bit of hurdle making.

[fishfish]

This week i started a project to make a hazel and willow screen by my workshop as an area to sit and whittle or just sit with a bit of privacy,i had no idea how much hazel was needed and so after a bit of learning on you tube we spent 4 afternoons collecting 500+ hazel and willow sticks,most 1inch broad by 8 - 13 foot long from a local copse i have access to,at first i wanted to split the bigguns the traditional way but as i had no experience in this craft i failed miserably,i would start the split dead center with my billhook then use a specially adapted post to split down,every time i tried the split just veered off to the side. Given the hard work of collecting these sticks i didnt want to waste too many so a saw was used to cut them down the middle .
Today after a total construction time of 5 hours we were finished,so we sat on our railway sleeper bench and had a small fire set in a cast iron fire basket i found at the dump yesterday.

heres some pictures:

a fine looking bit of hazel .spiraled by a honeysuckle plant.

The luvly Mrs Fish and myself having a cuppa before finishing the job.

(a bit fuzzy) jack getting stuck in showing potential in roundhouse making.

and finally the tiddlers and me.

thanks for looking.

 

[Harvestman]

Fine work sir. Well done.

That's a lovely bit of spiralled hazel too.

 

[Goatboy]

Hey FishFish,
That looks really good, you must be chuffed with the outcome. Just think of all the hours you're gonna spend there, whittling, socialising and just generally chilling out. Impressed you've done it so well.
GB.

 

[fishfish]

Hey FishFish,
That looks really good, you must be chuffed with the outcome. Just think of all the hours you're gonna spend there, whittling, socialising and just generally chilling out. Impressed you've done it so well.
GB.

mate i am looking forwards to warm summer evenings and good fellowship with a drop or two of cider thrown in i recon.

 

[Goatboy]

Sounds like a good evening, hurdles, billhooks and cider...

 

[crosslandkelly]

Great pics there fishfish. Nice sheltered spot to relax in.

 

[Dreadhead]

bloomin love that very nice! great picture with the kids too crackin stuff

 

[wicca]

That's great. Looks windproof.

 

[Hugo]

Nice finished project you have done there Justin.

 

[Dean]

Great work on your hurdle.

 

[woodspirits]

really nice to see the old skills are still alive, well done mate

 

[Toddy]

It's astonishing how much work there is in making good hurdles, isn't it ?
That's an accomplishment you've done there

As an aside; archaeologists find a kind of medieval cavity wall insulation made from hurdles.
Make two layers and pack in between with something like bracken or leaf litter. (bracken's better, less likely to be insect infested) It doesn't stop the wind dead, but it baffles it, and it stops draughts, but it still breathes, iimmc, and creates a kind of calm micro climate within.

Are you thinking of pitching a 'chute or tipi over the top of your walls ? it'd be useable even in the sodden wet

I love seeing work like this and having the children working alongside you both is brilliant

cheers,
Mary