The American Peasant

Share this post

The High Carpathian Chest

christopherschwarz.substack.com

Discover more from The American Peasant

Furniture for the 99 percent. Written by the executive editor of “Modern Peasant” magazine.
Over 10,000 subscribers
Continue reading
Sign in

The High Carpathian Chest

Christopher Schwarz
Sep 11, 2023
74
Share this post

The High Carpathian Chest

christopherschwarz.substack.com
21
Share
The chest with some naughty ankle skin for scale.

Most days I am quietly panicking that I haven’t finished building the projects for “The American Peasant” book. I am behind schedule. But then I remind myself that while there are five more projects ahead that I need to build, I’ve made progress elsewhere.

I have figured out how to make the engravings, and we’ve brought our engraving tool to market (it’s just $27 – check it out here). We’ve developed a peasant-friendly glue using three ingredients you can buy at the grocery store and we’ve brought that to market (we’re sold out today, but I am cooking gallons more tonight).

Oh, and I’ve figured out how best to use linseed oil paint. All three of these things were obstacles I had to climb to finish the book.

So now I will dive into the building phase. Next up is a full-size High Carpathian chest, which is based on examples I’ve collected photos of through the years.

The joinery is simple: mortise-and-tenon joints with lots of tongue-and-groove joints. Then paint. Then engraving the spells, prayers or wards on its exterior surface.

Today I went to the lumberyard to buy wood for a chair class I’m teaching next week (a scholarship class for The Chairmakers Toolbox), and I scoped out the wood available for this chest. It looks like Eastern white pine is going to be my best bet. The yard has a nice selection of 8/4 and 4/4 boards in the rough with random widths.

Now I have to pick out a paint color. I’m thinking Old Red.

I am also thinking about the symbols I’ll engrave. Lately I’ve been reading Wendell Berry (not unusual) and Hugh Howey’s “Silo” series. So I’ve been thinking a lot about agriculture while I’m sitting deep in Covington’s urban core.

I see some pregnant farmers in my future.

74
Share this post

The High Carpathian Chest

christopherschwarz.substack.com
21
Share
Previous
Next
21 Comments
Share this discussion

The High Carpathian Chest

christopherschwarz.substack.com
John C
Sep 13

Not a lot of Woodworking books have required the author to reinvent the tools, glue, and finish, before making the projects.

If you weren't a lazy slacker you'd have planted your own trees, too.

Expand full comment
Reply
Share
1 reply
Dustin Thielen
Sep 12

I hope this gets its own spinoff book.

The Impaler’s Toolchest

Detailing the construction of a sturdy chest to hold all the tools a Wallachian Count needs to terrorize his enemies.

Expand full comment
Reply
Share
19 more comments...
Top
New
Community

No posts

Ready for more?

© 2023 Christopher Schwarz
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start WritingGet the app
Substack is the home for great writing