AROUND THE HOUSE with Phil Davy
76 The Woodworker & Good Woodworking October 2019 http://www.getwoodworking.com
AROUND THE HOUSE WITH PHIL DAVY
I used to consider sanding to be the most tedious task imaginable, but now I’ve discovered
something that’s even worse: hanging wallpaper. I still can’t understand why this particular
incident was so frustrating, though. Matching the pattern wasn’t too tricky, though getting
the paper to adhere to the wall turned out to be a nightmare. Even with good quality paste
suitable for heavy paper I still came unstuck, or rather the paper did. And a couple of times
the paper almost slid off the wall completely. Fortunately there was only one reasonably
straight wall to cover, with no alcoves or fiddly stuff, apart from a couple of 13A sockets to
cut out. Now I realise why over the past few decades I’ve always painted walls when it comes
to redecorating, though that has involved far too much filling and sanding recently. Much better
sticking to woodwork, I reckon!JOINER’S WORK
BOOK REVIEW
Even if you’re not particularly interested in woodcarving, this is a fascinating
read. The sort of book that you’ll want to read from cover to cover, even
if you’ve no intention of making any of the projects it describes. Unlike
the traditional Shaker style that’s so familiar, New England furniture
from the 17th century was often highly decorated, with almost every
available flat surface left adorned by chisel or knife. Expert joiner and
tool historian Peter Follansbee is something of a devotee, studying for
decades virtually all there is to know about this unique style of American
furniture. Experience working at a living history museum and with private
collections enabled him to examine in minute detail just how it was all
put together. But what makes this special is the intricacy of the carving...Riven oak
The first chapter concentrates on materials, including how to use a hatchet.
Follansbee uses riven wood rather than sawn; that way he ensures boards
are dimensionally stable. Unless we’re green woodworkers, I’m not sure
many of us would choose to go down that timber conversion route, but
it gives you some idea of the level of authenticity here. Everything is built
with air-dried timber, rather than kiln-dried, after initial working while
material is green. After all, three or four centuries ago the concept of
kiln drying would have been something of a mystery.
Projects consist of carved boxes, a couple of chests, drawers and
a bookstand. But if you’re expecting precise drawings and dimensions
you may be disappointed. Instead, there are delightful pencil drawings
of each piece with approximate sizes (imperial), but that’s all. It’s left
up to you to fine-tune as stock or aesthetics dictate.
A second chapter discusses the workshop with the all-important
bench at its core, though the author’s version features a screw for
holding the workpiece, rather than a vice. Winding sticks and wooden
planes follow, with steel tools few and far between due to their likely
contamination from green oak’s tannic acid.Classic carving
Almost 50 pages concentrate on carving techniques, which are covered
at length. Photography is first class throughout, with sufficient close-up
detail to guide even the novice carver. I found the short sections on making
your own decorative punches, scratch stocks and wooden pins particularly
interesting.
Then it’s on to the projects themselves, which feature either mortise
and tenon or rebated and nailed joints. No glue to worry about and
definitely no screws. This is certainly a book for lovers of hand tools –
Follansbee apparently gave away his power tools some 35 years ago!
I was reminded of the late John Brown, chairmaker extraordinaire,
who worked almost exclusively with hand tools (he occasionally usedTHE VERDICT
Written by Peter Follansbee,
published by Lost Art PressPrice: £43.50Web: http://www.classichandtools.comRating: 5 out of 5a bandsaw). In fact, there seem to be many similarities between
the two craftsmen.
A brief glossary would not have gone amiss. For example, I’ve never
come across a pintle before, and I’m probably not alone. And there’s no
index either, so referring to a specific item or technique can be frustrating.
But it’s an absorbing book, one to digest in front of the fire on a winter’s
evening. It’s far from cheap, but with Christmas on the horizon Joiner’s Work
should perhaps be on your wish list...