales from A Cabinetmaker's Life." Standing in contrast to James Krenov's "The Impractical Cabinetmaker" from 1979, Hiller's "Making Things Work" is not about waiting for a particular plank of wood to tell you its true purpose. It is not an exhortation to fuss over each detail, no matter the personal cost. Instead, Hiller's funny and occasionally ribald story is about a cabinetmaker who was trained to work at the highest level possible and how she has dealt with the personal anxiety that occurs when the desire and drive for excellence collides with paying the monthly bills. 1. On the importance of conjunctions. A few years ago I met one of our town's most respected figures: a husband and father who has held several elected public offices and devoted his career to the cause of social justice. As we shook hands he said, "I understand that your work is very good, but not very cheap." "But?" I wondered, biting my tongue. Read the Rest Follow Us 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... 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