Rushlight holders

Today a guy and his wife came up from Surrey for me to make some holders for some of their rushlight collection. The new ones are made from ash, yew and beech and were interesting and challenging to turn - up to almost 4" diameter. He was very pleased with my efforts and said they already looked old.

Rushlights were used as an alternative to candles (d.i.y - cheaper) and were made by peeling a strip down the rush to expose the pith and soaking it in any kind of fat. This is held in the tong device which grips the rush and it is counterweighted to stay shut. Some of the ones in the picture have a candle holder as the counterweight.
Apparently they aren't as smoky and smelly as I had heard !



Yesterday was the last beat of the season at Gaynes Park got rosy cheeks and some birds to eat.

Passwords . . . .. memory/update

Visit www.treewright.co.uk
I'll be updating it soon (I HOPE)

If you need a website sorting, ask my advice

OR www.bodgers.org.uk

Shigo

Signed up for an Amazon account today, advertised a load of books we wanted to sell.  

About ten minutes later we had sold two of them !!  It was a shock . . .

One of the books was Modern Arboriculture by Dr Alex Shigo  -  a hero and mentor of mine.  Any comments about him ???

My Dad Les's birthday tomorrow.  He's been told that his colostomy will be reversed.  Really great news.

Power lathe turning ! ! !

Was invited to a meeting of the East Herts Woodturners in Sawbridgeworth by a guy who lives quite close by. Power turners and foot turners seem to regard each other with some suspicion and contempt a lot of the time. I see no need for this and since I have a treadle lathe want to learn about different chucking methods and ways of using tools etc.
They seemed quite a lively bunch and I think I may well go again.
Check the website of the Association of Woodturners of Great Britain. There is quite a lot of interesting info there, links etc - even a link to The Bodgers website !
http://www.woodturners.co.uk/index.htm

Hornbeam trunks

Hazel

We liberated some hazel wands from a local wood for a whistle making workshop that we are doing at a school in the not too distant future. Shame to have to sneak about like that but hazel is pretty rare around here and what there is has been shaded out by the massive trees that have grown up round it. Just needs some management - but will it get any ? I doubt it.
While we were there we were thinking about why this stuff all had silvery grey bark when we have had red, black, buff, bronze etc. Any answers gratefully received. But its a lovely timber to work and I have had some quite big diameter stuff from which I've made spoons, kitchen utensils, cups etc. I wonder what the implications are for nut allergy sufferers ?

Happy 12th Night

Got a good feeling about 2008.
Time to take down the decorations today and get on with the year.
I'll be 19,000 days old next Friday - does that sound like a cause for celebration?!