Rumor was that Day 4 was the day that people started hitting the wall. And a perpendicular brick structure we did indeed impact. Arms and legs
aching, the weather decided to play silly buggers with us and down it came. Not only rain but also hail.

It got so stormy in fact that the skies were barely light enough to see what we were doing. Which is a problem when whittling if hoping to accomplish such accurately. The pole lathe I think turned out (see what I did there?) to be my more favourite weapon tool. To initially see people using such a contraption without an appreciation of its subtleties was daunting.

But to be taught it was even more special. A foot treadle pulled a rope, looped around the timber to be turned, and this was attached to a flexible birch branch, well anchored into the ground. The bendy branch gave the bounce required to operate a constant spinning motion.

As the carving is done at very low velocity, face protection needed for high speed lathing was not needed. The trick to this operation was twofold. One, not getting so close to the bendy branch so as to not strike one’s own head. Second, operating various chisels to nicely carve one’s sticks.

One slanted chisel called the skew chisel, we renamed the screw chisel for as soon as you lapsed in concentration the slightest, it would instantly develop its own sense of purpose, that being to indelibly mark, gauge, or otherwise divot your otherwise fine piece of work.

Kudos to Jess who persevered under the darkened skies at 4 degrees celcius. There’s a dedicated chair maker for you!