We’ve waited a while to make this announcement, but now that Issue Three is completely sold out of our store, we’re letting you know about our upcoming book release: a hardbound republication of Issues 1-3. We will include every single page of those three issues in the book, but this is not a simple reprint. This book – titled The First Three Issues – includes behind-the-scenes photographs and stories as well as additional essays from M&T editors Michael Updegraff, Jim McConnell, and me about M&T’s distinctive vision and role in the woodworking community. On top of that, Christopher Schwarz of Lost Art Press (does he even need an introduction?) has written a wonderful foreword. Chris was the first person I consulted...
While the paint was drying, I turned my attention to the missing till lid. These lids are commonly lost and can be tricky to replace because of the integral tenons installed during the chest’s assembly. Trying to squeeze the lid in after the chest is assembled is impossible. So how to proceed?
This is the last call for Issue Three before it goes out of stock! We only have a few cases left in our inventory now, so this is it, folks. We anticipate that the rest could well be wiped out after this notification. So, if you’re one of those folks who would regret not having your own copy of Issue Three, now’s the time. You can check out the Table of Contents here. – Garrett Hack, Vic Tesolin, Drew Langsner and Kenneth Kortemeier, Brendan Gaffney, the spring-pole lathe, carving, and on and on. This issue is loaded with great stuff. Here’s another excerpt from this issue: More Deftly Without Measures “A unit of measure has a dramatic impact...
“I would have quickly gone bankrupt as an 18th-century cabinetmaker.” Such was my thinking throughout this project, as I tallied my hours. My goal was to finish this piece, worth a day’s wages, in a day’s time, and I might have just barely squeezed under the 24-hour mark. Clearly, a maker specializing in candlestands would be fighting an uphill battle. This, however, was the key to the success of the rural entrepreneur: diversification. Owning a basic mastery of hand skills, many forms, from stands to chairs to hayforks, could be produced. A day’s turning might produce stuff for several Windsor chairs, candlestands, and perhaps a table. A day of felling and splitting might supply stock for barrels and twigs for...
“Visit any shop that has been around for a while and you’ll see lots of patterns hung up here and there. Whether made of wood, cardboard, or plywood, each tells a story of the furniture built in that shop. Naturally, I have many patterns hanging in my shop, used in all phases of construction from generating pleasing shapes, to cutting joinery, and more. They are critical to every phase of how I design and make furniture. They are simple and quick-to-make tools that help me work efficiently and accurately (i.e. better).
“The earliest depiction of the foot-powered spring-pole lathe is from the 13th century. An illustration (above) from the Bible of St. Louis (circa 1226-1234) shows a turner making a bowl. The pole is seen pulled into tension downward by means of a cord attached to a treadle.
As mentioned in our most recent podcast episode, we are seeing the end of Issue Three coming soon. A long time ago, you all cleared out our inventory of Issue One and Issue Two. Now, Three is not far behind. We will be posting some excerpts here on the blog until this one goes out of stock. If you don’t have a copy of Issue Three, now is the time to order. Honestly, we get emails all the time from folks begging for Issues One and Two, so we recommend ordering Issue Three right now before it’s gone for good. In related news, we just revealed in that same podcast episode mentioned above that Mike and I are beginning...
“It has become clear to me that perfection is not a product, it’s a process. Our journey toward perfection begins with a hint of an idea that will not let us go – perhaps a graceful curve that we saw once on an armoire or a chair that surprised us with its strength and perfect lines. Maybe it is a need for a place to put books or something upon which to write stories. Our creative spirits hover over that sort of chaos waiting for a spark, and when that spark comes we get to work on creating something new. Sometimes with great effort and a little luck, the results will bear faithful witness to our intentions, but even...
During Jim’s visit a few weeks ago, we recorded this new episode (listen above) in which we further explore the topic of Jim’s article from Issue Three: “On Perfection: Both Practical & Practiced”. Jim talks about how this topic developed in his own life and what happened when he enlisted others to contribute their own answers to a series on his blog. Jim was surprised to find different perspectives on perfection in woodworking which eventually inspired his M&T article. In this podcast, we dive a little deeper into this topic of perfection in woodworking.
Items Mentioned in the Podcast:
Issue Three featuring Jim’s article “On Perfection: Both Practical & Practiced”
Jim McConnell’s “Perfection” blog series
Mike and I met the freight driver this afternoon to receive our Issue Three delivery! After unloading and stacking thousands upon thousands of copies into our storage facility, Mike and I plopped down on the ground and silently flipped through our copies. After a few minutes of quiet, we turned to each other and asked the obvious question, “What do you think?” We discussed the elements we spent time fussing over during the designing process. We nitpicked here and there but rejoiced to find no surprises. It turned out exactly as we envisioned it would. The nature of uncoated paper always seems a bit unpredictable so when it turns out as you’d hoped, it brings a sigh of relief. This...
