Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2020 i Australian Wood Review

My passion for traditional tools, materials and techniques grew while studying at West Dean College of Arts and Conservation¹ in England. Surrounded by equally passionate makers and conservators I had ‘found my tribe’. During my second year of study I decided that I wanted to not only design and make furniture with a hand tool orientated process that was commercially viable, but also to have an impact on the wider issues in the heritage craft sector. My goal was to establish a name and a brand before I was 20. I developed a collection of furniture that would reflect my values. The research behind this centred on Japan and the discipline of craftspeople, and the aesthetic philosophies often at the forefront of design. I exhibited seven pieces as HTMorris Furniture…

Forever the challenge is to get from an inspired beginning to a satisfied end without falling while you wander, bumping your head and forgetting where you were going in the first place. That would be the muddleheaded approach to woodworking that sends you in every direction with the exception of the one place you want to go. But sometimes wonderful things come from a wander through the woods. I was asked to make a chair, a stick chair that makes the most of the bits and bobs we have hiding in the shed, garden and woodpile. But I couldn't think which way to go. So I wandered. I thought about memories of old Welsh stick chairs I’d seen, Jögge Sundqvist’s folk art carving style, and Dan Mack’s stick chairs that…

In 2019 yet another group of 12 people from varied walks of life have experienced a life changing year at Sturt School for Wood. Sturt is one of a handful of schools worldwide which offer a one year fine furniture program. Past graduates have established its enviable international reputation and iconic status. Prior exposure to woodcraft is not essential to gaining admission, but a passion for making and designing fine furniture is a pre-requisite. The demographic has changed in recent years and the majority of graduates are now likely to be in their thirties or forties with a strong desire to become woodwork professionals. The number of women who complete the course has also increased and this welcome trend is likely to continue. The year at Sturt is divided into…

After a smoothing plane and block plane, a good shoulder plane should be on most woodworkers’ tool lists. These planes are great for planing the shoulders (hence the name) of tenons and will plane with the grain as well. Use them for cleaning up grooves or planing in tricky situations. The blades on these run the full width of the body, in fact they extend a fraction beyond the body for planing right up to the edge of a workpiece. The blade must always be ground square or they won’t work well. The sides and base need to be ground at 90°. That is why better quality planes are more expensive. Lower priced planes may need ‘tuning’, that is, squaring up the sides and preparing the blade. Better planes also…

Arbortech has released another addition to its vast range of powercarving and sanding options that revolutionise wood shaping and sculpting options available via the humble angle grinder. This development takes the currently successful 3" (75mm) Industrial blade down to a smaller 50mm scale which fits all Mini Carver units already on the market. If you bought the original Mini Industrial blade some years ago and are wondering how it could be improved, Arbortech released an improved ‘high end’ tungsten carbide blade that promised better results as part of its Mini Carver unit (a dedicated angle grinder equipped with a variable speed 7100 watt motor). But now there’s another blade that promises to surpass its predecessors offering larger cutting teeth that are able to cut left to right and be plunged…

I picked up the planemaking bug when I studied under James Krenov at the College of the Redwoods in California, USA. The year I spent at what is now known as the Krenov School of Fine Furniture was part of the apprenticeship I did with Barnsley Workshop in the UK. James Krenov taught his students to make wooden handplanes and I’ve carried that tradition on by also teaching my students at Robinson House Studio in London. Over the years I’ve made a variety of wooden planes, but this one, my scraper plane, is the one I find most useful and now teach as a set project. . The design for this plane is my own and quite different to the traditional James Krenov wooden planes, but it wouldn’t look out…

This is a book which should be on the shelf of every woodworker and wood lover in Australia. In fact to take it a step further, it should be in every Australian household. Australian Trees and Shrubs – common and scientific names and toxic properties is a book that lists 5,700 common names used to identify over 4,450 Australian species, subspecies and varieties of woody plants, in other words trees. Authored by Morris Lake, this is the just-printed third edition, following earlier editions in 2003 and 2006. It is dedicated to Colin Ward who assisted with the first edition. This latest edition was updated with assistance of members of the International Wood Collectors Society (IWCS) and sees updates that include around 1400 name changes. The IWCS is a worldwide not-for-profit…

Rout on Top If you’re challenged for space, this Sheppach hf-50 benchtop router could be the compact workhorse you need. Two table extensions take the 610 x 360mm cast iron bench top to 1030mm. There’s fine adjustment on the aluminium fence, spindle height and mitre guide and the promise of power with a 1500 watt 2hp, 240 volt brush type motor. Variable speed takes you from 11500 to 24000rpm. Cutter tool changing is quick and easy with the provided 1/2" and 1/4" collets, and there’s a magnetic switch with thermal overload reset button. Currently under $500, the unit comes with a spindle guard and pushblocks. www.machineryhouse.com.au Compact Firepower More good news for those with limited space is the release of several new benchtop machines on the market. For example, the…

The 95 entries for Australian Wood Review’s Student Awards 2019 that you can see on our website and Facebook page are as many reasons why we can have faith in the passing on of traditional hand skills. It’s now our pleasure to present and congratulate the award winners and all entrants. The awards were independently judged by Bryan Cush and Kelly Parker (USA) both professional furniture designer makers who share a passion for supporting younger woodworkers. ‘What a process!’, Kelly commented. ‘We considered the level of technical difficulty, technical execution, design, originality and risk. We read every word, looked at every photo and watched every video. There were so many solid, impressive projects that didn’t get awards but all the students should be very, very proud of their work!’ ‘They…

This is a film that has much to say on many levels. For anyone who practises a craft or an art, the depiction of dedication, perseverance and the challenges faced will resonate deeply. Carving the Divine is a documentary shot over a six year period which looks at the traditions and practice of busshi, the Buddhist sculptors of Japan. Theirs is a strict discipline that entails the faithful and artistic reproduction of Buddhist deities. Each sculpture is painstakingly reproduced according to tradition. The finish is achieved with chisels only – sandpaper is never used. Through the eyes of the camera we observe the daily working lives and living conditions of the busshi who are members of Master Koun Seki’s guild. We see how skills are handed down from masters to…