Another week of new skills!
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!
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.
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.
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| Sue and Penny at work with the two handed saw. |
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| Wedges and mallet add the finishing touches. |
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| Coed! |
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
Words by Sue Laverack
Photos by David Hunter
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