A few months ago I was asked to run a series of woodcraft sessions for a group of volunteers at Chopwell woods. The idea was to give them enough experience and instruction so they could run events for the public at other times.
Over four Sundays we got together and made a shave horse and a pole lathe as well as mallets, wedges and other stuff they would need. The culmination was last Sunday and was a free public day run on a 'come and have a go' basis.
We had enough visitors to let every one of the volunteers work their new found skills and I was on hand to answer any questions they might get stuck over. I decided to show them all how to make a simple stick chair though, so everyone could have something to take home with them.
The rain stayed off from start until half an hour before we finished so all in all it was a brilliant day.
Here's some photos. This is how it'll be for my two half day workshops at the bushmoot by the way, all hands on stuff. I envisage stick chairs will be everywhere by the end of the bushmoot.
Preparing ends of stick chair
Using the new shave horse as a saw bench.
Woodland workshop.
The new shave horse, made on site from local wood using only simple hand tools.
Me demonstrating how to tie the stick chair legs together using a clove hitch.
Demonstrating how to tie string round the top of the chair.
Woodland workshop in action again.
Progress so far (he thinks it's finished, but it ain't).
Spreading the tripod legs.
Stick chair in progress.
Will it hold? Will it? Will it?, Ahhh it works.
Look Mum, no hands.
The lasses did a good job on theirs.
Success! Some of them didn't think the stick chair would work.
The camp fire was welcome as all the rain had made it quite cold in the woods.
These stick chairs are unbelievably comfortable.
The Ranger's wife looking pleased with her creation.
Turning wood on the pole lathe.
The wood comes off at a fair rate of knots on one of these things.
Turning wood on the new homemade pole lathe (made on site from B&Q roofing joists).
Preparing a billet of wood for the lathe.
Everyone keping busy.
This is Thomas. He's amazing. He is blind and deaf and couldn't wait to have a go on the pole lathe. He did fantastically well and turned a bit of wood purely by feel and worked some wood down on the shave horse by feel as well. His carer communicated my instructions to him by touching him on his hand in a kind of signing for the blind. When I think I'm hard done by, I just remember Thomas then I realise just how lucky I am.
Eric
Over four Sundays we got together and made a shave horse and a pole lathe as well as mallets, wedges and other stuff they would need. The culmination was last Sunday and was a free public day run on a 'come and have a go' basis.
We had enough visitors to let every one of the volunteers work their new found skills and I was on hand to answer any questions they might get stuck over. I decided to show them all how to make a simple stick chair though, so everyone could have something to take home with them.
The rain stayed off from start until half an hour before we finished so all in all it was a brilliant day.
Here's some photos. This is how it'll be for my two half day workshops at the bushmoot by the way, all hands on stuff. I envisage stick chairs will be everywhere by the end of the bushmoot.
Preparing ends of stick chair
Using the new shave horse as a saw bench.
Woodland workshop.
The new shave horse, made on site from local wood using only simple hand tools.
Me demonstrating how to tie the stick chair legs together using a clove hitch.
Demonstrating how to tie string round the top of the chair.
Woodland workshop in action again.
Progress so far (he thinks it's finished, but it ain't).
Spreading the tripod legs.
Stick chair in progress.
Will it hold? Will it? Will it?, Ahhh it works.
Look Mum, no hands.
The lasses did a good job on theirs.
Success! Some of them didn't think the stick chair would work.
The camp fire was welcome as all the rain had made it quite cold in the woods.
These stick chairs are unbelievably comfortable.
The Ranger's wife looking pleased with her creation.
Turning wood on the pole lathe.
The wood comes off at a fair rate of knots on one of these things.
Turning wood on the new homemade pole lathe (made on site from B&Q roofing joists).
Preparing a billet of wood for the lathe.
Everyone keping busy.
This is Thomas. He's amazing. He is blind and deaf and couldn't wait to have a go on the pole lathe. He did fantastically well and turned a bit of wood purely by feel and worked some wood down on the shave horse by feel as well. His carer communicated my instructions to him by touching him on his hand in a kind of signing for the blind. When I think I'm hard done by, I just remember Thomas then I realise just how lucky I am.
