My Covid-19 and later projects

[John Fenna]

I thought I would keep a record of my Covid-19 projects as I complete them

Project 1 - for work at Castell Henllys Iron Age fort... "homework" but Bushcrafty... "Make a net from natural fibres"

Due to the lack of opportunity to gather any more natural materials (lockdown limits my access!) I used tarred Brazilian Sisal balertwine, the same stuff I use to spin up ropes.
The floats are wood from our firewood pile and the sinkers are lead flashing. The net is about 4 meters long and over 2 meters deep and took somewhere between 800 and 1000 knots.
I used netting needles I made years ago. My first net of any size!


Project 2 - personal project
I like sewing and before lockdown I scored some very cheap but good quality 100% cotton herringbone twill Flecktarn fabric - it had been urtains for the Surplus stall on our indoor market but was clean and in excellent condition
Using thread, zips, velco and fittings I had in my "bits box" I produced this jacket that has belt loops so that it can be worn with or without a belt.
This took about half the fabric I had - total cost about £10.00

 

[TeeDee]

That Jacket Looks first class Mr Fenna!!! Excellent !

 

[Mesquite]

That Jacket is really good John, one would think you had some professional experience

Just a quick query about it, is that a skull for the zip pull?

As for the netting I take it, having completed it and gained such insight in how to do the knots etc., you're going to volunteer yourself to to take over from Ogri and teach it to others at the moot

 

[John Fenna]

Yup a silver skull on the zip pull and two tan ones on the hood cord. The cord locks are all mini hand grenades
As to the net - at present I never want to see another net in my life - that one took 25 hours of work!

 

[Corso]

cool smock

 

[John Fenna]

Thanks all Still lots of projects to play with ... two more currently underway!

 

[Muddypaws]

Very smart sir!
You set the standard for home-made bushcraft attire that others can only aspire to.

 

[John Fenna]

Aye, well - I did study Fashion Design at College and got a Btec OND.. and designed for Craghoppers, Snowdon Clothing and others for a while as well as having my own label range for a while .... others do not have these advantages... unless they buy copies of my DIY clothing booklets

My latest project
Project 3 - Learn stories from the Mabinogion to allow me to do "Story Telling" at work....
I bought a translation of "The Mabinogion" by S Davies - a freaking nightmare to read with academic footnotes on academic footnotes burying the stories (which are in themselves a knightmare of contradictory detail and utter ballcocks) and then found I had areadable version of some of the more reasonable tales in a book by a Mr Delaney on the shelf! The stories are still far from anything I would want to read or have recited to me! I would much prefer Chaucer's tales or a good Saga!
I now feel that I can relate at least one of the tales.... which will have to be enough!

 

[Broch]

The stories are still far from anything I would want to read or have recited to me! I would much prefer Chaucer's tales or a good Saga!

Blasphemy sir!!!! The tales are true legends

Maybe you should try the children's version (below, left - only joking)

 

[John Fenna]

Actually that is not a bad idea as that is the audience I will be addressing - telling stories of rape, murder, lies, mayhem and weird dreams... involving mushrooms!
I need some way of making these tales child applicable!

 

[John Fenna]

Project 4
Flecktarn trousers
Made from the same fabric as the jacket - total cost about £5

But if "Double Denim" is a fashion crime then "Double Flecktarn" must be some sort of terrorist outrage!

 

[TeeDee]

Project 4
Flecktarn trousers
Made from the same fabric as the jacket - total cost about £5
View attachment 58107View attachment 58108
But if "Double Denim" is a fashion crime then "Double Flecktarn" must be some sort of terrorist outrage!
View attachment 58109

Very smart sir. lovely bespoke fit.

 

[Corso]

did you make the brown shirt too?

 

[John Fenna]

I designed it but had it made up for me by the woolen mill that wove the wool flannel that it is made from...
The colour is actually dark green - but there was a golden evening light so it looks more brown. The T-shirt is a Highlander cotton one

 

[Mesquite]

Looking good John

 

[crosslandkelly]

Great uniform.

 

[John Fenna]

Extreme wing of Bushcrafting?

 

[John Fenna]

Project 5
Aluminium casting from old cans.
Another project for "Homework" from Castell Henllys...
Basically I collected a bunch of old alu cans (mainly from our last Meet in the woods...) crushed them, burned of the paint (and thoroughly dried them!) then shoved them into a retort in my firebowl and cooked em on charcoal. My mini bellows were not up to the job and I resorted to using an electric airbed pump (used previously when I did some steel forging) and that worked fine. The retort had no lid so I cooked a bit of slate from the garden and used that
Two things surprised me - how little aluminium I got for the number of cans and the time and effort involved and also how much slag was left!
Now I need to work out how to make a fancy mould, source some more charcoal and try making something practical!

 

[John Fenna]

Blasphemy sir!!!! The tales are true legends

Maybe you should try the children's version (below, left - only joking)

View attachment 58032

View attachment 58033

"Only joking" he said - then sent me a copy!
He is a very bad man!
But he is also a scholar and a gentleman....

 

[John Fenna]

Project 6
Drop open pouch
This started (initially) as an idea for a leather belt pouch but I thought I would make a mock up first... but I had so many issues with it that it is going no further!
Made out of stuff I had kicking about - cost £0.00 but a whole day in time.
Each pocket is 8"x6"x1".
Modeled by my wife.