Make a stool from a log (2 days) An introduction to Green Woodwork

25th/26th May 2013

15th/16th June 2013

20th/21st July 2013

27th/28th July 2013

10th/11th August 2013

This Green Woodwork course is your first steps in chair making! You will really take a log of an Ash tree from the log pile, cleave it into billets and fashion it into the legs or other components for a stool. A truly remarkable transformation!

Designed to give you the skills and experience at the pole-lathe and shave horse and a variety of green woodwork tools and techniques this course is the foundation for more ambitious projects in the future as every skill and technique learned will be used again.

No previous experience is necessary and no skill is assumed with every step of your way being guided and encouraged to the completion of your stool from a log.

The style of stool will depend on your preference based on the two families of stools and chairs called:- ‘Post and Rail’ and ‘Slab and Stick’.

Post and Rail seats have a very light frame of carved or turned components which are assembled with green (wet wood) mortice holes and dry, tenon joints so that the green wood shrinks onto the dry wood, creating a most powerful joint. This stool then has strips of Elm bark woven across the seat rails to form a hard wearing and comfortable seat.

Slab and Stick seats have a solid seat of Elm wood which has mortice holes drilled into it with Ash legs let into the holes, which are then secured with Oak wedges.

Skills introduced:

    * Selection of timber
    * Safe use of hand tools
    * Safe use of green woodwork tools
    * Cleaving and side axe
    * Drawn knife and shave horse
    * Pole-lathe
    * Knife work and carving tools
    * Demonstration of sharpening

Additional skills:

    * Cooking over an open fire
    * Use of an earth oven

Details:

The course costs £195 which includes:-

2 days tuition starting at 10.00 on Saturday and 9.00 on Sunday

All materials to complete your stool.

Additional wood if you would like to try other skills.

Free Camping on site with hot shower.

(Log cabin available, £20 per night, book early as they go very fast.)

Two fabulous vegetarian lunches, home-made pizza party on Saturday night,  a help yourself breakfast, tea's, coffee's and cake.

Any luxuries such as booze, bacon or bonbons you will need to bring yourself - perhaps to share!

Feedback from recent courses

We have had some lovely feedback form our great stool makers:-

“Thanks for a great course at the weekend, you ran the whole thing brilliantly” Jim

“Thanks for a brilliant course, I had no skill and achieved great results!” Mary

"What an experience---- Such a tranquil place to learn new skills." Serina

 "looking back --  that first weekend, making a stool, changed my whole outlook on woodwork, the woods and life in general” Rob

“I'm keen to come back next year and make a chair" David

"The whole Cherry Wood experience was fabulous and my stool is a delight – thank you” Peter