http://www.getwoodworking.comWorkshop Q&A FEATURE
September 2019 The Woodworker & Good Woodworking 79NEXT MONTH
In the next issue, we head to Wales to find
out more about the life and workshop of
woodworker and reader, A.B. Allwood. We’d
love to hear about your workshops too, so do
feel free to send in a photo of your beloved
workspace, and please answer the same
questions as shown here – just email
[email protected]- What is it – and where is it?
My workshop is currently part of our
garage. I’m waiting for my new workshop,
so at the moment it’s a bit of a compromise. - What’s the best thing about it?
It’s quite spacious and has a nice flat floor.
My old workshop was cobbled and I ended
up with wobbly benches. - And what’s the worst?
It’s not yet my proper workshop – I’m
getting a lifting hoist in the new one. - How important is it to you?
It’s essential; life without a workshop
is just a frustration – you have ideas
and you can’t make them. - What do you make in it?
Sculpture is my main thing, but bits of furniture
when we need something out of the normal.
At my previous house, I did quite a lot of repair
work such as rebuilding window joints. - What is your favourite workshop tip?
Tidy up at the end of every day – sweep the
floors and put the tools back. You see your work
clean and uncluttered the next day, and it helps
to spot where you need to make changes.
Me and my workshop
CarolineArbon- What’s your best piece of kit?
My gouges; I can’t work without them. - If your workshop caught fire,
what one thing would you rescue?
The gouges – my grandad was a furniture
maker and I wish I’d inherited his tools because
they had such sentimental value. - What’s your biggest
workshop mistake?
Working on an uneven floor. I didn’t realise
a piece of restoration work wasn’t square to
the ground; I had to take it apart and rebuild it. - What’s the nicest thing
you’ve ever made?
My favourite item is a copy of a Jacob Epstein
sculpture. I’d seen it exhibited a few times and
just loved it. - And what’s the worst?
A piece I thought was really good, but the removal
men thought it looked like the back end of a horse.
12. What’s the best lesson you’ve
learned?
Keep the workshop tidy.
13. If you won the lottery,
what would you buy for your workshop?
An even bigger workshop, with a stunning view
and a cocktail bar!
Caroline in her current garage workshopWhile Devon-based
artist, sculptor and
furniture maker
Caroline Arbon
waits for a new
workshop, she’s
making the most
of her garage