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The chisel chops, splits and pares the wood in shapes a man knows but no one else understands and from his hands the shape he sees inside his mind’s reflective eye emerges from the pool of chips now swirled in frozen eddies on his bench top where he stops

Watching, waiting for accuracy to emerge in each student varies. Some get it immediately, while others fall behind a little. One man moves rapidly, makes a mistake and recuts a whole piece, others just get it. Three-dimensional woodworking generates energy between the benches. The new successes translate into smiles, relaxation

Finding the balance - a real perspective Often times presentations depicting former lives of woodworkers famed for their work are represented factually in a way that might seem more to leave a confusion of who they were and what they did, rather than clarity and true and thoughtful insight. Often

With a full class of sixteen the questions come thick and fast throughout the day. Friendships form quickly and tool discussions start and stop minute by minute as cluster groups share glimpses of their personal planes and spokeshaves with one another. There’s a sort of joyous euphoria around each

Seasons and seasonings change My day was filled in the "seasons of mists and mellow fruitfulness" October brings though not in my native England. Yes we had rain, but it was made the more lovely by visiting The Hancock Shaker Village again. My day off was spent on

Autumn comes with mists of mellow fruitfulness The class came to an abrupt end somehow and time slipped so quickly by. We all had dovetails Shaker candle boxes, made a Paul Sellers dovetail template in oak and learned how to make drawers using half-lap dovetails. I say it every time

The machine shop The workshops in New York were purpose built in two halves. Something I have always aimed for in my own life since the mid 1980’s. There is nothing unhealthy in a hand-tool-only workshop, but as soon as you introduce power equipment, hand held or stationary, that