While we are in yet another lockdown, and waiting to be allowed back into the Chippendale School of International Furniture to continue my course, I thought I would detail my woodworking career so far.
Back in 1979, attending Cockenzie Nursery at the age of four, I created several ‘battleships’ and other models of varied design. Materials used: various offcuts and lots of nails.
After an 8 year career break, my woodworking continued apace in my 1st and 2nd years at high school in the Technical class. Items produced: a spatula, a small wooden box with loose lid, and an OXO cube dispenser. I remember an awful lot of sanding sealer being used, and a lot of awful sanding.
Last summer, after a break of another 33 years, whilst waiting to start the Professional course at Chippendale School, I decided to use the time to acquaint myself with the few tools I have acquired over the years and have a go at making something. The following is a selection of what I made, most of which were sold on Etsy.
I can’t wait to see what my ‘After Chippendale’ creations look like.
Lovely spalted wood. 
Seahorse made out of driftwood – glued to fibreboard backing 
Driftwood oak, sanded, shaped and gouged by hand. Lovely spalting 
Driftwood, sanded, cheap Forstner bits, and later varnished. 
Beech driftwood lamp. So called because of the likeness to Michelangelo’s David. 
Michelangelo lamp – close-up. 
Beech driftwood lamp. So called because of the likeness to a Pablo Picasso painting. 😀 
The rear of Pablo. 
Beech driftwood pencil holder – same log as Michelangelo. 
Stacked oak offcuts which had their cores removed, then glued together, then shaped by hand. 
Stacked oak offcuts which had their cores removed, then glued together, then rounded and shaped by hand. 
Stacked cylinder lamp made out of oak. Base planed by hand. 
Elm keyrings – handshaped on a belt sander. 🙂 
