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I'm very happy to say that every product I've purchased from Lost Art Press has been of the highest quality. Well-made tools, well-made books and the customer service has been great.
– Tim Rowland
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I admire the honesty and thoughtful planning that go into LAP and Crucible products and the writing on the site also reflects that honesty and thoughtful planning. The books (and book recommendations – eternal thanks for recommending Vitra's Atlas of Furniture Design) are top notch.
– John Masters
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Whether it's books, tools, or classes, Lost Art Press does business with a level of quality and integrity that is rare. I'll continue to enjoy their products and services as I have for many years.
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Legging Up the (Kinda) Old Way
Every single vernacular stick chair I have studied uses cylindrical tenons. None have tapered tenons and mortises. Yet, I teach many first-timers to use the tapered joint. What gives? The tapered joint requires some special tooling, but you get a few chances to dial in the final angle. So it's...
Meet Our New Assistant Editor: Kale Vogt
Kale Vogt grew up just south of Covington, in Burlington, Kentucky, in a close-knit family – mom, dad and an older brother, T.J. A self-proclaimed “art kid,” Kale was athletic, playing soccer through high school, and loved to spend time outdoors. Kale’s mom...
Anthe Update: Some Good News
Our fulfillment center at the Anthe (pronouncedAnn-thee) Building is now fully operational. The material lift has been repaired, the new roof is on, the skylight has been replaced, the back wall masonry has been rebuilt, and we have dehumidifiers on every floor – plus extra...
Dovetails: Efficient Waste Removal
The following is excerpted from “Shaker Inspiration” by Christian Becksvoort. Not too many woodworkers can claim five decades of business success, but Becksvoort is among them. In “Shaker Inspiration,” he shares not only his woodworking knowledge and some of his best...
Open Wire: March 9, 2023
Megan is teaching a class on building a Shaker silverware tray here at the storefront this weekend, so y’all are stuck with me and Wally the cat for Open Wire. We are happy to answer your woodworking questions here on Open Wire. Simply type your question into the comment box below. Post it. We will read...
Making Things Work: Tales from a Cabinetmaker’s Life (Second Edition)
by Nancy R. Hiller
You can download an excerpt from this book here.
As cautionary woodworking tales go, Nancy R. Hiller’s might just be the funniest – and the most sincere.
Standing in contrast to James Krenov’s “The Impractical Cabinetmaker” from 1979, Hiller’s book, “Making Things Work: Tales from a Cabinetmaker’s Life,” 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.
The backdrop for “Making Things Work” is a cast of characters who could populate a Cohen brothers film – a Missouri furniture maker who masquerades as a Brit to impress his customers. A 30-something client and her older husband who seem hell-bent on cheating every trades worker in the Midwest. And Hiller’s British trainers, who through teasing, criticism and mockery finally let her know what “navy cake” really is.
At the center of it all is Hiller. She seeks to run an honest business, make beautiful things and be fairly paid. Doing all three things at once is an immense challenge, and she tells her odyssey in a series of vignettes that read like a modern-day Aesop’s fable. There is a lesson in each chapter about the craft, business or personal relationships. But it’s up to you to decode them. Her indirect approach is one of the great charms of the book.
If you are considering abandoning your cozy corporate job to make furniture, “Making Things Work” is required reading. It will illuminate you as to how difficult the profession can be. If you are undaunted after seeing the quality of Hiller’s furniture and reading about her struggle to make a living, perhaps you have a shot.
For amateur woodworkers, the book is a great read. Hiller is a fine and precise writer who knows exactly when to land a punch line (sometimes with a sledgehammer).
This is a book designed to last. Hardbound with a sewn binding, the book's boards are covered in a sturdy dust jacket. Made in the USA. This second edition features a new dust jacket one additional new tale at the end.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
1. The English Years
Living the Dream 3
The Accidental Cabinetmaker, I 9
The Accidental Cabinetmaker, II 17
Get On Your Bike 23
2. Dream On
A Thing Worth Making, I: Hunting-Badcocke 31
A Thing Worth Making, II: Hotel California 37
A Thing Worth Making, III: Human Factors Engineering 43
I Used To Do What You Do 51
The Excellent Craftsman 55
No. 79
3. Making Things Work
Cat and Mouse 85
Don't Call Me Boss 101
A Case of Mistaken Identity 105
The Value of Nothing: A Play in Four Acts 109
Daniel 117
It's All Problems 127
A Note About the Title and Jacket Design
Other Books by the Author
About the Author
Nancy R. Hiller was a cabinetmaker specializing in period-style work for late-19th- to mid-20th-century interiors. She trained as a furniture maker in England, where she moved with her mother and sister at age 12, and worked in shops there as well as in the States. She returned to college at the age of 30 and graduated with a master’s in Religious Studies, specializing in ethics. From 1995 to 2022, she operated NR Hiller Design, Inc., based in Bloomington, Indiana. Her work has been featured in Fine Woodworking, Old-House Journal, American Craft, Popular Woodworking, Arts & Crafts Homes and the Revival and Fine Homebuilding. She has authored five books in addition to “Making Things Work,” among them “The Hoosier Cabinet in Kitchen History,” “English Arts & Crafts Furniture,” “Shop Tails” and “Kitchen Think."
You can read our full profile here, and a tribute to Nancy, who died August 29, 2022, here.