The Woodworker and Art Craftsman

My wife's 30th birthday today so as a treat I took the day off and we went to the other side of the county to look at books in Hay-On-Wye.

We both love books so this is a perfect day out for us, topped off with a pub lunch and cakes by the river in the sunshine.

I did manage to buy a few nice books, two carpentry and joinery books that were from the old city and guilds carpentry course (I know this as the man I did my apprenticeship with lent them to me many years ago). As well as this a rather nice "The Woodworker" annual from 1915 for £6.

Lots of interesting projects and write ups to read. In fact its just interesting see the kind of projects they were doing then and the techniques they were using - A lot less screws and nails and a lot more joints.

A selection of projects include:

• A Handsome Window Jardiniere
• Garden Seats Of Roman Design
• Smoker's Cabinet
• Parlour Cabinet Bookcase
• A Household Cycle Stand

And many more gems. Also some good how-to articles on woodcarving.

I'll enjoy reading this!

Anarchist's Tool Chest

I know I'm probably the thousandth blogger to mention The Anarchist Tool Chest, but for me - living in England - it was a really decadent purchase to have it shipped from America.

I'll keep this short though so I don't repeat what other people have said.

This book is only for those that have a really keen interest in woodwork, like me, and I loved it. It focuses on furniture making tools mainly and how to choose and use them, with the last section dedicated on how to make a traditional tool chest. The section on Tool selection has already made me start looking a little differently at car boot sales and I might even venture into the world of wooden planes for a bit of fun as well as to start making items in the workshop that require a bit of hand preperation work first.

I realise one of the main principles of the book of keeping tools to minimum I already do. I only buy more when I can't progress further with what I have (unless its a chisel and then I buy everyone I see!). The hand tool only route is something I think a house carpenter like me would struggle with, at least to be productive enough on site (although after three O'clock I'm very reluctant to get more tools out of the van!)

A good read for anyone into their wood and a beautifully made book as well - I've already decided what book I'm next having from the Lost Art Press!

A Trinity Of Craftsmen

Bit of a book review here...

Last Thursday, at wood turning, my tutor Chris lent me a book entitled "A Trinity Of Craftsmen" by Freda Derrick. The dust jacket was in tatters but it looked just my sort of book.

I enjoyed reading it and for a book written in 1950 it reads really easily and quite informal for the era. The book is basically conversations and observations that Freda has had on her travels around the Cotswold's talking about the three main trades as she sees it; the mason, the Carpenter and the smith (her holy trinity). The people she meets in the book are all passionate about their trades and all long to see a future in them but worry about the lack of "Young willing lads" to pass their knowledge onto and the need for certain jobs. It concentrates on these trades in villages and rural areas and in conjunction with farming in particular (farming seeming much more important after the war than it does now).

Its weird reading it from a perspective where the writer thinks that a carpenter and blacksmith will be essential for the future of farming and in turn the country as a whole so that we can support ourselves. Comments about welding only really being for light repairs and wooden hurdles being essential for sheep farming (metal one being no good) being quite nice to read (if only I could have lived then!).

The book is split into three sections each dealing with a trade and describing some of their tools and some of their jobs (there are drawings as well). The book also talks about the new (at the time) government training centres for people coming out of the army (even a 9 month course on hurdle making). The section on the carpenter is a little light in content but still makes an interesting read, the section on the mason and smith seem to read much better with a bit more detail.

In all I really enjoyed this book and although its hardly "The Village Carpenter" (Which I think I've read about 6 times now) its a great look back at the past and good to see that even then people were worried about the disappearance of our rural crafts and the altering of village life in general. Also a nice song about a carpenter in there!

Adventures of a Bacon Curer

This is not a woodworking post but I read these books and fell in love with them. I read them both too fast (my wife is always moaning about my consumption of books!) and although technically not brilliantly written (more how you'd say it rather than write it) they are just lovely to read.

These books are about Maynard Davis, a man love who loves his trade and the right way of doing things. They are basically memoirs of his career and follow him from starting as an apprentice all the way to retirement. He is known as the last apprenticed bacon curer and he doesn't want his trade to die with him.

The book is made up of lots of little snippets of his life, all the stories are interesting, some funny others moving. I really felt an affinity with Maynard and I'm sure anyone who has studied (and loved) a trade will as well, although it does make me long to be a part of the past I know I never can be!