New Forest

We're really rediscovering lots of different parts of Epping Forest lately... with Jed leading the way most of the time.

Saw this massive Ganoderma (applanatum?) on a big old Beech pollard - also known as "The Artist's Pallette Fungus" because you can scratch designs, initials etc into the underside with a twig or finger nail.


We often come across these natural amphitheatres where someone has set up a big swing - I never can resist a go...


Jed's on the right if you click on the picture

Bowl Turning Club

Had a meet-up on The Plot today with Jon, Stefan & Gary. We tuned-up and had a go on some bowl turning lathes we've recently made.

I had to knock up the tool rest quickly and it still needs some tweaking. The bobbin works well but the uprights were too thin and springy.



Jon's is a lathe that he made on a Ben Orford course at The Cherrywood Project near Bath and is bungee powered.


I managed to make a bowl from spalted Birch...



What a great day. It felt like a pre-inaugural meeting of the Essex & East London Chapter of the Bodger's Association - we'll have to work on that...

Recycling timber into cabins

My mate Justin who lives in Canada
- with some of his demolition/reclaim buddies.

I asked what the timber was...

"It's 100 year old douglas fir. Goes hard like iron, but shines up like a penny with oil or varnish. I hate the shit. gives splinters. Much, much prefer freshly felled oak." (Freshly felled anything ?!)

Well done for liberating it - that's a good haul. Wear gloves.

He wants to use the reclaimed timber to build some cabins like this. The ones I liked didn't have plans available.

Anyone know any other websites with log cabins and plans ?

Work Bench

There were a load of offcuts of 4"x2" piled up in a friend's garden when I went round for a barbecue. "What are you going to do with it" I asked. "Put it on the fire" he said. So I ended up loading it in the back of the truck.
It hung around for a bit until I had the idea of making a bench with it.


Very useful for drilling stool and chair parts it also doubles as a handy drinks table in the garden. Also as Mike Abbott says of Champion the Lumber Horse - "a design that uses materials that are easy to obtain for people without access to woodlands".

Mike Abbott's
Champion the Lumber Horse

Treewright Banner

I've sorted out a couple of banners that I'm going to take on the Plinth and also use for future publicity. They were printed by a local company.


Sean Hellman took the picture of the leaves and mirrored it in his inimitable style. In the middle this forms a Green-leaf Goblin...

Tool rests

The tool rest which a lot of (most) bodgers use is a long stick which sits across projections at the back of each poppet (Head and Tailstock). These are probably ok if you're just turning chair components but not suitable for more complicated spindle turning.

I think it was Hugh Spencer (Bodger's webmaster) that I first saw using one like this...


The rest is held to the bed with a long bolt which tightens with a large Oak 'nut' into which I araldited a captive nut.



I made this one as part of a lathe I built using reclaimed and recycled timber. It's a chance to turn the central pillar and the last time you have to use that old stick rest !


The tusk tenon is similar to the way the poppets are held in the bed.


Designs could probably be altered, adapted and improved...

*

We spotted this lizard yesterday - unusual and exciting. I think it's the first time we've seen one in the 20 odd years we've been going to The Forest

Wet & Dry

Saturday

Sunday

Pictures say it all . . .

Had some great meals in The Holme Bush at Corfe Mullen. Peter Jameson popped in to see us on Saturday evening.

I feel knackered...

Someone is coming on a course on Wednesday - then we've got a break until "The Plinth" on the 16th.