willow and bowl.

using birch from moss and heights and spring wood (after a work day earlier in the month.) i decided to have a go at carving a swedish style bowl with the BHMAT hand adze i am borrowing. this is the first stage of the process.

after finishing the inside shape i then used an axe to do the outside shape, struggle to do this efficiently and feel like i still didnt get the shape i was after.

I finished the inside with a spoon knife.

We have done the cutting at Ians willow patch. it was a really bonny day, frosty and sunny.

post cutting. ( did my cutting with bill hook, it was as fast as chainsaw, faster than loppers and mostly neat but some did shatter on the weaker stools- have to wait and see how (and if) they come back up again next year.

because of my recent attempts and aspirations to make willow baskets i persuaded ian that i should grade the willow. firstly we did this by height with a chart on the floor., simply picking them from the bundle starting with the biggest ones.)

this was a bit slow as the willow was difficult to separate neatly, Ian has seen the same process done from an upright barrel which i can imagine is a far more effective technique.

i borrowed the BHMAT tormek ages ago and finally had a go on it, i found it difficult to get the technique for setting it up right and found that the success of it mostly seems to rely on set up… i did a chisel to a reasonable edge. I also did a load of work on a second (or more) hand drawknife i bought but resorted in the end to a file because the knifes handles seemed to get in the way at any potentially useful angle

Ive been given a Rams horn by a friend to try on bridges and nuts for the banjo. so i began working it (and some bridges) with files and rasps and knives so far it seems reasonably successful- now to try glueing it and see how it goes.