I came across this great video and article by Sean McCabe that echoes my ideas on copying other peoples work.
http://seanwes.com/tv/043-how-to-be-inspired-without-copying/
Pinch dogs
I have various pinch dogs in the workshop and they only get used when I need to fix a piece of round wood, beam, bowl blank or plank in place when sawing, drilling or carving. I am yet to make or buy big ones as used in timber framing, and have easily got by with small ones only a couple of inches or so long. I am over cautious at times, and the idea of using such small dogs to hold such large pieces of wood is not something I would have considered until I had too because they where all I had to hand. As can be seen in the video they do work very well. I bought these years ago, second hand, and they are just mild steel. Great if they get bent as they can be hammered back into shape.
Sods law
I plan my year out with shows at easy intervals and what happens? A few big commission jobs come my way and throw everything into chaos. Running low on stock and then having to work between shows on these commissions. Lots of things have had to be put on hold, for example my shave horse book. It has been written, but as I am self publishing it takes a lots of time laying it out in Indesign, a program I am still slowly learning.With any luck it may be published in time for christmas. Tool making is also on hold, but I have made the first prototype of my perfect drawknife.
The Easy Rider shave horse is having a good reception and I have sold a few already. Full detailed plans will be in the book along with plans on how to make 6 other types of shave horse. Lots of techniques about how to use tools and make almost unknown joints etc.
In other news I became a pin up boy. Peter Jameson (Auctioneer at the Bodgers Ball) who can be seen craftily staring at me in in flat cap from behind Sue, somehow obtained a photo of me and my unusually full wallet ( probably receipts from tool buying). He wrote some apparently witty comment about me below the photo. Sue Holden unfortunately was the only person to bid on lot number 2 and won it for a sum I will not disclose. Talking to Sue’s partner, Will, it seem that the only pins holding it up will be darts!
For a bit more info on the Bodgers Ball see Marks blog
The proper way of boiling a kettle, photo taken at the Weald and Downland wood fair partly organised by my good friend Mark Allery, seen here on his shave horse making an English scythe snathe.
I was shown the museums collection of tools with Simon, I particularly liked this hand powered bandsaw. A very blunt blade and no tracking adjustment so 2 of the wheels had rims on to stop the blade from slipping off.
Tool box and spoon rack
Just off to the Weald and Downland Woodfair this weekend 20-21st June. Only £5 per person to get into the Museum and wood fair.
Some tool boxes
Skinning trees
Just back from demonstrating at the Stafford show with Gudrun, Owen, Jeremy, Sherwood and others. I demonstrated fan birds as well as a few other greenwood crafts. Pete felled a few oaks and I thought I would choose a few tripods and forks to skin, and use for future projects. I got children involved in the debarking using simple wooden spuds. Children loved it and I would recommend it as an activity for children of all ages. It is satisfying and safe, no sharp tools are used, just wooden spuds that need to be sharpened every now and then. The oak was a bit sticky, but came off reasonable well.
I am running a shrink pot course at the Husbandry School this Sunday and need to cut some wood. I have access to a few sycamore trees, (old hedge) and I always save the tops for coat hooks. The bark of the sycamore almost falls off. I use just my fingers to part it from the wood. I love the look of naked sycamore, the textures and the rings around the base of the branches.
I slipped some tubes off as well. I will see how well they make small boxes as they dry, and get used.
Wooden flowers
This is the first time this has ever happened, willow sticks that have dried at different rates on each side of the stick. This is what happens, the dry side curls more than the wetter side.
I have finally learnt how to make flowers the traditional way, with just a knife. I was getting very lopsided flowers and thought it was my technique. I put the same wood on the shaving horse and got the same result. These mutant flowers rather appeal to me, they tell a story that only a very few people would notice.
Another film
This Norwegian film moved me a great deal. It is easy to romanticise the past, to long for the simpler days. To me this is dangerous nonsense, a false idea of history. Life was hard in so many ways that we can not imagine. What impresses me is the way that people could turn their hands to anything, they had years of training in using body arm and hands, something I see missing in so many people these days. So many of us are hand illiterate.
The film is full of little gems for the green woodworker, and the same for anyone who works the land.
Norwegian traditional woodworking films
As it says in the title. Settle in for an hour and watch these films. Who’s says we need concrete to build with, fence posts soaked in poisons, skis made from plastic and epoxy resins. They are in Norwegian but craft does not need a spoken language to understand. Enjoy.
Even professionals can cut themselves.
Before making every cut ask yourself
what happens if I slip?
Use this as your mantra, every time you make a cut.
As I get older I get more scared of the machine tools I use, and for good reason. Flesh and bone is nothing to them. I have been told of some very nasty injuries over the years, with scars to prove them.
Edge tool injuries do happen and are usually minor cuts, most of my cuts come from the wood itself, from manhandling it, again minor.
So I picked up my newly sharpened axe to use as a mallet, and somehow my little finger got in the way. Just a small touch on the edge of the axe, really the very lightest touch.
Sharp axes as hammers or mallets are not a good idea.
Heres another, of an apprentice, who thinks he knows it all, knows exactly where the tip of the tree will fall. Had to cut him out. Unfortunately he no longer works for me. Should have used my mantra!
Take care and be safe, before making the cut imagine what happens if the worst happens, a little thought may just stop the body springing a leak.
Where do you get your wood from?
I have answered “trees” to this question, and have nearly got thumped.
Everywhere is the answer, from firewood piles to expensive wood merchants. I bought 3, 4 meter lengths of steel which came supported by a length of pallet wood of about 18mm thick by 75mm wide. The grain was tangential and so perfect for making fan birds with. 3 have been made so far I think I can get 10 to 20 out of this bit of wood. It has large knots in and lots of short grain as well. So hopefully I can turn this bit of waste wood into a few hundred quids worth, or more of fan birds.
