UPDATE: The Mark Baker Woodturner of the Year Competition, public vote now open HERE!
This Christmas, gift craftsmanship and creativity with a carefully chosen woodworking book With the festive…
Louise Biggs shows us how she made a fancy fire surround when there is no…
Nic Westermann demystifies sharpening carving knives and chisels A few years back the (now ex)…
In woodworking, quality screwdrivers are crucial for driving screws cleanly, securely, and precisely without damaging…
Although woodturning lathes vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, the basic requirements of the lathe dictate…
ANTHONY BAILEY AND MICHAEL HUNTLEY J OIN FORCES TO DESIGN AND BUILD THE ONLY WORKBENCH…
Gary Marshall shows us how to make a traditional temporary woodsman’s working shelter – ‘a rustic bodger’s lash-up’ in his words. In 40 Acre Wood, we dismantled a dilapidated rough pole and tarpaulin shelter. I showed Robin and Diana a photograph of a coppice worker’s open sided shelter, found in a first edition of Country Notes by Vita Sackville-West. We thought this would make an ideal replacement. So, the project is our attempt to construct our own authentic woodland worker’s temporary shelter – based on a traditional Kentish design, using only basic materials and tools to hand. The trickiest bit was finding straight growing poles with forks in the right places to fell. The wood’s full of poles and they all look right until you need them! Further reading
We decided to go looking for interesting and more obscure facts and useful working information on trees. Where better to start than the mighty oak? The words ‘hearts of oak’ stirs an impression of a tree that is strong and mighty and reliable, which indeed it is – but which oak are we talking about? Worldwide there are more than 270 species of oak excluding those we know of from pre-history! Here are the two most common types that you can find in the UK: English oak English oak or pendunculate oak (Quercus robur). This sometimes produces local variants as tiger oak (when quartersawn) or brown oak due to growing conditions. The wide spreading ‘field oak’ with a level underside to the leaf canopy where it has been grazed, is the quintessential image of an English meadow landscape. Sessile oak Sessile oak (Quercus petraea), like the English oak, is home
Paul Purnell makes good use of leftover gun stock by carving this handy letter opener Should a shotgun user damage the stock of their gun, the chances are they will have it repaired at their local gunsmith. If the damage is beyond repair, the stock will need replacing. A stable wood is essential for any gunstock and an attractive grain is desirable. This is why walnut (Juglans spp.) is often a top choice. Other woods commonly used include wild cherry (Prunus spp.), maple (Acer spp.), mahogany (Khaya spp.), ebony (Diospyros spp.) and a couple of other exotic hardwoods. Some stocks are handmade with very high-quality material that has fantastic grain. Therefore, it is possible that sitting in the stockroom of your local gun shop there will be a box of broken stocks that might end up in a woodstove. With some negotiation, you could have access to some great pieces of wood for small carvings.
A brief history of gypsy wagon For hundreds of years, these amazing constructions have been the homes of the humble nomadic gypsy. A longstanding tradition of elaborate carvings and intricate paintwork has created some stunning examples, laying testament to the imagination and craftsmanship of these skilled travellers. In Britain, the gypsy wagon is enjoying a renaissance. Small one-person seclusions at the bottom of gardens and novel places for guests to stay are becoming choice retreats from a fast-paced modern world. Only recently I met a young couple who were touring the countryside in a traditional wooden gypsy wagon, working their way from job to job. Their kettle was warming over a log fire for a morning brew. In this article, master carver Bruce Weier tells us about carving decorations for this replica gypsy wagon. Rather ironically, a great deal of international travel was involved to bring it all together in
Andrea Zanini turns an ancient Italian pasta stamp. Italy and food are two words that often go together. Our culture is indeed full of high quality products such as fine wines, delicious cheese and a huge variety of pasta. But how can woodturning be related to culinary tradition? The first answer you get is, of course, rolling pins. And yes, there’s also fun projects such as lemon juicers or honey dippers, but I was looking for something deeply connected to culture and tradition. Then I remembered the story of croxetti pasta stamps. During the Middle Ages, Italy was divided into several small counties, and within each county noble families shared their influence. Liguria, the region where croxetti were invented, was particularly important because of its position on the Mediterranean Sea. It was imperative for the nobility to state clearly which portion of land they ruled over. The quickest and best
As you contemplate your beautiful piece of timber and plan precisely how to cut with the least wastage, do you ever think of where your wood has come from? In what distant land has a potentially 200-year-old giant been felled to provide you with the materials for your hobby or career? Green tons Green tons are the measure of felled timber including its water content. By measuring the percentage of water content, it is thus possible to calculate the dry weight of the wood, otherwise selling on wet weight could be very misleading for end usage. Switching from hardwood to softwood In the UK, obtaining quality local wood is becoming increasingly difficult. Government data on forestry in the UK for the years 1976 to 2014 indicates that hardwoods declined in production from a total of 1,170 green tons in 1976 to only 532 in 2014, while softwood moved from 2,448
Colwin Way makes three fun projects, accompanied by his son. For most of us woodturning is an escape from the day job, a time to relax and unwind and unleash those creative juices. I’m one of the lucky few who can also call my hobby a career. I love turning so much that I carry on when I get home, either making for shop orders, commissions or indeed for articles such as this one. This does mean that sometimes I’m guilty of getting the balance wrong and neglecting those important to me! However, again I’m very lucky I have a very supportive wife behind the camera and that both my sons share a creative interest and started turning at the early age of six. As this article is all about turning wooden toys I thought it might be wise to bring in one of them, a true professional in the
Steve Bisco makes a lime wood foliage carving in the style of Grinling Gibbons. Grinling Gibbons’ projects are always popular with carvers who want to take on the challenge of a lime wood (Tilia vulgaris) foliage festoon. This project is composed of elements featured in the overmantel festoons of the King’s Apartments at Hampton Court Palace. Hampton Court was a favourite residence of Henry VIII, but its Tudor buildings were old and out of date. King William III decided that this palace, 13 miles from London, was safer from the Jacobite mobs who plagued his reign after he ousted James II in the Glorious Revolution of 1688. William set about building a large new baroque wing on to the old palace, fitted out in the current fashion with elaborate carved festoons decorating the state rooms, and there was only one man for the job – Grinling Gibbons, Master Carver to
Bridle joints are common in frame construction because of their strength. The wide mortise and tenon provide plenty of glue surface for a rock-solid joint. Randy Maxey shows how you can make a bridle joint with a band saw and table saw.
To buy Randy’s book: “Wood Joints by Machine & by Hand”
Randy Maxey shares a project design he used to teach woodworking to local residents in El Salvador through the non-profit organization “Tools for Opportunity” @toolsforopportunity7242 The simple design allowed the woodworkers to become familiar with power tools and woodworking design principles. It is a popular design that will not only look good in your home, but it serves an important function in keeping your outdoor gear handy and organised.
Every once in a while, someone comes up with a radical new method or tool that knocks tradition for a loop. Tooley Park scribes are a new take on a centuries-old method of scribing a workpiece. For example, fitting a cabinet filler strip against a wall that’s less than plumb and even. Or scribing an inset door to fit the cabinet opening precisely. Or scribing the bottom of a chair leg for cutting it to eliminate wobble. Many craftsmen and carpenters would use a compass or a crude shop-made tool to do the job. Tooley Park offers another option for scribing that is worth a look.
Stanley Bedrock planes were first introduced in the late 1800s. Their design is a little different, some say better, than conventional bench planes of the era. Randy Maxey disassembles the Bedrock plane to clean all the components before reassembly.
Learn more about Stanley Bedrock Hand Planes:
http://www.supertool.com/StanleyBG/stan15.htm
https://toolsforworkingwood.com/store/blog/1314
Stanley Bedrock hand planes were designed and manufactured to be different than conventional Bailey-style hand planes. But were Bedrock planes better than the common bench plane? Randy Maxey compares the two styles of hand planes and points out the differences between them.
These planes were first introduced in the late 1800s. Their design is a little different, some say better, than conventional bench planes of the era. Randy Maxey was fortunate enough to get his hands on a couple of Bedrock 605 bench planes when a technical school decided to get rid of them. After a few years in storage, he pulls one off the shelf to learn more about Bedrock planes and bring this old hand plane back to life in the workshop.
