This Months Magazines

Loved seeing my articles in three magazines this month! 

They're all step by step articles (except an extra page for an obituary for my woodturning mentor Chris Eagles) 

I'd carved a pair of Gnocchi paddles for Woodcarving Magazine, Turned a magic wand for Woodturning magazine and for Woodworking Crafts I split and hewn some yew logs to make a gate. 

I can't quite believe I've filled two folders of magazine articles now. I've got some fun projects for articles coming up as well! 

What how-to woodworking articles would you like to see me tackle?

On Another Magazine Cover - Woodworking Crafts issue 75!

 Each month I get sent the magazines I have articles in. I look forward to opening the envelope and seeing my article in there (which I later cut out and keep in a folder). 

But I was utterly surprised when I opened it yesterday to pull out the most recent copy of Woodworking Crafts to find myself on the cover! 

In this issue I'd written a piece about making the rose arch for my garden and without telling me they'd put one of the pictures on the front cover! I was gobsmacked! I have to admit to quite liking this picture, I look like a proper woodworker! 

Two magazines in the newsagents with my mug on at the same time! What an honour! 

Making a Gate From A Yew Log - Green Woodworking - Part 2

 So with some chunks of yew at my house it was time to break them down a bit smaller. When I've worked with sweet chestnut a froe is a handy tools for this.

The knotty yew wouldn't entertain this idea though. So it was axe and wedges for every piece. Intruth I could have donw with soem bigger bits, as it was I ended up using quarters for the styles of the gate when really it would be better to hew something square from something bigger. 

Teaching Children Woodcarving

 My girls have wanted to try a bit more carving lately.

So I set up a couple of stations for them to work at with a mallet each with a few of the basic tools needed. I also cut them a small piece for lime each for them. 

52 Weeks Of Carving

 I have kept my other blog sawdustinmysocks running for well over 10 years, sometimes I've put quite a bit on there and sometimes it's gone quiet.

This year I'm using it to document a challenge I've set myself where I'm trying to carve something every week to really develop my carving skills, something I've wanted to dedicate time to since I started to train to be a carpenter. 

I'm posting every week on there what carving and craft work I get up to and how I'm trying to learn the skills that I want. I'm enjoying the process and although it's a hard goal to set myself, I think that to do something like this every week is a great way to learn the skills and muscle memory needed. 

My new workbench is my latest project I've finished and I'm enjoying having it in my workshop - where I spend so much of my time! So if you're wondering what I do in the evenings my other blog has the answers - hopefully time better spent than watching TV. A few hours carving with a good audio book is sheer bliss! 

My workbench might be a bit over the top but let me know what you think! 

Homestead Maths

I put this on twitter the other day so apologies if you've seen it already. 

This morning she was frustrated trying to figure out Greek gods from a poem and 16 pages of maths.

This afternoon building a chicken coop, marking up parallel lines, taking measurements &first time using the jigsaw on her own. Perfect apprentice.

I love how useful they've become and how they like to help. I can now set her to finish putting in screws or mark up timber to be cut. It's a lovely way to spend time together. Carpenters daughter. 

Odd Drawer Unit

A week or so ago I picked up a random selection of drawers from my mother to make a unit for her. 

And as last week was half term where my wife was at home I could get cracking in the workshop.