Later on Sunday 22^nd  at my friends workshop at Bishops Stortford.

My three friends / amigos originally from East Herts. Wood turners. Long-time no see.

This group sussed the way to improve big time by sharing a workshop every Sunday – knocking ideas and resources together.

A surgeon, an engineer and someone I went to school with.

I have learnt so much from these guys over the years. The most important thing being the fun you can have when you share a workshop.

Trevor Lucky was working on this piece no doubt something for the WCT competition later in the year. The black bit on the right is going into the bottom of the vessel.

Sunday 22^nd April with the Lathers at Wimpole Hall

 

This is Jim the ex-bowl maker come chair maker! – shaving legs of course.

 

Shane was making a handle for a very large gougey thing from some a troublesome piece of Mulberry using a home made file ‘o’gouge.

Rightly so he resisted my comments about wood suitability and tool being ground on the wrong side!

Great to see him and Jayne again – must be a year!


This reminds me of a well used comment from power lathe turners  - which is never to use an old file to make a tool from (probably because as files they have not been tempered and would be too brittle).

Well a few years ago my good friend Gabor managed to get his old friend Bill Jones to do a demo at Fairlop woodturners. What a charming man - 5th generation bone and ivory turner (had posh clients - elephants were not scarce then). Anyway during the half time break I had a good look at his tools - most were made from files apart from one gouge by Holzapffel from 1840! - bit of a contrast!

Simon was giving me some very good ideas re burning and brushing and oiling.

Mick the hurdle maker turned up later on and hope to see him at the Ball.

15/16th April at the Cherrywood project week Ashwicke Nr, Marshfield South Gloucestershire

Tim Gatfield had two project weeks a year and also runs a weekly volunteer Thursday. If you have never been this is a must!

Naomi and Kobo visiting from Israel made a huge impression with their culinary skills on Monday evening.

 

This I believe was a North African dish Saksuka

I was having a late breakfast - new cooks in the background, Libby has a canal boat but has yet to move it closer

Claire – first time visitor last year and now a spoon maker of one year ,went to Ball at Telford and going to Singleton very soon.

Ono's Danish friend ferrying wood to the main construction site. All the materials were harvested from the wood.

(Splendid campervan in background).

Paul Shrubshall from the South London group (centre) another first time visitor - on a scouting mission.

This was part of the new shower / toilet block.

Ono a frequent visitor from Denmark on the grinder incognito!

New toilet and shower block in the early stages,

eventually it will consist of an entry platform with a suspension walkway to the tree platform with showers, toilet and washing facilities.

Great to see so many of Tim’s ex-apprentices helping out during the week. Kirby (centre) still lives on site as a coppice worker.

Note the cob house in the background.

 Naomi – first time Bark stripper.

Unfortunately I only managed two days and missed the best of the weather. Looking forward to the next one.

7/8^th April Framlingham Country and Dog Show – relocated to the Suffolk Showground.

I joined the Wimpole Lathers for our second year at this event. The very wet weather early in the week forced the organizers to change the venue and I suspect the clientele changed as well.

David Owen was organising the Wimpole lathers who had their large National Trust tenty thing – great for pole lathes.

David has been busy making chairs and stools and playing with Elm bark.

 

This was an interesting way of doing it with a combination of materials including Willow.

It’s great to see people developing their ideas and trying something different.

Kate was hard at work making shingles from some not very cooperative Oak.

 

Simon has made a Yew shave horse having been inspired by Sean Helman’s shave horse book.

 

Now I thought that Jim had given up turning bowls now that he has done about 200!

Bowl turning still makes a good demo and he was attracting good numbers over the weekend.

Good to see some new at this event faces – Kurt in his low bushcraft tent, we were food sharing and using his resources – thanks for the hospitality.

Cathy and Graham were enjoying a weekend off from their family. I was next to Sue and Dave – the walking stick man from not too far away up the coast. Such great company to spend the first weekend of the year!