Hot Tub Shuffle!

Talked a lot of friends into eating pizzas we made in the woodland clay oven (lots of fun) and also moving the wooden hot tub into place from where it was delivered at the edge of wood (surprisingly lots of fun too)

It's heated from a wood-burning stove that's in the water with you, need to set up some rainwater harvesting system next! Will make another post when up and running (will avoid any shots of me in speedos)
  

Thanks for the photos Vik Salisbury!

Wooden Shingle (shake) Making

Hi All, It's been a little while but I hope to get back into blogging again now.

Over the last few months I have been reading up on shingle (shake) making and giving it ago to cover the woodshed roof. Shingles are wooden tiles, they are normally called shingles if they are sawn or sometimes shakes if they are split.

I read up on the traditional technique in Ben Law's new woodland craft book and also found a couple of great educational videos on youtube, here are the best two I could find. Many thanks to these people for sharing, I learn so much from youtube.

So you need to make a 'brake' to help split the shingles off how you want them. Here are the pics of my process for making this:

 and here is me and my Dad, starting to make them in the spring sunshine!

and we were very lucky today with mum making us all some lunch!

Note the wild garlic addition, picked from about 20 metres away

So far we have made about 150, and its taken a couple of days, I think we need 2000 so it's going to be a long job, but it's a great way to spend your days, so it's all good :)

A Few Items I have Made Over the Summer

Another stool, I wanted to make a really chunky sturdy one, I plan to refine the design as I make more

Table and bench for my flat

 

In fact I am sat, using them right now writing this blog post!

Bow and arrow for my God Son (foam practice golf balls glued on the ends!)

The Clay Oven!

Here's a photo diary of its construction over the summer: (Many thanks to Ryan (in pics) who did most of the hard work!)

All of the clay and stones came from the woodland. Glass bottles are for extra insulation and we added some chicken wire into the clay layers for strength. Many thanks to this guide we found online and followed http://thecobovenproject.blogspot.co.uk/

A Few Nice Things I Spotted on my Summer Adventures

Just a post with some very Random things that were worthy of a quick snap over the Summer of 2014

Hand crafted gates in Minorca

Beautiful beech roots in a wood near Bath

Old steps used as part of a farm shop display, with a birch twig broom behind.

The green roof of the Vancouver Convention Center emerging from the sea mist.

Beautiful Canadian trees (Giant Cedars if I remember correctly)

A Working steam crane in Bristol

And to finish this very random post here are those same Beech roots in Autumn complete with an intrepid explorer.

June 2014 Happenings

Managed to get in a bit more 'wood time' lately, and here's a quick summary of what's happening as summer kicks in.

Not in my wood but I just love these hungry caterpillars I snapped in my girlfriend's garden.

We have foxgloves now growing where we cleared the laurel 18 months ago.

Baby wood mouse hadn't quite cottoned on to the fact it's probably best to run and hide in the daytime.

Hoisting the first beam for tree-house construction.

Rigging up a second of the extra strong tarps, to work/eat under.

And a few new steps to finish. Will look good when they have grown in.