Elia Bizzari - Hand Tool Woodworking

I’ve been making wooden hay rakes today, which has given me the opportunity to try some new techniques. Here is a short video about making the rake tines using an old method that’s new to me. (Is this is my first foray into vlogging?): 

You can watch the Romanian rake maker where I learned this technique here.

Jennie Alexander, unknown, me, and Carl Swensson in Alexander’s shop, testing a new shaving-horse designed by Carl. April 2002.

Twenty-three years ago I worked with green woodworking pioneer Jennie Alexander for three weeks. It was a major experience for me:  I’d never spent time in a big city (Baltimore) before, never traveled alone (by train) before, never lived with someone so eccentric before.  Here’s a story – one of many – about my time with Jennie:

“I have the range of a frog, but I do like to sing.” Jennie and I were flying down one of those big noisome roads that surround every large city and have the personality of a cement mixer. We could have been in Portland or Palm Beach or Istanbul for all you could tell by looking. We happened to be in Baltimore, going to Macy’s to buy Jennie a tie for her Jazz combo’s upcoming wedding gig.

“I love this  —  we’ll have some fun at Macy’s expense.”

The debonair salesman looked sideways at Jennie’s stained shop pants and frayed dress shirt as he let the way to the ties. I was a scrawny 17-year-old kid, wearing jeans a couple sizes too big and a thrift store tee-shirt with large horizontal red stripes. This outfit seemed normal to me. 

Jennie rummaged through the ties, not finding what she wanted. “How much are these anyways?” she asked in a rather loud voice. 

“They start about $65 and go up.”  

“Gosh, that much? My, my. I’d better count my pennies.” said Jennie. The salesman looked like he’d rather be selling ties to a snake. But just then an older well-dressed couple came in the front door, and relief spread like a balm across the salesman’s face.  

“My associate, Joe, will be happy to help you,” and he hastened away. 

Joe was tall, young, and nervous. Jennie’s voice immediately softened. “I’ll take this tie. Do you have any suits?”

Jennie quickly picked out a $500 suit, had a seamstress with a French accent fit it for her (I had a swift crush on the seamstress), and we checked out. At the cash register, I noticed the older couple leaving empty-handed. 

On our way out laden with packages, our debonair salesman looked downright shocked. 

“Tootle-loo” said Jennie.

I don’t carve many spoons, but spoon carving is in the air this week.  Yesterday I went to the log yard to get a white oak. What looked like the best log had metal in it – a problem for sawmills, but not for riven chair parts – so Junior gave the log to me for free.  “Just make me a spatula,” he said as I left.  (I split the log open yesterday and didn’t find any metal, just lots of hidden knots). Then today I hauled out my roll of sloyd knives in preparation for a friend’s bachelor party in which one of the events is carving a spoon in my shop.  

So in honor of carving, and labor day, and maybe a labor-day spent carving, I’m running a 50%-off sale all the spoon, bowl, and fan-bird-carving videos that I did with Curtis Buchanan, Jane Mickelborough, Peter Follansbee, and Dave Fisher. Plus, a milk paint video with Curtis that has a lot of info on painting spoons.

More info about the videos here.

Happy carving!

I came down with a cold this morning, so I’m watching videos. This one is pretty astounding: hewing and turning a huge shaft for a mill’s water-wheel (go here to watch the foresters fell the oak and the carters haul it to the mill with a pair of draft horses – also astounding).

Back at the mill, two carpenters arrive to make the log into a shaft. With the help of the millwright and his boy, they roll the log onto a hewing frame (thanks to YouTube for helping translate – a poor option, but better than nothing).

I admire the hewing in it’s accuracy.  I never did much of this work.  I enjoy it, but my elbows would be aching after a short stint.  I have no problem splitting logs with a sledge, but hewing is subtly different and I haven’t learned to use my body properly with it.  Youth is the right time to learn, when the body is flexible enough to forgive your transgressions.  Once your muscles have learned to do the work efficiently, and in a relaxed manner, you can often do heavy work like this into your old age (so long as you do it regularly). Beginning in middle age is not so easy (so I’m learning).  

The weather is so cold, they warm the hewing ax over the fire to prevent its edge chipping.

“Thank God” says the head carpenter after the last stroke of the hewing hatchet on the squared blank.  I understand.

Turning the shaft is amazing.  You’ll have to see it for yourself (18:00-minute mark).

They insert the bearing into the butt (root-end) of the log, which is harder and less crack-prone.  They shrink on iron bands, and then they are done (or at least the video is – attaching the wheel and mounting goes uncovered).

I’m trying to work out if they did all that work in one day.  I think it’s possible, but I really don’t know. Regardless, these two videos are some of the best I’ve seen. What do you think?