Crafting History: Rare Tools Back in Action

Student-Crafted Display Cases Showcase Timeless Tools for Bookbinding and Preservation Carpentry

Once in a while, the perfect elements for a big project just line up. That’s exactly what happened this year when Laurence “Laurie” Lombard made a generous gift to the NBSS Fund. 

Boosted by Laurie’s gift—and all gifts to the fund—rare tool collections gifted to the Bookbinding (BB) and Preservation Carpentry (PC) programs are now fittingly displayed in well-crafted cabinetry built by Carpentry (CA) students. 

Though properly showcased, the rare tools aren’t intended to be museum pieces that sit untouched. They were donated to NBSS with the intention that they would be cared for properly and actively used by NBSS students. 

“NBSS is known in craft and preservation circles as a place that not only appreciates collections like these, but in the right circumstances can also put them to use,” said NBSS President Sarah Turner. “The various tools and brasses for Bookbinding and the wood molding planes given to Preservation Carpentry are all gorgeous objects. It’s easy to imagine the complex and sophisticated work that our students can take on with access to these rare tools.” 

The Lombard family has been part of the NBSS story across multiple generations. Laurie’s father was an attorney at Boston-based law firm Hemenway & Barnes and served as Board member for the School in the 1960s. 

Since receiving the donated collections years ago, the School had hoped to build proper showcases to preserve and protect the rare tools. When Laurie asked that his gift go to an immediate need, he was delighted to learn it would help make this project possible. 

“The timing of this gift was pure magic,” Sarah shared. “Each year, NBSS can say ‘yes’ to more projects like these when we have the confidence that NBSS Fund revenue will meet or exceed fundraising goals. Thereʼs no other way around it, unrestricted funds make this School run… from supplying lumber, to stocking the food pantry, and funding a student project like this. I am so happy to see this work move forward with generosity like Laurieʼs.”

Building the Showcases

CA Department Head Peter Smith PC ’04 saw this project as a great learning opportunity for students. He approached CA Instructor Brock Leiendecker PC ’16, CA graduate Eric Zankowski CA ’13, and Cabinet & Furniture Making graduate Kolin Schmidt CF ’21 to assist with the cabinetry’s design. When Peter transitioned to off-site client work with the Carpentry class, Brock took over and was instrumental in seeing the cabinetry project through, from initial build through to installation.

Now in place, each set of custom cabinets consist of a run of upper and lower cabinets with full overlay doors and drawers. End cabinets define the space with full inset doors and drawers. For Bookbinding, the large-scale showpiece incorporates high-end features (Hafele lighting, leather backsplash [not shown], glass doors backed by marbled paper), while the Preservation Carpentry cabinet is similarly designed but less ornate. Both are readily accessible by their respective programs, and each of the rare tools will enjoy a second life in the hands of NBSS students for years to come.

With a similar design but less ornate features, the Preservation Carpentry cabinet was designed for the program’s machine room, where first- and second-year students work everyday. Readily accessible to all, the rare 18th and 19th century planes will enjoy a second life in the hands of NBSS students for years to come.

When it comes to production, Brock said, “We make sure that any lesson in cabinetry is not an assembly line. Students were paired up to get the chance to work on all steps of the building process, from learning the necessary nomenclature of the parts and tools to drafting, building the plywood carcasses, and milling the doors and glass door fronts with cup hinges and hardware.”

One student who got a tremendous amount out of the process was Angus McDougal CA ’24. Until enrolling at NBSS, Angus was based in mainland China, for nine years. There, he carved out a practice as an artist known for creating large-scale permanent sculptures, many of which dot public spaces. However, when Covid-19 hit, he moved back to the United States and planted new roots in Boston.

From his carpentry bench at NBSS, Angus said, “I’m here because I was looking for something different that would enable me to continue with the collaborative creative work that I’ve loved doing but with a more dependable schedule and less travel.”

Angus admitted, “At first, I saw the rare tools cabinets project as daunting. It involves a lot of work with hundreds of pieces that all have to fit together perfectly.” But he gained confidence once he focused on one small step at a time, leaning into each joint, notch, or cut.

His peer, Frank Marr CA ‘24, came to NBSS from a previous career in property management. Frank was always someone who loved working with his hands but “ignored the instinct” until it became obvious that he was far more interested in working alongside the skilled tradespeople at work than managing them from a desk.

The cabinet project served as Frank’s swan song at NBSS. “As I worked, I kept thinking about how much it would mean to show my family and friends what I had accomplished in this program. The cabinets are representative of all of that hard work,” he explained. Before Commencement, the bookbinding tools cabinet was installed in the hallway outside the School’s conference room, where students posed for photos with a lot of pride. 

Frank learned a new skill or tool every single day that he worked on the cabinet projects, know-how that will help him at the new job he’s started in residential carpentry. “This program gave me the knowledge I needed to make a living in an industry that makes me happy,” Frank shared. 

Speaking to the full project, Brock shared, “This project was a unique opportunity for our students to not only hone their technical skills but also to connect with different programs and honor a legacy of fine craftsmanship. Seeing their pride in the final product and knowing it will serve future generations is incredibly rewarding.”

This story is part of our FY24 Annual Report. View more issues here.

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About the NBSS Fund

Every year, members of the NBSS community and its wider network of supporters generously give to the NBSS Fund, which aims to meet the Schoolʼs greatest needs and operating costs. You can support the next generation of skilled tradespeople with your gift of any size to this critical source of funding. 

Here are just some of the ways the NBSS Fund provides stability and support across the School.

• Class materials
• Student Learning Specialist
• Professional Development for all employees ($500ea per year)
• Student Food & Essentials Pantry
• Student Business Courses
• Guest instructors
• Public programs and lectures
• Licensing fees for software & databases
• Bennet Town in CA
• Access control training in LK
• Travel abroad for VM students
• iPads & hand tools in PT
• Nantucket field project in PC
• Laptops & bench lamps in JM
• Conference fees for PA students