The tools of the ‘traditional’ trade Both hand planes and spokeshaves are traditional hand tools that are used to shape timber. Although they are used for different applications (planes to flatten and smooth and spokeshaves to curve and shape ‘rounds’) there are three common principles to both. Although they sound quite simple, they are in fact fundamental to good practice, and should all…
It can be a beguiling and magical experience to witness solid timber being manipulated and curved into various forms. This is why we like to offer steam bending as one of the main components in the woodworking courses we offer at Edward Johnson’s School of Craft. What is steam bending? Steam bending is a traditional technique that was once widely used in the…
A video diary of our 5-day steam bending masterclass. Make your own ‘Sussex Mirror’ course Recently we had the pleasure of collaborating with some fabulous participants on one of our 5-day steam bending masterclasses. Edward and his team worked alongside the students as they made their own Sussex Mirror. Although steam bending is a substantial part of the project, many other skills were…