Green Woodwork

[Floyd Soul]

How many people here do it? I did a course where I made my own shave horse in October and since then I've gotten big into it. It's hard getting quality timber though! I managed to pick up some tools like a drawknife, froe and carpenters brace and I'm gonna try get a side axe soon.

What kind of things do ye like to make out of it? So far I've only managed some tool handles, a club and a mallet but I'd love to make some stools and some structural work.

My ultimate wishlist would be a chopping block made out of solid elm

 

[Osprey]

I made a shave horse and pole-lathe several years ago, but find it hard to get good green hardwood where I live in Aberdeenshire. There are plenty of conifer forests but there is no coppicing done apart form small areas of hazel in a local nature reserve.
I don't use the pole lathe at the moment, and is is in bits ! The shave horse is useful for more general woodwork sometimes. Mostly I make furniture from seasoned wood at the moment. It would be good to do more green woodwork though !
I do have a side axe that I never use ! It is a right handed one, PM me with your details if you would like it.

 

[Eric_Methven]

I've been working green wood on and off for forty odd years. I've made chairs, stools, wattle & daub panels, cleft ash gates, hazel fence panels, tables, garden furniture, besom brooms, turned and carved plates and bowls, spoons, spatulas and ladles - and about a thousand other items. Now I just do it for fun mostly and run a few courses a year in Green woodcraft - mostly in the lake district. Having a good source of wood to work with definitely helps. I found volunteering as a helper for various woodland trusts/national trust, opened many doors and gave me the opportunity to get access to otherwise unobtainable wood. Even in woodland areas I wasn't involved with, the word went around and people used to phone me up and ask if I wanted any of the stuff they'd been felling before it went in the chipper.

Eric

 

[Floyd Soul]

Hey Osprey thanks a million for the offer but I'm a leftie!

Eric, did you manage to learn all the skills by yourself or were you taught? I've seen pictures of your work on here I think, impressive!

 

[underground]

I am 'into' green woodwork but work and children give me so little time that I barely do anything at the moment. As soon as things dry off in the garden I'm planning to install a pole lathe and use timber from local treemen to turn rather than having to go out into the woods, as other wise it just ain't happening.

If I ever get a bit more time again, I'm planning on attending a course to learnthe proper way of doing things.

 

[Eric_Methven]

Eric, did you manage to learn all the skills by yourself or were you taught?

Bit of both. I'd been self taught pretty much for years, but went on a year long course with Maurice Pyle just to learn new techniques and different ways of doing things. He learned some new stuff from me but I learned tons more from him. Nowadays I just like to share my knowledge with anyone who's interested, but i'm still learning stuff, and will continue to do so until I peg out.

Eric

 

[Floyd Soul]

I bought a book by Raymond Tabor 'Traditional Woodland Crafts' the other day, it's fantastic. It's hard to find any decent green wood where I'm living which is a shame but when I do get some I'm gonna try make a cleave break and perhaps some cooking utensils.