Kiln dried Oak

Very busy yesterday cutting up a load of Kiln dried Oak that I bought recently.
This was all from off cuts from a firm who make wood framed buildings.I wont say what I gave for it and make you all jealous.
119 round blanks from 20" down
26 Spindle blanks

Mike and Caroline

My first Students of the new year Mike and Caroline .
Today was Mike's Birthday present from Caroline his Birthday was in November so I expect it is a Birthday and Christmas present.
Caroline decides to come along and keep Mike company and I am pleased she did like Mike she was great company.
They were a real delight and easy to teach which made the first of the new year easy for me.
Mike turned a very nice Sycamore Bowl with a curved rim and Caroline turned a very nice Sycamore Bowl with a textured and coloured rim.

Thank you bothe for making life easy for me today

Today's Student Gary

Today my Student was Gary who plans to take up woodturning as a hobby.Gary is very keen to learn and asked lots of questions which is good.
He is planing to come back for more tuition in the near future and I am sure he will make a very good turner he is a quick learner
Gary turned a very nice Sycamore bowl with a textured and coloured rim that I think will be a Christmas present for his wife Fiona.

Very well done Gary.

Christine and Elaine

Last week Mother and Daughter Christine and Elaine came here for a days Woodturning tuition.
It was a Birthday treat for Elaine.
Christine turned a very nice Sycamore Bowl with a coloured rim and Elaine turned a beautiful Cedar of Lebanon bowl
Two lovely Ladies great company  and easy to teach.

Gathering wood in Devon

A couple of weeks ago Myself ,Adam Cornish, Mark Sanger and my Son Mark spent an enjoyable day gathering wood on a private property in Devon.The trees had been cut down by a Professional tree Surgeon and we were harvesting suitable wood for turning from them.There was some really nice wood inc
Cedar of Leanon (Cedrus Labani )
Holm Oak (Quercue Ilex )
Turkey Oak (Quercus Cerris )
Yew (Taxus Baccata)
The Holm Oak had been cut down about three years ago and is heavily spalted.

Chainsaws used.
Husqvarna 372XP for the large wood with ripping chains and cross cut chains.
Husqvarna 135 for smaller branch wood.
Two super Chainsaws.

Some pictures taken throuught the day by Mark Sanger.



 The end of a very productive and enjoyable day.

How lucky are we to spend the day here

                                  The big saw goes through this Oak like hot butter

                                                         Adam giving orders LOL

Ripping 

 Lunch time Curry and rice

 Mark carrying wood up steep slope

 Mark doing what he does best posing

 Some lovely Yew

 Quite a carry thankfully not for me I was the Chainsaw Guy

Now I have to prosses this lot and that is not a five minute job.

All cut into rounds now ready to rough out .

Sizes from 12" x 3" to 18" x 6"

 That is not supposed to happen

 Spalted Holm Oak

That is my share roughed out and as soon as the outer surface is dry they will be end sealed and put away for the future.Roughly sixty the largest approx18"

A birthday present for Nigel

My Student today was Nigel who's day here was a Birthday present from his Wife Linda.
This was Nigels first go at Woodturning and it was made harder for him because he turned a lovely textured and coloured Bowl from Oak.
I do not normally let first time Students use Oak for several reasons it is more expensive for me to buy it is harder to turn and I don't always have any of a suitable size for a Student to turn.
I recently put a picture up on Face book of some Oak I had bought and Nigel commented is some of that some for me so I thought why not.
I Had turned some nice oak Bowls recently that were scorched and coloured with Martin Saban Smiths coloured wax's.Nigel said he liked them and would like to make the same so that is what he did and turned out a very respectable bowl.
It is coloured with green Wax because Nigel said that is Linda's favourite colour.
Very well done Nigel

Farmer Colin

My Student yesterday was Colin a Farmer from the Blackdown hills near Taunton.
Colin's day here was a Birthday present from his family and I am sure they will be pleased with the Sycamore bowl he made.
Farmers are always very good with their hand because they look after their buildings and machinery and Colin was no exception.
very well done Colin.