Green Woodwork: Another Rabbit Hole
I remember when I was first bitten by the woodworking bug. I was obsessed and devoured anything I could get my hands on. Having always been a bit of an academic (AKA nerd) no topic was off limits and I wanted to know everything. Every book I read or VHS tape I watched (yes I meant VHS, not much internet woodworking going on in those days) led me down another rabbit hole. Woodworking like so many other hobbies or crafts has many subdivisions and many communities dedicated to it. Woodcarving, woodturning, cabinet making, chair makers, period furniture makers, marquetry, scrollers, etc, etc. This multiverse of woodworking fascinated me (still does) and it was the genesis of my blog’s name. I couldn’t find a path in particular that I wanted to pursue, so like Leonardo da Vinci before me, I became a Renaissance Woodworker.
I have focused my pursuits a bit over the last decade or so but I do take a detour every now and then just to keep things exciting. Over the past few months it has been along the green woodworking path using my spring pole lathe. I was delighted to find an entirely new community thriving under the “Bodger” moniker and centered firmly in the UK. I’m interested to research this further as to why this woodland craft subculture has thrived so much in the UK and not so much elsewhere. I’m sure the zealous consumerist nature of US culture hasn’t helped much on this side of the Atlantic, but with the Renaissance of hand tools over here perhaps the Bodger has a chance to gain a foot hold after all. For me it was a discovery that came just at the right moment. I had just built a pole lathe and was exploring the differences of turning that way as compared to the flywheel turning I have done while working at the Steppingstone Museum. My first epiphany was that this spring pole thing is immensely fun and much more powerful that one would think. There is a lot of sentiment in the circles I frequent that the flywheel lathe is the natural evolution of the muscle powered lathe and therefore a pole lathe is reserved only for nut jobs who dress in tights, feast upon Turkey legs, and shout “Huzzah” a lot. Boy was I wrong. I’m not ashamed to admit that I was completely blown away by how cool turning on a pole lathe can be and how different it is from continuous motion lathes. But this isn’t a post about the pole lathe. There will be more on that subject soon enough; ahem, have you seen Semester 5?
This is all a verbose preamble to a book that has become a bit of a Green Woodworking Bible for me. “Green Woodwork” by Mike Abbott is a comprehensive tome of woodland craft knowledge and a great way to quickly understand the principles in play. Mike’s book is a treasure that waxes philosophical on why to work with green wood, but then backs it up with an evident knowledge of species and wood lot management. The book then spends a lot of time on the tools and how to maintain them. There is an entire chapter dedicated to making a pole lathe and several introductory projects to do with your lathe. This isn’t a book on pole turning however and Mike quickly moves on to shaving horses then other projects like spoons and different types of chairs. For those of you familiar with Roy Underhill’s books, you will feel like coming home when you read “Green Woodwork”. There is a literary quality to the writing and I sat down and read it cover to cover in just a few sittings. The overwhelming theme is working “with the wood and not against it” and Mike gives you the information you need to embrace this style of working. Mike Abbott is a respected instructor in the UK and he runs a school, Living Wood, where he continues to spread the word and introduce people to a very self sustaining and fulfilling craft.
This style of woodworking is liberating as there is no drying of the wood and heading to the lumber yard to figure out the board footage needed. Perhaps is it because I have such easy access to world class kiln dried lumber every day at work that I am drawn to the simplicity of working from a log. I tasted it when I built my first Windsor 5 years ago and then again at the Woodwright’s School last year. If working with hand tools brings you closer to the wood, then working with green wood takes that next step to understanding our favorite building material as a living entity. So while I’m still a furniture making “mainstream” woodworker, I’m now moonlighting as a woodland bodger and happily getting lost in an entirely different subset of woodworking. With axe, hook knife, and froe in hand I venture into the woods to see what I can make. Huzzah!…aww man!
Sorry There’s a Catch
Here is where I frustrate you all interested in this book. It is no longer in print and while not hard to find, the price tag is hovering in the $60-70 range. I think it worth even that price, but if a cheaper option is your speed, check out the Association of Polelathe Turners & Green Woodworkers web site. They have some great information there and a very active forum full of helpful folks to aid you in your studies. My apologies in advance for the afternoon you just lost there.
