We've been demonstrating this weekend at the Chiltern Open Air Museum
A lady who was trying to sell some kind of electric massage cushions opposite us came over this morning and told us the following story :-
"My husband was laughing at you and taking the piss all day yesterday saying 'doesn't that guy know you can get electric lathes nowadays ?' etc all day on Saturday. Then the generator packed up which had been providing power for these massage cushions and he had to pack up at 4 o'clock while I was still working.
He had conceeded that I may have had a point and it was a salutary lesson for him . Plus I was getting healthy exercise and keeping warm pumping my lathe and I was getting paid to be there!
Sunday, 20 April 2008
Friday, 18 April 2008
Liquid Gold
Vanessa has just put this honey into jars which we extracted at the end of last season. It's been hanging around in a bucket since then and we still have another large container full with about 40lbs in it.
We've had it on our porridge every day and haven't had a cold all winter. Bless the bees!
Actually I think it is more valuable than gold, certainly more useful.
Thursday, 17 April 2008
Bloglinks
You may have noticed a few new clickable links to other sites appearing lately. I'm reading a book called "Who let the Blogs Out" by Biz Stone which has inspired me to come to grips with the possibilities of the 'blogosphere' (don't like that word much and the spell checker doesn't recognise it{yet}).
Met a guy yesterday, Andy Coates, who's really into it (don't know how he finds much time to do any turning) here's his blog . .
http://www.cobwebcrafts.co.uk/blog.htm
I'll try and put it up in the side bar and sort the naming out properly soon.
Met a guy yesterday, Andy Coates, who's really into it (don't know how he finds much time to do any turning) here's his blog . .
http://www.cobwebcrafts.co.uk/blog.htm
I'll try and put it up in the side bar and sort the naming out properly soon.
Turners Day
Yesterday was a full-on day of turning type experiences . . .
Firstly up to London for the Craft Meeting of the Register of Professional Turners. This is supported by The Worshipful Company of Turners and is a good way to meet up with the Great & Good of the turning world - have a jolly good lunch and a drink and listen to some interesting lectures by some very knowledgeable speakers. The theme was “Turning In Historic London” and the days programme was organised by Robin Wood. Well done Rob.
Traditionally we then repair to the Blackfriars pub round the corner for some ale.
Then it was off back home to pick up Bill Monroe (a local turner) and shoot up to Sawbridgeworth in Hertfordshire for the monthly meeting of the E.Herts Woodturners. Dennis Woodley demonstrated how to use a Sorby texturing tool (only £130!) on a piece of ash then sprayed it black, gold and red. I can never see the point in getting a lovely finish on a piece of wood and then hiding it by doing all that to it - but . . . whatever floats your boat!
There was then a “show-and-tell” about a selection of goblets that the members had tried to make - badly. Bill says he finds it hard to make something deliberately badly just to show what not to do. I think it was decided that the main defect with them was that they were too small - not enough room for much booze!
I did learn quite a bit about different chucking techniques for fixing work on the lathe and bought a small Sorby multi-scraper with which I’m going to have a go at making some lidded boxes on my treadle lathe.
We’re going to be demonstrating and (hopefully) selling at the Chiltern Open Air Museum this weekend - a nice venue and well worth a visit if you’re in the area . . .
www.oakleighfairs.co.uk/coam/
Firstly up to London for the Craft Meeting of the Register of Professional Turners. This is supported by The Worshipful Company of Turners and is a good way to meet up with the Great & Good of the turning world - have a jolly good lunch and a drink and listen to some interesting lectures by some very knowledgeable speakers. The theme was “Turning In Historic London” and the days programme was organised by Robin Wood. Well done Rob.
Traditionally we then repair to the Blackfriars pub round the corner for some ale.
Then it was off back home to pick up Bill Monroe (a local turner) and shoot up to Sawbridgeworth in Hertfordshire for the monthly meeting of the E.Herts Woodturners. Dennis Woodley demonstrated how to use a Sorby texturing tool (only £130!) on a piece of ash then sprayed it black, gold and red. I can never see the point in getting a lovely finish on a piece of wood and then hiding it by doing all that to it - but . . . whatever floats your boat!
There was then a “show-and-tell” about a selection of goblets that the members had tried to make - badly. Bill says he finds it hard to make something deliberately badly just to show what not to do. I think it was decided that the main defect with them was that they were too small - not enough room for much booze!
I did learn quite a bit about different chucking techniques for fixing work on the lathe and bought a small Sorby multi-scraper with which I’m going to have a go at making some lidded boxes on my treadle lathe.
We’re going to be demonstrating and (hopefully) selling at the Chiltern Open Air Museum this weekend - a nice venue and well worth a visit if you’re in the area . . .
www.oakleighfairs.co.uk/coam/
Tuesday, 15 April 2008
Yokes
Some time ago I did some research into yokes - the wooden ones that dairy maids used to carry two pails of milk. This resulted in a very kind guy called Bob Field giving me this nice, old one.
The chain is beautifully made - each link is welded and has a subtle twist so it won't tangle.
Anyway I made one from sycamore, turning the arms on the lathe then carving the shoulder part with axe, adze, drawknife and gouge.
Unfortunately I could never find anything to compare with the chains on the old one so the project ground to a halt.
Anyone got any ideas for an elegant, contemporary solution? I'd like to make more as I think they'd be useful specially if there's a hosepipe ban or for watering the veg in your allotment.
The chain is beautifully made - each link is welded and has a subtle twist so it won't tangle.
Anyway I made one from sycamore, turning the arms on the lathe then carving the shoulder part with axe, adze, drawknife and gouge.
Unfortunately I could never find anything to compare with the chains on the old one so the project ground to a halt.
Anyone got any ideas for an elegant, contemporary solution? I'd like to make more as I think they'd be useful specially if there's a hosepipe ban or for watering the veg in your allotment.
The Apprentice
Taking on an apprentice is something I've thought about more than once but never managed to reach a satisfactory conclusion. At the moment I do it all myself but there is a limit to the amount I can do and the amount I can earn. Vanessa is my secret weapon - my sales force - she could sell ice to eskimos and is brilliant at it. She also does the accounts. So between us as a team we just about make a living.
How could we afford to employ another worker without increasing our overheads until the apprentice begins to earn their keep? I've got no intention of becoming a factory production line. I was once asked to make 4000 whistles and turned it down. I don't want to become a whistle maker and want to enjoy making the things I do make.
Would an apprentice be prepared to do all the donkey work while I did the finishing?
Could I guarantee them work? What happens in slack periods (ie. the Winter)? What is a fair wage for an apprentice? Perhaps someone at college could come for a couple of days a week and "work themselves into a job"?
Lots more questions than answers . . .
I like the idea of passing on knowledge but at the moment people pay me to do that. Also a part of me is thinking "do I want to train someone who may well go into competition with me?"
All in all a complex issue and I would be grateful for anyone else's insights
How could we afford to employ another worker without increasing our overheads until the apprentice begins to earn their keep? I've got no intention of becoming a factory production line. I was once asked to make 4000 whistles and turned it down. I don't want to become a whistle maker and want to enjoy making the things I do make.
Would an apprentice be prepared to do all the donkey work while I did the finishing?
Could I guarantee them work? What happens in slack periods (ie. the Winter)? What is a fair wage for an apprentice? Perhaps someone at college could come for a couple of days a week and "work themselves into a job"?
Lots more questions than answers . . .
I like the idea of passing on knowledge but at the moment people pay me to do that. Also a part of me is thinking "do I want to train someone who may well go into competition with me?"
All in all a complex issue and I would be grateful for anyone else's insights
The Turner
A couple of interesting insights into the world of the Turner. . .
The first is from an 18th century book originally published in 1747 - The London Tradesman.
I took a photo of the page and the front cover when I saw the book at The Museum of London whilst doing a demonstration. Unfortunately I lost the photos and can’t remember the name of the author.
The second is an extract from Henry Mayhew’s London Labour and the London Poor published in 1861 giving the relative levels of drunkenness between the various London trades. Turners come 35th out of the 66 only just ahead of the sawyers who had a perhaps undeserved reputation as a hard drinking, rough crew!
The first is from an 18th century book originally published in 1747 - The London Tradesman.
I took a photo of the page and the front cover when I saw the book at The Museum of London whilst doing a demonstration. Unfortunately I lost the photos and can’t remember the name of the author.
The second is an extract from Henry Mayhew’s London Labour and the London Poor published in 1861 giving the relative levels of drunkenness between the various London trades. Turners come 35th out of the 66 only just ahead of the sawyers who had a perhaps undeserved reputation as a hard drinking, rough crew!
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