Wednesday 31 December 2008

Wood a Sustainable Energy



Timber for furniture making is only one of the many different and varied products produced by woodland. Saw mills, who convert trees into planks and other dimensioned timber, are only interested in the tree trunk. Once this is carted away the head of the tree, usually all that part above and including the first branch, is left. This can amount to a considerable amount of wood, in the case of a mature oak tree almost half of the total timber. This timber is too misshapen to use economically in the workshop, although choice pieces may be of interest to a bowl turner; it does however make excellent firewood.

I’m very enthusiastic about this other side of woodland use; it’s a truly sustainable way of providing cheap fuel for those living in the countryside and to a lesser degree even for those in towns. Townies may need to invest in smokeless wood burners making a larger initial investment necessary and additionally the firewood will be more expensive, because of distance. Add to this the messy business of stacking logs and dealing with fire ash and one may wonder if it’s worth the bother, but only until you have enjoyed a real wood fire. The smell, the crackle of the logs, even the heat is different and if you ever cook with it you will be sorry when summer arrives.

Being a real hardcore wood addict, I not only work with it, but do most everything I can with it. It heats my workshop, cooks the family meals and runs the central heating; if only I could power a generator…humm?

Being fortunate in living next to woodland I cut and fell my own wood February/March and haul it back to the house after 1st July, the day I pay the forester. This amount is a fraction of that charged by commercial sellers, but then I have invested in equipment and time and they have to make a living. However, I have to tell you that it is one of the nicest feelings to sit in a warm home eating a meal you have grown yourself all heated and cooked with wood that you cut and hauled.

Nearly all forest woodland has been tended by man for thousands of years, providing tools, furniture, houses, boats, charcoal for industry and of course firewood. Sadly most of these activities went out of fashion after the first world war resulting in many neglected forests and woodlands; more so in the U.K. than in France where many traditional trades still survive. As many people are now discovering, the modern age demands that an exacting price be paid and those who sold it to us do not have the currency. Now many people are themselves looking to alternatives in our tried and tested heritage.

Those in the UK can find more information on forestry here : http://www.woodlandheritage.org.uk/

There are other side benefits gained from all this activity, not least the care of the woodland itself, providing many kinds of resource for the community,in addition to this working woodlands will support more wildlife than those left to dereliction.

Thursday 18 December 2008

Shaker Rocking Chair



A friend of mine recently asked me to make a few replacement parts for an impressive French walnut armoire that he is restoring. By way of compensation he suggested he gave me a rather sad looking # 7 Mount Lebanon rocking chair that he had acquired locally. Looking at the condition of the chair, most people would probably think this was not much of a deal. It’s true the rockers are missing along with the shawl rail, the bottoms of the legs are rotten and woodworm have been feasting on other parts. If this was not enough, someone thought it a good idea to hide the original ebonised finish with white paint. Then cover the seating tape with calico, in fact they did this in reverse order so that they could paint most of the calico at the same time. Never the less I was delighted and immediately agreed, it’s probably the best chance I will ever have of owning a real Mount Lebanon Rocker of this vintage, c1880. I imagine a good one would fetch about $3000, but I couldn’t be sure in the present economic climate. Its not likely that another would turn-up locally, so crating, shipping to France with insurance maybe half as much again. Then again this aspect doesn’t really interest me so much as the chance to work on an iconic chair that I have copied so many times; I find this prospect more exciting than owning a new one. It’s going to make a really interesting project and I shall be featuring it here, as work progresses. The other items in the picture are a few pieces of Shaker ephemera and more about this later. My friend, Roy of the wardrobe, is researching Shaker history and has turned-up many interesting artifacts and as yet unknown facts about the Shakers and France. Unfortunately I'm sworn to secrecy until he is in print, so I must ask you to be patient.