The Stick Chair Journal

By Christopher Schwarz

This is issue No. 1 of The Stick Chair Journal, an annual publication to expand the universe of all things stick chair: More history. More plans. More techniques. Reviews of tools. And Big Thoughts. It is a supplement to "The Stick Chair Book."

Important note: We have printed 4,000 copies of the Journal. Once that press run has been exhausted, we will not reprint this issue.

In this issue, you'll find:

• A Lousy Way to Run a Railroad: An explanation of what this journal is all about.

• How & Why to Make Hexagonal Parts: An exploration of hexagonal chair parts. How to make them both by hand and with some machine assistance. Plus the design considerations for their visual and actual mass.

• True Grit: A Dirty Job, But Not a Dirty Word: Abrasives in woodworking predate planes and other edged tools. There's no shame – and there is plenty of historical precedent – in sandpaper.

• The Fat Boy Scriber: An ingenious tool for marking leg lengths and, with an easy modification, marking curves.

• Chairmaking on the Cheap(er): You don't need expensive tools; here are less expensive and accurate alternatives for cutting tenons, fitting combs and locking in your important angles.

• Comb-back with an Improved Arm: Complete plans and construction information for a new six-stick comb-back chair, with a four-piece, mitered-end armbow and a thin, cut-away profile on the hands.

• Stick Chairs in the Wylde: The road to becoming a good chairmaker is looking deeply at beautiful chairs. We explore a chair that has launched the chairmaking careers of many makers.

• A Vampire Chair: A fabled chair in Tennessee was broken apart to murder its owner. Now that it has been repaired, it's acting odd.

Issue No. 1 of The Stick Chair Journal is 88 pages. The cover is a heavy, coated card-stock. The binding is both sewn and glued for longevity. And, like all Lost Art Press books (and now, journals), it is printed in the United States.