Beachcomber Shelf Unit

This project really was great fun, as it involved using materials other than wood; it also contains plaster, old rope, sea shells and pebbles. A real fusion of textures and contasts, both natural and contrived.

I did not set out with a fixed plan; the whole thing just evolved. I had a bunch of old fishing/sailing rope from a beach on Islay in Scotland, some pebbles from Lulworth Cove, and a pile of driftwood behind my garage, collected from all over the place.

I built the top first, using handcut dovetails to marry the top and side pieces together; I decided to leave them exposed in the end product; as they enhance how man meets nature in this piece. A piece of driftwood, with flowing curves is added to the 'pelmet' to add dimension.

Next I added the verticals on the front, with a recess to take the plaster and pebbles etc., I just used ordinary white plaster - I had an old bag kicking around in the garage, from previous house renovation. I mixed it to a medium consistency and poured it into the recesses. It was then just a case of arranging the pebbles, shells etc. The plaster sets solid in about 45 minutes, trapping the pebbles nicely in place. The plaster has a rough swirly finish, which contrasts and complements the wave smoothed pebbles.

I drilled holes in the front of the middle shelf, and twisted an offcut of rope through, secured by a knot on each end. The boards in the back came from a pallet, which I cut down with a circular saw. You can see in the photo the depth of the woodgrain in the shelves - these boards had been bobbing around in the sea for a while, I think. The satin white paint leaves a slightly clinical feel, which again contrasts the rustic finish.

The base unit was really an afterthought. The four corner uprights came from a gnarled driftwood post, again with a well developed grain and some eye pleasing curves. The cupboard front hinges from the bottom, using a thin piece of rope as a hinge. The interior of the cupboard space is white painted. The handle is pebble which had a hole eroded through it by the waves. Perfect! I set some Lulworth Cove pebbles into the top; this time I added black dye powder to the white plaster so that the white pebbles stand out. The blue and white rope conceal the joint between base and top unit, whilst the exposed handcut dovetails are left exposed again.

I have mixed memories of creating this piece as it involved a trip to A &E, following an argument with an electric sander! One broken finger, one lost fingernail, and half a dozen stitches - all for a moment of inattention!

Actually, now that the pain has subsided, I am quite chuffed with the end result - a real seaside beachcomber type theme; the only thing missing is the sea.

By the way, the blue jugs came from Philip Gardners' pottery in Mevagissey, the ammonite fossils from the Souk in Marrakech, and the largest pine cone I have ever seen came from Lisbon. The money plant is home grown from a cutting!

Enjoy!

A Rustic Garden Bench

This rustic bench is made from a substantial board picked up from the banks of the river Dee, with two pairs of redundant wooden handled gardening shears for the legs.





It unusual to find boards this wide (11 inches), and I felt it would be a shame to cut it down.

There is a superficial split down the middle of the board, which adds to the rustic charm of the finished piece, and I decided that to prevent it from progressing, that I would reinforce it.

This was done using mahogany 'butterfly keys', cut with a bandsaw and inset into the board across the split.

I used a jigsaw to cut the recesses in the board. The butterfly keys are held in place with glue, and the line of the grain in the 'butterfly' runs at 90 degrees to that of the board. This is a very traditional way of repairing splits in boards, and preventing them from progressing.

The bench ends are reinforced with a 'mortise and tenon' type joint, again using some mahogany offcuts which contrast and complement the light coloured pine.

The garden shears were beyond use, and had obviously had a tough life! I scrubbed them down and welded the pivot for rigidity, and used some old steel bracket to attach them to the bench. A coat of spray lacquer on the metal and yacht varnish on the wooden parts will aid durability.


The end result is a unique and sturdy bench, which comfortably seats three. It looks great in either the garden or indoors. We have one which is pressed into service in the lounge when we have visitors!

Derelict Fishing Boat on the River Camel

I first saw this derelict fishing boat nearly 25 years ago, when we lived in Cornwall. Now we only get back for occasional visits,but I still run or cycle on the Camel Trail (a disused railway line running from Bodmin Moor to Padstow) to keep fit.

I started taking pictures several years ago (when I remembered to take a mobile phone with me), and it has been really interesting to chart the gradual breakdown, due to the wind, rain and tide.

The first picture was taken in beautiful clear Spring weather (the background image of my title page), but it is amazing how different weather conditions can change the emotion within a picture.

Welcome

Welcome to my blog!

My name is Max and I have a creative streak which burns away inside.

I love to craft things from wood.

I work in the transport industry, and unfortunately what I do is not exactly environmentally friendly, however I am an avid fan of recycling and I have found a way to combine my hobby with a small contribution towards reducing waste.

Timber is a great medium to work with. Not the unseasoned characterless stuff from builders' merchants and DIY stores (although there is a time and place for that), but reclaimed, or salvaged wood, which has had a former use, and has seasoned over time, and acquired a character.

Almost every day it is possible to find something that has been discarded- at the tip, in a skip, washed up on the tide, or down by a river. Eventually it even gets to the stage where friends and family collect bits for me! Needless to say I do not believe in buying wood.

It comes in all shapes and sizes - driftwood, fence posts, scaffold boards, old stair cases, pieces of old sailing boats, packing cases, even vintage or antique furniture which may have been discarded. Sometimes its' origin is not apparent.

It all sits there until a little seed of inspiration plants in my mind - 'what could I do with that'?. Sometimes it takes weeks or even months; maybe another piece comes along which triggers a plan.

Old wood will have inevitably acquired a character in its' life - the effects of wind, rain, sun, water, sea or sand, and even continual human touch give texture, patina and discolouration, and cause knots, splits and dents - all tell a little story. I prefer to incorporate this distress into my work - wood is not a uniform clinical substance.

Like many people, I started of necessity. When my wife and I married, we did not have two beans to together. Our home furniture was an eclectic mix of donations from family interspersed with a few second hand items, and a few wedding presents. Although I never studied woodwork at school I always had a practical nature, and was able to see potential and quality in items which others would throw away. To this day we still own, and are sentimentally attached to furniture from our early days.

Refurbishing and renovating is equally rewarding, and often the results are far superior and durable than the modern chipboard derived products on sale today.

I have now arrived at the stage where although our home is complete, the urge to create still exists. I have discovered that what I like, others do too, and there is an enormous sense of achievement, when I have turned what was otherwise destined for the rubbish heap into an interesting and unique item, for which there is a demand.


I hope to share some of my enthusiam and ideas, and the internet offers a fantastic opportunity to do this.

Comments, suggestions are most welcome. If you see something you like, feel free to contact me

Enjoy, and lookout for me at 'www.folksy.com/shops/woodquirks'