Spend four days getting to grips with green wood techniques
Suitable for beginners and the improvers, a chance to get to grips with green wood techniques: sawing, axing, shaving and pole lathe turning. Make a stool, a pole lathe and/or a shaving horse, or produce a range of smaller items such as gates, garden seats, besoms, carved spoons and bowls.
The course is structured around one or more projects chosen by each student. For example, many choose to “set themselves up” by making a pole lathe and a shaving horse (approximately two days on each). Making a pole lathe is largely a standard carpentry project, while the horse is entirely a green wood project. The lathe and horse work together in the preparation and finishing of green woodworking and are invaluable for making everything from the humble dibber to a Windsor Chair.
Alternatively, you could spend all four days working on a 3- or 4-legged stool, or a range of smaller shaved or turned items - eg candlesticks, tent pegs, gate hurdles, rounders bat and rolling pin.
What is green wood?
Green Wood is freshly felled, still sappy wood. To work it requires a set of simple techniques based on an understanding of how wood reacts - both to the tools and to the dry and shrinking process. Because it is green, the wood is soft and easy to work with hand tools, and because of this, green woodwork creates little waste and can utilise small trees and logs. It is therefore green in all senses of the word - especially as at Bore Place the trees are felled as part of the ongoing woodland restoration and sustainable management.
Start: 9.30am on day 1, 10 am on days 2-4.
Lunch: approx 1 pm - 2 pm please bring a packed lunch. Hot drinks will be provided.
Finish: approx 4.30pm.
The course is run by John Waller, Underwoodsman at Bore Place and owner of the Green Wood workshop.
Booking
For full details including booking forms and course reviews please go to John's website
Need accommodation?
Depending on availability, we can offer B&B at Bore Place for course participants from £61 per person/night. Camping opportunities are limited; we have a hot shower and toilets, but no cooking facilities. It is essential that you contact us in advance to book either camping, or bed and breakfast. Please call or email Bookings@boreplace.org, 01732 463255.