Chris Grace makes some replica Tudor trenchers for a community museum.
A history society that runs a Tudor Cottage in Southwick, Sussex asked me to turn them a set of Tudor trenchers for a display. Research showed there are few surviving wooden trenchers from that period, except those found on the Mary Rose in Portsmouth – obviously we needed a field trip. Mary Rose trenchers varied in size, shape and decoration; many having the mark of their owners. Therefore a ‘set’ of trenchers, as we would understand a set of plates, would probably not have existed. Rather, such items would likely have been acquired over a period of time from different sources. I decided to make the trenchers with different designs to reflect this. These needed to be historically accurate, therefore I chose a wood likely to have been available, sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus), and I used a ring-type tool to simulate the tool marks of the hook tool that would have inevitably been used with a pole lathe to make the original items.
When I make similar bowls intended for daily food use, I typically use beech (Fagus sylvatica). These are fully sanded and I am careful to not create any food traps or areas that would be difficult to clean when adding decoration. This makes them more practical, though a little less ‘authentic’.
Equipment and materials
Tools
- Saw
- Bowl gouge
- Dovetail scraper
- Ring tool or equivalent
- Point tool
- Carving gouge and/or knife
Materials
- 220 x 220 x 50mm for each trencher in sycamore
- Dark wax
Round trenchers
TOP TIP: Make a centre finder from a piece of polycarbonate with a hole drilled in the middle and concentric rings scribed with the point of a compass; colour every third ring for easy reference when centring blanks.
TOP TIP: A cork faceplate is a great way to drive a turning with a flat face. You can make one from a scrap of planed hardwood, add a chucking spigot, true it up and stick on cork. Press the work firmly against the cork faceplate with a live (rotating) centre.
DID YOU KNOW? While most of the marks were complex (like pictograms), one of the Mary Rose trenchers had a name and the word ‘cook’ on it.
TOP TIP: When re-sawing a large blank on your bandsaw it’s essential it has a flat face or two adjacent faces for stability. Press the blank against the fence with a push block for safety.
The finished trenchers
TOP TIP: If you need to try a different technique to achieve a particular finish, try it out while you have plenty of wood to play with.
2 responses
Dear Chris ,
I am a woodworker like you and have stuffed my back and in pain and feeling sorry for my self , then reading your article and seeing your photo made me realize that there is always someone worse off , so A BIG THANKS YOU for sharing those pictures.
It’s a really great article and your lathe skills are amazing
I have several questions that I would like to ask
(1) what is a trencher and what is its used for?
(2) who organized the your lowering of your lathe etc? It’s really great
Hi Mark,
It is unlikely that you’ll receive a response from Chris as he may not read this article. Just so you are aware. I’m pleased you enjoyed the article.
Best