The 25th Bodgers Ball at Walesby Nottinghamshire 8/9/10 May

Tom from Texas - a self taught flute maker, He has only been playing for ten years - it sounded pretty good to me. 

Marian Windsor – cup warmer made from Merino wool and wood that has been spun into a silvery fibre.

Marian spinning dog hair -  be warned your dog may be a little lighter after visiting her.

James Hookway with his retort charcoal burner.

Terry Heard on pegs (this is beginning to sound like a musical).

And brooms

Des Jones – passing on skills to the next generation of pole lathe turners – note the lack of overhead bungee, its all fitted into the box on the floor.

Robert Nicholson South Yorkshire – new kid on the block.

Green Man playing a Sheppard’s bagpipe.

He was storytelling later on in the marquee, not a bad recorder player either

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One of the entries in the craft competition (tools) with an unusual tie for a leather case.

Paul Thornton on fan birds: I thought they were owned by Sean Hellman.

Our man from Wimpole - Simon Damant sparking up the forge.

Graham Aslett on the stail engine (rounder). A stail is a long straight handle such as found on rakes, hoes and pitchforks. - (Woodland crafts in Britain). 

The last Ball cake of Sheila Marsh!

The ball tradition is – marking the end of the event, the winner of individual log to leg cuts cake and we all go home.

Part of the weekend deal was a free go at archery

One of the log to leg teams in full flow.

I recognise the world champion on the lathe and Robert Nicholson watching having do his bit with a froe and axe. My apologies to the shave horse man.

Bushcraft weekend at Egerton Forstal Kent 01/ 04-05-15

Bardster with his new toy – a trebuchet, it worked really well with a tennis ball and remarkably accurate.

 

Stone age soap opera inside the story telling tent.

Mrs Chaos blacksmiths with her new puppy!

Paul demonstrating braiding -

 

Jill Swan was leading spoon workshops along with Paul. 

This total newcomer had just made her first spoon.

Jill Swan looking for her spouse; he was flying above us.

Phil Pidell testing out his rounders after a mass sharpening session.

Leatherworking at home in London

 My first camera case, note the wooden block (page 60 The Art of making leather cases volume  one). Sewn on a 31k – I really struggled with the tight curves, could have done with a patcher.

Kent group Meeting at White Chimney Wood 18/19 April

Ed Murphy’s homemade  drawknife

John Burbage was testing the drawknife, but could be asleep.

Harry in good form with his new shave horse.

Phill getting some good advice from Mike Gordon,  which was -

If you need four legs make six and pick the best.

Damian Goodburn trying out a recent le stockknife acquisition of Harry’s (via French Ebay).

Cherry Wood Ashwicke Nr Marshfield South Gloustershire project week 12-18 April

As I arrived I found Tim Gatfield and half his army dragging the big tracked thing up the hill after a catastrophic loss of steering.

The main building project this week was a large roundhouse near the wood store car park. This was a dodecahedron with the rafters bolted to a central wooden hub (made by Rob Exton) with a reinforcing steel tube ring cut and welded by Richard Alan (Bath group) and myself. 

We also managed to make a gas bottle rocket stove with some technical guidance from Roy and Lloyd. Lloyd did some impressive welding on the trivet on top.

The finished ring made from very heavy rectangular tube.

Merlin  decided to recycle his old boots. The pellet holder for the squirrel deterrent I thought was a clever idea (those tins are noisy and easily dropped).

The pizza oven and a very efficient team in production.

A Sami knife bought from a Sami market that belongs to the young lady who is into fish tanning and her bible.

 

Lloyd has made these very nice cases for his tools – the travisher case has an allen key holder (centre picture) built in – very clever

The central hub of the large roundhouse with the metal ring fitted.

Setting out the hub and the rafter positioning takes a great deal of thought and vision, however the team on site made it look really easy.

Last year’s main project was a small roundhouse for the live in cook. These were the final touches internally - the insulation for the flue made of cob and almost stitched into the under layer with a wooden needle

 

After the coppicing the great sort out into saleable items, bean poles etc.

 

This venue is the most fun I have ever had, such a wealth of practical experience amongst the volunteers. If you can ever get there for a project week (they have two a year) then this really is a bucket list job!

 Wimpole Lathers 29-03-15 Elm bark stripping trip.

Someone had just bought this axe from Robin Wood for £35!

It looked cast steel with an insert for the cutting edge. Not sure that I am correct however!

Having said that The Ford Motor Company make press cutting tools by MIG welding HHS onto mild steel.

And off to the woods! I did not join them. I am waiting for some feedback from Simon.

He tried to strip bark last week but it was lacking sap!

Chiltern group meeting at Stocking Springs 28-03-15

Richard and the group were making Ash wood splints for weaving baskets. It looks very brutal but I was assured that the club hammer was necessary to break the annular rings up.

You can see clearly from this image that it works and in fact it gets progressively easier as the blows break the bonds through more than one year! Note the second break.

Do love an unusual craft book and this was no exception.

I have never slept in one but a bender looks like a very efficient, strong structure. If you carried a tarp and a groundsheet it could be fun even in Winter – you could gather vegetation for insulation.

A great project for kids.