Exmouth next Sat. (16 Jan)

[bhofmann]

I originally posted this in a different thread and someone suggested I start a new thread for this. So here it is:

Options (please let me know which you'd prefer) next Saturday (16 Jan 2010):

OPTION 1: Walk in the woods on the common (we cannot cut down or take from the common, but we could bring our own wood and sit in the woods carving).

OPTION 2: We meet at my place and carve in the garage. I have a fair bit of dried wood and quite a few Yew sticks (great for handles).

Meeting at my house will mean people can come and go as they please. If we decide to go to the common we'll have to meet in a car park at a set time or agree the geocoded spot.

If you want to join please say which option you prefer. My garage can only hold about 4 or 5 of us (guessing) and I think any more than 6 and we'll be knocking each other. Lathe is on hand for those wanting to turn something, or want me to turn something, and for those who just want to try it.

NB. I WILL TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ACCIDENTS OR INJURIES WHETHER YOU USE MY TOOLS AND OR MACHINES OR YOUR OWN. IF YOU ARE THE TYPE TO SUE OR COMPLAIN, STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM ME AND MY HOME!

I assume any and all of us are aware of the danger and risks involved in using blades, and take full responsibility for our own actions.

Yeesh, I hate that I have to write that sort of disclaimer.

 

[TeeDee]

Good on you for offering to do something like this.

 

[bhofmann]

Thanks for saying it's good of me, but it seems nobody is interested. I guess we're all pretty busy, and it's not easy getting about these days with so much snow on the roads.

At least it means I'll have more time to make a few more of these:

If that image fails to load, you can see the beaker and cup here: Beaker and Cup

 

[bhofmann]

Good God people - am I not baiting the hook well enough!?

With the promise of a result like that how can any of you resist wanting to be my best friend?

 

[bhofmann]

I think I should also warn any possible visitors (if we meet at my house) that my kids will probably want to watch or at least peek, and if we're really polite, my wife might even offer a brew from time to time.

 

[the mole trapper]

Hey, my best buddy is in training at Lympstone, i will ask if the training team will let him pop out for a few hours, on second thoughts i better not, lol.
Seriously though would love to have taken you up on your kind offer but will be on route to nottingham to flog a .223.
All the best, J.

 

[hiho]

i'd also have probably taken you up on the offer. but its a bit of a trek

 

[Emma87]

at the moment i'm down to work on saturday, however if i can get someone to sawp a shift with me i would definatlywant to come. even if its just to see what tools you use etc, so i know what to get.

 

[bhofmann]

I only have a few basic carving tools and a Mora 840 knife, so I really can't advise on what tools to get. Maybe what tools NOT to get but I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination. I can offer my views on form and function, and I know a few things about turning, but carving...

I was hoping for more of a discussion about people's experiences and what did and didn't work for them. I've seen people swear by a tool that someone else has found impossible to use. It's not uncommon to find that the way a tool is used has a big impact on how useful it is.

By meeting and talking about the tools and techniques that we use we learn to understand in greater detail what we do that makes a tool work better or where we're going wrong.

Failing all else, I can give some lessons or demonstration on turning. I am fairly confident I know my stuff when it comes to the lathe.

 

[bhofmann]

Nobody came. Was it the weather, the thought of a damp garage with a parafin heater, my chatty posts in forum, my profile picture, the weather, that time of year, ...

But I did have a visitor at least - a freecycler who wanted a new stick for her Bagatelle game so her grandchildren could try it. Her and her husband stood and watched for 20 minutes whilst I converted an old Oak table leg into a Bagatelle board stick. Old Oak really does take a nice polish when burnished and oiled.

Keep your eyes peeled for the next post calling people to meet in or around Exmouth. Maybe the next one'll be a forage along the beach to see what we can gather for a snack or lunch even. Who knows...

Friendly people are always :welcome1: to visit, so if you're going to be in the area or you live nearby, just drop me a PM and get my address and number if you fancy a or a before you're on your way again.

 

[TeeDee]

Well, was going to post this up , then took it down , then had a rethink.

Firstly was on shift for Sat , so no can do

For me the subject is one that doesn't 'grab' me so while i admire your willingness to sort a meet-up , it was not one for me.

Its also quite geographically 'tight' while Exmouth is 30-45 minutes drive for me , for others it may be just a tad to far.
If you wanted to test a foraging walk meet-up you may have better success with relocating to somewhere like Haldon Hills? as a walk around site its equidistance-ish to Exeter and Torquay area and on a main transport link. You may then get a far higher catchment area for bushcraft types.

I appreciate that there are some 'do's' & 'dont's' of what we can get away with on open common ground as opposed to your generous offer of private land ( PPR ).

I would be up for Sea-Shore foraging or a Fungi Forage ( as i need help in these areas ) or just a general natter and stroll.

Hope this helps.

 

[Matt.S]

Haven't been on the forum in a while, so didn't see this. As it happens I was working on Saturday anyway, but I'm definitely interested in a meet with people some point.

 

[bhofmann]

I don't seem to have an option to close this thread but I'd like to now. I think a different thread (sticky?) could focus on the do's, don't, and general success/failure tips for meetings. This was my first attempt and I didn't expect much, so it didn't matter that much to me.

I'l like to see more people posting up dates for meeting up, whether that's common land or not, and for whatever reason (I often find conversations go off topic and almost naturally take people to a common interest).

I'm a bit busy now, but I plan to post more of these in the months to come. They will include anything from walks on the common to sea-shore strolls. If I had a woodland I would post more welcoming invitations, but like most of us, finances occlude me from such privileges.

I don't think there is much I can teach or show besides wood turning, but I have a lot to learn, and that is what caused me to try gather people that share an interest in bushcraft.

 

[craigsalter]

Don't get dishearted about the lack of faces turning up to your meet. In my experience 90% of people are armchair bushcrafters, not that there is anything wrong with that, but it makes more space in the outdoors for the rest of us

I will PM you with some contact details, and when you see opportunity for a meet give me a call. Depending on when it is I may have my 2 little girls along for the experience, maybe even the wife!

 

[craigsalter]

at the moment i'm down to work on saturday, however if i can get someone to sawp a shift with me i would definatlywant to come. even if its just to see what tools you use etc, so i know what to get.

For tools to carve with all I carry is a mora clipper knife and crook knife the latter being the smaller type for use making spoons. And some wet and dry paper for finishing, and sharpening the crook knife. With these tools you can make just about anything. The whole lot is worth under £30.

For when I am out in the woods I carry a hatchet, folding saw and both the above.

Axminster tools are close to you, and they stock the mora carving range as cheap as anywhere I have seen online.

I hope this helps in some way