And so it begins…..

You can see how well the coppice has grown since it was cut last winter. All these spruce trees are coming down this winter and the native trees coppiced. 500 Hazel trees to be planted and a deer fence erected to protect the trees.

New chair

Last week I have been experimenting with a new type of chair (new to me anyway!)
I used some scrap planks as a proto type to try and get a comfortable angle.
Made from Oak that I milled myself. The chair is made with two half slot so it is easy to assemble or take apart for storage over winter. I will be making something similar as a bench. Watch this space.

Filming in the woods

We have had the Spirit of albion film crew filming all Saturday night and all day Sunday. The film will be released on May 1st 2012.

I’m addicted to pot

Shrink pots that is.

Made by hollowing out a green log and making a groove around the bottom and tapping in a seasoned piece of wood. When it dries you get a tight fit.

I’ve become quite addicted to them. I have a Birch log waiting in the workshop to make a few more.

Soon I will be making a few giant pots. Watch this space.

South downs wood fair

I was demonstrating at the first South Downs wood fair last weekend. It was a successful fair with plenty to do, from Vikings, saw mills to traditional crafts demonstrated by the Hampshire coppice group.

I made this chair as part of the coppice group demo’s.

On another note it looks like a bumper crop of Hazel nuts this year. Best to collect them in august when the squirrels start taking them. Leave them somewhere sunny to ripen.

Hands on day

July 3rd saw another hands on day hosted by the Sussex and Surrey coppice group at Fernhurst Furnace.

Mark Allery was on the polelathe. I was showing others stick chair making. Others showing hands on was Rob with he’s newly designed lathe which used a bicycle gears to power the lathe. Rake making, oak pegs, chestnut palings were also being shown.

Mike from Frought Rought was letting people have a go at blacksmithing.

Our website

Here is a link to our website www.morganswood.co.uk

 

And we have a group on Facebook. Just search for Morgans wood.