Small Scale Production - Medium Harvest Baskets

I took a picture on Tuesday that I thought really showed some of the small scale production I do. 

This is all the wooden parts for making 12 baskets. Each basket has 9 bits (so 108 total) and they have to be oiled individually to make sure they're properly coated. Making things in batches like this keeps things moving, but can be a little boring! I listen to a good book in my headphones or a podcast. 

The baskets will get assembled tomorrow before being listed to hopefully get sold (some are already pre ordered) before I move on to the next thing to batch out and make. Making in batches like this keeps the quality high and I become surprisingly efficient with movements to do each job. 

When you have to make a number of items do you prefer to batch out the jobs? Or spread it out to prevent it from becoming monotonous?

Christmas Gift Ideas For Gardeners

I sometimes need to do a bit of shameless self promotion and this is one of those times! I made a short (3 minute) video showing some of the products I make here in my little workshop at the foot of the Malverns. 

I love that I get to make this stuff. I try to build everything as well as I can, use the right materials and have items that will last many years. 

Fitting Worktops

I feel very lucky that in my life I often blur the lines between work and pleasure. On the whole I enjoy what I do.

It never stretches as far fitting kitchens though! Not because it's particularly hard, more because nothing ever goes right. I dread to think how many kitchens I've fitted over the years, some very grand, some not, but I'm fairly sure I have never fitted one where everything was supplied correctly, except the two I build from scratch (our own and my brothers). 

Horses In The Polytunnel Until Spring

No, not that type of horse! 

Pure Carpentry horses here (and a peening pony). I hate seeing them outside in the rain but don't have enough space in my already packed out workshop to store them. Instead I thought I'd overwinter them in the tunnel. 

In the picture I have my Spoon mule, a peening pony (for my scythe blades) and a shave horse (used in a number of videos and articles), I also put my old sawhorse in there as well. 

I plan to get the other half of the tunnel cleared out in the next week or so. Then I have some oak beams I want to dry off before I build a little lean-to over the boiler. They've been sat out for so long if I don't do something with them soon I never will. I figure the polytunnel will be a nice place to work over winter for a few jobs anyway. 

Anyone else use their polytunnel/hoop house for other purposes?

 

Stressed Rocket/Arugula

This weekend, the Boy and I planted out the last of the plug plants I started a at the tail end of summer. 

The Rocket (arugula across the pond) looked particularly stressed. The red leaves in the tray are a sure giveaway. I tried to plant them one seed per module but you know what it's like. Never quite works out like that!