Greenwood - Working in the woodyard

I joined in the activities in the woodyard at the Weald & Downland museum on Thursday. Luckily I missed the all day torrential rain on Wednesday and although a little moist to start it was a pleasant day in the woods.


I was there to make besom brooms and put into practive everything I learnt from Alan on the recent course. Ben and John were aiming to make charcoal in an oil drum as a demonstration so it was a bit of a bus man's holiday for me. The oil drum is a quick demonstration in comparison to the large kilns or an earth burn and it will make charcoal in the small quantities used in the museum work to fill in between other burns.

You may have heard of horse logging and even oxen logging. This week was donkey logging as the donkeys hauled out poles for the hop field and delivered loads of split firewood to the houses.


This english oak frame being put together has given me a few ideas for the new garden shed I'm designning, although not on quiten the same scale and probably not with the complicated joints. which I'm told are dovetail lap joints originating from Germany.


Ben was working on various wagon parts and John made a birch whisk for the tudor kitchens in between the donkey logging and charcoal making. The birch spray had been boiled for hours the day before to help remove the bark. This picture was taken before the head was trimmed.

And of course nothing much can happen in the woods without a fire.

I did actually get to make a few brooms despite my interest in all the other activities in the yard. For the next 3 days I will be demonstrating in my normal pitch by the smithy at the museum.

A visit to the Fire Station

On Saturday I was demonstrating at a new local event, one that we hope will become a regular fixture, the Heathland Wildfire Awareness event at Haslemere fire station.

Heathland fires are a regular problem at this time of year in Surrey and Sussex. Many are small, but with a breeze and the right conditions the heath can burn fiercely turning into a dangerous and destructive inferno.

I've not tried to demonstrate on tarmac before and it was a bit of a challenge but it all went off well in the end.


There was an interesting range of displays including the animals and plants that colonise or graze the heaths as well as the crafts and products from them. The HCT displayed snakes and lizards, and Dave Elliot (who supplies me with bees wax) had some of his bees there and gave a talk. Unfortunately I was busy on my stand and couldn't get to the talks. Hopefully next year.

We had a small fire last year , the result of people camping on the common overnight and not taking care to put out the campfire.



I have a friend who used to tell me it was good for business, but not many people are building and selling fire engines to replace those lost in heath fires.

OK, I admit it. It was all an excuse to take pictures of Haslemere's fire engines, including their Landrover seen here with the monster new machine intended to cope with the heathland terrain. In fact when we were clearing up I noticed that what with the red landrovers, green ones, brown and blue ones, it seems admission was by landrover. Mine was by far the oldest though.

Well done to Mark Busby and Haslemere Fire Station for organising an excellent event. We're looking forward to next year's show. Now where was I....Pew, Pew, Barney, McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble and Grub.........................

Lynchmere Common - Letting the Wolves loose

No, we've not gone mad. But if I've got this right, the class of Camelsdale primary school that was let loose on the Lynchmere commons on Friday is called 'Wolves'. I had one bin burning when they arrived and then we opened up the three that I'd burnt the night before to find the charcoal.




The artist's charcoal worked well and it was a hit with the class. I particularly liked this selection of pictures drawn on one of the boards I use at the site.

We went to find some more willow sticks to make more artists charcoal as the had class managed to use most that I'd made. We finished with a group photo on the trunk of a windblown birch tree.


Once the Wolves had left I was able to get on and burn the rest of the bins. The breeze was quite fickle and kept changing around. When it does this the smoke can get hung up in the trees creating some fantastic effects with the sunlight.


With all the bins going it was time to relax for a bit and cook my favourite meal - all day breakfast in the woods.

Lynchmere Common - It's all going green

Everything's going green, or is that growing green. In just a few weeks so much has changed on the commons. The brown colours of winter have burst through the riot of spring colour and now are moving into the mass of green-ness that is summer. It seems much harder to take good pictures as everything just turns out green.

Now that there is plenty of lush vegetative growth the cows have been let loose on the commons. They have been off over the winter to let the vegetation recover and avoid overgrazing.



This year the cattle on the commons are very young and extremely inquisitive. They are attracted to noise and activity. While I was splitting wood and then setting off the charcoal bins on Thursday evening they browsed around me for a couple of hours.

The Shetland cattle are very well suited to browsing the wide range of vegetation and seem as happy grazing through the young birch, gorse and holly as they are with grass. No doubt it's their background coming from the Shetland isles where they evolved to cope with little to forage other than heather during the harsh winters.

In our experience the cattle soon learn a wide and varied taste for plants on the common. We're very interested to learn which plants the cattle browse during the year and are encouraging everyone to record and tell us when they spot them grazing.


The afternoon was windy and sunny which pushed the smoke from the charcoal bins through the woods creating patterns with the light.




In preparation for a visit from a local primary school on Friday I decided to try making artist's charcoal using some willow cut recently. After packing tightly into a tin and binding with wire the box was placed into one of the bins once it was burning well.










As usual time flew by and it was close to sunset before I was able to shut down the last of the bins for the night. The intention was to be able to empty the bins for the school visit as well as set off another burn while they are there.

Polelathe - A star turn

I'm going to get my posts a little out of order. Over the last few days I've been quite busy including a number of shows and events which I have yet to post on. But today was the Surrey County show and Merrist Wood invited me to demonstrate polelathe turning on their stand and to represent the countryside management courses on one of which I teach polelathe turning.

I know the award winning team, Derek and Spanner, are expecting me to put up a post this evening and I'd hate to disappoint.

I've not attended the Surrey County show before, and to be honest I've steered clear of it as its a bit big, commercial and a lot of hassle for a one day show. But Derek talked me into it, and so today was something of an experiment.




Despite dark skies and an early rain shower the weather brightened up and it was a hot day, ending the run of bad weather for the show in recent years.

I prefer not to hog the limelight, so I hadn't been expecting the pleasure of a 'star' turn with a radio mike, working against the clock to do a solo log-to-leg race. But one good turn deserves another as they say and in the end things went very well.





A log to leg race is where we start with a round log, split out a blank and then make a chair leg on the lathe as quickly as we can. Normally we make 2 legs together, but on this occasion I made one leg for each session.


There were several of us with short slots, including Keith, shearing some of the college flock of black sheep and Zak with chainsaw carving.





My favourite tractor at Merrist Wood, where it's known as Number 6, was used to make a giant crane game for the kids. Just like the old arcade games but a tonka toy version. There was a queue for this game most of the day. Here Joe is helping the children from the safety of the cab pick up and move the brightly painted pieces of wood.








The Merrist Wood College stand won a first place at the show and well deserved congratulations to Derek, Spanner and the whole team who put on a great show for the crowds. It was great fun to be a part of the team.

Greenwood - The Moracle

I came back from the bodgers ball with more than I bargained for.


Is it a new eco-friendly roof box for vintage landrovers?

No. it's another project that I will need to fit into the next few weeks somehow.






It turns out that Barry was halfway through making a coracle.

But in true Barry fashion it is a strange mix of the modern and the traditional - sort of a modern coracle, or as Alison told me - 'the moracle'.

I quite like the pink baler twine, but I think the softwood plank will have to go. The stitching of the fabric around the sides remains to be completed and then tarred.

An excuse to make a paddle or two I think.

Minus one shed

Sheds are important. Demolishing one is not to be undertaken lightly. For one thing its taken me weeks just to empty it. Our garden is very small (lucky my office is 300 acres nowadays) but the current 8x6 is not much of a shed particularly now its dwarfed by the massive garden room the neighbour has built behind it.


Unfortunately the builders employed by the neighbour put in the footings a little close and as a result the corner of the shed has rotted through, rendering it fairly useless and it's gradually caving in as the rot spreads.



Taking it down I realised just how thin the wood is and I really don't have much use for any of it, other than as kindling for the fire at my charcoal site. As it's treated wood, more treatment than wood in fact, I won't be burning any of it indoors.



We're planning a new shed in its place. The design is still a little fluid, but most of the timber has been planked and it will replace both the existing sheds at the bottom of the garden. My first serious construction project so I'm a little worried about making a mess of it.





So today the phase one started and the first shed came down. Once it's gone I can get to work to dig out the base and lay the foundation blocks for the new one.

Polelathe - Merrist Wood summer show 2009

The weather did it's best to dampen our spirits at the Merrist Wood college Summer Show on Sunday. It rained. Then, just when you thought it was all over, it tipped down again. But in between the showers we managed to make the best of it in our little woody corner.

Although it's not a very woody show I do get to see a few old friends and a few new ones as well, particularly the students I taught polelathe turning earlier in the year.

You never quite know who will turn up. This year I had the honour of a visit from Anthony Cooper, a besom broom maker for many years at Loxwood in West Sussex. We compared notes on the use of my drawknife and he told me of the times when he used to supply 40 or 50 dozen brooms upto London, by the lorry load.


Today it is getting a lot harder to find suitable areas of birch to cut for brooms. One consequence of the recent push to restore heathland is that grazing, cutting and even spraying are often used where once the birch would have been cut for brooms. If you can find the birch, then finding somewhere undercover to store it can be even harder, as a lot of the old barns which would once have been used are now conversions! A fascinating opportunity to talk about a craft that's now quite rare.


To keep warm there was always the option of the oil drum charcoal kiln, organised by the countryside courses staff and students, which smoked us gently through the day. Thanks to Brian, John K, Clair and all for making feel welcome. And of course to Derek and Spanner for keeping the massive show on the road and bringing in the hordes of visitors.


While on the other side of me Mick Stanton fired up his transportable forge to demonstrate his blacksmithing talents. We are lucky in SW Surrey, W Sussex and NE Hampshire area to have access to a number of excellent blackmiths, but it's a case of use them or lose them! Mick is a talented blacksmith and specialises in edge tool making. You can find him online here ( Mr Fraught-Wrought )






Mick Baker was there to demonstrate making cleft chestnut gate hurdles. Mick has a collection of working hand tools that is almost second to none. Many of the them are tools handed down through his family. If you're not sure of a tool or how it was used, expecially for hedging and coppicing then Mick will be able to set you straight.

It's always a pleasure to talk a load of billhooks with Mick and this year was no exception.




The sun did shine on us occasionally. For me it turned out to be a bit of a spurtle and rolling pin day and it kept me busy making more stock.

If I'm turning a nice looking/feeling piece of wood then I don't like to waste it and sometimes make little items from the waste at the end of the billet. Door knobs, light pulls, cotton reels and sometimes little handles which I sell for taking the straing when you are carrying plastic bags full of shopping home.

Today I sold one as a handle to hold onto a lure for a bird of prey, a harris hawk apparently. Clearly I need to go upmarket with my handle making. They are now 'handles for hawk lures', but can also be used to carry your shopping home!

Next Monday Derek has somehow talked me into demonstrating at the Surrey County Show, one I've managed to avoid until now, not least because it tends to pour with rain.

Lynchmere common - A good year for bluebells

It's been a very good year for bluebells here on the edge of the Weald. The hanger to the east of the commons and the barn where we keep the equipment is sweet chestnut coppice and a good reserve for woodland flora. Elsewhere I hear that bluebells are threatened by intensive agricultural practice and lack of woodland management, but coppicing is good for them, providing a regular cycle of renewal.


Today I've managed to fit in some tractor maintenance, changing the oil and filters on the CASE CX80 as well as fitting the PTO and trying out the chain cutters on the new topper. The warm wet weather is bringing on the growth really fast and it will soon be time to start bracken cutting in earnest.


I've even managed to nail down the source of my broadband problems today. It turned out to be a faulty power supply for an external USB hub. Hopefully normal service is now finally resumed.

Tomorrow I am demonstrating polelathe turning at the Merrist Wood college summer show, so it's an early start again.

Polelathe - A load of balls

Turning spherical shapes freehand is not my strong point, but I've been asked to make a load of balls for the coconut shy run by a local scout group.

It's certainly good practice for me, but I don't relish mass production on a polelathe.

The balls are about two and a half inches in diameter. In the hope of maximising my production speed I decided to make upto six at a time using each billet of ash.



The wood was a bit drier than I'd have liked which made the job even longer and harder. But I got there in the end.











I am little annoyed that the shape is not entirely spherical. But for the coconut shy keeping them the right diameter was more important than a perfect shape.

As usual I spent more time on the balls than I should have done, price being an important issue for the scouts. I don't think coconut shy balls will be one of my more profitable lines, but it has certainly been an interesting challenge and a learning experience.

Greenwood - Baling birch for brooms

As usual I'm running a bit late. The birch tops should have been baled and stored under cover weeks ago. But the weather was ok today and I finally got around to doing it before the rain set in.

When I was sorting through for bean poles and pea-sticks I piled most of the tops that were suitable for besom brooms ready to be baled. So it's just a matter of sorting through again and baling the tops up.





I do this using the traditional 'woodsman's grip'.

Two boards and a few feet of rope allow the birch to be bundled tightly. This method was recommended by my friend Richard who's been coppicing for many years and it provides a lot of pressure.

The boards are forced apart and gripped by the knees or feet keeping the pressure on the bale whilst a bond is tied.




I managed to bale well over a 1000 pieces of birch spray or brish as its sometimes called before the rain set in.

The tight bales should help to form the birch tops into straight wands that will make a good broom.

After airing for a few days under cover to ensure that they are dry I will then pile them up in the dark to store them until they are needed for making brooms. My first day of broom making should be in a couple of weeks time. I'll need to sort out the handles or 'tails' before then.

Polelathe - Bodgers Ball 2009 Cusworth Hall

The Annual General Meeting of the Association of Polelathe Turners and Greenwood workers, otherwise known as the Bodgers Ball, was held last weekend in a field adjacent to Cusworth Hall, just outside Doncaster. It's an opportunity to meet like minded people, exchange ideas, be inspired by demonstrations and buy more old tools that you don't really need.

I was busy the week before and failed entirely to do the turning practice that I'd intended to participate in the various races or to prepare any items to put into the competitions.


A last minute problem with the Landrover meant that when I set off on Thursday evening to drive up over night it was with a new carburettor and distributor.

It was blowing a gale on the Friday and the competition for the most sheltered locations was hotly contested. There was a large contingent from the Sussex group and the Sussex shelter was erected successfully despite the wind.

Mike Gordon even found time to enter the team log to leg race, in which three people race to make two chair legs, despite talking on the PA sustem at the same time.

In the marquee the entries to the various classes are on display. The line of chairs always seems quite intimidating to those of us who have yet to make one.

I always like to see the freeform chairs, ie the wild and wacky ones (closest in the photo) as well as the more formal ones.

Alongside the chairs are also competition classes for treen, spoons and craft items of all sorts.









There were almost 200 people at the ball, so there was plenty to keep me busy all weekend.

Quite a few people brought their lathes and some were kind enough to demonstrate and even allow us to try our hands at new techqniques.

Paul Atkins, with endless forebearance, encouraged us to have a go at bowl turning. For me it was invaluable to try a lathe and tools which are perfectly set up and I think it will solve a few of my bowl turning problems.



A new feature at this Ball was an enclosure in the middle where a team assisted those who wanted to build lathes. By the end of the ball 10 assorted spindle and bowl lathes had been built.

These lathes are based upon a round wood design, and can be made from no more than a couple of logs using fairly simple hand tools, although a chainsaw makes things a lot quicker.






Sean Hellman demonstrated his carving techniques much to the fascination of visitors and one of his dragonflies deservedly won a competition class.

But most of all I covet his wood burning stove. You can see the chimney coming through the roof of his bell tent in the background. Sean - the combination of warm stove and Island whisky was deadly - thank you!





Exploring around the hall I managed to find myself in the old bakehouse and scullery, which always seem to fascinate me more than the formal rooms.

Despite the gale, it was a great weekend. I did indeed buy too many old tools. I am inspired to keep improving my skills and be able to enter a competition item or two by next year. Even the puncture on the M1 on the way back has failed to dampen my enthusiasm, and I am already looking forwards to the next one.