tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63389815933400195432024-03-14T01:26:00.761-07:00Coppicewood College Students BlogCoppicewood Collegehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706251291136853317noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338981593340019543.post-23596656491810463762013-04-05T13:20:00.001-07:002013-04-22T00:20:27.800-07:00Week 22: The end<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The end of the course. I can’t believe we are there already! It seems as if the woods are shouting ‘coming whether you’re ready or not!’<br /><br />Until coffee time on Wednesday we were on the plot. The plan was to learn to pleach hazel stems that had been left when felling with the hope that these would then form new stools. I had already done this as a volunteer and then again with Martin when we shared a large hazel and some of the small stems had got damaged or bent so had to be pleached to keep them safe. I therefore asked to do faggot making. I have a lot of material on my garden which needs clearing up and some of it is for faggots. Martin showed me how to use the ‘woodsman’s grip’ to tie the bundles tightly and we discussed the possibility of using bungee cord if I am working in the shed. A small but useful exercise.<br /><br />Then we all got on with our projects as time is now limited. With Martin’s help I sourced some Ash for the seat slats and split short, thin planks which I tidied up with the side axe. Essentially the same process as we used to make the benches for the shavehorses but on a smalller scale. It was good to get in more practice with the side axe – there is something about me and axes which doesn’t quite click it seems. I had finally smoothed about half of them with the drawknife when it was time to go home. Andrew and I left slightly early because we had all been invited to Nick and Barbara’s for a celebration meal and both of us wanted to get home to deal with animals before returning. Andrew’s wife, Keridwen had been invited to thank her for the steady stream of delicious cakes which she has sent.<br /><br />The get together was great. Nick and Barbara’s house is as warm, welcoming, homely and unpretentiously stylish as I would have expected. William Morris would be proud of them – everything was both beautiful and useful. They had cooked a delicious vegetarian feast and I had made a vegan (because Bruce and Cathy had hoped to be there but Bruce was ill) and gluten free (Barbara is gluten intolerant) cake in the shape of a log with an axe, a gate and a robin to represent the one who visits the shelter in search of crumbs from our lunches. A warm fire, comfy seats, good food and good company – a lovely end to the course.<br /><br />Thursday was slightly fraught for me because my car had to go to the garage for service and MOT . Gravell’s computer had had a hissy fit and forgotten to remind me so when I realised the MOT was due there was no choice of dates. Gravells is in the opposite direction to Cilgerran so I had to take the car one way, pick up a courtesy car and retrace most of my route then on to the woods. I also had to leave promptly to get the cars swopped before they closed for the Easter break. I had hoped to savour the end of the course but was rather distracted so I was particularly glad that we had had the event the previous evening.<br /><br />With advice and help from Nick and Martin my swing bench was finished by lunchtime. I have still to build a framework for it to hang from at home but I have most of what I need to do that. Andrew very kindly brought his large Landrover and between us he, I, Nick and Barbara carried the seat up the ride and got it in. Because of the necessity to get the courtesy car back to Narberth Andrew took the seat home and delivered it to my place on the Friday morning. I spent the Easter weekend building the frame and after a trip to Crymych for chains and some extra fixings it was installed by Tuesday evening.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjDW2O-djHALX6GdOjlWmEORh_6-ykrGTRL2HJOhdkSWu_J9cuV17Eqf4Jhai3xLRR2NsnzeRAAgx9RhMWbRy6OIYXl18MuntHy-Zr0gEljz8k8_bfYlpMyQWrK2tCON5bdey-ey513rU/s1600/Penny's+gate.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjDW2O-djHALX6GdOjlWmEORh_6-ykrGTRL2HJOhdkSWu_J9cuV17Eqf4Jhai3xLRR2NsnzeRAAgx9RhMWbRy6OIYXl18MuntHy-Zr0gEljz8k8_bfYlpMyQWrK2tCON5bdey-ey513rU/s320/Penny's+gate.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Penny's finished gate</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvEm0D1jo4zok08DA1Xo00RMi62bCbMinO6YM9A-WJZXmeMg0YhAlNaP9rvDXAKvqiOG54tGiAAistPTH_br1ZbVCTgOMkOoVtKxnWzi98H7D-i1bd88dcgREGAMP1Q5V0ULjYowf8lkY/s1600/Sue's+swing+seat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvEm0D1jo4zok08DA1Xo00RMi62bCbMinO6YM9A-WJZXmeMg0YhAlNaP9rvDXAKvqiOG54tGiAAistPTH_br1ZbVCTgOMkOoVtKxnWzi98H7D-i1bd88dcgREGAMP1Q5V0ULjYowf8lkY/s320/Sue's+swing+seat.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sue's swing seat in place</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /> On the Thursday afternoon I picked up a discarded piece of cleft Ash, shaped it into a blank for the pole lathe with the side axe just for more practice and then mounted it on the lathe and turned it into a spurtle. It’s the first time I have done the entire process without help so a result!<br /><br />I came on the course to learn how to manage my own trees safely and now I can. But I have gained so much more. According to the certificate I was given on Thursday afternoon I have demonstrated competence in:<br /><br />Care and maintenance of hand tools<br />Cutting and management of a coppice plot<br />Tree identification<br />Felling trees safely using an axe and crosscut saw<br />Selection, cleaving and shaping of green wood<br />Construction of a saw horse, shave horse and other devices<br />Pole lathe turning<br />Charcoal burning<br />Hedgelaying<br />Identifying uses for coppice product<br />Design and construction of a craft project using coppiced materials<br /><br />I feel a bit of a fraud in that competence may be pushing it a bit on some of those! I have had a go at all of them and whilst I have a lot to learn I know much more than I did. On the learning progression Unconscious incompetence – Conscious incompetence – Conscious competence – Unconscious competence I am between conscious incompetence and conscious competence with different aspects ahead of, or behind, the pack. Since my husband died I have had rather a lot of experience of conscious incompetence as I have taken on responsibilities that I used to leave to him. I don’t like the feeling and struggle with it. The team have identified that I tend to react by being impatient and rushing, ‘taking a run at it’ which, with their help I am learning to curb. Their patient, generous, loving support has enabled me to do things I never thought I could.<br /><br />Could I have done all this for free by volunteering? Maybe. But on winter Wednesdays the focus of the tutors is on the students – volunteers who have not done the course help by snedding, fetching and carrying. It is only if the course is undersubscribed or the students have all achieved competence in whatever is being practiced that there is time for volunteers to be taught new skills. In summer there is more teaching of green woodwork and charcoal burning but this is all geared towards selling products to raise funds or maintaining the infrastructure, so there is no opportunity to do a project and saw horses or shavehorses are only made when existing ones need replacing.<br /><br />Quite apart from the skills officially taught I have learned about myself, spent time with a diverse and fascinating group of people, had wide ranging discussions on an array of topics which have challenged my ideas and broadened my horizons and all in a beautiful place. If I could afford it I would do the course again next year and no doubt gain a lot from it. As it is I will continue to volunteer regularly to practice what I have learned, make use of the generous ‘after sales service’ to ask questions and tap into the experience and expertise of the team, and hopefully be more useful to them and to next year’s students.<br /><br />PS I have taken a week off from volunteering for Coppicewood to go to Dyfed Permaculture Farm Trust and spend a day learning to graft apple trees with Philip Batten. Another lovely day out and a new skill to add to my repertoire!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Words by Sue Laverack</i></span></div>
Coppicewood Collegehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706251291136853317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338981593340019543.post-78138595527012076182013-03-30T00:05:00.000-07:002013-04-22T00:08:27.931-07:00Week 21: Greenwood working Cousre<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1vp468hzfEXxpeO4RvIxqpn4sZN2Vt8iz-xoD6ygATn1nTR01BAlaYMqEoVW_G33ld7hH_GsLzIVZ8fdN5_4qmQsKqO86SOHkONVUPkR7XGwH8AskjHtXCnLGP0SFPkUSOsbad8_NwFo/s1600/Stef's+seat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
We spent 4 days in the woods this week and were joined by Holly. Lee and Gary on the short course in green woodworking. They all 3 elected to make shavehorses – a wise decision because to make a shavehorse involves using a shavehorse! But it also involves most of the processes used in green woodwork so is excellent learning.<br />
<br />
On Monday, whilst Nick and Martin started the 3 new people off on their course I finished the 4th tenon for my seat frame. Then Martin helped me sort out the components I had made and suggested that I concentrate on making the arms which I hadn’t started. We went down to the plot and found and cleft a curved piece of Ash to give 2 short planks. I had to use the side axe to smooth the face and work them to a suitable thickness. I am still not very god with the eide axe but by the time I had finished and also shaped them a bit I was improving and only had to do a small amount of work with the drawknife. I had a spare piece of wood which I had already shaped to an oval cross-section so I cut it in half and made tenons on the end to fit holes drilled in the front of the arms. That took me the rest of the afternoon.<br />
<br />
Kieron finished his 2 gates today. They are beautiful – simple but elegant – and for his hen run which is complete apart from them so he will be staying home tomorrow to hang them and, if his apple trees arrive, we will not see him again until next week as they will need planting.<br />
<br />
Tuesday I started to make the seat back. I shaved the bark of the top rail. Then I made motice and tenon joints at each end of the end spindles which were cleft from curved pieces of bird cherry from my garden. This may not sound much for a day’s work but the 4 joints were fiddly because nothing is straight or square and the 2 bottom ones were made like conventional carpentry ones with sawn flats and a pin – another new technique for me. When we put it together we realised that the sides were too tall for the other spindles so I need to lengthen the tenons and then cut the ends off. We were just about to pack up when I realised that I had made a mistake – what I had thought was the outside edge of the frame was actually the inside! With Nick’s help I tried to find a solution and after a while he suggested we try turning the top rail around and seeing if it would still work with all the curves and angles. It did. PHEW!!! But tomorrow I need to check the spindle lengths again because the rake of the back is now greater which may mean shortening the sides more.<br />
<br />
After a night when I kept waking up trying to think how to manage the spindles and their angles into the frame and top rail I had to face doing it for real! It seems both Nick and Martin have been giving it a lot of thought too! This project has posed challenges for us all. I worked the end spindles to length, then marked the frame with equidistant holes and drilled them. Martin and Nick told me to do them vertical as the spindles should have enough flex to bend to the rake. Then each spindle had to be shaved down to fit its own hole. Then I had to assemble it all again, mark the top rail, take it all apart and shape each spindle to fit its top hole. I made 2 mistakes on the top rail – one hole was too near the edge and the top of the spindle shows through and another was slightly out of place. Nothing I could do about either after the event. Then Nick helped me put it all together one last time. I was so relieved when it all went in! And despite the mistakes I am pleased with the design. Quirky and solid frames but the plain spindles make it quite light and delicate at the same time.<br />
It is getting crowded in the shelter now as we all begin to lay out our pieces and fit things together. My bench and David’s bike trailer are both quite big, Andrew and Penny are needing to build up their components into gates and 3 shavehorses are standing around waiting for the vices to be fitted. Only Stef is being compact – he has spent hours on the pole-lathe turning the legs and spindles for his stick chair and is now adzing the seat. He is hard at work when we arrive and continues until it is too dark to see.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1vp468hzfEXxpeO4RvIxqpn4sZN2Vt8iz-xoD6ygATn1nTR01BAlaYMqEoVW_G33ld7hH_GsLzIVZ8fdN5_4qmQsKqO86SOHkONVUPkR7XGwH8AskjHtXCnLGP0SFPkUSOsbad8_NwFo/s1600/Stef's+seat.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1vp468hzfEXxpeO4RvIxqpn4sZN2Vt8iz-xoD6ygATn1nTR01BAlaYMqEoVW_G33ld7hH_GsLzIVZ8fdN5_4qmQsKqO86SOHkONVUPkR7XGwH8AskjHtXCnLGP0SFPkUSOsbad8_NwFo/s400/Stef's+seat.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Stef hard at work on his chair seat</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicxC1yUNLBM4G3PXgkX_JCwzEZ9HeJaqPOhm9uiP20J5cd4f5YGfUmbmY5tszr8O1-d-VLvY8iXO2LFOJH1WZ2YZatwi3gE5cKjUkJXZKmbrlmaso5RiUm4Xf2aZBNUWb0wHdALI2V7iw/s1600/Kieron's+gates.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicxC1yUNLBM4G3PXgkX_JCwzEZ9HeJaqPOhm9uiP20J5cd4f5YGfUmbmY5tszr8O1-d-VLvY8iXO2LFOJH1WZ2YZatwi3gE5cKjUkJXZKmbrlmaso5RiUm4Xf2aZBNUWb0wHdALI2V7iw/s400/Kieron's+gates.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kieron's rustic gates complete and looking brilliant.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My job on Thursday was to attach the arms. A simple cut out at the bottom of the support will sit on the inside of the frame and be held with a screw but the back of the arm had to be connected to the end spindle with a complicated sort of cross halving joint in the side and front of the spindle. But these are curved and bend in both planes! I managed something which will be strong but has more gaps than I would ideally like. However Nick and Martin were pleased with my efforts and very reassuring. I must say I am pleased with the overall effect – just don’t look TOO closely! By way of light relief and a change I finished the afternoon by going to the plot again and finding pieces that would make the seat planks. Martin came to help and we halved some straight lengths of Ash. I shaped them with the side axe and then started to smooth them finally and flatten the ends with the draw knife but ran out of time. With one day next week to complete the job I think I will get it finished – just!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHlJzOj8fJP-sdplKq6kQSip7P3tq8BnnyU6kLZkMK9_1zcMj8e3Lbs2csz43lDZCLQXAN2Rmx7t6GYC1n4EeFbdUifWOeLd4aHAenNgssTYY4lDnajmsOqTwEAID1IgTfhWZo5QG5Jgc/s1600/Sue's+seat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHlJzOj8fJP-sdplKq6kQSip7P3tq8BnnyU6kLZkMK9_1zcMj8e3Lbs2csz43lDZCLQXAN2Rmx7t6GYC1n4EeFbdUifWOeLd4aHAenNgssTYY4lDnajmsOqTwEAID1IgTfhWZo5QG5Jgc/s400/Sue's+seat.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sue's swing seat approaching completion</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>Words and photos by Sue Laverack</i> </div>
<br />Coppicewood Collegehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706251291136853317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338981593340019543.post-31993664323718280022013-03-17T23:49:00.002-07:002013-03-17T23:49:56.355-07:00Week 20: Final week on the plot<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This was our last week felling for this season so we spent both days on the plot. Next week we combine with the four day green woodworking course and the following week, our last, is after Lady Day, the traditional end of the coppicing season, so we will spend it finishing off any snedding, pleaching small saved stems and generally tidying up.<br /><br />On the Wednesday morning Barbara offered to do a charcoal burn with anyone who wanted to do one on their own but with supervision. I leapt at the chance! I have helped several times whilst volunteering but the only time I was involved in actually managing the process and deciding when to close the drum or let more air in was when all three tutors were away and us volunteers worked on our own. We ended up with a lot of partly burnt ‘brown ends’. Charcoal making is something I want to do at home with wood from the garden so I needed to be confident I can get it right. With Barbara’s help and reminders I loaded the drum and got it lit.<br /><br />We needed to stay fairly close and keep checking that it didn’t go out so I did a bit more to my tenons on the swing bench until coffee time. By spending some time during lunch on it I got the third one finished and a start on the fourth. I also drilled a 1 inch hole in an offcut of shelving I had brought from home so that I have a guage for shaping the spindles. I took them home at the end of the day to shave them to size in my own workshop. I am concerned that I will not finish my project by the end of the course otherwise.<br /><br />We checked the charcoal again before going to the plot after the break and Barbara knew from experience that it should be fine until lunch so I started felling another smallish tree and snedding it. Despite the wintry showers and cold by the end of the afternoon I had done 2. We are either hardy or masochistic depending on your point of view!<br /><br />We checked the charcoal at lunchtime and decided that it was ready to close down. It was the first time I had put the band on to seal the top and the first time that I had made the final decision about when to do it although Barbara was there to advise and help. All I could do then was wait and see!<br /><br />So my first job on Thursday was to open the drum and find out if I had been successful. I had! And whilst Stef began loading the second drum for his turn I unloaded mine, sieved and bagged it. I did as much of this on my own as I could because at home there will be no-one to help. It was very satisfying to see a bag of charcoal ready for sale and made by me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd8dV8eClaecycFOy06IKTZL9gMqnBvOosh-LzrNfeLovDYft7Aw5rDVtsxo8Vw7Gjpx2VyzckeXfjXTOz5EahzVNTkFmk55mY-HC-EwdGdNJi0HaitXqiLSiuUfDEsdZGaUzMpICLbw4/s1600/Charcoal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd8dV8eClaecycFOy06IKTZL9gMqnBvOosh-LzrNfeLovDYft7Aw5rDVtsxo8Vw7Gjpx2VyzckeXfjXTOz5EahzVNTkFmk55mY-HC-EwdGdNJi0HaitXqiLSiuUfDEsdZGaUzMpICLbw4/s400/Charcoal.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Charcoal, the finished product</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Back on the plot I did another 2 smallish trees. Martin came over and asked how I was getting on and was I happy with the way I had done them. I am now confident that I can get the tree down safely and where I want it to go and the stumps are low and have the right slope but they look as if they have been chewed by a large, dentally challenged rat and they should be smooth so on that count I am not happy with my work. I also know that I waste a lot of energy making ineffectual cuts. So when I started on my last tree of the season, a slightly larger Ash, he came over to see if he could help me work out where I was going wrong. Between him demonstrating –AGAIN (the tutors have the patience of saints!) – and watching me, and us talking, it became clear what the problem was – I was doing too much on the bottom cut when I should be concentrating more on the top cut and then cutting the slices free with the bottom cut. I tried again and Eureka! A smooth stump. Shame I can’t consolidate the learning until October! </span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLuCg7N0GMJyxwXIDL8iTCj6EkvN8uICLLd0D6S9ExolIFwAU5bK7pTe1rB_HYjtTuL_zfIrdepXkk1WZt4rHNsx4D5U_de-NUlhOIJ3O17dNQJzHUDbECHzfs3CRa5cgbNnpp2pM_8Q8/s1600/Finished+cut.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLuCg7N0GMJyxwXIDL8iTCj6EkvN8uICLLd0D6S9ExolIFwAU5bK7pTe1rB_HYjtTuL_zfIrdepXkk1WZt4rHNsx4D5U_de-NUlhOIJ3O17dNQJzHUDbECHzfs3CRa5cgbNnpp2pM_8Q8/s400/Finished+cut.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sue's smooth axe work</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Martin also told me that Jill struggled to master the axe when she did the course and had similar problems to me which surprised me as she is now very competent in a way that I have been envying but apparently she got the hang of it when she volunteered the following season. Good job I live locally and can go on volunteering then! Martin himself needed to find the correct axe for him and found it hard to learn so I am in good company and felt less of a frustrated prat! It seems the ‘knack’ comes when it comes. At least I ended major work on the plot on a high and I am really looking forward to next year’s season.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Words and photos by Sue Laverack </span></i></b></div>
Coppicewood Collegehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706251291136853317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338981593340019543.post-76752059195596846492013-03-17T23:42:00.003-07:002013-03-17T23:45:07.523-07:00Week 19: Thinking of pleaching<style>
<!--
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US;}
@page WordSection1
{size:595.0pt 842.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;
mso-header-margin:35.4pt;
mso-footer-margin:35.4pt;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
</style><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Andrew was unwell today so I went to the coppice on my own.
His wife usually supplies us with cakes (she is an excellent baker!) so I took
some drop scones – can’t have the troops going hungry!</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">With help from Rhodi who is a volunteer I snedded the tree I
had felled last week. Rhodi has not been for a while but will retire soon and
become a more frequent visitor which will please him and us. </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Then Barbara suggested I drop a hazel which was not very big
but included several small stems which could be pleached to form new stools if
I could save them. I managed to get it down and leave 5 though at the price of
the stool being slightly high on one side. <span style="font-size: small;">M</span>aybe when the pleaching is done I
will be able to tidy it up</span>.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5nEjyr6RuSt65ZSpO4czkT5n2KJTsx3M05CmlQ0CDl9gJ15zWzIv_i476WUeKIzd-FEgHGqW1JZpP-G0UAKZYOvfVUiENtYJLuokvkEX868JCEbq3CH3rLv5OFlzJcKG8j3W7Ghe2b8/s1600/Sue+felling.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5nEjyr6RuSt65ZSpO4czkT5n2KJTsx3M05CmlQ0CDl9gJ15zWzIv_i476WUeKIzd-FEgHGqW1JZpP-G0UAKZYOvfVUiENtYJLuokvkEX868JCEbq3CH3rLv5OFlzJcKG8j3W7Ghe2b8/s400/Sue+felling.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hazel stump</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrFRRX3f6Jimm8JEK5rL2p0ByTOEaVVvtgNh1MVULAsMpLHWRf1oE9LhSV1dbCDxEowhWpwoPQvtHaJhfh3jL5WUVb_SACYja0ngFKLoTBGDoDYG1AKiwPCrouOB5wij_wpCgE7QDOde4/s1600/Pleaching.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrFRRX3f6Jimm8JEK5rL2p0ByTOEaVVvtgNh1MVULAsMpLHWRf1oE9LhSV1dbCDxEowhWpwoPQvtHaJhfh3jL5WUVb_SACYja0ngFKLoTBGDoDYG1AKiwPCrouOB5wij_wpCgE7QDOde4/s400/Pleaching.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hazel rods left ready for pleaching</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Then Barbara and I tackled a willow which was rather large
for either of us to do on our own though the men would have happily done it
solo. It was good for me to realise that Barbara, like me, finds she has to be
realistic about her strength and stamina. After lunch she was busy cutting willow
for weaving so Rhodi again came to help me sned. Just for practice I took off
some larger branches with the axe.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Thursday was green woodworking and Nick, Martin and Barbara
had agreed that as I couldn’t turn my spindles I should get on with making the
seat frame next. Fortunately when we originally prepared the 4 pieces and laid
them out on the floor I had numbered each corner so I was able to start cutting
the mortices. After checking the appropriate sizes I drilled two holes for each
mortice at the ends of the shorter side pieces and then had to be reminded how
to chisel out the wood between them to form the oval hole. Once they were
cleaned up I started to shape tenons on the ends of the long front and back
rails. These are to go right through the mortices far enough to be pegged so
over 4 inches of consistent oval has to be shaped on each. It is a case of
marking the end with the shape in the right place and shaping it roughly
leaving it oversized and then offering it up to the hole, taking a bit off, offering
it up….. Bu the end of the afternoon the two which fit into one side rail were
done and a good snug fit and the third was part done. I am beginning to realise
that this is quite an ambitious project for the time available but I am
enjoying it and am pleased with my work so far. Having practiced making round
tenons over the summer whilst volunteering has certainly helped.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Wo<span style="font-size: small;">rds and Photos by Sue Laverack</span></span> </span></span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span>Coppicewood Collegehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706251291136853317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338981593340019543.post-47485485720011826332013-03-04T01:09:00.002-08:002013-03-04T01:10:42.933-08:00Week 18: Ladies day on the horizon<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After a week off for half term we began by replenishing the firewood pile in the shelter. The fire is lit each day at the moment so that we can keep warm during breaks. Stef has assumed the role of fire monitor as he usually arrives first and, if he has camped overnight nearby, is keen to get and stay warm.<br /><br />We then sharpened our tools and went down to the plot. Martin and I cleared the remainder of the large tree I had helped to fell last time we were there. This involved using the two-handed saw to cut the trunk into more manageable pieces which was more good practice for me.<br /><br />Once that was done I looked around for another tree to fell and Nick suggested that I do a nearby thorn. We are trying to work fairly methodically down the plot now to clear the remaining trees before we stop felling by Lady Day (March 25th) which is traditionally when the coppicing season ends. The thorn was quite a challenge for me because the wood is tough and it was two stems so close together they had to be treated as one large one and with the tops very tangled together. It took me some time but I succeeded in the end without needing to send for reinforcements! The work I did on my own garden over the half term break means I am a lot more confident with the axe now but I wish I was 30 years younger with all the energy, strength and stamina I had then! Snedding occupied me for the rest of the day.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosBdcFrtLqVxQkFoXIRSnJ1_RzPAJbdRjqCbGcx2l6phCibTzywsGdgOr1k4F9fjwcPs3aB93TJTUnlG31YeIGHfmHWymXCruAWkw0lZ4nMj8O07HAKPDuK-o2sQHDDMPDS16udJZUoI/s1600/Sue's+Hawthorn.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosBdcFrtLqVxQkFoXIRSnJ1_RzPAJbdRjqCbGcx2l6phCibTzywsGdgOr1k4F9fjwcPs3aB93TJTUnlG31YeIGHfmHWymXCruAWkw0lZ4nMj8O07HAKPDuK-o2sQHDDMPDS16udJZUoI/s400/Sue's+Hawthorn.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Sue's <span style="font-size: small;">hawthorn</span></span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Part way through the afternoon David was felling another tree with Nick helping him on the two-handed saw. Although David had made a directional cut with the axe Nick had foreseen that it might tend to rock backwards and trap the saw so had thrown a rope round it high up. It did and wedges were hammered in but still it would not fall. David, Nick, Stef and I all pulled and managed to set up a rocking motion which eventually brought it off the balance and down in a controlled fall just where it was meant to be.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM6ZbeaDdpxsXcd4QC1KJ-wLsV5iU4z_EkivErAggPYosXl4UEa8Q4WfjqseKIuQGRp-URYHXkG2bNJzHaF4w2fX7_siSOj_GKmKERO3FwYIvnPyuTiw9emABEcHDFdTipp54cwCJQ1Vs/s1600/Getting+ready+to+pull.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM6ZbeaDdpxsXcd4QC1KJ-wLsV5iU4z_EkivErAggPYosXl4UEa8Q4WfjqseKIuQGRp-URYHXkG2bNJzHaF4w2fX7_siSOj_GKmKERO3FwYIvnPyuTiw9emABEcHDFdTipp54cwCJQ1Vs/s400/Getting+ready+to+pull.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Rope set up ready for the two handed saw</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9VspTDX_Sesz5geTcl-X-W2nuIjiEJDpQ_fCzX2hfN5dFviA9cRHvLMmKIvS3KTC_PCqWHNk9M1bsulL07tak5YlMjGQzJhn9OyMcKUMncSqLatMUPZOjkjKCzkStlIz7qgRxhx3EWBI/s400/Nick+knocking+in+a+wedge.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="266" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Wedges going in to encour<span style="font-size: x-small;">age the tree to fall where we want it to</span></i></span><i><br /></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bruce came to see how we were all getting on and has asked David to make a short video with each of us saying something about our experience of the course maybe interspersed with footage of the work we are doping. Watch this space for more news and links!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Thursday was, as usual, green woodworking. I found a lovely curved piece of thorn to make the top rail of the back of my bench and some more willow for spindles. By lunchtime I had prepared all the blanks I need for the turned spindles and in the afternoon, with Nick’s help set the first one up on the pole-lathe. By the time I got it roughed to a cylinder and started smoothing I was finding difficulty. Nick came to help and at first thought it was just that I was being impatient and that one of the centres had worn a bit which was making the piece wobble. He trimmed that end, remounted it and I tried again. It turned out that whilst those had definitely been factors the spindle was also too long and thin so flexing and the wood was very soft. I could not remember if it was a piece from the wood or one I had brought from a tree I had felled at home. Either way it seemed almost inevitable that others I had prepared would give the same problem. I decided that I either began again with no certainty of success or went back to my original plan of shaping them all with the drawknife. I decided to do the latter. I was sorry to lose the chance of playing on the pole-lathe but as I am building one in my own workshop there will be plenty of opportunity to do more at home.after the course ends. And because I live fairly locally I will volunteer as I did before joining the course so I will still have access to the tools and expertise here.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_BzTDznKUMBgv_07iwIboCW1iTCgmvCRRZX_ZOiG3FjMcUxuc-bkJXg0xFJPOUHn2Y9UuewAr8pV5l4GwBf94EN1PPfh8rV0azQbqpfmSNAFLWpXF8GD8RrdmxM62rXqQuvSzTc14pck/s1600/Barbara+and+Penny+working+on+weaving.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_BzTDznKUMBgv_07iwIboCW1iTCgmvCRRZX_ZOiG3FjMcUxuc-bkJXg0xFJPOUHn2Y9UuewAr8pV5l4GwBf94EN1PPfh8rV0azQbqpfmSNAFLWpXF8GD8RrdmxM62rXqQuvSzTc14pck/s400/Barbara+and+Penny+working+on+weaving.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Barbara helping Penny perfect basket weaving</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLey4Qg9b09_hTWqRYbvWpvQBB5hbmM9EwMjf7xkppIqUhtUMk9ys8ApMFkJSV4rxhNOae-lfDWWRkbQ60az4WrRj8fsKxFoh_NNGX14xje8xlpbFDgXMP2LK4_z46-kBMHbCIRlz0mvc/s400/David+getting+advice+from+Barbara.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Barbara helping David bring his cart together</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTQ5fP50UPfKegfZuXVZhDJVwgPtZwIoWYqpLvZYb2x0y5agmsnqw9Ibre4e6JK9dJUR23EHdIPhZMEDPoKgPAkqusMn0hZ-JkTP8azkVyU2yASwnvs6_PaDnt4BZMPSRnFM2v49mqxh0/s400/Two+handed+saw+testing.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A refurbished two handed saw being put through it's paces</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Meanwhile the others are making good progress with their projects too.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Words by Sue Laverack</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ph<span style="font-size: small;">otos by Sue Laverack and Da<span style="font-size: small;">vid Hunter</span></span></span></span></div>
Coppicewood Collegehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706251291136853317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338981593340019543.post-17579815046855219522013-03-04T00:42:00.000-08:002013-03-04T00:48:27.340-08:00Week 17: To the hedge!<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">If ‘a change is as good as a rest’ then this week is ‘the exception that proves the rule’ because I am stiff and very tired!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">The change has been that we have spent 4 days learning to lay hedges in a field at St Dogmaels and the usual team has been augmented by Steve and Ineke, a couple from Northumberland, nominally on holiday and taking this short course purely out of interest having neither hedges nor land of their own. Have I explained before that being weird is a prerequisite of involvement in Coppicewood?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">We met on Monday morning at the shelter in the woods for a briefing and to collect tools. Nick explained the principles of hedgelaying – how we would pleach stems by cutting down on a slant with a billhook at the base of the stem leaving a thin hinge, then bend the stem down to the ground and weave the top growth around stakes leaving the brash on the far side before cutting off the stump remaining as it could be a hazard to livestock. He also showed us the large ‘Yorkshire pattern’ billhooks we would be using to cut down through larger stems alongside the more familiar small ones and taught Steve and Ineke how to sharpen them. The rest of us, old hands at sharpening now, made sure that all the hooks, slashers and 2 axes were ready for use. Then we loaded these with bowsaws, two-handed saws and large mallets (for knocking in stakes) into Andrew’s large Landrover and set off for St Dogmaels. We were to work on a field which is used as a market garden and had been asked to take as few vehicles as possible as parking is limited so for most days Andrew’s Landrover became our shuttle bus and mobile tool store.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">For most of the rest of the day we worked to be able to get to the bit of hedge we wanted to work on! Like many in this part of Wales it had been neglected and small trees had grown as offsets or seedlings either side of the bank on which the original had been planted. These had to be cleared to gain access. However we were encouraged to practice pleaching some of these so that we made our mistakes on ones that would not be needed in the finished piece. Because there were so many of us we were each given a section to work on and by the end of the day we had reached our objective along quite a long length. Part of the arrangement with the landowner was that he would be responsible for dealing with all the stuff we cut out and he had arranged for someone with a chipper to come in later and shred it all. To make this horrible job as easy as possible we piled all the brash in a line with stems pointing to the hedge and a good tractor width away from it. Our progress on the hedge itself might not have looked much but this line of rubbish was seriously impressive!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK6rLCsl4nqeuw_AcsLxbNibLANdWSwiRnR0HPojysq4fwyUWvwr0N9FWPL_ddI9F5nAJJOVX7LGexDmo65rpal1JBCzYSzoEFEY_E0kAm-QFAGaWhE7q3b3046UCrGhF7JXNS6MTV0ZI/s1600/Start+of+the+hedge.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK6rLCsl4nqeuw_AcsLxbNibLANdWSwiRnR0HPojysq4fwyUWvwr0N9FWPL_ddI9F5nAJJOVX7LGexDmo65rpal1JBCzYSzoEFEY_E0kAm-QFAGaWhE7q3b3046UCrGhF7JXNS6MTV0ZI/s400/Start+of+the+hedge.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Removing unwanted material</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">On Tuesday Andrew’s big Landy was not available so Stef and Kieron nobly folded themselves up small into my little Kia Picanto for the ride from the woods to the field. Andrew turned up in his smaller Landrover just in time to rescue Nick from joining them! We were asked to divide into 4 teams of 2, each of which would tackle an allocated length but Nick very tactfully requested that the youngsters take the high banked section. This meant that Andrew and I, as the 2 who are ‘getting on a bit and not as agile as we once were’, got the section where the bank was almost demolished without being too embarrassed! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Before we could begin to pleach anything we had to clear out thickets of branches which had been flailed off by the electricity board to stop them interfering with their lines which follow the hedgerow. Then we had to clear small stuff from behind the hedge itself just as we had done at the front. Finally we began to pleach and bend the first few stems of our section but could not weave these into stakes because we had to allow for the team next to us (Steve and Ineke) to join onto our section when they finished theirs. Those first stems had to be laid loosely down the bank to go on top of their last few when they reached the end. To complicate things even further some of the trees in our section were of substantial girth and had to be pleached with the two-handed saw. It did have the advantage of giving us practice with that! It was rather dispiriting to look at our work at the end of the day and see very little to show for it despite hard work and many scratches but we were assured that the first stage was often slow and tiresome and that we would pick up speed the next day.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFiwBUyywWbCVJtvDNlixdVH7HmsivWIWl-Ke00Q15R9-2dO_q_gOtk12WsL0QC4D_QiGdVzLvqR4BGPBWjNd4zi4-o62a9m5NCFIoccaWY3tExl5HgCON4TwZ9_137DTVav-qFp7XnTk/s1600/Pleach+in+progress.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFiwBUyywWbCVJtvDNlixdVH7HmsivWIWl-Ke00Q15R9-2dO_q_gOtk12WsL0QC4D_QiGdVzLvqR4BGPBWjNd4zi4-o62a9m5NCFIoccaWY3tExl5HgCON4TwZ9_137DTVav-qFp7XnTk/s400/Pleach+in+progress.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>A pleach in progress</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2HfQ6bg9uuDLCAYF2Lz1dp4x7Dm0wmhv84BxupLlGbqyS4fWN-O_9xutSJK5hI20Dwot0J6UShGxHv57_yzGWXGEydDttO79b5tyoYAUmh-Y0UyM5wF6v9hJN_KfnSbi7CJ54Ku34jaU/s1600/Pleach.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2HfQ6bg9uuDLCAYF2Lz1dp4x7Dm0wmhv84BxupLlGbqyS4fWN-O_9xutSJK5hI20Dwot0J6UShGxHv57_yzGWXGEydDttO79b5tyoYAUmh-Y0UyM5wF6v9hJN_KfnSbi7CJ54Ku34jaU/s400/Pleach.jpg" width="266" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Pleach complete</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">They were right! Despite a lot of time still being taken up with clearing out stuff we did not want (the line of rubbish got higher, longer and denser) we did start to produce something which bore a passing resemblance to a neat hedge! Nick, Barbara and Martin moved up and down the line offering help, advice and encouragement and generally ensuring that we did not bring disgrace on the college!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">After 2 days of warmth and sunshine the forecast for Wednesday had been for heavy rain but we were lucky and suffered only occasional drizzle / light rain so were able to keep working. When I got home it was obvious that we had escaped lightly and that my place had not been so lucky. It seems that Cardigan had a deluge overnight because the next (and last) day we were paddling in mud. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Slipping, sliding and slithering up and down the banks we managed between us to join all the sections together. Steve and Ineke, who did not take the full lunch break (very keen those two!) finished theirs and leapfrogged our section to take on another bit and Martin and Barbara did a section beyond them. They had been itching to get stuck in since Monday! The rest of us finished too late to start any more but cleared up bits of debris which were littering the tractor path and made sure that all the tools were collected together. And, if I am to be strictly honest, stood around admiring our handiwork! By the end of the day roughly 70 yards of hedge was looking surprisingly neat for the work of beginners.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvu1fOg_hfkGASNeAqWxgAdZLfoPmoX7zwKdUwKa1Tf0SUhP1WLn-fu3YKdZrehPPxUVC235Q_mmV9TPtVPVqMW3V2lwUiHylfxfBV7mFDeTl-eHaNDiory7InytyxjwZO-hh-K3tcWOE/s1600/Hegge+layed.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvu1fOg_hfkGASNeAqWxgAdZLfoPmoX7zwKdUwKa1Tf0SUhP1WLn-fu3YKdZrehPPxUVC235Q_mmV9TPtVPVqMW3V2lwUiHylfxfBV7mFDeTl-eHaNDiory7InytyxjwZO-hh-K3tcWOE/s400/Hegge+layed.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The finished product</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Whilst David got Penny to her bus, Martin walked home to the other end of St Dogmaels and Steve and Ineke returned to their B&B for a well earned shower and a few more days holiday, Andrew took Nick, Barbara, Stef and I back to base where we cleaned and put away all the tools. Although I was tired, muddy and had discovered muscles which I never knew I had it had been a great course and a lot of fun.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiHW_0v73HrPdbg-LeibdjMjcrKh7NwoRIy8wxzTbLipFMqOPyEvvSsofYJlH7hpP_U7PP048qc82qXn-fJ5a4rZjXu_rKCC3zUsnqO90wYMOlL6b0WmpnpS_NGbRfJ1Q49XFDzvdW2MI/s1600/Hegelaying+group+shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiHW_0v73HrPdbg-LeibdjMjcrKh7NwoRIy8wxzTbLipFMqOPyEvvSsofYJlH7hpP_U7PP048qc82qXn-fJ5a4rZjXu_rKCC3zUsnqO90wYMOlL6b0WmpnpS_NGbRfJ1Q49XFDzvdW2MI/s400/Hegelaying+group+shot.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The hedgelaying crew </i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">On Sunday I was working on reducing shading on my orchard and instead of coppicing a row of willows on one edge I laid them as a hedge. It wouldn’t win any prizes but I couldn’t have done it the week before. I also axed down a multi-stemmed hazel which I couldn’t have done a few weeks ago. This course seems to be working! A week off next week for half term so a chance to recover and/or get stiff and tired on our own patches.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Words by Sue Laverack</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Photos by Sue Laverack and David H<span style="font-size: small;">unter</span> </span></div>
Coppicewood Collegehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706251291136853317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338981593340019543.post-64808223325990274462013-02-12T23:01:00.002-08:002013-03-04T00:48:47.932-08:00Week 16: The Big Willow<div class="MsoNormal">
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:595.0pt 842.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;
mso-header-margin:35.4pt;
mso-footer-margin:35.4pt;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
</style></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Nick
had clearly been concerned about the incident last week when the upper most branches of<span style="font-size: small;"> the </span>tree I was
working on fell on Jill and began with our work on the plot with a reminder to
us all to be aware of where others were working and to warn them sooner rather
than later that a tree was close to falling. Whilst I did not want in any way
to avoid responsibility for what had happened I took the opportunity to remind
everyone that my poor hearing means that my awareness of what is going on
behind me is more limited than most people’s. I need to be more diligent about
looking behind me but others can help by alerting me to their presence and not
just assuming that I will hear them.</span></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We
then went on to look at the next 2 trees to be felled – both leaning and
needing to be match cut; both big enough to warrant a team effort. Having
looked at them both Nick asked us to divide into 2 groups bearing in mind that
they should be evenly matched in terms of ‘youth’ which I took to mean energy,
muscle power and skill. As the oldest, one of the lightest and possibly the
least skilled and with no-one else making a move I opted for the willow and
Andrew and Kieron chose to join me.. That left Stef, David and Penny to tackle
the Oak. I am not sure if this was the even division Nick had in mind but it
was what he got because he did n’t want to be bossy! Nick and Martin (Barbara
was unwell and had stayed home) left us to it but kept an eye on proceedings
and intervened when they thought we needed advice.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Andrew,
Kieron and I formed a disorderly queue with our axes and jostled politely for
equal shares of the work. With their bigger, heavier axes and greater skill
they worked more efficiently than I did but I was pleased that my swings seem
to be improving. We did a neatly matched pair of cuts and then a few blows on
the back brought the tree down gracefully and slowly on its hinge. The top
growth was twisted and tangled, the trunk was still attached by its hinge and
supported on some of the branches so we had to work out how to dismember it safely
without causing it to twist or fall unintentionally. Martin helped us to think
it through and we all had a go at axing off branches. Martin, and later Jill,
joined us to help sned. One branch was now vertical from the trunk which was
still suspended above the ground. Martin decided that for safety he would axe
it off as it needed a cut rather high for any of us to manage competently, but
if we had dropped the trunk there was a possibility it would roll with the
weight that was high up. We discussed other strategies if we were working on
our own with such a situation but they were slower and more complex so we let
him help us out! Then Kieron and I got on the two handed saw and cut the trunk
into 2 more manageable lengths. Despite several brief but intense hailstorms we
got the job finished by the end of the day.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrLCZgpuX_MzQAbkjFDJ1tmncyM9rTDlJfmHrUcyzuHR34e_nVrSrMgFmClwz7BbG1vLmRlqQbfv7lYRr3hn9seLBZvSYGsAp9x9q-aMg4yFGSZAcX2yVwD5nN-z258jb2wQORd-YvcYA/s1600/Willow+snedding.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrLCZgpuX_MzQAbkjFDJ1tmncyM9rTDlJfmHrUcyzuHR34e_nVrSrMgFmClwz7BbG1vLmRlqQbfv7lYRr3hn9seLBZvSYGsAp9x9q-aMg4yFGSZAcX2yVwD5nN-z258jb2wQORd-YvcYA/s400/Willow+snedding.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The snedding ants get to work</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYR4wSOSibOiliOC5ZGXSixr2uhDiqMkx9efnUMxAxR1G1q3ZTiOvzMsFYfy0HfYP-A7IdDx3EDHMByMiyvDIs4gj36IJD0YnzTfmhRJW0DiRmd4xV11T-zcNh6182WtarZEod6kNwqPk/s1600/Stef,+Garry+and+Nick+working+on+the+fallen+oak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYR4wSOSibOiliOC5ZGXSixr2uhDiqMkx9efnUMxAxR1G1q3ZTiOvzMsFYfy0HfYP-A7IdDx3EDHMByMiyvDIs4gj36IJD0YnzTfmhRJW0DiRmd4xV11T-zcNh6182WtarZEod6kNwqPk/s400/Stef,+Garry+and+Nick+working+on+the+fallen+oak.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The two handed saw being put to good use by Garry and Stef</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYP9mq1VTV1b3wYwQg0nK3ushi4lBXbXizo8ABB3FqAkE54zWMh4ZpFAp8lQJ1CiLVGEIEGwRzUqQqaoKj5WB903vG_30wU9os5NYWv4ONg_SFoGPArBmeWSwouF8SsH9QpRbeBZOVNQ/s1600/Martin+sharpening+two+handed+saw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYP9mq1VTV1b3wYwQg0nK3ushi4lBXbXizo8ABB3FqAkE54zWMh4ZpFAp8lQJ1CiLVGEIEGwRzUqQqaoKj5WB903vG_30wU9os5NYWv4ONg_SFoGPArBmeWSwouF8SsH9QpRbeBZOVNQ/s400/Martin+sharpening+two+handed+saw.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A two handed saw will last forever once properly set up. Here's Martin getting an old saw ship shape</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Andrew
had brought me today and used his long wheel base Landrover so that he could
take Penny and her finished Shavehorse home – a shavehorse being difficult to
transport on the bus or her bike! They had loaded it earlier but when we left
we decided to walk up Steve’s ride to his yard and thence to the lane thinking
it would be less muddy. Jill joined us with her bike. When we got to the gate
we discovered that it was locked because Martin, who parks in Steve’s yard, had
already left. Rather than go back we agreed to climb the gate which was netted
on our side at the bottom making it more difficult to get a foot hold. Andrew
lifted Jill’s bike over and we climbed. Penny and Jill managed it with panache;
between being restricted by thermal long johns, jeans and waterproof over
trousers which made bending my knees difficult and an uncontrollable fit of
giggling I did it very inelegantly! A sack of potatoes comes to mind!
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Having
travelled to her home Andrew and I were even more more struck by Penny’s
fortitude and determination in getting to the course.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Thursday
was green woodworking as usual and I was very touched that both Nick and Martin
had been thinking about the best way to construct my swing bench given that the
weight is pulling down on chains rather than pressing down on legs. They had
come to similar conclusions and a few more diagrams later we were in agreement.
However the first task was to finish preparing blanks to become the spindles for
the back. How many of these are turned on the lathe and how many remain as
shaped by the drawknife depends on time and progress. Their length also depends
on the curved piece I select for the top of the back and I have discovered that
the longer the spindle is the thicker it must be or it flexes and wobbles on
the lathe which may also affect how many I turn. I spent the morning shaping
the willow I had cleft last week into straight cylinders using the axe and then
the drawknife. The practice I got in over the summer making sawhorses certainly
helped as I was able to do them quite quickly and can make a circle by eye and
feel. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKpjA6a2vlElntx5lIKX1CH_2n_b0hStmhu0pnhky3DsLHpSbYqhsofpxpn-QGtBsmgWMqyxOqnoQlnZXdD8dDvzTan8QHsAmQ2tK_XD1clq3UpBNPszqkinI6enHwh_jq8cfPPuu-7J4/s1600/Penny+and+Barbara+making+a+bean+support.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKpjA6a2vlElntx5lIKX1CH_2n_b0hStmhu0pnhky3DsLHpSbYqhsofpxpn-QGtBsmgWMqyxOqnoQlnZXdD8dDvzTan8QHsAmQ2tK_XD1clq3UpBNPszqkinI6enHwh_jq8cfPPuu-7J4/s400/Penny+and+Barbara+making+a+bean+support.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Penny getting advice from Barabra on how to work weave her bean support</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2zkhrxoxeBqY2W4li_sUcrzj-KliD7elipN70Yt4KCwPL_NGghY88ZmyPgvgU0V8coDLV3FqAgssf-L0gY5_eiAKdLQu3Sc0effH5NEYvDlV7hlYjv7klxuROb900FcC_yjJjjVuEonk/s1600/Sue%2527s+porridge+spurdle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2zkhrxoxeBqY2W4li_sUcrzj-KliD7elipN70Yt4KCwPL_NGghY88ZmyPgvgU0V8coDLV3FqAgssf-L0gY5_eiAKdLQu3Sc0effH5NEYvDlV7hlYjv7klxuROb900FcC_yjJjjVuEonk/s400/Sue%2527s+porridge+spurdle.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sue's finished spurtle</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After
lunch I asked Barbara for the piece of thorn she had mentioned last week. Thorn
is particularly good to turn on the lathe and she wanted me to have that
experience. When we got the piece from the store it had a saw cut part way down
but this seemed to be superficial so I got the froe and started to split it.
That was when I discovered that the cut was too deep and stopped the split. I
need a couple of shorter spindles for the front of the arms so decided to
continue and use the piece for one of those. It was beautifully straight
grained and I quite quickly had the blank I needed. I mounted it on the lathe
and started to rough it to a true cylinder. Nick came to check that I was OK as
I was working outside and the tutors were all busy in the workshop. He noticed
that one end of the work had slipped and was off-centre which was why it was
taking a long time to become round! He cut that end off and re-mounted it for
me but once I had finished roughing I had a short piece much fatter at one end
and rather thin at the other. Martin was walking past and came to see how I was
getting on. After a brief discussion I decided to abandon it as a spindle but
rather than waste the wood and the work already put in I turned it (literally!)
into a spurtle for stirring my porridge. It was beautiful wood to work, nicely
figured and with a smooth finish. To my delight and relief I managed to produce
a fairly even thickness of shaft and to shape quite a nice thistle as a handle.
I must trim the ends off and it needs to dry out slowly and even so may split
but it was good to finish the week on a high note.</span></span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <i>Words by Sue Laverack</i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Photos by Sue Laverack and David Hunter</i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Coppicewood Collegehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706251291136853317noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338981593340019543.post-70112330156490738292013-02-12T22:50:00.002-08:002013-02-12T23:01:59.074-08:00Week 15: Wayward Trees<style>
<!--
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US;}
@page WordSection1
{size:595.0pt 842.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;
mso-header-margin:35.4pt;
mso-footer-margin:35.4pt;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
</style> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What a contrast to the snow and drama of last week! This
week we had two days of warm sunshine and it was a pleasure to be out on the
plot on Wednesday. We were joined by 3 new people. Two are thinking of signing
up for the 6 month course next year and wanted to come and see what it would
entail. The third lives quite locally and is interested in short courses and
maybe volunteering. It was lovely to meet them and they seemed to enjoy their
visits.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We warmed up by snedding the rest of the wood felled last
week then fanned out to find a tree to cut down I chose a multi-stemmed thorn.
To my delight I found that I was using the axe much more effectively and
getting bigger chips out. I still need to improve my accuracy but there is
definitely progress! Mid afternoon though I nearly caused a nasty accident when
the stem I was cutting was caught by the wind, suddenly twisted and fell in the
opposite direction to the one I expected. The top branches landed on Jill who I
had not realised was working behind me. Luckily she was bending down and facing
away from me so the branches hit her back rather than her face which would have
been badly scratched. A good lesson to pay more attention to what is going on
all around me and to warn everyone in good time when a stem is getting weaker.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">During a tea break I spoke to Bruce, our chairman, about
learning to peen my scythe. It was during an open day for members of
Coppicewood that I first tried a scythe and got the scything bug! He is hoping
to organise a day when we can all go and explore his forest garden and those
who have not tried it before can have a go at scything. He offered to teach me
peening whilst the others try out the scythes. It is a very generous offer and
I accepted quickly.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Thursday was green woodworking and I started to prepare
pieces of willow for turning as spindles. I managed to get one straight enough
from the pieces I had taken from home and a couple which will be good enough
rounded on the shavehorse but are not quite straight enough for the lathe. I
had also taken a piece of bird cherry which had broken off under the weight of
snow and cleft it and shaped it as back ends or arms – exact use yet to be
decided. Barbara has suggested I try to use some thorn for some of the spindles
as this would be good lathe practice and she has some pieces I can cleave. That
will be next week’s task.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm1aWcDry1hTjsaLhhmtFpfvWo6BntxLq9TN3XXG7VkfcR4pVD3SLhTWYhyphenhyphene-NeFJUPKzhFp1kN-wn1f1ePFKPIAmLtBFL-7l-WlJ436qwoBu2lS0b2UopimpkIEQLUOJ4tIAk8lLDgMo/s1600/Sharpening+smoothing+chisel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm1aWcDry1hTjsaLhhmtFpfvWo6BntxLq9TN3XXG7VkfcR4pVD3SLhTWYhyphenhyphene-NeFJUPKzhFp1kN-wn1f1ePFKPIAmLtBFL-7l-WlJ436qwoBu2lS0b2UopimpkIEQLUOJ4tIAk8lLDgMo/s400/Sharpening+smoothing+chisel.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Using figure of eight movements during sharpening avoids pitting the stone</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBCz_Uzwxo2C1tGTZrUm_GGNFa5tmCJ-2EiNq7iCvibjhlgQmHU6BGKtuHNvSDt9xmp2C4kd9wkNxaNoyTYP-M47zDbSH6Y58OBVCjk91OaZs4fJoUf88eXUwJMSS_qZrIFAtw1r4Q4_c/s1600/Sharpening+smoothing+chisel+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBCz_Uzwxo2C1tGTZrUm_GGNFa5tmCJ-2EiNq7iCvibjhlgQmHU6BGKtuHNvSDt9xmp2C4kd9wkNxaNoyTYP-M47zDbSH6Y58OBVCjk91OaZs4fJoUf88eXUwJMSS_qZrIFAtw1r4Q4_c/s400/Sharpening+smoothing+chisel+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Correct angle of the chisel on the stone</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">During the day on Thursday we also had a refresher course on sharpening. We were shown how to use the oil stone to hone and edge on a smoothing chisel and how to get to the awkward surfaces of a lathe gauge. Sharpening tools takes sometime but there is no doubt that the sharper the tool the better the result, the safer the task and the more enjoyable the job.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Words by S<span style="font-size: small;">u<span style="font-size: small;">e Laverack</span></span></span></i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Photos by David Hunter </span></span></span></i> </span></span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span>Coppicewood Collegehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706251291136853317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338981593340019543.post-69671002646756386932013-01-29T12:12:00.002-08:002013-01-29T12:13:21.639-08:00Week 14: Snow and ash<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">This will be a short post as I was only in the woods for half a day!<br /><br />Living at the bottom of a valley with steep hills whichever way I try to get out means that I am unable to get out in bad weather. Last Friday we had a heavy snow fall and it been too cold for a significant thaw with nights when the slush refroze. <br /><br />On Wednesday morning the roads were just passable with care. Andrew and I share lifts whenever we can and as he has a Landrover he offered to take me in. The journey was not too bad and once we reached the larger roads they were clear. Kieron was unable to get through but to everyone’s surprise Penny arrived having walked most of the way. <br /><br />We went down to the plot and snedded the willow felled late last Wednesday as a warm-up exercise. Then whilst Stef, Penny and I felled the Ash tree we had talked about last week under Martin’s supervision, Andrew and David dropped another large leaning willow with Nick. The idea was to get us familiar with using match cutting on a leaning tree. It was hard work but kept us warm.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3X_qpcRBfhRQNr8UZ0-8ee1IsIWNIPUzGiG5KnXpj97-oNoveOK20IgXX22k2GA3IAWWhEx4gpASrlRV8aorpKUn5_ioUMd6c8Gg8nhOvlt-5IMmpU18FajhlXSdrkmKalKzHSm5QHoU/s1600/Felling+the+ash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3X_qpcRBfhRQNr8UZ0-8ee1IsIWNIPUzGiG5KnXpj97-oNoveOK20IgXX22k2GA3IAWWhEx4gpASrlRV8aorpKUn5_ioUMd6c8Gg8nhOvlt-5IMmpU18FajhlXSdrkmKalKzHSm5QHoU/s400/Felling+the+ash.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sue getting to work on the complicated ash</i>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX_UhDnI_U_dwiLPhxvWu1WWAbhzbv1shyUJ7XDGBmazct2AQjRm_yHx5Qh5WBpErJfqI3hzWhMjfscK6Stt6UMWovA3eoy581W1oS19db9WabRt0N_ZEcXKIdczeytsXLUS3pGBj1CQI/s1600/Heavy+snow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX_UhDnI_U_dwiLPhxvWu1WWAbhzbv1shyUJ7XDGBmazct2AQjRm_yHx5Qh5WBpErJfqI3hzWhMjfscK6Stt6UMWovA3eoy581W1oS19db9WabRt0N_ZEcXKIdczeytsXLUS3pGBj1CQI/s400/Heavy+snow.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>And the snow really starts to come.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiOBZcQ46cyqHx0ptnFU2Jg8cMn9UnKMAQ0b8AkCxnSQ4AgNlTt7fiAW8-SS-2oJrTmBsiIJsVG1Mqr1GLvKPlPBKzg7kC1k_FiUX7Ek_psq13Nctx5ptn3o5B3tpEGtddIPJirhJ4Jos/s1600/Andrew+felling+willow.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiOBZcQ46cyqHx0ptnFU2Jg8cMn9UnKMAQ0b8AkCxnSQ4AgNlTt7fiAW8-SS-2oJrTmBsiIJsVG1Mqr1GLvKPlPBKzg7kC1k_FiUX7Ek_psq13Nctx5ptn3o5B3tpEGtddIPJirhJ4Jos/s400/Andrew+felling+willow.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Andrew and David working on match cutting a willow.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXqKHWpNxM3Y9y9AnvVZT9uYUR1wgMrVz2ohTe832dpTRx9B-mhwo7_WwjN7cA3ucrI33zTSXN4OI95LeZZhbcNDGTD1WN_0i-hAPFGkTvg0irwU4hyPZIoGLMBtN8XjHnuUVyxAxIJVc/s1600/Stef+felling+ash.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXqKHWpNxM3Y9y9AnvVZT9uYUR1wgMrVz2ohTe832dpTRx9B-mhwo7_WwjN7cA3ucrI33zTSXN4OI95LeZZhbcNDGTD1WN_0i-hAPFGkTvg0irwU4hyPZIoGLMBtN8XjHnuUVyxAxIJVc/s400/Stef+felling+ash.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Stef match cutting the ash</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">By lunchtime the ash was cleared and the willow safely down. The snow was heavier and we put all the tools under the shelter we had started building a couple of weeks ago so we could find them again. We went in the workshop for lunch and when we opened the door again realised how heavy it was getting and it was lying so those of us with tricky journeys left. We got half way up Rhos hill and got stopped behind a series of vehicles all blocked by some lorries which were stuck. We doubled back through Cilgerran to Boncath and then home. With 2 very brief stops for fuel and a sack of hen food (for Andrew’s flock) it took us 2 hours to get to my place and another 30 mins for Andrew to get home! This morning he has decided that the deep snow and the ice make it silly to try going so I am home. David and Stef have camper vans and had prepared to stay over to reduce travel, the 3 tutors live within walking distance but what they will do there today I have no idea! The snow will probably be too deep to work on the plot and the translucent roof of the shelter will be cloaked in snow so too dark in there to do project work. The rest of us will not get in. A shame but just one of those things.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Words by Sue Laverack</span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Photos by Sue Laverack and David Hunter</span></div>
</div>
Coppicewood Collegehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706251291136853317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338981593340019543.post-6163042816921859682013-01-28T00:52:00.001-08:002013-01-28T00:54:43.062-08:00Week 13: Return of the two handed saw<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<style>
<!--
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US;}
@page WordSection1
{size:595.0pt 842.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;
mso-header-margin:35.4pt;
mso-footer-margin:35.4pt;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
</style>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Another week of new skills!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Wednesday was spent on the plot and Nick began by asking us
to think about how to fell an Ash tree
which had got bent over whilst young and then grown clear. The base of the
trunk was virtually horizontal but then curved sharply and the main part of the
trunk was vertical. Apparently several of us had looked at it with a view to
taking it down and then moved on to something easier! I suggested felling it
with the axe just above the curve as if it were a normal straight grown tree
and then removing the horizontal section. This would have got it down safely
but, as Nick pointed out, the curve could be useful for craft work and my
method would lose that option. We considered using a rope to control the
direction of fall, the use of a match cut (cutting a V evenly on each side of
the horizontal stem so that the two cuts met at the base) and then axing
through the top. If that was our chosen method Nick emphasised the importance
of doing both cuts at once rather than all of one before the other. After all
that thought and discussion we realised that the way we would want it to fall
was blocked by a large willow which would have to come down first!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">So we moved on and learnt how to fell a larger tree than any
we had so far done. We worked as a team to axe the ‘birds mouth’ directional
cut which we had learned with bowsaw and billhook on small stuff. Then we used
the two-handed saw to cut through the back. This involved learning to keep the
blade flat and to adjust effort between the two sawyers to keep parallel to the
back of the ‘bird’s mouth’. Not as easy as it looks! Then we knocked in wedges
to push the tree over in the required direction. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">All we had to do then was sned up the branches – more axe
work to sever the branches from the trunk and some good natured competition to
establish the pecking order of skilfulness and stamina! To my delight I was
using the axe much more successfully this week. I am nowhere near the best but
it was a lot less disgraceful than last week. Amazingly we got it all cleared
with enough time to fell another willow (but not sned it) before the end of the
day.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcjNSWXBftDxCH8K7q6y-q4QvwxtKFVGxVXB8DdgYwvmB_d25OQjYD7gebqGchzs1LtwdW39-9X-LGQsaSv3rU4qr4nit1iLoMLZrRqZnC52zwOiYTTHSU85CULKMCZgdUxM0x8LsM3HM/s1600/Two+handed+saw+in+action.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcjNSWXBftDxCH8K7q6y-q4QvwxtKFVGxVXB8DdgYwvmB_d25OQjYD7gebqGchzs1LtwdW39-9X-LGQsaSv3rU4qr4nit1iLoMLZrRqZnC52zwOiYTTHSU85CULKMCZgdUxM0x8LsM3HM/s400/Two+handed+saw+in+action.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sue and Penny at work with the two handed saw.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEixK1bsbUr82ImNGviGCCPl4iaZPTejzQW9vWFRlAr3ArDxlAdqHhqTs8KQrMpILPx5WrzkCxevCYOM1giVimHS7pwfnw8YTJZ3O9g9Y4fB9XzeMLzCfG3gFrgK2lzXtKYYqipPuXuc4/s1600/Penny+felling+large+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEixK1bsbUr82ImNGviGCCPl4iaZPTejzQW9vWFRlAr3ArDxlAdqHhqTs8KQrMpILPx5WrzkCxevCYOM1giVimHS7pwfnw8YTJZ3O9g9Y4fB9XzeMLzCfG3gFrgK2lzXtKYYqipPuXuc4/s400/Penny+felling+large+tree.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Wedges and mallet add the finishing touches.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_41HRCG_4tRRcTBKfRwkUh7raiov3BmRyM855gw6mNUuqoUD4Qq_l7R6kDcJuV7qfQggXXY75fLFaoDGv0qusyhzyTmOUlwiB3Y5AjE9uVlYTA0QVOjwIs7i8onI3vfORh9jlxgucdSo/s1600/Andrew+felling+large+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_41HRCG_4tRRcTBKfRwkUh7raiov3BmRyM855gw6mNUuqoUD4Qq_l7R6kDcJuV7qfQggXXY75fLFaoDGv0qusyhzyTmOUlwiB3Y5AjE9uVlYTA0QVOjwIs7i8onI3vfORh9jlxgucdSo/s400/Andrew+felling+large+tree.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Coed!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Thursday was a strange experience. Kieron had phoned to say
that a recurring elbow problem had flared up and he would not be in the woods
this week. Penny is cycling in and with snow in the forecast today had decided
that discretion was the better part of valour and stayed home. So only 4 of us
convened with the 3 tutors for green woodworking in the shelter and the low
numbers felt very weird. At lunch time we talked about the richness of a larger
group, how glad we are that we are not on a course (as has happened in the
past) with only 2 students, and Nick commented appreciatively on the keenness
and commitment of this group.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Andrew finished his shavehorse and the rest of us started
work on our projects. After a week’s reflection Stef decided not to make a
musical instrument as that would involve using seasoned rather than green wood.
Instead he wants to make a frame for a shelter which he can put up, take down
and transport easily wherever he is working in the woods. He is experimenting
with small scale models of components to refine his design. Similarly David has
decided that he wants a pole lathe more urgently than he could achieve as his project
so will make one at home and instead is working on a trailer to pull behind his
bike. I stuck to the idea of a swing bench for the garden and had been using
the internet to explore designs, measured up the space for dimensions and begun
to think how I might construct it. Martin revealed that he had made one years
ago so he worked with me on refining my design.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Much discussion and many doodles later he and I set out onto
the plot to source a 5 foot length of straight wood to make the front and back
seat supports and a shorter length for the sides rails. I then had to learn to
use the cleaving brake to split them. The long one went perfectly but the small
one ran out and Martin went to find a replacement for me whilst I barked the
long pieces and tidied them up. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Once all four were prepared I laid them out on the shelter
floor to mark the joints. It was then that Martin realised that in our design
the back support could foul the hanging chains and another discussion began on
the best way to fix the back strongly enough without this happening. It had to
be worked out before I made the joints because it would affect where I
positioned the long rails on the side ones. We came up with a plan just as it
was time to leave! With all the joints to make and 9 spindles to turn on the
pole-lathe for the back I could well be finishing it on volunteer days over the
summer!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">It felt really good that we were not restricted to making
things the tutors already know how to do; but that within the legitimate
restraints of time and available materials we are able to access their
experience and skill to find solutions to the challenges of our chosen project.
This allows us to learn the skill of thinking through the technical and
logistic problems as well as the specific skills of ‘making a joint’ or ‘making
a chair’. In this respect it appears to be very different from many of the
other, shorter, green woodworking courses available. I think it must be much
more interesting for the tutors than ‘another run through’ of the same processes
as well! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: right;">
<i><span style="font-size: small;">Words by Sue Laverack</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Photos by David Hunter </i></span></div>
Coppicewood Collegehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706251291136853317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338981593340019543.post-49573169627491569342013-01-14T00:05:00.001-08:002013-01-14T00:05:35.440-08:00Week 12: Shelter in the woods<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
I was very unsure whether I would make it to the woods this week. Over
New Year I visited my daughter and her family and returned with a cold
which, by Tuesday was streaming. However by Wednesday I was feeling
rather better and more energetic and decided that in the open air, with
very fit people, the infection risk was probably manageable.<br />
<br />
It was back to the plot and more felling. Nick asked us to concentrate
on a relatively small area at the top end explaining that at this stage
he always starts to worry about finishing the whole plot and wants to
ensure that at least some of it is completed properly before spring.<br />
<br />
I chose an Ash with 4 medium sized stems. I am not sure whether it was
my cold, the long break or what but I chewed the first stem horribly!
All the work Martin had put in before Christmas seemed to have
disappeared into the ether and I was back to square one! To make matters
worse I had cut quite low and thus the stem was at its widest – much
bigger than I had anticipated. It finally succumbed to my pig-headed
determination (apparently it has been noted that what I lack in skill I
make up for with independence and stubbornness!) and was snedded before
lunch.<br />
<br />
After the lunch break I was tempted to ask if I could do faggot making
as light relief but decided that if practice was what I needed than I
should make the most of every opportunity. See what I mean about
determination? The next stem was slightly slimmer and, having discovered
from Nick that Ash regenerates from higher stools, I cut it higher.
This one was not good but slightly less disgraceful than the first.<br />
<br />
On Thursday we began making the new shelter which had been rained off
before Christmas. Nick, Barbara and Martin had already selected some
material and a site and we had the design so we just had to decide size,
exact position and the direction of the doorway. There were 8 of us
(Penny was cycling in so arrived a little later) – a builder, an
ex-traveller, an outdoor pursuits leader, an ex-army officer, me with my
slight tendency to bossiness (OK considerable tendency to bossiness!)
and 3 tutors – and a democratic ethos so decisions took some time! Once
they were made we got the framework up quite quickly and began gathering
brash to thatch it with. Barbara showed us how to split bramble to bind
the bundles. I could see this being very useful in basket making so
whilst the chaps tied the framework together I collected some stems and
practiced splitting them. Split bramble is ideal for binding besom
brooms because the stubs of the thorns help it grip and, of course, in a
wood there is material to hand but it is a slow process and the lengths
can break at weak points making it less consistent than string so for
this job we supplemented our stocks with string. Purism has its limits!</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZMNfI03_CP_cxwz89QNjtNd3tbMy0GDlkhXIoo4Bp32MO9fHy9u4eDs2rha_4jpHrmZcFKvqI_AXGvLbqYj8LBJH5P_yySxoDYLDcqoAnPHuq5BXkRcqfkAOQfLoI8x23bOjET3RqXI/s1600/Martin+shelter+building.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZMNfI03_CP_cxwz89QNjtNd3tbMy0GDlkhXIoo4Bp32MO9fHy9u4eDs2rha_4jpHrmZcFKvqI_AXGvLbqYj8LBJH5P_yySxoDYLDcqoAnPHuq5BXkRcqfkAOQfLoI8x23bOjET3RqXI/s400/Martin+shelter+building.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Martin working on the shelter's frame</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghbhuDbAoV9HLdJLFXUVgXkm0Ibg15ZNlRWTsSmBhOgJH5sgIh2a5_BIF-gw8KcQIdJFg1uBHwX1xozercLGO6vEJi-vCpmGDd-tKjLJa2Ww27YXACQUYeqpoxffMN_l-CfxAajhCgQp8/s1600/Barbara+splitting+bramble.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghbhuDbAoV9HLdJLFXUVgXkm0Ibg15ZNlRWTsSmBhOgJH5sgIh2a5_BIF-gw8KcQIdJFg1uBHwX1xozercLGO6vEJi-vCpmGDd-tKjLJa2Ww27YXACQUYeqpoxffMN_l-CfxAajhCgQp8/s400/Barbara+splitting+bramble.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barbara splitting brambles for cordage</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcWbxuQLwdV-2WGmBlLfznt3SYev7ZihCyThLLIrqYKUh8smS5io7qd57sCCmHIiioZ2XOCyxNcSNvrv_DY_AeDVwuzsbNUU9l8KeREYGfhbKe7vYDuiH2fEEN18UnatCzo0UpzQII2xo/s1600/The+debate+continues.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcWbxuQLwdV-2WGmBlLfznt3SYev7ZihCyThLLIrqYKUh8smS5io7qd57sCCmHIiioZ2XOCyxNcSNvrv_DY_AeDVwuzsbNUU9l8KeREYGfhbKe7vYDuiH2fEEN18UnatCzo0UpzQII2xo/s400/The+debate+continues.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Debating how to move forward</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicN5tu4F6KGzM4ZkIZzInHx3a6TPg7g9mwxN4r0GjBpBEbK_dv-ywWan7WJbLe1pZwGEoqSn72TCcqydQyI0KX8xGI5yeMd4gbqNliPNoabZVP25VK34u5BDj9M3R7xSWoVgvweP9_JYE/s1600/Making+fence+posts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicN5tu4F6KGzM4ZkIZzInHx3a6TPg7g9mwxN4r0GjBpBEbK_dv-ywWan7WJbLe1pZwGEoqSn72TCcqydQyI0KX8xGI5yeMd4gbqNliPNoabZVP25VK34u5BDj9M3R7xSWoVgvweP9_JYE/s400/Making+fence+posts.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Uprights being staked</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br />
By the end of lunchtime the rain had set in again so we began discussing
our projects. For the rest of the course we will spend our green
woodworking days working on something for ourselves. As long as it is
relevant to the woods it can be practical or theoretical. If practical
it can involve making something, learning or developing a particular
skill, or be ‘research and development’ for a project to be done at
home. The tutors will be there as a resource with whatever advice, skill
or help they can offer. Kieron has been researching traditional
techniques for building a kayak/canoe and would like to make one. Nick
warned that the very long lengths suitable for cleaving needed for his
first ideas would be difficult to find in this wood but with discussions
about joining lengths and Stef contributing his experience of building a
traditional boat it seems there are ways round this. David was
considering either a trailer to pull behind his bike or making his own
pole lathe. As we all talked he seemed to be veering towards the latter.
Andrew needs a new gate for his orchard but also some hurdles for his
sheep. Again a woven hurdle would take material that these woods cannot
supply but his own smallholding might yield enough and it may be
possible to invite someone with experience of hazel hurdle making to
come and teach us for a day. Penny is thinking along similar lines as
she too is a smallholder. Stef is a musician and interested in making
instruments in traditional ways so would like to try turning a flute
type instrument on the pole lathe. I have a rusting swing seat in the
garden which I would like to replace. Each of us now has to produce some
kind of drawing with dimensions which can then be refined with the
tutors to provide a cutting list. I am really looking forward to seeing
the different designs unfold and learning from all the projects. The
creativity and the richness of past experience is a joy to be part of.</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: right;">
<i>Words by Sue Laverack</i></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: right;">
<i>Photos by David Hunter </i> </div>
Coppicewood Collegehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706251291136853317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338981593340019543.post-34542995108205603312013-01-13T23:40:00.000-08:002013-01-13T23:40:13.381-08:00Week 11: Coppicewood becomes a crafts centre for the day<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
Today Martin spent a lot of time with me working on the multi-stemmed hazel we started last week. He was concerned that I was wasting a great deal of effort because I was not swinging the axe correctly. I was not beginning the swing with my left hand on the end of the handle and the right near the head and then sliding the right one down the shaft to join the left one before the head hit the tree. Once I was beginning to do that more consistently he pointed out that I was almost arresting the swing just as the head made contact with the wood instead of following through. Finally I was keeping my legs still meaning that my arms and upper body were doing all the work when I should have been shifting my weight from my right leg to the left thus using my leg muscles and all my weight. When I get it right I make much faster progress and for less effort. It took all day but I was rewarded at the end of the afternoon by a shout of ‘Nice one Sue’ from Nick. The credit should really go to Martin for not giving up on me! Also to Coppicewood because with one tutor to two students there is time pay that much attention to helping each of us when we need it and the length of the course allows plenty of practice. It will be interesting to see how much of the learning has ‘stuck’ when we return in January.<br /><br />Martyn W and I had had a conversation a few weeks ago when he was last volunteering about which weight of axe would be best for me. He had brought one of his for me to try and it was a joy to use – a very good balance between light enough to handle comfortably and heavy enough to make the most of my efforts. It suited me even better than the Gransfors I had tried and which is favoured by Jill and Martin and which I had been planning to buy. He is lending it to me for the duration of the course or until I find one similar to buy. This means I have both an axe and a drawknife (on loan from Martin A) giving me time to find the right ones to buy without pressure to get what is immediately available. It is very generous and trusting of them to lend me tools and I feel very privileged. I had not realised before how important it is to choose tools carefully and how much difference different weights and patterns could make to he pleasure from working.<br /><br />By the end of the afternoon all the large stems were down and snedded and we had ‘plashed’ two smaller stems. ‘Plashing’ is cutting part way through the stem so that it can be bent down to run along the ground. Then the bark is cut off for a small length on the under surface and the stem is pegged down into a shallow scrape in the ground at that point. With luck roots will form and a new tree will grow. The process is usually done in early spring once all the coppicing is complete but we had had to bend these stems out of the way so we pegged them before they got broken.</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJTKYyuFP52fdqzPgqukFppu49yIhEpJKxMQbypwHeiGNxeuL0xl7HRlWAsUoc9aVdnO3Q0hap7jCxS475QAXosuvRh61tDM4n_Wi0QXwEuEl-jjStwyepfPwQe2WLCOLNH6fbxBKkg5g/s1600/Hazel+stool+complete.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJTKYyuFP52fdqzPgqukFppu49yIhEpJKxMQbypwHeiGNxeuL0xl7HRlWAsUoc9aVdnO3Q0hap7jCxS475QAXosuvRh61tDM4n_Wi0QXwEuEl-jjStwyepfPwQe2WLCOLNH6fbxBKkg5g/s400/Hazel+stool+complete.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hazel stool complete</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
Thursday was our last day before the Christmas break and as four of us have finished our shavehorses the plan was to build another shelter near the plot for our morning tea break. Nick had seen a design in a book by Ray Mears which would be simple to construct using materials we already had to hand. However the rain was heavy and persistent so we stayed in the workshop and Nick taught us some knots which are traditionally used by woodsmen. Then each of us chose something to ‘potter’ at. I found a piece of Ash which had been cleft in half, cleft it again with a froe and used a hatchet and drawknife to fashion a handle for my own froe head recently bought through Martin. I had hoped to take out the bend so that I practiced preparing a piece for the pole lathe but it was still banana shaped when I had finished! This was not a problem for the handle but shows I need more practice! For the last part of the afternoon Nick found me a piece of Sycamore and with his guidance I began to carve a spoon. </div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOnjayS1f1tNeo7zsNNqLq_iUdqXiAZMyR7WgNfNW2oV4uKM8uz9NXFwc5AcA9Wgbf2n1n6_aUEaxO3YhLZtOUZEV0IeOELLA3kndhFWpXzqVwmLDvdNj8pU3ql-PRYEbYEP_NGiAEfIg/s1600/Froe+with+handle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOnjayS1f1tNeo7zsNNqLq_iUdqXiAZMyR7WgNfNW2oV4uKM8uz9NXFwc5AcA9Wgbf2n1n6_aUEaxO3YhLZtOUZEV0IeOELLA3kndhFWpXzqVwmLDvdNj8pU3ql-PRYEbYEP_NGiAEfIg/s400/Froe+with+handle.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sue's froe complete with handle</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTbimNcEALdDLNh7k0zM8rx0QvmP5F0aqyfmppLa1mDr36g5eKJkoGO7MCDTTBKsL0UqNNnTn0-3KusC3BmWX6n7ZE9urb1P4aDMVRnYytJyHuR4d4nhAfkCiWTleVVgOr8kXCcSqU6zg/s1600/Robin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTbimNcEALdDLNh7k0zM8rx0QvmP5F0aqyfmppLa1mDr36g5eKJkoGO7MCDTTBKsL0UqNNnTn0-3KusC3BmWX6n7ZE9urb1P4aDMVRnYytJyHuR4d4nhAfkCiWTleVVgOr8kXCcSqU6zg/s400/Robin.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Festive Robin and cake thief.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
Andrew’s wife had sent us some mince pies and an iced fruit cake (she is a very gifted and generous baker and keeps us well supplied with treats) and I had taken in mulled wine and homemade chocolates so we passed a productive and happy afternoon around the fire.<br /><br />I find it hard to believe that we have reached the half way point in the course but when I start to list the new skills I have been taught (some of which I can now actually do – some works in progress!) I realise how much has happened. <br /></div>
Coppicewood Collegehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706251291136853317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338981593340019543.post-46655085778354478642013-01-13T23:29:00.000-08:002013-01-13T23:29:07.806-08:00Week 10: Shavehorses complete in time for Christmas<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
I am feeling slightly embarrassed at how pleased I am feeling with myself after this week!<br /><br />On Wednesday it was bitterly cold but crisp and clear so we went on the plot as planned. Nothing like a bit of axe work to warm you up! Four of the team who manage the woods at the Centre for Alternative technology had come to volunteer for the day. A ‘busman’s holiday’ but a chance to have a change of scene and meet another group. Adam, their leader, trained at Coppicewood and Rob had been on short courses so were old friends.<br /><br />I was looking around for another tree to fell and asked Nick whether I could try working on a multi-stemmed one as these predominate in my woods. He had shown us how to go about it last week and demonstrated that an axe was the only way to work as the stems were too close together to get a saw in between. Sawing from the outside would result in the saw getting trapped as the weight of the stem closed the cut. He had also stressed the importance of cutting low so that new growth is from the root. He and Jill had been working on neighbouring stools and there were a couple of stems left on each which I could have finished but I opted to start on a large stool with many tangled stems as this meant I had to think carefully about the order of work. We had a discussion about the best place to begin and he left me to it.</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br />I got the first one down fairly easily and began on the second which proved to be thicker than I had realised. Two stems had grown close together and fused. Martin came across and suggested that by adjusting my swing a bit I could work more efficiently. It is the kind of thing I do not realise I am doing wrong until someone points it out to me. He offered to work on the stool with me but made me tell him which stem to do next. That way I learnt how to order the cutting but had company, help and advice if I needed it, and the job got done more quickly so was less daunting. Then Rob came across and did a lot of the snedding for us which was a great help.</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ie4B2Cf2ieVZTu4-stemJvyjLCDbeHYgGpvq54HsCtPnP6y_S3GN5hcW0b4cJ0JDDNvRW6B1G4LR2OiHLVG00XvFDprP_yELmFwppxVc5owzdSEl3SE5Norvsp32C4ZOScrE6pgefRs/s1600/Martin+working+on+his+hazels+stool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ie4B2Cf2ieVZTu4-stemJvyjLCDbeHYgGpvq54HsCtPnP6y_S3GN5hcW0b4cJ0JDDNvRW6B1G4LR2OiHLVG00XvFDprP_yELmFwppxVc5owzdSEl3SE5Norvsp32C4ZOScrE6pgefRs/s320/Martin+working+on+his+hazels+stool.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Martin offering advice on tackling this gnarled hazel.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgov3VRUCjXk_H1xzVNlnIO8p3SJZfO38n_ZfZTS0lBmqZegBLBG6lc9KkXRzCBr3N4JxRo0Ox46WHmXYd2MjTo9mNMFGPT5zlkuily6VKjhwtNXjWORzlz3ctcWNjUFv-MSPieu5w41cc/s1600/Hazel+stool+under+work.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgov3VRUCjXk_H1xzVNlnIO8p3SJZfO38n_ZfZTS0lBmqZegBLBG6lc9KkXRzCBr3N4JxRo0Ox46WHmXYd2MjTo9mNMFGPT5zlkuily6VKjhwtNXjWORzlz3ctcWNjUFv-MSPieu5w41cc/s320/Hazel+stool+under+work.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hazel under coppice</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
By the end of the day about two thirds of the stems were down and cleared. When I looked at the stumps they were much less rough than last week’s so I was pleased with my progress. I also noticed that as my technique improved with advice and feedback from the tutors I used less energy to get the same result. <br /><br />Thursday was another freezing cold day and we got on with our shavehorses. First I turned the knob on the end of the hinge pin and really enjoyed seeing the shape emerge under my chisel. Then I whittled pegs to secure the top rail of the vice and drilled the holes for them. I kept trying to put off drilling right across the seat plank for the pin to go through but eventually ran out of excuses! With Martin saying ‘left a bit, back a bit, too much…’ to keep my drill bit in line in one plane and a guide mark for the other I got through without too much difficulty and came out within half an inch of where I wanted to be. Not bad over about 10 inches. The pin proved to be too thick for the hole – a very snug fit would not swivel properly – so Nick helped me centre it on the lathe to turn it down a bit more. My first attempt went wrong as I was using the chisel with the bevel up not down but Nick soon sorted me out and I ended up with a smooth pin which went through the hole nicely. </div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgzOVuQVY4bvjbi87TrsmiNRMX5E3VZa8dGrSjZm9Nfsa1nSuNBTrHO2dWTMbQgswb5f6NexIq5I5G1b4wGA9FZwxxptW5uMjkTu3yeY5JbcPCW_k_12Bqt7-1L1vVLLVk-7DyxMXuOG8/s1600/Sue+shavehorse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgzOVuQVY4bvjbi87TrsmiNRMX5E3VZa8dGrSjZm9Nfsa1nSuNBTrHO2dWTMbQgswb5f6NexIq5I5G1b4wGA9FZwxxptW5uMjkTu3yeY5JbcPCW_k_12Bqt7-1L1vVLLVk-7DyxMXuOG8/s320/Sue+shavehorse.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sue sitting proudly upon her finished product</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaZaK2qo5VVgm2UHHlytsXTX2QfXju7ShhMaJIpiK-0K5ovqNp99VoLIQokiZZ7IkE_5q5mrsQnPxc2cf8ndBwbrfEJpACTRY43yHzF0_8HCrrsLfphHqbC5APDI8dcXgZU84dCOa22nU/s1600/Andrew+on+shavehorse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaZaK2qo5VVgm2UHHlytsXTX2QfXju7ShhMaJIpiK-0K5ovqNp99VoLIQokiZZ7IkE_5q5mrsQnPxc2cf8ndBwbrfEJpACTRY43yHzF0_8HCrrsLfphHqbC5APDI8dcXgZU84dCOa22nU/s320/Andrew+on+shavehorse.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Andrew working on some of the final parts</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Koe5A-V4kg_L7ilWTEIybaZFZc0XRIrDBA0XUQKuAgBDXE10wQSRXxgivaW58RS2HeFqlibrcCvCmTB5dCxvodxe8Yh9SRENUKmtxPBIZQdnecZGGkkmGHvuPuUYPQmImPc4XYpvdZo/s1600/Kieron+drilling+final+hole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Koe5A-V4kg_L7ilWTEIybaZFZc0XRIrDBA0XUQKuAgBDXE10wQSRXxgivaW58RS2HeFqlibrcCvCmTB5dCxvodxe8Yh9SRENUKmtxPBIZQdnecZGGkkmGHvuPuUYPQmImPc4XYpvdZo/s320/Kieron+drilling+final+hole.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kieron nervously making the final drill</i>...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiP621ZQNdUcszicsTk4N-bPokE489djAi7QCN0W3_xNk0_scp-4CDxX3Otj3aJrfp1M-tKP1qRkF8nIB2F5CEPsD0EnN6YAIb8sN2f3tgI_hqWcBJSrWrE1cTiajyVwE0YNUiFdYZ-ps/s1600/Kieron+on+shavehorse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiP621ZQNdUcszicsTk4N-bPokE489djAi7QCN0W3_xNk0_scp-4CDxX3Otj3aJrfp1M-tKP1qRkF8nIB2F5CEPsD0EnN6YAIb8sN2f3tgI_hqWcBJSrWrE1cTiajyVwE0YNUiFdYZ-ps/s320/Kieron+on+shavehorse.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">... <i>and a sigh of relief as it all comes off</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br />Before I adjusted the length of the legs so it sits level on the ground Martin realised that by turning the front one it would be more stable so we knocked it out and repositioned it. A couple of saw cuts and it was level and firm with the vice just clearing the ground. Then all I had to do was saw of a length of sawn timber and bolt it to the front and the job was done. <br /><br />I realised that although I had had help and advice at every stage, I had tackled every part of the process and the result was a respectable object which will do the job it is intended for. I felt ridiculously proud of what I had achieved!<br /><br />David, Kieron and Stef also finished their horses and as all 3 drive vans they were able to take them home. Andrew will use his Landrover to move mine for me next week. He and Penny are on the finishing straight and should have theirs done by Christmas.</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: right;">
<i>Words by Sue Laverack</i></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: right;">
<i>Photos by Sue Laverack and David Hunter</i></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
Coppicewood Collegehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706251291136853317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338981593340019543.post-33270223958913623662013-01-08T10:42:00.003-08:002013-01-08T10:42:52.434-08:00Week 9: The art of the polelathe<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
I felled another two trees with the axe today and although I am still not happy with my skill the stumps were a bit less mangled than the ones I did last week. It is hard physical work and the second one took a certain amount of dogged determination to complete! Very satisfying though to see the pile of wood growing and the plot being cleared. <br /><br />Lunch time was particularly interesting as Bruce came along and showed us Yakon and Oca, two root vegetables which he had grown in his forest garden. The Oca has to be cooked but Yakon can be eaten raw so he cut off some slices for us to try – deliciously sweet and crunchy. Apparently it does not soften on cooking so is excellent in stir-fries. I really appreciate Bruce’s generous sharing of his expertise in growing these more exotic vegetables and fruits and allowing us to taste them before deciding whether they warrant a space in our own gardens.<br /><br />On Thursday we were working on our shavehorses again. My first task was to use the axe to shape the piece of Ash I had cleft last week into a square cross section. This had to be as straight as possible as ‘bananas’ take a lot of work on the lathe. I was fortunate in that the original piece of wood had been straight with straight grain (a straight piece may still have twisted grain so it is not until it is cleft that it is certain it will work well). Even so I was pleased with the result and once I had taken the corners off and tidied it up with the drawknife it went on the lathe well. </div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9uw2CH9nhBIUFzRkkbZIEq4VEu3F90dRdfvT6DXoJZGm0r237ic3JpwN_O96WUYbycdzgyYJXH8iPB_e-yyZFT6AiEfsG9ijMafluyFt_wId2DfaiCOoXFWVzgosbwHJcB5hoDJVIfyA/s1600/Barbara+teaching+polelather.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9uw2CH9nhBIUFzRkkbZIEq4VEu3F90dRdfvT6DXoJZGm0r237ic3JpwN_O96WUYbycdzgyYJXH8iPB_e-yyZFT6AiEfsG9ijMafluyFt_wId2DfaiCOoXFWVzgosbwHJcB5hoDJVIfyA/s400/Barbara+teaching+polelather.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Barbara giving Penny a few pointers on the art of the polelathe</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwfaBllDAoxekM68qz90qBOxK6h5F9z3ErwQYtiTDUzmgVpvdEbuxhT9cvfHbKQrIGD2_FfbjVfEsK9eQRtyqpGkyM8C_5wAoz0PQyj3JaGg3lyw7bsPc05wO9XLJdZs2VMA6kq4PSzcQ/s1600/Polelathe+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwfaBllDAoxekM68qz90qBOxK6h5F9z3ErwQYtiTDUzmgVpvdEbuxhT9cvfHbKQrIGD2_FfbjVfEsK9eQRtyqpGkyM8C_5wAoz0PQyj3JaGg3lyw7bsPc05wO9XLJdZs2VMA6kq4PSzcQ/s400/Polelathe+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The polelathe in action</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
Whilst I waited for a polelathe to be free Martin helped me to shape the bottom of the vice legs for the foot rest and fit it. The carpentry I have been doing in my own workshop paid dividends and it went well. It really feels to be coming together now!<br /><br />After lunch Nick and Martin showed us how to split a log into square sticks and hammer them through a jig to make tines for rakes. This was not a digression into hay rake making but because the same square sticks were what we needed to whittle pegs to secure the tenons in the vices. This was an activity we could get on with whenever we had a few minutes spare.<br /><br />Then I was able to go on the lathe with Barbara showing me how to set it up and rough my pin to a cylinder. We are all finding that turning is addictive and we could very easily keep cutting until we end up with chopsticks or even toothpicks! I stopped just in time and Barbara showed me how to smooth the cylinder using a different chisel. The pin has a knob on the end so Nick demonstrated squaring off an end or section and turned a narrow bead. I will turn a ball in the remaining wood but the light was going rapidly so that will have to wait until next time.<br /><br />I took the opportunity to return to the woods on Saturday and join the Festive Weaving Course led by Barbara. This was not part of the long course and the other 3 students on it were people I had not met before. We had great fun making wreathes, stars and chains and decorating them with greenery and other things which we had brought and shared. So that was three Christmas presents sorted!</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfLfnsCM1Mkxxov5Zl4UY60-9sldRGW-sUuhuCAIubM310nxuORTSEArIXeQocUmdZKcbhWOuq6SFrRFTqnsVcKoQEZBUli4-6M3g7juTtw5catuqjdz8j_9fv5TmpLbtF4rd7T36Ced8/s1600/Christmas+wreath+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfLfnsCM1Mkxxov5Zl4UY60-9sldRGW-sUuhuCAIubM310nxuORTSEArIXeQocUmdZKcbhWOuq6SFrRFTqnsVcKoQEZBUli4-6M3g7juTtw5catuqjdz8j_9fv5TmpLbtF4rd7T36Ced8/s400/Christmas+wreath+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The results of a hard days weaving</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /><br /><br /></div>
Coppicewood Collegehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706251291136853317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338981593340019543.post-40284526200395304412013-01-08T01:18:00.000-08:002013-01-08T01:18:56.463-08:00Week 8: Felling with the axe<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
I felled 3 trees with the axe today! Not very neatly I have to confess. I can do ‘clout’ or ‘accuracy’ but not, it seems, both at once! However Nick assures me that all I need is lots of practice – which he will ensure I get. Now is that a threat or a promise?<br />
<br />
The day began with Nick showing us how to fell with the axe, the importance of cutting upwards for the bottom of the ‘V’ and keeping the lower cut close to the ground. He also went over the safety aspects of using the axe which could do real damage if we chop ourselves. </div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxpMS3QkRrCQgqlDKLWyG6MEVjRxgt-QbQKpiCf5559VeCpLI3SNrH3sfZfMXAJ0E-SzfgvN7jVaKLa_lwRe0MpEj9oVlyx3L_oWmNwtmnbBQZOBFFE0YcQeFB3bybeqUZCQN43WjjYdk/s1600/Judging+the+lean.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxpMS3QkRrCQgqlDKLWyG6MEVjRxgt-QbQKpiCf5559VeCpLI3SNrH3sfZfMXAJ0E-SzfgvN7jVaKLa_lwRe0MpEj9oVlyx3L_oWmNwtmnbBQZOBFFE0YcQeFB3bybeqUZCQN43WjjYdk/s400/Judging+the+lean.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Nick judging the lean on the chosen tree</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGAkwnsyg7GN03k_8QLncmdcjE85OrJmOsedop9mN9G2hyphenhyphenejc_pJazVyRluYv65GZAcmIzgFAxY14mrtsuCTZ2ryUqSGqx58nQo7_A2z7hn9pPyC5MtDGLIWoS6-kyepQu4VzxaNOwzl8/s1600/Nick+in+action.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGAkwnsyg7GN03k_8QLncmdcjE85OrJmOsedop9mN9G2hyphenhyphenejc_pJazVyRluYv65GZAcmIzgFAxY14mrtsuCTZ2ryUqSGqx58nQo7_A2z7hn9pPyC5MtDGLIWoS6-kyepQu4VzxaNOwzl8/s400/Nick+in+action.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Work begins cutting out the directional cut </i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh6rzKYrSvFTMzg0k7c6YzMumW8vVGf7F4v6uqFKX1bMIXnuIJtHjRDVdbIbhcNm3bzx3jMC5ko_VdWt4aeLu5j4212L8WMUlJOjJgVsl3RGKz4IkVU9rf6H7T_-Qm6cJ8LDEdQI6juhs/s1600/Axe+work.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh6rzKYrSvFTMzg0k7c6YzMumW8vVGf7F4v6uqFKX1bMIXnuIJtHjRDVdbIbhcNm3bzx3jMC5ko_VdWt4aeLu5j4212L8WMUlJOjJgVsl3RGKz4IkVU9rf6H7T_-Qm6cJ8LDEdQI6juhs/s400/Axe+work.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Inspecting the cut and illustrating the clean working face</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg24Y7YbSLzYYcjLBNfMdyaBFcT4ifbgkhK2jPe5YPrCvqMxt10pIiTfwvNh_CXbwVVUbqWaxq_hSgmeMsai88QkfgLK06B-zxcebxXdKM9XoTkmkA6lJRhcmFYwot2jbhFJo1u3fiqeaY/s1600/Coeyd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg24Y7YbSLzYYcjLBNfMdyaBFcT4ifbgkhK2jPe5YPrCvqMxt10pIiTfwvNh_CXbwVVUbqWaxq_hSgmeMsai88QkfgLK06B-zxcebxXdKM9XoTkmkA6lJRhcmFYwot2jbhFJo1u3fiqeaY/s400/Coeyd.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'Coed'!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br />
I decided to warm up by cutting some more of the small thorn trees I had been clearing last week using bowsaw and billhook. Then I practiced using the axe on fallen trunks to remember the correct action. Jill, one of the volunteers who I had worked alongside over the summer, teased me that I was being too cautious and was convinced I could move on to standing trees quite safely. She was quite correct – I was putting off something I was apprehensive about. Not that I thought I would hurt myself but that I would leave a mangled stump which would never re-grow. This despite the fact that Nick had assured us that the trees ‘knew’ we had to learn and would collectively be relieved that someone was trying to care for them.<br />
<br />
So with Nick keeping an eye on me and providing helpful advice I had a go on one of the middle sized thorn trees where I had been clearing small stuff with David. My stump was indeed mangled but there was a recognisable shape which vaguely approximated to the one on Nick’s demonstration. David’s was much neater and he got his tree down faster with fewer blows. He has proved very adept with all the tools in contrast to my struggles. Luckily Andrew’s stump was also a bit ragged so my pride was salvaged! <br />
<br />
The next 2 trees also came down OK and where I wanted them to and I managed the upcut more often. Still a long way to go though before I am happy with my skill. However I am getting much better at snedding so there is progress.<br />
<br />
By late afternoon I was getting very tired and the proportion of ‘pauses for breath’ to ‘working’ was getting high. David kindly lent muscle power to help me pull out branches and sned up material so the ride was clear. One of the nice things about working in a group is that there is always help on hand if the job is hard.<br />
<br />
On the Thursday Andrew and I were late because on my way to pick him up I encountered sheet ice at a crossroads and had to detour. Kieron was even later after similar problems. Barbara was also absent as a finger she had injured on a thorn yesterday had swollen up and she had gone to the minor injuries unit for advice. With only 3 students and 2 tutors there at the start green woodworking was decided on and we continued with our shavehorses. The first pair of uprights for my vice were discarded because I split the log in the wrong plane and got the curve going side to side instead of front to back. The second pair were on the massive side so at Nick’s suggestion I discarded those as well and he helped me find another length which I split and barked. Third time lucky! I am getting quite good at using the froe! <br />
<br />
Then they had to be clamped together and 4 holes drilled right through the pair – two for the mortice to take the top rail and two for the adjustable peg which acts as the hinge. Martin showed me what to do and checked that I was keeping the drill at right angles to the split. I really struggled to get through with the brace and bit but assumed it was me being a) old b) girly and c) unfit. Nick, who had taken over from Martin, took pity on me and offered to do one of the holes. When he also puffed and struggled I realised it really was a rather unusually hard piece of wood and felt better! Then Martin showed me how to use a chisel to join up the two holes for the mortice.<br />
<br />
Lunch around the woodburner turned into a spoon carving activity with several of us whittling away. Nick went one better and worked on a plate he is carving as a Christmas present. I love the range of skills we can learn and the flexibility in the course.</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgBPhc3senkbpaF17Rv98eLjwK9NiG6AICshyH7itB0f26AC1L-5-cemwrUMsuwYR-DZud0KEiq5Zcji-BJKCbLk3nXw3g65harLo4-tc91LvzLSyMBBnLeo2pXbii0sB8geWtFjiGrQU/s1600/Nick%2527s+plate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgBPhc3senkbpaF17Rv98eLjwK9NiG6AICshyH7itB0f26AC1L-5-cemwrUMsuwYR-DZud0KEiq5Zcji-BJKCbLk3nXw3g65harLo4-tc91LvzLSyMBBnLeo2pXbii0sB8geWtFjiGrQU/s400/Nick%2527s+plate.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Lunch time whittling - this time a plate being shaped</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
One of my discarded uprights was recycled into the top rail of the vice and I shaped the ends into tenons to fit the mortices. Why did I ever find using the drawknife and shavehorse difficult? <br />
<br />
By this time Stef and David, who are both amazingly competent, had split wood for their pins and axed it into first a square cross section, and then octagonal, straight rod. We all watched as Nick mounted Stef’s onto the pole lathe and explained how to set it up and turn the piece down into a cylinder. <br />
<br />
I have split myself a piece to use for the pin but decided that axing it to shape was a job for another day. Maybe I was being a whimp but I chose to reframe it as ‘knowing my limitations’!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>Words by Sue Laverack</i></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>Photos by David Hunter </i></div>
</div>
Coppicewood Collegehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706251291136853317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338981593340019543.post-70706092582841966032012-12-18T00:33:00.001-08:002013-01-08T01:06:04.403-08:00Week 7: Axe's in the woods<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
What a week! Loads of new stuff to learn and do and for the first time. By Thursday afternoon I felt really tired physically and glad to leave slightly early! Maybe partly because at yoga on Tuesday we worked on our thigh muscles and these were what we used a lot in the woods!</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
Wednesday began gently enough with us cutting more small trees with bowsaw and billhook to revise and get back into the rhythm of the woods after half term and a week of green woodworking. I tackled a thicket of thorn bushes working towards David who had started on the adjoining one. Thorns are not the easiest trees to fell because the wood is hard and the branches often contort and tangle. They grow at angles which can be hard to sned too. However I began to realise that it was a good way to practice using the billhook ‘with conviction’ and set me up for the afternoon.</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
After lunch Nick began teaching us how to use the felling axe. Before letting us loose on standing trees where we could do real damage to the trees or ourselves he got us learning on fallen trunks. He and Martin had sawn some of the smaller Douglas fir trunks which were lying around so that they were moveable lengths. He demonstrated how to stand for the job – knees slightly bent which was why my thighs protested the next morning! – how to swing the axe, how to recognise a good ‘V’ cut when we had made one and how to avoid chopping our feet or legs off in the process. We then scattered to find a length to learn on and were given the task of cutting it into pieces about a foot long for use on the workshop woodburner. All 3 tutors patrolled the area ensuring we were working safely and offering advice to help us do the job as easily and efficiently as possible. Given all the problems I had had with the billhook, both with ‘conviction’ and accuracy, I was rather anxious about this exercise but in the event, with helpful comments from the team, I managed it OK and whilst there was no way I could produce as many logs as Kieron or Stef who are both very strong and experienced with tools, I did manage to cut up 2 lengths of trunk in the afternoon and enjoyed myself.</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfp5oMO5PKE2txec6PmV9mrgNZ63LtIebLW6YAYpWD_xrulktrXEU_XGNJRkVakzxyT35RnaWJ5APP4Z_FuNRcWaEGpTT20nGThNLJ9ZCcB_gypOx4TXBaMMoAyfo33dIMW_nd2ng4aPw/s1600/IMG_4736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfp5oMO5PKE2txec6PmV9mrgNZ63LtIebLW6YAYpWD_xrulktrXEU_XGNJRkVakzxyT35RnaWJ5APP4Z_FuNRcWaEGpTT20nGThNLJ9ZCcB_gypOx4TXBaMMoAyfo33dIMW_nd2ng4aPw/s400/IMG_4736.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Andrew getting to grips with using an axe</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu_GZF2ggrwwv4P26hw5hOX1P4EwTHY_UV2uxyHIltOLwXvaYIcn-RXSADov5yC2MUyMe1IS76R68SU1eiXi4otbAwNMvWEdmC2K-8Pv6Stfx4GHDl126LRlx7JbgewsU6Ex6M08eLYuI/s1600/IMG_4740.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu_GZF2ggrwwv4P26hw5hOX1P4EwTHY_UV2uxyHIltOLwXvaYIcn-RXSADov5yC2MUyMe1IS76R68SU1eiXi4otbAwNMvWEdmC2K-8Pv6Stfx4GHDl126LRlx7JbgewsU6Ex6M08eLYuI/s400/IMG_4740.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sue doing the same</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
Thursday was a very different day with gales and torrential rain so we all hunkered down in the workshop with the woodburner lit. We actually burnt some of the logs we had chopped into length the day before which Martin nobly stood in the rain to split for us. Penny, who would have to cycle for an hour and a half to get to the wood, was concerned about her safety and when she discovered a branch blown down on her place needing to be moved urgently called Nick to say she would have to stay home. I was very relieved that she was being sensible. Barbara had a heavy cold and went home before lunch looking quite ill.</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
The rest of us got on with the shavehorses. We began by drilling holes with the augur bit for the legs – one at the front and two at the back. Because the legs have to splay out to provide stability the holes must be at quite an angle which makes the drilling hard. At one point I hit a particularly hard bit of wood – maybe a knot – and made very little headway so Nick kindly took over and persuaded the drill through it. By the time all 3 were made my body was beginning to protest! Then the edges of the holes had to be cleaned up with a gouge chisel. This was another first for me but with Martin showing me what to do and then supervising I managed it.</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfBkpfjN2S_nmoBldNyOw_OKWd8ABOnR0gyASZhes0Ywy41DjqrzJ4klY-fwHseBCZO11LO2K4MGD9tGyv4FHaptTOKyu9IsKb_5rV1rJYnsMN9gNhHY4k_3sVfhs4WB_n0aPyfHQjnwg/s1600/IMG_4743.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfBkpfjN2S_nmoBldNyOw_OKWd8ABOnR0gyASZhes0Ywy41DjqrzJ4klY-fwHseBCZO11LO2K4MGD9tGyv4FHaptTOKyu9IsKb_5rV1rJYnsMN9gNhHY4k_3sVfhs4WB_n0aPyfHQjnwg/s400/IMG_4743.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A nervous moment whilst drilling the leg holes with the auger</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
Although I had shaped the tenons the previous week I had left them slightly oversized as always in case they shrank as the wood dried. So it was back on the shavehorse and the fiddly job of offering them up to the hole, paring a little bit off, offering them up… Eventually they were a snug fit. It was then that I discovered that the front one was too upright because I had not angled the hole enough. I was so cross with myself`! Luckily for me Martin suggested that by taking a sliver off one side of the tenon, which was still quite tight, the tenon would be angled to the leg and might solve the problem. It did. Phew! Thanks Martin! </div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
With the bench seat finished (it is in the right of the picture), lunch eaten and a fascinating discussion over our cups of tea on the effect of planning policy and building regulations on the working countryside, it was time to start making the vice for my shavehorse. I found a lovely piece of Ash for the uprights, split it and shaved off the bark. Unfortunately I made the split so the curve was from side to side rather than front to back and Nick decided that making it work was more effort than starting again. It was entirely my fault – I should have asked if it mattered which way I put the split. </div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
Martin and Stef had offered to go and find more lengths for the remaining horses. Given that the rides had turned into streams and the clay mud was treacherously slippery this was very generous of them and none of us argued. There was enough in what they collected for me to have another length and this time I made sure that I orientated it correctly. Once I had removed the bark the next job was to clamp both lengths together and drill holes right through for the adjustable pin and the mortice for the top bar. This was done with the brace and bit and was quite tricky because the split had to be as vertical as possible in the vice and the holes exactly at right angles to it. I watched both David and Kieron do theirs and decided that at 3pm and feeling tired it was not a good idea to start such a precise task which also demanded quite a lot of energy. So I downed tools until next week. It is always OK on this course to pace ourselves and stop when we feel we need to. </div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
Andrew had also got to a good place to stop. We travel together as we live quite close to each other and we were both concerned about the drive home given that there might be floods and fallen trees. So with the light fading we left the others to finish and went home early. That evening my legs were very stiff and I walked like a mannequin! Luckily by next morning the stiffness had eased and was soon worked off.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>Words by Sue Laverack</i></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>Photos by David Hunter</i> </div>
</div>
Coppicewood Collegehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706251291136853317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338981593340019543.post-18496326528046131992012-12-18T00:32:00.001-08:002012-12-18T00:32:51.660-08:00Week 6: A shavehorse is born<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Having spent the week before the half term break on the plot with the students on the short course, this week was devoted to green woodwork. <br /><br />One of the trees I had practiced my felling on was a Douglas fir. When I cleared around its base I discovered a balk of timber at its base. Further investigation revealed that a large tree had blown down but some of its roots had remained intact and still in the ground. All built one of its branches had died and broken off but the one which survived had grown on and become ‘my’ tree. Martin and Nick got quite excited when they realised what I had found and cleared the rest of the trunk. It was perfect for making the seats of shavehorses, which is our next woodworking project.<br /><br />So on Wednesday morning, whilst the others finished the last sawhorse under construction Martin, Andrew and I set off to start cutting the trunk into lengths. It was my first time using the two-handed saw. The thinner top section was to be in 5’6” lengths to be suitable for fence posts if this was the best use of them. We were debating how best to measure this as we had forgotten to take a tape measure with us. When I said that I was 5’6” tall there was much teasing about making me lie down next to the trunk! Luckily for me I was spared the mud and cold as a thin pole was found on one of the cut piles and held against me before being cut to my height!<br /><br />We had found lengths of wood to use as levers and brought some A frames but in the event as we reduced its weight the trunk gradually sprang off the ground hinging on the remaining roots. <br /><br />Once we reached the more substantial sections we began cutting lengths for shavehorses. By this time the others had joined us and whilst turns were taken on the saw the rest of us practiced splitting some logs, which had already been cut from another fallen fir. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKo_HbRf95LZwQr3EsXtXG2qOgWsKjWeRtqt6XHFF1BTlHZwIKP-7mY4fIwM_zQ7FThlb5I1M2LAb-f31O3eStXf-nD4jTQUmKSk5IFfwQ3DEEkV2oxSp3bSQxN0LPVUWZx-cN1kJdTxg/s1600/Group+splitting+pine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKo_HbRf95LZwQr3EsXtXG2qOgWsKjWeRtqt6XHFF1BTlHZwIKP-7mY4fIwM_zQ7FThlb5I1M2LAb-f31O3eStXf-nD4jTQUmKSk5IFfwQ3DEEkV2oxSp3bSQxN0LPVUWZx-cN1kJdTxg/s320/Group+splitting+pine.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Starting the log splitting</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR3zH19pHVQVF7YzR6wu-4ce5pljPuLZZ5UvRhZpIjzZuQ-qyq0cn7GgeYhgMBabQC5nkuRGKKkptvCHoYGTc6_6otSooFiZGSUEyRSsKbmcNGa5yWr2b13Tx4la7s5qfQaC4cVIwZwwQ/s1600/Splitting+pine+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR3zH19pHVQVF7YzR6wu-4ce5pljPuLZZ5UvRhZpIjzZuQ-qyq0cn7GgeYhgMBabQC5nkuRGKKkptvCHoYGTc6_6otSooFiZGSUEyRSsKbmcNGa5yWr2b13Tx4la7s5qfQaC4cVIwZwwQ/s320/Splitting+pine+2.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Driving in the splitting axe</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgORspmiyDIKZJRDL7Xh3RDrsxBDlKzGMNbU1V358TB5M1sqP6J34Qawrnok9oDtD2V76Yt8p1UcJimSG6u-kF9qP3Hzv-pACwxfMLrv9CRP5FYpUVuv8HDoRkxa6yknLx1cw-f_Uw_Xk0/s1600/Splitting+pine+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgORspmiyDIKZJRDL7Xh3RDrsxBDlKzGMNbU1V358TB5M1sqP6J34Qawrnok9oDtD2V76Yt8p1UcJimSG6u-kF9qP3Hzv-pACwxfMLrv9CRP5FYpUVuv8HDoRkxa6yknLx1cw-f_Uw_Xk0/s320/Splitting+pine+3.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Split complete</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />When 3 lengths were ready for the seats we split them in half and then again parallel to the first split so that we had 6 rough thick planks and 6 ‘bark bits’ similar to the ones I remember getting from a woodyard as fuel some years ago. This process took a lot longer to do than to write! We used froes, axes, wedges (both metal and wood) beetles with a lot of puff, much debate about how best to proceed and quite a bit of sweat but luckily no blood or tears!<br /><br />Having carried the planks to the clearing around the shelter on Thursday morning Nick, Barbara and Martin gave us the good news that we were now expected to choose one for ourselves, decide which would be the top surface and smooth it ‘enough to be comfortable to suit on and not get splinters in your bum’. For which exercise we would use an axe with a final tidying up from the drawknife. That was some daunting prospect! I have struggled to get the hang of using an axe for shaping. I can now hit ‘with conviction’ (as Martin puts it) but accuracy?..... I tend to end up with a random scattering of nice deep cuts which are not very helpful. However whilst teaching, advice and encouragement are freely available rescuing is not on offer here. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3erC4OAtrINK6qNgIhdsriZdwWfvFbrFxwotbwHDzd4HvSd70LGxQZaEZ8NTTNTPbu0019v_rGOrtdVWr3cce-BwJk2pLZxz6iPr7QhNVHZvNaz6XPB-U3Vu3IFiEqdwbRRf019W826A/s1600/Finished+product.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3erC4OAtrINK6qNgIhdsriZdwWfvFbrFxwotbwHDzd4HvSd70LGxQZaEZ8NTTNTPbu0019v_rGOrtdVWr3cce-BwJk2pLZxz6iPr7QhNVHZvNaz6XPB-U3Vu3IFiEqdwbRRf019W826A/s320/Finished+product.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The finished shavehorse bench</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />And by the end of the morning my plank was relatively smooth and flat with only a couple of gouges too deep to pare out. I told myself that if necessary I could put a cushion over those – yes a cushion in the workshop – I know – girly!.<br /><br />Then in the afternoon I was back on more familiar territory making legs. We each chose a log from the selection provided, cut it to length (more practice on the 2 handed saw) and split it into 4 quarters. I was lucky. My ash log split cleanly and sweetly but David’s and Andrews’s had twists and knots which were invisible from the outside but made the job hard work. Then the tenons had to be shaped. It was then I noticed how much I had learnt. When I first made tenons I did all the work with a drawknife; then I started to try to do some shaping with the axe but quickly gave up; this time I was choosing to axe until the job was nearly done. And I got them made quickly. Practice has made me more confident and improved my ‘eye’ for the shape. Since we are making these shavehorses for ourselves we labelled our components with our initials in charcoal before leaving to avoid confusion.</span></div>
Coppicewood Collegehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706251291136853317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338981593340019543.post-87115520352484256802012-12-11T10:25:00.001-08:002012-12-11T10:26:06.943-08:00Week 5: Four day coppicing course<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">This week we were joined by 3 new people who were on the ‘Introduction to Coppicing’ course and we all spent 4 days in the woods. John and Geraldine were from London and hoped to have a wood of their own one day, Trevor was from South East Wales and Chair of a conservation group which had just taken over management of an area of woodland.<br /><br />Whilst those of us on the long course continued our tree felling practice Nick gave the newcomers the welcome and ‘health and safety’ talks. Then they joined in the fun. Small trees were becoming harder to find and seemed to have a hunted look! It is amazing how quickly the plot is opening up. Where once the hazard to movement was the undergrowth, now that that has all been slashed down it is piles of sorted wood which impede progress. Oh, and the mud!</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfnCPqW9VzG3cN-BQ7zjB0_xLLLlln-nu2dMbV1KCfoKqtC7DFvwkNyOBQsLv6r4rrUURETJ_Y40mjgjdBC-0nyn0S7zpWR8wrw6l0IQYKmFAuwYwzLNYSc1iE0LXwkf9GY1-ZMJwN-w8/s1600/Coppice+plot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfnCPqW9VzG3cN-BQ7zjB0_xLLLlln-nu2dMbV1KCfoKqtC7DFvwkNyOBQsLv6r4rrUURETJ_Y40mjgjdBC-0nyn0S7zpWR8wrw6l0IQYKmFAuwYwzLNYSc1iE0LXwkf9GY1-ZMJwN-w8/s320/Coppice+plot.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The coppice plot at the start of our work</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="goog_1068828988"></span><span id="goog_1068828989"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Wednesday was very wet so we all retreated into the shelter for the theory part of the course. Nick explained to us how to identify trees, how they grow and how woodsmen use the wood they extract to earn a living. Although we were all sitting on hard chairs in a leaky space he kept us fascinated for the whole day. He recommended some books for further reading and as soon as I got home I scanned my shelves. Some I had and Amazon has had a string of orders as I have treated myself to others.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMOmmu1AiYfXh44roL06gcp-Km4boEFNtSu9OuGS8JySrt_YIuRH-etv-57T_C6MEoMvdSWMFkL7tAnIorQRl2W3JNPnvhaG-NcXAbe2zzClbPsbmbWNezkrMkUyVYhPkeN6rro2hLqnc/s1600/Theory+lesson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMOmmu1AiYfXh44roL06gcp-Km4boEFNtSu9OuGS8JySrt_YIuRH-etv-57T_C6MEoMvdSWMFkL7tAnIorQRl2W3JNPnvhaG-NcXAbe2zzClbPsbmbWNezkrMkUyVYhPkeN6rro2hLqnc/s320/Theory+lesson.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Eager learners discuss points during our rainy day theory session</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitooo9SToL35KpnPwBOE1zalAjZ_xjgJXf80aoxzyolQacvhbL6hswuhGTWPE_VNWjhOa-n1QUyPCLXoNvSW-J9Wj6nhfBLDGXpYcfEi9R3zMDbOeZNO11auMwPozBEJjcqm3uprnJX4Q/s1600/Nick+teaching+theory.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitooo9SToL35KpnPwBOE1zalAjZ_xjgJXf80aoxzyolQacvhbL6hswuhGTWPE_VNWjhOa-n1QUyPCLXoNvSW-J9Wj6nhfBLDGXpYcfEi9R3zMDbOeZNO11auMwPozBEJjcqm3uprnJX4Q/s320/Nick+teaching+theory.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Nick teaching the theory behind coppicing</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">During a brief dry spell we were sent out to find leaves so that we could have a go at identifying them. Trevor, David and Penny spotted a grass snake which Trevor managed to photograph despite its efforts to hide in the brash.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguDg7-u27iOTGqef5iEH_GMkRi-qZ5sMqZX5H8Xjvr9nEbETfl9XHzJH7GVVAf9GC1Gwq8OF3Pr5PMCauI4uGWOFVLV4IMlzuPLq6ArYzJyLBc-aqJUAcqgIJrK7y7tu_HderMwR8fLtY/s1600/Grass+snake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguDg7-u27iOTGqef5iEH_GMkRi-qZ5sMqZX5H8Xjvr9nEbETfl9XHzJH7GVVAf9GC1Gwq8OF3Pr5PMCauI4uGWOFVLV4IMlzuPLq6ArYzJyLBc-aqJUAcqgIJrK7y7tu_HderMwR8fLtY/s320/Grass+snake.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Grass snake</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Thursday the weather improved and we were out on the plot again (to Nick’s relief!). At last I feel as though I am getting the hang of using the billhook. I was being far too tentative but with a lot of help and encouragement from Nick and Martin I am beginning to strike with the required ‘conviction’. Accuracy though is another thing entirely! So I make a lot of semi-random deep cuts! They assure me that it is just a matter of practice and that they will ensure that I get loads of that.<br /><br />It was sad to say goodbye to our 3 new friends but Trevor seems to have caught the ‘coppicewood bug’ and hopes to do more courses sometime. Next week is half term for us so a week off. I really thought that 4 days would be hard going and leave me very tired but in fact I had very little stiffness and whilst there are a lot of things I have not had time to do this week the tiredness is manageable. I seem to be getting fitter.<br /><br />P.S. I went to the GP surgery during half term for my annual blood pressure etc. check. The nurse asked about exercise and I told her what I did – the 2 days a week in the woods, a yoga class, a large garden… The resulting note was ‘no formal exercise but keeps active’! It seems only gym membership counts!</span></div>
Coppicewood Collegehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706251291136853317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338981593340019543.post-35341688934783500292012-12-04T13:15:00.001-08:002012-12-04T13:44:28.852-08:00Week 4: The coppicing begins<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
We start work on our own plot! At last the trees are dormant enough and there are few enough leaves for us to begin cutting. </div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
We have been allocated an area, roughly an acre in size, of neglected woodland and set the task of turning it into managed coppice by next March. No pressure then! </div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
Initially it looked to be just a tangle of trees of various sizes, some multi-stemmed, some twisted, some dead or dying and all tied together with brambles and honeysuckle. Where should we begin. By asking us questions and teasing out our existing knowledge and common sense Nick helped us work out how to approach the job and how to think logically about the sequence of work. If we started with the small trees we would create enough space to tackle the bigger ones and we could learn safely on ones that would not do too much damage if they did not fall exactly where we wanted them to.</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
He showed us how to make a directional cut on the side where we wanted the tree to fall.<br />
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjJ7EcgbcZGg8E-WhV3RXdYWW5p6yJN9BQ1nKSaBPrRU64vMxG02P2_AvT1W2dl7et6x3iNlsqAXf0C1wGoA2zwNchlLhkMRHpChYbvBEvUxVQEE3xbQxf0Esaut2io5-9_O_ni2pxRUE/s1600/Nick+felling+prep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjJ7EcgbcZGg8E-WhV3RXdYWW5p6yJN9BQ1nKSaBPrRU64vMxG02P2_AvT1W2dl7et6x3iNlsqAXf0C1wGoA2zwNchlLhkMRHpChYbvBEvUxVQEE3xbQxf0Esaut2io5-9_O_ni2pxRUE/s320/Nick+felling+prep.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nick prepares for the felling cut</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8vzbGY_t8SfDtkxjH0GC9gEoG8arbs_zwOlMBJRqxt46uUCDQQce6Ngodmj6tc2adZEdbEJohdM3Au-nBb4xY4a-Z02LWnehF1kBWCaTsD33pXH4ENw3TnlPLySkm-jcd_f-ZMhtIdjg/s1600/Nick+cutting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8vzbGY_t8SfDtkxjH0GC9gEoG8arbs_zwOlMBJRqxt46uUCDQQce6Ngodmj6tc2adZEdbEJohdM3Au-nBb4xY4a-Z02LWnehF1kBWCaTsD33pXH4ENw3TnlPLySkm-jcd_f-ZMhtIdjg/s320/Nick+cutting.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nick starts the felling cut</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
Then we were shown how to take off the branches with the billhook to leave a neat, straight piece of wood. And how to then trim up the branches to give faggot wood, pea sticks from hazel or brish for making besom brooms from birch.</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
And armed with slashers, bowsaws and billhooks we fanned out to find a suitable tree!</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
For the rest of that day and the following one we practiced felling, snedding and sorting the wood into piles, gradually learning how to choose the sequence of clearing. We are expected to get on with things and learn for ourselves but with 3 tutors to 6 students there is always someone nearby to ask advice from and a discreet eye is always being kept on our activities in case we are about to do something really stupid. Even so I cut down an ash which should really have been allowed to grow on! I think I have been forgiven!<br />
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVDyfpy6jOKOyQH2xyxlx_CYNqfb81FZ3Mxi0TPK89yCn5bkH6eMu_d0zdfoUVDqwS0ppGFAw4zGXCc1mplNA8f_tO17CDcLjOoSPHQaTVXEh1N0WoIwRL-xCSWuR0_YhfsBGcJitS-0/s1600/David+felling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVDyfpy6jOKOyQH2xyxlx_CYNqfb81FZ3Mxi0TPK89yCn5bkH6eMu_d0zdfoUVDqwS0ppGFAw4zGXCc1mplNA8f_tO17CDcLjOoSPHQaTVXEh1N0WoIwRL-xCSWuR0_YhfsBGcJitS-0/s320/David+felling.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David commencing his felling cut</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXTtWKH8o4yruSTUcjBr0Y168Zeoml7FXQNeoczVAEDb7k-AgUswk5f_iD2BYJmEmaMfQDDOtaJvNbdBlUjxb97Aa2X8tYhdp5Wi6ba5a-71tahKJSBPD6POsminI8-tU-czwAslb8VwA/s1600/Sue+snedding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXTtWKH8o4yruSTUcjBr0Y168Zeoml7FXQNeoczVAEDb7k-AgUswk5f_iD2BYJmEmaMfQDDOtaJvNbdBlUjxb97Aa2X8tYhdp5Wi6ba5a-71tahKJSBPD6POsminI8-tU-czwAslb8VwA/s320/Sue+snedding.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sue sets to work on her felled Birch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijlFdYX1SSJsJohCR_aHNyToh9BRA7D4LP6CPLvyU1BYkqJeZPL4sfGj1I0rEmYlJAXS01PZaAQIrEVZ4FIan6XD7bE6f80SHsFnO4pAcaoZ_lu3DkVm2jJNCHTvTAuPNjrNwJmJrsmmg/s1600/Kieren+snedding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijlFdYX1SSJsJohCR_aHNyToh9BRA7D4LP6CPLvyU1BYkqJeZPL4sfGj1I0rEmYlJAXS01PZaAQIrEVZ4FIan6XD7bE6f80SHsFnO4pAcaoZ_lu3DkVm2jJNCHTvTAuPNjrNwJmJrsmmg/s320/Kieren+snedding.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kieron snedding</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
Coppicewood Collegehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706251291136853317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338981593340019543.post-43695272444140324162012-11-25T02:13:00.003-08:002012-11-27T12:31:55.729-08:00Week 3: Charcoal<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:1;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-format:other;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;
mso-header-margin:36.0pt;
mso-footer-margin:36.0pt;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
</style>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">When we emptied the charcoal bins from last week we found
mixed results. The one which had been hard to light and kept threatening to go
out was good. That one was riddled to remove the fine ash and bagged. The other
bin, which had seemed to start well must have gone out because it was full of
‘brown ends’; mainly black on the outside but just charred a few millimetres in
with the centre of the stick unburnt. It was decided that we would do an
experiment to see if we could still make useable charcoal from these/ the empty
second bin was charged with paper and kindling and the ‘brown ends’ piled in.
We did not attempt to grade them for size or pack them neatly as those would
have been very dirty, dusty jobs. Then we lit it and there was a surprising
amount of white smoke indicating that the moisture content was still high. When
this bin was emptied on Thursday it had worked – we had charcoal!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Knowing that this burn should be fairly quick and with the
store for sawn charcoal wood empty we set to with bowsaws and cut up the wood
we had dragged out last week before lighting the bin. There is something very
satisfying about seeing a shelter neatly stacked with wood ready for use. I
suppose a rather primitive ‘We will survive’ response!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The next job was to cut a new ride through a previously cut
plot so as to shorten the distance wood has to be carried out. Working in 2
teams we aimed to start from each end and meet in the middle. The tutors had
already identified the two ends of the ride but with so much new tree growth
and thickets of bramble neither team could see the other to establish the line
to cut along! Much shouting and holding slashers up high allowed us to navigate
successfully. Nick told us of miners in Derbyshire using a candle in the window
of their tool shed to keep their tunnel going straight into the hillside which
reminded me of navigating into harbour using ‘leading lights’. These
conversational digressions certainly make the course richer and more
interesting! The pace is relaxed enough for them to be enjoyed and valued
rather than resented for ‘making us late’.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOUsWIX-qre2Kl-lhtC8ELREg-aPfCRdxLHBw8lkxmd0XHF3FFvxbKBFFf2fGlTd_YfTluC-Q64JbljilXijemQCh95av1Y0faG_LcKpp81ubfS3pTQZGV9OExk3MfXNDpZwUYZ7HlmQQ/s1600/Ride.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOUsWIX-qre2Kl-lhtC8ELREg-aPfCRdxLHBw8lkxmd0XHF3FFvxbKBFFf2fGlTd_YfTluC-Q64JbljilXijemQCh95av1Y0faG_LcKpp81ubfS3pTQZGV9OExk3MfXNDpZwUYZ7HlmQQ/s400/Ride.jpg" height="299" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The new ride</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:1;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-format:other;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;
mso-header-margin:36.0pt;
mso-footer-margin:36.0pt;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;} </style></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<style> </style><span style="font-size: small;">Then it was off to last year’s plot to learn how to split a
log which is too big to move out easily in one piece. A chance to use the
beetles and wedges made last week! The logs we were using were Douglas Fir and
full of knots so we treated it as ‘just an exercise’ but in fact they split
well. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdGZI8QPOMB0hybHc75MPJGCPqds0bJz-DYlyKIdDxQGuCg7PjvGQsO9NJF0G05rTVIg4A2_XaV_LS73Qonw8e6yKd7W6NLWOjo-Dm7W5Gdiz97HeCYnDMc93yJybkzDJL9dUkmdWDVcQ/s1600/Splitting+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdGZI8QPOMB0hybHc75MPJGCPqds0bJz-DYlyKIdDxQGuCg7PjvGQsO9NJF0G05rTVIg4A2_XaV_LS73Qonw8e6yKd7W6NLWOjo-Dm7W5Gdiz97HeCYnDMc93yJybkzDJL9dUkmdWDVcQ/s400/Splitting+.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>We all watch Nick with the splitting axe whilst David holds it steady</i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-H4B9sOa5IaXxSnHwwl4tM-BedmK_r8bHCugdulG-LVWP45yLSUjEZly-MnssvLG5BUtHcPievwrH4E7B0GDYCI704Rs2tRYHDqDtsrc_flkPJvU8T05ahu-mhWM5mr1CJgd_7_78Qu4/s1600/Splitting+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-H4B9sOa5IaXxSnHwwl4tM-BedmK_r8bHCugdulG-LVWP45yLSUjEZly-MnssvLG5BUtHcPievwrH4E7B0GDYCI704Rs2tRYHDqDtsrc_flkPJvU8T05ahu-mhWM5mr1CJgd_7_78Qu4/s400/Splitting+2.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Then wedges lengthen the split</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm8l01a3v3yyd3T15EB5N4ZL2juyV4CZUeUXjnN26iBhCTOwHa8ei8UmHXmsVSgsY4RwA_eRm3VUixwMUS3E0nI90IDAxA4wsIhNvdlBQUkJJqLeW-h4IzRejtepixZ1CKKs9By97w_HE/s1600/Dave+splitting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm8l01a3v3yyd3T15EB5N4ZL2juyV4CZUeUXjnN26iBhCTOwHa8ei8UmHXmsVSgsY4RwA_eRm3VUixwMUS3E0nI90IDAxA4wsIhNvdlBQUkJJqLeW-h4IzRejtepixZ1CKKs9By97w_HE/s400/Dave+splitting.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sometimes metal wedges are easier to use than wooden ones</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:1;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-format:other;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;
mso-header-margin:36.0pt;
mso-footer-margin:36.0pt;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
</style>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Thursday’s task, once the charcoal bin was empty, was to
drag more timber off ‘seven’, the plot we have been clearing of felled
material. Nick gave us a firm but gentle, well deserved telling off for
stacking the charcoal wood too high, parallel to the ride not at right angles
to it, and not arranged with all the butt ends to the ride. Luckily for us it
was lunch time so he did not make us take it apart and re-do it! But we will
not make that mistake again.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Then we made ‘ears’ to go with the legs we did last week and
learned to drill mortices with the augur bit. By the end of the afternoon one
saw horse was complete. I realise that I am becoming much better at shaping
with the axe leaving less to do with the draw knife on the shavehorse. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>Words and photos by Sue Laverack</i></div>
</div>
Coppicewood Collegehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706251291136853317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338981593340019543.post-29632647095544310872012-11-25T01:51:00.001-08:002012-11-27T11:30:56.551-08:00Week 2: The tools of the trade<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<style>
<!--
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US;}
@page WordSection1
{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;
mso-header-margin:36.0pt;
mso-footer-margin:36.0pt;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
</style>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Week 2 here at Coppicewood College and the new experiences
and learning are coming thick and fast. Yet the pace does not feel pressurised
or unmanageable. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">David has arrived so we are a full compliment of 6. A really
interesting group with varied backgrounds, experiences and expertise as well as
age.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">On Wednesday we pulled some more wood out of the overgrown
plot generally tidying up the piles we had already uncovered. Then onto last
years plot to find pieces suitable for making wedges and beetles in the afternoon.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">After the lunch break we were all shown how to use a hatchet
to shape wood (without removing any of our fingers) by Martin. Nick showed us
again how to flex our hands so as to stretch the tendons before we started and
minimise the risk of tendonitis (a.k.a. tennis elbow or golfers elbow depending
on which tendons in the elbow are inflamed). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_BRtt6qrEN5xpb1L4QfEQ2EGsmRffRecQBSf3_c1tFyGTog4zPi-oSGNliiTM0Jj4SljpTKrzsJL6gz_Pqs-C6Uz3IaHtNjQbEf6-GbWEBzMmgZj0mYZyFi4rL5XXZTLkFeeImXrifdc/s1600/Learning+to+make+wedges.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_BRtt6qrEN5xpb1L4QfEQ2EGsmRffRecQBSf3_c1tFyGTog4zPi-oSGNliiTM0Jj4SljpTKrzsJL6gz_Pqs-C6Uz3IaHtNjQbEf6-GbWEBzMmgZj0mYZyFi4rL5XXZTLkFeeImXrifdc/s400/Learning+to+make+wedges.jpg" height="297" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:1;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-format:other;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US;}
@page WordSection1
{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;
mso-header-margin:36.0pt;
mso-footer-margin:36.0pt;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
</style>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Martin shows us how to
remove wood , not fingers, with a hatchet.</i></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:1;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-format:other;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US;}
@page WordSection1
{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;
mso-header-margin:36.0pt;
mso-footer-margin:36.0pt;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
</style>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">We chose our pole, sawed it to length and started chopping.
In a surprisingly short time we had tired arms and hands but reasonably decent
wedges. My length of Ash proved to have a twisted grain and one end split as I
was working on it – a tendency of Ash apparently. However they would do the job
and on Thursday I chose to make another pair from Hazel which went better. I
really appreciate the encouragement to ‘have another go’ and to actively learn
as much as being taught.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihp-ZM8N4KU-1L4AH5k8HvMZsoBM_EFYhkeqxKcAsh2VVOk3GeQuTu2gId2rPM9jpUkOBNH0-ncvFNnmJ7k0CRyWCCNGSFgoYvxRRssTw87LPK43tO8_6O9FUDB91XMGrkOVA-ExFPLpg/s1600/Making+wedges.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihp-ZM8N4KU-1L4AH5k8HvMZsoBM_EFYhkeqxKcAsh2VVOk3GeQuTu2gId2rPM9jpUkOBNH0-ncvFNnmJ7k0CRyWCCNGSFgoYvxRRssTw87LPK43tO8_6O9FUDB91XMGrkOVA-ExFPLpg/s400/Making+wedges.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:1;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-format:other;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US;}
@page WordSection1
{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;
mso-header-margin:36.0pt;
mso-footer-margin:36.0pt;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
</style>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Wedge making in
progress – I am not sure why Nick felt the need to practice!?</i></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:1;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-format:other;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US;}
@page WordSection1
{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;
mso-header-margin:36.0pt;
mso-footer-margin:36.0pt;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
</style></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Barbara showed us how to make a beetle. It did not go
entirely according to plan which was very reassuring – even the experts cannot
get it right all the time with a material which has its own quirks. I shall use
that as my excuse! Andrew and I made ours from pieces cut from the same length
of willow and discovered that they were softer than our wedges – mine were from
Ash, his from Oak. More learning! Luckily any real disasters can be obliterated
on the fire!</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi94wRAl3I_PN62PhWWBPINcRoRd1QjMxYIDqWkT58NIJ0KZHaZBLhxj_5SwB-FxsQa0vH8M1KO9RM_S1O2ADRgk1j03ohYLxc6LBgMnLj-od48pQP6L3GMRO1lrsY7dUfdn7v5I7LofNA/s1600/Andrew+and+Sue+wedges.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi94wRAl3I_PN62PhWWBPINcRoRd1QjMxYIDqWkT58NIJ0KZHaZBLhxj_5SwB-FxsQa0vH8M1KO9RM_S1O2ADRgk1j03ohYLxc6LBgMnLj-od48pQP6L3GMRO1lrsY7dUfdn7v5I7LofNA/s400/Andrew+and+Sue+wedges.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:1;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-format:other;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US;}
@page WordSection1
{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;
mso-header-margin:36.0pt;
mso-footer-margin:36.0pt;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
</style>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Andrew and I finishing
our wedges</i></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:1;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-format:other;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US;}
@page WordSection1
{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;
mso-header-margin:36.0pt;
mso-footer-margin:36.0pt;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
</style>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Thursday brought a new challenge – charcoal burning. I had
helped with this several times as a volunteer but for some of the group it was
entirely new. We loaded the drums and got them lit but the monitoring and
closing down was done by Martin and Barbara, partly because the weather turned
extremely wet. We will have to wait until next week to find out how well the
burn went. Hopefully we will make more charcoal during the course to become
familiar with the later stages. I gather that if possible Barbara will do a
burn with each of us individually which would be good.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV_otYLINHhFzLI_80I54UoTkMFFQoSzSDyzrK0aFiFa9yYd9ptqHs6adPKCzYnLPptGkoTs9wXdbKRSyHJPCwCyLcac_ZYbM6vhw0gx1djTf-jnn39Te9lLqLaIxy0mcKsdCQTkNTczM/s400/Making+Charcoal.jpg" height="298" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:1;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-format:other;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US;}
@page WordSection1
{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;
mso-header-margin:36.0pt;
mso-footer-margin:36.0pt;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
</style>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Martin and Barbara
loading the drums whilst Andrew trims an
oversized piece to length.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgovB_Lm_6m1dJOsJyV5meyxYxCAdo0gBp4OV8VrBmT1G6cgX0fQYN3DZ8z6E-xzI04sGHLIRs1iOtT6Zow-dJAQDTZ419aTPWE85fVU1R_cYTBkM2BGre2dUMe1z61c_nDxsbTEgU1yjs/s1600/Charcoal+lit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgovB_Lm_6m1dJOsJyV5meyxYxCAdo0gBp4OV8VrBmT1G6cgX0fQYN3DZ8z6E-xzI04sGHLIRs1iOtT6Zow-dJAQDTZ419aTPWE85fVU1R_cYTBkM2BGre2dUMe1z61c_nDxsbTEgU1yjs/s400/Charcoal+lit.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:1;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-format:other;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US;}
@page WordSection1
{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;
mso-header-margin:36.0pt;
mso-footer-margin:36.0pt;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
</style>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>everyone helps</i></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:1;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-format:other;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US;}
@page WordSection1
{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;
mso-header-margin:36.0pt;
mso-footer-margin:36.0pt;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
</style>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZiKd39UaKm2Zk0B_uZ_ZfKYOLelFxZ9BKUzlZBt7lcDMX4wgQHh4KPIbnjaebTik8EK-vvdHcnSEY8AzwdqsYnSr7fQgCGgj_bKou22jyAMARs8ZXflRDdyXI5HJkKzz44LPpDFkZ5VQ/s1600/Lighting+charcoal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZiKd39UaKm2Zk0B_uZ_ZfKYOLelFxZ9BKUzlZBt7lcDMX4wgQHh4KPIbnjaebTik8EK-vvdHcnSEY8AzwdqsYnSr7fQgCGgj_bKou22jyAMARs8ZXflRDdyXI5HJkKzz44LPpDFkZ5VQ/s400/Lighting+charcoal.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:1;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-format:other;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US;}
@page WordSection1
{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;
mso-header-margin:36.0pt;
mso-footer-margin:36.0pt;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
</style>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>And the drums are lit.</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Nick was running a one day workshop on spoon carving and as
it was raining ‘stair rods’ we all had lunch together in the shelter with the
logburner lit and the kettle steaming gently on its top.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Despite the rain we made legs in the afternoon and were
introduced to yet more skills – splitting with the froe and shaping with the
drawknife on the shavehorse. And in between more practice at using an axe.
Whilst volunteering I had tried using an axe but never really got the hang of
it. This last two days the knack has ‘clicked’ and it is becoming much easier.
I have done a fair bit of work</span><span style="font-size: small;"> with the
drawknife and really enjoy it. I hope that the froe will become easier too with
practice. Sorry – no pictures of this because it was just too wet to take any!</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: right;">
<i>Words and photos by Sue Laverack</i></div>
Coppicewood Collegehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706251291136853317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338981593340019543.post-22831217680145818862012-11-14T10:09:00.000-08:002012-11-27T11:31:32.962-08:00Week 1: The New Recruits<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The start of my amazing adventure
learning how to manage woodland using traditional coppicing techniques!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">There are 6 of us on the course
here at Coppicewood College in Cillgeran but David is unable to join us until
the end of the month. So Andrew, Stef, Kieron, Penny and I were welcomed
briefly by Bruce Slark (Secretary of Coppicewood College) and Nick (Senior
Tutor). Then Nick did the required talk about Health and Safety which
mercifully took the view that, as adults, for the most part we could decide for
ourselves what was appropriate clothing and take responsibility for our own
well being but that specific hazards would be pointed out as we went along. We
were encouraged to make full use of the breaks to relax, particularly if we
were doing work that used unfamiliar muscles. And in that spirit we had a tea
break before starting work!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:1;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-format:other;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US;}
@page WordSection1
{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;
mso-header-margin:36.0pt;
mso-footer-margin:36.0pt;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
</style>
</div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinLzoh2KJYqx1aS9BuPpQsJS2XUzH3Y6hDE0kmuTrWEMOvtMZ0Ux27ErLfxKEbXjrQt5x2kipvuXYKMeBJuoUBe9HyTBLWlG5BKwnYUEduMNGr8GCQe3_CnPa1wFHG95IzMrKK4RujVLw/s1600/Coppice+wood+tea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinLzoh2KJYqx1aS9BuPpQsJS2XUzH3Y6hDE0kmuTrWEMOvtMZ0Ux27ErLfxKEbXjrQt5x2kipvuXYKMeBJuoUBe9HyTBLWlG5BKwnYUEduMNGr8GCQe3_CnPa1wFHG95IzMrKK4RujVLw/s320/Coppice+wood+tea.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I have sharpened tools here
before during my time as a volunteer but it was really useful to have the
theory and practice explained systematically and then to sharpen the slasher I
was going to be using with Nick and Martin keeping an eye on us all and
checking the finished edge. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">We spent the rest of the day
clearing the rides we were going to be using over the next few weeks. The joy
of working in this way with hand tools is that I can hear the sounds of the
woods and talk to my companions whereas with a brushcutter the noise and smell
are unpleasant and the protective clothing required can be uncomfortable. Nick,
Barbara and Martin had told me it was just as quick and effective to use hand
tools and despite our inexperience they were right!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Next day the pace quickened a
tad. We went to a plot cut a few years ago where some of the wood had been left
stacked in situ and slashed our way through the undergrowth to extract cord
wood to make a ‘road’ where the main ride was very muddy. With 8 of us working
together it did not take long to find and extricate enough material. Then we
took turns to move material from where we had collected it to the work area,
dig earth from beside the path to build up the low point, cut wood to length
and position the cut pieces across the boggy section. Then we dug more earth
along the path sides and used it to secure the ends of the wood, at the same
time making a drainage ditch. By 3pm the job was done and had cost nothing but
some effort. Had we put down rubble it would just have sunk unless we had first
dug out the mud and laid a membrane. In the wood all materials would have had
to be manhandled or barrowed as no vehicle can get through.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:1;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-format:other;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US;}
@page WordSection1
{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;
mso-header-margin:36.0pt;
mso-footer-margin:36.0pt;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
</style>
</div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrs-hktajzHfQOibMZqckcCqRW8UskdZYGAbuJIyO1cahJYa0maBS08CSi2Acx7ngXfBow_kM7BeH3ZhSM58wWzen6b7VPE4SLS816nTT5kLzq48B0-MPxtSMHVbE9E1E63dzX_HHK1ys/s1600/Coppice+wood+road+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrs-hktajzHfQOibMZqckcCqRW8UskdZYGAbuJIyO1cahJYa0maBS08CSi2Acx7ngXfBow_kM7BeH3ZhSM58wWzen6b7VPE4SLS816nTT5kLzq48B0-MPxtSMHVbE9E1E63dzX_HHK1ys/s320/Coppice+wood+road+1.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">By way of light relief until the
end of the day we went for a walk along ‘Steve’s ride’ and had a preliminary
lesson in tree identification. The knowledge the tutors have about the flora
and fauna, from insects to deer, is huge. Will I ever know as much? Probably
not. I have left it too late. But I will glean as much as I can over the next 6
months.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:1;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-format:other;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US;}
@page WordSection1
{size:595.0pt 842.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;
mso-header-margin:35.4pt;
mso-footer-margin:35.4pt;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
</style></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmZCduKtT6e-G-uqXAIohv6BYbnozG_CyEJuLlLLo7VrtROsz64KxbiduQPsvyL5PU9w6gImB2pBCsTKjQjOqpyFnX6PuOj8XTfjIEOO8CJb7O7od22tytkUb62-emWAa2LFVquFMzUFs/s1600/Coppice+road+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmZCduKtT6e-G-uqXAIohv6BYbnozG_CyEJuLlLLo7VrtROsz64KxbiduQPsvyL5PU9w6gImB2pBCsTKjQjOqpyFnX6PuOj8XTfjIEOO8CJb7O7od22tytkUb62-emWAa2LFVquFMzUFs/s320/Coppice+road+3.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNW9lbRoG7pTav08xpegkpXRPeTM7DI8mCih2khg-elefI2fYjS-o0dqVZP03HaoJBnxGU4FEWzwbA3GuuW61Pz0gvY3BbzsNLWG28ukTld22dXtT1SmO9vBV2BsDMJjLXjqzT4pTrTE8/s1600/Coppice+road+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNW9lbRoG7pTav08xpegkpXRPeTM7DI8mCih2khg-elefI2fYjS-o0dqVZP03HaoJBnxGU4FEWzwbA3GuuW61Pz0gvY3BbzsNLWG28ukTld22dXtT1SmO9vBV2BsDMJjLXjqzT4pTrTE8/s320/Coppice+road+2.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Over the weekend I have sawn up
some wood felled last year in the garden, mainly pruning, and stacked it in the
woodshed. My technique is much better after the instruction in tension and compression.
I have also noticed that I have been inspired to learn more and have been
greedily re-reading books on my shelves and articles on the internet. </span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: right;">
<i>Words and photos by Sue Laverack</i></div>
Coppicewood Collegehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03706251291136853317noreply@blogger.com0