How to Make a Lectern
Michael T Collins makes an easily adjustable lectern. Dale Carnegie once said ‘there are always…
Submissions now open for the Mark Baker Woodturner of the Year Competition. Enter HERE for a chance to win prizes
Michael T Collins makes an easily adjustable lectern. Dale Carnegie once said ‘there are always…
In honour of our much missed and respected former Editor Mark Baker, we have launched…
An ‘open and shut’ installation job that definitely needed closure. The space in question was…
Firstly, welcome to the new Woodworkers Institute! It is still the same great resource of…
Dave Western creates from scrapwood a killer whale that is based heavily on a dramatic form…
Ian Woodford shares some ideas for designing and making a nutcracker. Since the early days,…
John Lloyd looks at a 15th-century technique that revolutionised furniture making. No, this has nothing…
From plain shabby to ‘shabby chic’. I had the offer of some free-to-use pine tongue and groove bead board, in the form of a large, lumpy, indescribable piece of furniture. I love re-using wood, and this was a perfect excuse. Date-wise, it was probably from about 35 years ago, when it would have been fashionable. Right now, it looked ugly; it was held together with old-fashioned cut nails, wire nails with narrow heads and plenty of old screws with narrow slotted heads. Once I started to cut it apart and de-nail it, the hidden surfaces looked quite ‘bright’, it was a slow operation as I wanted to avoid major damage. My best guess was that it had been made from old ‘wainscotting’, used to clad the walls of an old school or village hall, hence one face being relatively clean. Basic carcass Glazed doors Adding the glass Further reading
We look at a tree that is more universally useful than any other tree on the planet – the versatile ash tree. The ash tree is unique like all other species, but it’s uniqueness almost knows no bounds in terms of usability. It can be sawn and riven. It can form massive structures and be steam-bent; it can be safely used for cooking utensils and has a natural beauty both as a standing tree and as a cabinetmaking timber. European or common ash The common ash – Latin (Fraxinus excelsior) – ‘excelsior’ translates as high, elevated, lofty. This could be said about many mature trees and, although found everywhere, as is the utility of its timber, it seems unkind to call it common but more certainly ‘excelsior’ on account of its importance to the environment and mankind. It is a large deciduous tree, typically growing up to 18 metres in
Derek Jones meets Jim Broughton from Alexander George Antiques to see how the Golden Age of Furniture is being remembered. Once upon a time the workshops of Great Britain were staffed exclusively by individuals working their way up the employment ladder to become time-served craftsmen and highly respected members of the community. Though self-regulating and often under the watchful eye of a strict master, apprentices learned their trade over a period of years in a tradition that is now more or less resigned to history. It was a system that created as many problems as it solved, but Jim Broughton considers himself lucky to have been one of the last to learn his trade the hard way. Leaving school at age 16, Jim Broughton was following in the footsteps of his father when he applied for a job in an old family firm of cabinetmakers (Plumb Contracts) in his home
Carving scrolls into furniture is a technique that has been around for many centuries – its simplistic beauty and accurate clean lines blending together several different radiuses. Scrolls can be incorporated into any style of furniture from a complicated baroque chair to a simple, modern-style table. When designing this end table, I wanted the upper section of the legs to resemble a griffin, a mythical creature which is part lion and part eagle. On the lower section of the leg, I wanted a simple form to complement and balance the entire leg. Things you will need Tools Wood Genuine mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) Starting the process Marking the details Carving the curl Carving the leg Finishing off Further reading
Andy Coates looks at what is it, why is it important and how do we use it to aid our turning practice? Those who are new to woodturning are inundated with advice and information from a wide range of sources. Most will be at odds with other information, which is difficult for the fresh novice to understand, and a lot of the information is littered with buzzwords and phrases, most of which are never fully explained. There are two such stock phrases that come up time and again: ‘the bevel must rub’, and ‘technique doesn’t matter; it’s the results that count’. Well, let us discard number two right now. The truth is that you will never safely achieve what you hope to if you do not have a firm foundation in technique. The first phrase, however, is worthy of further comment as it is important but rarely expanded upon. First
Andy Coates looks at what is it, why is it important and how do we use it to aid our turning practice? Those who are new to woodturning are inundated with advice and information from a wide range of sources. Most will be at odds with other information, which is difficult for the fresh novice to understand, and a lot of the information is littered with buzzwords and phrases, most of which are never fully explained. There are two such stock phrases that come up time and again: ‘the bevel must rub’, and ‘technique doesn’t matter; it’s the results that count’. Well, let us discard number two right now. The truth is that you will never safely achieve what you hope to if you do not have a firm foundation in technique. The first phrase, however, is worthy of further comment as it is important but rarely expanded upon. First
Mike Wood provides a guide for carving a trio of Wilson’s birds of paradise. Wilson’s bird of paradise (Cicinnurus respublica synonym Diphyllodes respublica) lives in Indonesia and sadly is on the IUCN Red List as near threatened and the population is decreasing. Both male and female grow to a size of between 140mm and 160mm and the male is heavier than the female by a few grams or so. Interestingly, the blue crown area on the top of the head of these birds is not feathered – it is skin. The mature male of the species is the most highly coloured, exhibiting a vast array of hues depending on how viewed in the light. It is worth doing your research to truly get a better insight into their beauty and learn a bit more about them before trying to make them, but do use the patterns and images supplied here to give
Dave Western shows how to create some wintery Celtic decorations. With wood bins bursting with all sorts of off-cuts that will have to be dealt with, here’s a perfect little project to use up some scraps and win some accolades. These Celtic knot snowflakes are beautiful to look at and highly engaging to make. Although they appear pretty complex, all are fashioned from very simple knots which have been repeated to form three, four, five or six-arm patterns. I make my snowflakes from 5mm thick material and generally carve both sides to heighten the over and under effect of the knotwork. The knots can be made highly fretted or simply relief carved. Depending on how your shop is set up, I have included carving methods for those with scrollsaws and for those who plan to make them totally by hand. Things you will need Snowflake plans To get you started, here are a
