And so the cycle starts again....back to black..

As the joined furniture is made from green oak, the tannins, in the beginning, stain the steel. The making tends to take months for me, if not years, for two reasons; 1)english oak is difficult to rive/cleave/split 2)I am generally doing a myriad other things in between. Making windows/doors/stairs, timberframing, other restoration carpentry, whathaveyou; pulls me away from the furniture. This works out well; the green oak starts seasoning, so that by the time it gets carved and joined it is well on the way towards dry. So it doesn't stain my tools as much and cleaning after each session is not as necessary. But in the beginning there is black.....

The stiles for this next piece need stock of 70" or 1800mm long, so it's out with my Windy Smithy broad axe for the hewing. This oak was felled 12 months ago and is still sopping wet.

 

 

Pulled away to stop this door being "a bit gappy". Traditionally-made accoya schoolhouse door, made and fitted in July. Sealed with oakum today in November. It's too cold now for limepointing on top of the oakum, but this should keep the draughts out until spring (and the kiddywinks toes warm).

 

 

And back to the bench for scrub planing the stile. Tis enough for one day.

While taking shots of the livery chest the other day, I got a shot of my armchair (in reality my settle). Made by giants.

 

Logs of Devon/English oak that will produce 8ft long riven boards don't come along everyday. I've yet to find another.