[{"id":167872757823,"handle":"the-anarchist-series-of-books","updated_at":"2024-12-08T17:00:20-05:00","published_at":"2020-11-23T15:11:09-05:00","sort_order":"best-selling","template_suffix":"","published_scope":"global","title":"'The Anarchist' Series of Books","body_html":"\u003cp\u003e\"The Anarchist\" series of books by Christopher Schwarz represent a 10-year effort to make woodworking more accessible, affordable and ethical – and less commercial. Each book addresses an important aspect of the craft.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"The Anarchist's Tool Chest\"\u003c\/strong\u003e shows you how you can build furniture with only a small kit of high-quality tools. The first half of the book explains in detail how to choose the right tools, regardless of brand name. You'll learn what makes a good hammer, a good block plane and a good awl – so you can make good decisions when buying new or antique tools. The second half of the book shows you how to build a traditional tool chest to hold these tools and explains: If a tool doesn't fit in the chest, you probably don't need it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"The Anarchist's Design Book: Expanded Edition\"\u003c\/strong\u003e shows you how to put those tools to work to build an entire house full of furniture with simple tools and methods. The Design Book explores \"staked\" and \"boarded\" forms of furniture – two efficient and nearly forgotten ways of making furniture that is sturdy, good-looking and easy to build. Additionally, the Design Book explores (and debunks) many of the myths we have about furniture and good craftsmanship. Wild ornament, flashy woods and complexity don't always make for good furniture. And the Design Book asks: Why would you want to imitate the taste of your boss's boss's boss?\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"The Anarchist's Workbench\"\u003c\/strong\u003e explains how to build the last workbench you'll ever need using home center construction lumber and simple woodworking tools. This book, the final in the Anarchist Series, encourages you to make the simplest bench possible and then add complexity from there. The bench plans featured in the book are based on a 15th-century design that emerged from France and Low Countries. And it has yet to be eclipsed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese three books have been the most successful titles published by Lost Art Press. Their simple message \"build instead of buy\" has been embraced by woodworkers all over the world and nudged many amateurs to quit their corporate jobs and make a living with their hands. You might not go that far. But then, maybe you will. Here's how to find out.\u003c\/p\u003e","image":{"created_at":"2020-11-23T15:11:07-05:00","alt":null,"width":1500,"height":1125,"src":"\/\/lostartpress.com\/cdn\/shop\/collections\/anarchist-series-of-books-IMG_0179.jpg?v=1606162268"}},{"id":262360563775,"handle":"all-books-1","title":"All Books","updated_at":"2024-12-08T17:10:01-05:00","body_html":"","published_at":"2021-11-06T08:19:16-04:00","sort_order":"created-desc","template_suffix":"","disjunctive":false,"rules":[{"column":"type","relation":"equals","condition":"Book"}],"published_scope":"global"},{"id":168102756415,"handle":"all-books","title":"Best Sellers","updated_at":"2024-12-08T17:10:01-05:00","body_html":"The 10 best-selling books since we started Lost Art Press in 2007.","published_at":"2020-12-01T10:05:23-05:00","sort_order":"best-selling","template_suffix":"","disjunctive":false,"rules":[{"column":"type","relation":"equals","condition":"Book"},{"column":"tag","relation":"equals","condition":"Bestseller"}],"published_scope":"global"},{"id":14049653,"handle":"books","title":"Books","updated_at":"2024-12-08T17:10:01-05:00","body_html":"All books from Lost Art Press are produced entirely in the United States. We use acid-free paper and tough bindings – our books's signatures are sewn and glued for durability whenever physically possible.","published_at":"2013-12-16T11:31:00-05:00","sort_order":"manual","template_suffix":null,"disjunctive":false,"rules":[{"column":"type","relation":"equals","condition":"Book"}],"published_scope":"global"},{"id":165815124031,"handle":"books-by-christopher-schwarz","updated_at":"2024-12-08T17:00:20-05:00","published_at":"2020-07-21T13:41:03-04:00","sort_order":"best-selling","template_suffix":"","published_scope":"global","title":"Books by Christopher Schwarz","body_html":"\u003cp\u003eChristopher Schwarz is a furniture maker, writer and publisher who works from a storefront in Covington, Ky. He is, along with John Hoffman, one of the founders and the editor of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/lostartpress.com\/\"\u003eLost Art Press\u003c\/a\u003e, which publishes books on hand tool woodworking. And he is one of the founders of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/crucibletool.com\/\"\u003eCrucible Tool\u003c\/a\u003e. He is a former editor of \u003cem\u003ePopular Woodworking Magazine\u003c\/em\u003e, and has been published in \u003cem\u003eFine Woodworking\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eMortise \u0026amp; Tenon Magazine\u003c\/em\u003e and many other woodworking publications. He teaches hand-tool woodworking around the world. Christopher is the author of five Lost Art Press books and a contributor to two, \"The Joiner and Cabinet Maker\" and \"The Art of Joinery.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","image":{"created_at":"2020-07-21T13:41:02-04:00","alt":"Christopher Schwarz at Lost Art Press","width":1000,"height":667,"src":"\/\/lostartpress.com\/cdn\/shop\/collections\/CS-chair_IMG_7022.jpg?v=1595353527"}},{"id":262488719423,"handle":"gifts-for-your-woodworker","updated_at":"2024-12-08T17:00:20-05:00","published_at":"2021-11-19T11:37:28-05:00","sort_order":"manual","template_suffix":"","published_scope":"global","title":"Gifts for Your Woodworker","body_html":"\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eGet the woodworker in your life something they didn’t know they needed – or something they would never buy for themselves.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eLost Art Press and Crucible Tools makes everything – everything – in the United States and has been providing quality books and tools since 2007. Here are some of our new and classic items that are available for immediate shipment.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/lostartpress.com\/collections\/tools\/products\/big-protractor-from-firstlightworks\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/lostartpress.com\/collections\/tools\/products\/big-protractor-from-firstlightworks\"\u003e\u003cb data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCrucible Big Protractor\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eMost woodworkers use small protractors intended for students. Our protractor is almost 12” wide, making it easy to use in the shop and shockingly accurate. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/lostartpress.com\/collections\/books\/products\/the-handcrafted-life-of-dick-proenneke\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/lostartpress.com\/collections\/books\/products\/the-handcrafted-life-of-dick-proenneke\"\u003e\u003cb data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe Handcrafted Life of Dick Proenneke\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eOne of our newest books, this amazing story of Dick Proenneke chronicles his 30-year adventure in the Alaskan wilderness through the objects he built and used to survive – from all of his furniture to a berry picker made from an oil can. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/lostartpress.com\/collections\/books\/products\/the-anarchists-workbench\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/lostartpress.com\/collections\/books\/products\/the-anarchists-workbench\"\u003e\u003cb data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe Anarchist’s Workbench\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eEvery woodworker deserves a good workbench. And this book represents more than 20 years of research into ancient, simple and highly effective workbenches. The bench shown in the book can be built with construction lumber and simple tools – and works far better than expensive commercial benches.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/lostartpress.com\/collections\/apparel\/products\/lost-art-press-beer-steins\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/lostartpress.com\/collections\/apparel\/products\/lost-art-press-beer-steins\"\u003e\u003cb data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eLost Art Press Steins\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eOne of our newest products, these 20-ounce steins are great for coffee and are handmade by an artists’ collective in Minnesota. We cannot believe how nice and reasonably priced these steins turned out.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/lostartpress.com\/collections\/books\/products\/the-essential-woodworker\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/lostartpress.com\/collections\/books\/products\/the-essential-woodworker\"\u003e\u003cb data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe Essential Woodworker\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eFor any woodworker looking to get started in hand tools, “The Essential Woodworker” is the easiest and fastest path to truly understanding handwork on a fundamental level. It’s one of the most important and influential books we’ve published. And one of our personal favorites.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/lostartpress.com\/collections\/books\/products\/make-a-chair-from-a-tree\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eMake a Chair from a Tree: Third Edition\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eOne of the most influential woodworking books of the 20th century, “Make a Chair from a Tree” launched an explosion of interest in building things using wood that was green from the forest. For the last 20 years, the book has been out of print. But thanks to the original author and a team of woodworkers, this brilliant new third edition is available again for a new generation.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/lostartpress.com\/collections\/tools\/products\/crucible-bench-square\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCrucible Bench Square\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThis deceptively simple wooden square is a remarkably useful tool at the bench for marking out crosscuts and miter cuts. Based on ancient wooden squares, our version is made with modern materials and laser precision so it is accurate and remains that way through years of use.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/lostartpress.com\/collections\/apparel\/products\/new-tee-shirt-draft\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e‘Blackout’ T-shirt from Lost Art Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWe spent years finding a U.S. manufacturer that could make us a durable T-shirt with our logo using a true discharge print – the ink is soaked into the cloth and won’t flake off. This dark-blue shirt features a subtle black logo on the front and is designed for decades of hard wear.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/lostartpress.com\/collections\/books\/products\/kitchen-think\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eKitchen Think\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eMost woodworkers have the tools and skills to remake their kitchen. But they don’t know how to go about designing the space so it feels like an integrated part of the home. Professional cabinetmaker and designer Nancy R. Hiller dispenses a lifetime of experience into this fascinating full-color book. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","image":{"created_at":"2021-11-19T11:37:27-05:00","alt":null,"width":1000,"height":1333,"src":"\/\/lostartpress.com\/cdn\/shop\/collections\/LAP_wreath_IMG_0633.jpg?v=1637339847"}},{"id":267664621631,"handle":"joinery","updated_at":"2024-12-08T17:00:20-05:00","published_at":"2023-10-04T14:13:04-04:00","sort_order":"best-selling","template_suffix":"","published_scope":"global","title":"Joinery","body_html":"","image":{"created_at":"2023-10-04T14:13:03-04:00","alt":null,"width":635,"height":476,"src":"\/\/lostartpress.com\/cdn\/shop\/collections\/dovetail_done_IMG_0754.jpg?v=1696443183"}},{"id":13382609,"handle":"frontpage","updated_at":"2024-12-08T17:00:20-05:00","published_at":"2013-11-26T15:57:00-05:00","sort_order":"created-desc","template_suffix":null,"published_scope":"global","title":"New Products","body_html":""},{"id":266490970175,"handle":"workbench-books-for-everyone","updated_at":"2024-12-08T17:00:20-05:00","published_at":"2023-02-08T14:13:22-05:00","sort_order":"best-selling","template_suffix":"","published_scope":"web","title":"Workbench Books for Everyone","body_html":"The best workbenches make your woodworking easier. If you need a better bench, Lost Art Press has the plans for you. Our three workbench books offer dozens of plans for benches for every kind of woodworker. Build a Roubo bench from framing lumber. Make a European bench from steamed beech. Roman benches let you sit down as you work. Plus we can help you pick the best vises, dogs and holdfasts for your new bench."},{"id":267665375295,"handle":"workbenches","updated_at":"2024-12-08T17:00:20-05:00","published_at":"2023-10-04T15:16:54-04:00","sort_order":"best-selling","template_suffix":"","published_scope":"global","title":"Workbenches","body_html":"","image":{"created_at":"2023-10-04T15:16:53-04:00","alt":null,"width":5141,"height":2687,"src":"\/\/lostartpress.com\/cdn\/shop\/collections\/AWB_horizontal_3_IMG_1761_copy.jpg?v=1696447014"}},{"id":69108957247,"handle":"workshop-books","title":"Workshop","updated_at":"2024-12-08T17:00:20-05:00","body_html":"","published_at":"2019-04-03T19:00:45-04:00","sort_order":"best-selling","template_suffix":"","disjunctive":false,"rules":[{"column":"tag","relation":"equals","condition":"Workshop Books"}],"published_scope":"global"}]
Note: You can download a free pdf of this book via this link.
By Christopher Schwarz
“The Anarchist’s Workbench” is – on the one hand – a detailed plan for a simple workbench that can be built using construction lumber and basic woodworking tools. But it’s also the story of Christopher Schwarz’s 20-year journey researching, building and refining historical workbenches until there was nothing left to improve.
Along the way, Schwarz quits his corporate job, builds a publishing company founded on the principles of mutualism and moves into an 1896 German barroom in a red-light district, where he now builds furniture, publishes books and tries to live as an aesthetic anarchist.
“The Anarchist's Workbench” is the third and final book in the “anarchist” series, and it attempts to cut through the immense amount of misinformation about building a proper bench. It helps answer the questions that dog every woodworker: What sort of bench should I build? What wood should I use? What dimensions should it be? And what vises should I attach to it?
These questions are answered with the perspective of 2,000 years of workbench history.
Surprisingly, the way we immobilize pieces of wood to work on them hasn’t changed much in the last 700 years. But what has changed are the raw bench-building materials available to the modern woodworker. Gone are the massive slabs of oak, maple and beech that built the Western workbenches of our ancestors.
In their stead, we have very expensive hardwoods, plus inexpensive softwoods used for residential construction – yellow pines and firs – that (when used thoughtfully) can produce workbenches that are as heavy, tough and useful as historical examples.
“The Anarchist's Workbench” also seeks to open your eyes to simpler workbench designs that eschew metal fasteners and instead rely only on the time-tested mortise-and-tenon joint that’s secured with a drawbored peg. The bench plan in the book is based on a European design that spread across the continent in the 1500s. It has only 12 joints, weighs more than 300 pounds and requires less than $300 in lumber.
And while the bench is immensely simple, it is a versatile design that you can adapt and change as you grow as a woodworker.
Oh, one more important fact about the book: You can download it for free. All you have to do is click this link. You don’t have to register for anything or give up your email. Just click the link and the entire book will download to your device in pdf format. The file has no DRM (digital rights management). And it’s covered by a creative commons license that allows you to use the material however you like for non-commercial purposes.
If you prefer a printed book, you can order one for $31. The 344-page 6” x 9” book is printed on #60 opaque paper. Its signatures are sewn and secured with fiber tape for durability. The pages are hardbound and covered in cotton cloth. Like all Lost Art Press books, it is produced entirely in the United States. Sorry but signed books cannot be personalized.