Rivers Joinery

When I started here this morning, the sun was shining in the East window. Now it's time to pack up my WW1 kit box, the sun is coming through the West window.

 In with the new panel.

 Slowly take the stile off the tenons. When you can see the light, you know you're winning!

Gentle taps and leverage; these mortices possibly haven't seen the light of day for 400 years.

What a joy to see the evidence of the original joiner working the wood. The runout of the plough plane through the tenons, shavings made when chopping out the mortices still in the bottom of the mortice! If you've been careful ,the holes in the tenon should be intact enough, to pull the joint together again.

Place the half of the pulpit to one side and set about removing the broken panel.

Temperatures are rising, here in South Devon, so it was pleasant to be working in the cool of this charming little church today.

I have been working next door and visited the church, on my lunch break. The church does not have regular services, or a congregation and is looked after by the Churches Conservation Trust. Even though it's out of the way, someone had vandalised the pulpit, smashing one of the panels. There was a sign asking for donations, so I got in touch with the Trust and went one better, offering to fix it. I fell in love with the pulpit straight away. It's 17thC and made from riven oak, how could I not!

Guilloches and arcading. Lovely.

The panel that was smashed, was itself a modern replacement; a flat thin piece of oak, which was probably why the miscreant was able to smash it. The original panels are all thicker, with axed chamfers on the reverse, as we would expect on 17th C furniture.

So, first up, drill out the pegs, carefully, with spoon bits and brace.

And extract any remaining pieces.

First completed new box in a while. This is based on the plaster mouldings and a chest in the same room, in Bogan House, Totnes. It will be showing at the Birdwood House Gallery 12-18th July.

Riven oak, obviously. Wooden hinges, nailed and clinched.

Mouldings run with a scratchstock, then carved/scratched. Nailed on. Look at that tiger-stripe.

Vertical grain. Why riven oak? Radially riven oak is the most stable, because the rings of the tree are at 90 degrees to the face of the timber, or vertical. Better than quartersawn. Come and see how it's done in practice. Sign up for a course, or see demonstrations at Birdwood House Gallery, Totnes 12th-18th July. 'Jonathan Bayes (&Co)-Carving History'

 A lot of work has gone in so far. It's good to be appreciated.

On the front page, and more inside.

The chance to see and touch and investigate so many thousands of square feet of Early Oak carving, in one place doesn't happen every day. So, I took the day today for a trip to Paul Fitzsimmon's - A Life in Oak auction viewing.

Every inch a joy. For a carver and furniture maker, like me, the opportunity could not be missed.

To see the backsides, the underneaths, the details which may not be shown in full photos. A few hours well spent.

Somewhat sad, but infinitely interesting were the lots I saw last; collections of parts. Spare bits from a life in oak. Maybe they will find their missing bits one day, or someone will make the missing parts once more.

Well done Paul, for all your hard work; collecting, researching, contributing so much to the understanding of Early Oak furniture!