I decided to treat myself for my 81st Birthday at the end of July, so back in the early Spring I booked myself onto a canoe making course, which I completed a few days ago.
Quite hard work actually, well, in temperatures of 30 C plus at the time, it was anyway. A long journey from where I live in the wilds of Wales to Eastern England.
Marking out from Patterns prior to cutting.
The old stitch and glue method using wire has been superseded by using Cable Ties.
Looking a bit Canoe..ish
Heat bent Ash Gunwales screwed and glued. 4 mm Marine Ply sides, 6 mm MP bottom
Larch seats in situ. I oiled them with a Danish type oil.
Outside, frying gently in the sun and planing and sanding..sanding..sanding..
All seams inside and out, filled and fibre glass taped and the first of three coats of Epoxy applied.
I had been practising picking it up from the grass, hence the bits of dead grass on the sides. Brushed off easily. Weighs 29 Kilos so quite light, I can pick it up easily and load it onto my van.
Home safely after 7+ hour drive. Someone please Nuke the M5 for me...
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I decided to treat myself for my 81st Birthday at the end of July, so back in the early Spring I booked myself onto a canoe making course, which I completed a few days ago.
Quite hard work actually, well, in temperatures of 30 C plus at the time, it was anyway. A long journey from where I live in the wilds of Wales to Eastern England.
Marking out from Patterns prior to cutting.
The old stitch and glue method using wire has been superseded by using Cable Ties.
Looking a bit Canoe..ish
Heat bent Ash Gunwales screwed and glued. 4 mm Marine Ply sides, 6 mm MP bottom
Larch seats in situ. I oiled them with a Danish type oil.
Outside, frying gently in the sun and planing and sanding..sanding..sanding..
All seams inside and out, filled and fibre glass taped and the first of three coats of Epoxy applied.
I had been practising picking it up from the grass, hence the bits of dead grass on the sides. Brushed off easily. Weighs 29 Kilos so quite light, I can pick it up easily and load it onto my van.
Home safely after 7+ hour drive. Someone please Nuke the M5 for me...
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I finished off my "monster basket" (log basket) that I worked on as part of the 4-day course I attended with West Wales WIllows a week previous.
Finishing was to trim off the handle, put a bit of a cord wrap on and trim out the willow ends.
View attachment 96425
For scale, the basket is 18" across at the base. It's all brown (bark-on) willow of various types, with a hazel handle. It's all stake-and-strand woven willow, no wooden bases!
GC
It’s a great piece of work but I’m thick!I do like making hobo stoves.
You’ve raised the bar with that one. How are we youngsters (78) to keep up?I decided to treat myself for my 81st Birthday at the end of July, so back in the early Spring I booked myself onto a canoe making course, which I completed a few days ago.
brilliant well done xI decided to treat myself for my 81st Birthday at the end of July, so back in the early Spring I booked myself onto a canoe making course, which I completed a few days ago.
Quite hard work actually, well, in temperatures of 30 C plus at the time, it was anyway. A long journey from where I live in the wilds of Wales to Eastern England.
Marking out from Patterns prior to cutting.
The old stitch and glue method using wire has been superseded by using Cable Ties.
Looking a bit Canoe..ish
Heat bent Ash Gunwales screwed and glued. 4 mm Marine Ply sides, 6 mm MP bottom
Larch seats in situ. I oiled them with a Danish type oil.
Outside, frying gently in the sun and planing and sanding..sanding..sanding..
All seams inside and out, filled and fibre glass taped and the first of three coats of Epoxy applied.
I had been practising picking it up from the grass, hence the bits of dead grass on the sides. Brushed off easily. Weighs 29 Kilos so quite light, I can pick it up easily and load it onto my van.
Home safely after 7+ hour drive. Someone please Nuke the M5 for me...
![]()
That is amazing work. the folk on here never cease to amaze me, xI finished off my "monster basket" (log basket) that I worked on as part of the 4-day course I attended with West Wales WIllows a week previous.
Finishing was to trim off the handle, put a bit of a cord wrap on and trim out the willow ends.
View attachment 96425
For scale, the basket is 18" across at the base. It's all brown (bark-on) willow of various types, with a hazel handle. It's all stake-and-strand woven willow, no wooden bases!
GC
It's a top down burn. Wood gas pushed down and up the side chamber, mixes with air drawn in from below, ignites through the top holes. A more efficient burn.It’s a great piece of work but I’m thick!
I don’t get the gas flow:-
Air into bottom of outer shell.
Air into bottom of inner shell.
Flu gases out of top of inner shell to pot.
Someone has sold you a pup with that diagram, hot air rises.It's a top down burn. Wood gas pushed down and up the side chamber, mixes with air drawn in from below, ignites through the top holes. A more efficient burn.
I consider myself duly informed. Thank you.Someone has sold you a pup with that diagram, hot air rises.
In a TLUD the burning progresses downwards due to radiation and conduction, but all the gases go upwards, otherwise there would be no flame on top to cook with.
You have two air sources, air coming in the bottom, through the grate and up through the wood as per normal combustion, however because this is incomplete, the side holes introduce a secondary air flow to give more pre-heated air at upper combustion zone and that allows for a more complete combustion.


excellent work. xSausages, today (and yesterday) I made sausages. Today's was 4kg of Lamb Merguez, yesterday was 2.5kg each of a Greek country style (Loukaniko) and a French Garlic and Herb. Also today I I finished a sweetcure loin of pork for bacon, that's now in the fridge for a couple of days before going in for a 2x12 hour cold smoke over cherry wood. Good job too as I'm down to my last half a dozen packs of bacon![]()
Your baskets look really solid and well made. Good job.I made a tool basket over the bank holiday. 9" round at the base, sides vary between 6" and 10".
View attachment 97392
Handle is a chunky piece of hazel I had from the hedge last year. The basket is intended for carrying garden tools and stuff about in. Although could be used as a large lunch basket!
GC