This is what has kept us distracted... We are now the proud owners of this little chunk of rural Lincolnshire. The aerial photo is from around 1978 shows the buildings looking a little rough around the edges and things have only gotten worse since. We've definitely...
Lifestyle Posts
This is the lifestyle part of our blog, where we write about what we’re up to, what we’re thinking and how we go about earning a living with our hands in this modern world.
Calm Before The Storm
We wanted to post today simply to rear our ugly heads and say hello! As many of you will have noticed our blog has been extremely quiet (or completely silent?) these last few weeks and we'd like to say a quick 'sorry for not posting' and 'don't worry, everything is...
Benches For Christmas
At this time of year it's quite common for us to receive enquiries for a workbench to be built in time for Christmas and that's exactly what I found in my inbox this morning. At present our waiting time for new orders is climbing well in to the new year so...
The Perfectionist In Me
If I was ever able to take a woodworking course I'd have to do it with David Charlesworth. That may seem like a bit of a shock given my rather simple and fast paced approach seen in my videos but the truth is I'm a perfectionist at heart. After my apprenticeship the...
Moving With The Times?
When I was younger I did a stint working on new builds, doing truss roofs with my old man. I learnt a lot through the process; things about wood, things about building, and more than I could hope to know about my Dad. Another thing which I learnt could only be...
A Lasting Impression?
Life is like physics; you don't get owt for nowt! And we become so attuned to this that it's no surprise we're septical when something sounds too good to be true. When I published our video on the holdfast and the batten I was confused as to why so many people were...
A Whale of a Time!
After all the preparation it feels odd today for another EuropeanWoodworking Show to be all over and done with. It's was an exceptionally busy year this year and that combined with my solitary life led to me find myself behind our banner with a good few panic attacks!...
I’m Such An Amateur!
Setting up my hand tool workshop for the filming has been quite a revelation for me as it's allowed me to spend the odd weekend in there feeling a million miles from the rest of the world. Since I've always been woodworking for my living this is a feeling that I've...
Finding The Balance
Richard often gets asked 'what's the best way for sharpening?' and he'll tend to say the best method is the one which works for you. There are countless ways to approach it but so long as you get the result quickly and efficiently then your way's the best. I've come...
Back To The Barns
For a while now we've been making plans and getting ourselves ready for this year's European Woodworking Show. It's only three weeks away and it's at this point each year when we begin to panic; will we really be ready in time? Richard says every year he's going to...
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The Traditional Workshop
Early last year I signed for a large mysterious parcel. It was clear from the labelling that it had come from far and distant lands, but there was no hint to what lurked within. Opening the box (like a savage) revealed a collection of books, each beautifully covered...
Observations On A Craftsman (Part Two)
We have more space here than we need at the moment, but only if you don't mind sharing it with nature. Good, sealed working space on the other hand is tight and so we have to be well organised and only keep to hand what is essential. Richard and I were rummaging...
After Hours
I've been spending a lot of time out in the sun this past week or so; setting up a (make shift) vegetable plot and tending to the weeds. Ordinarily I'd be feeling very guilty about doing anything beside work in work hours and I still am a little. But after a pretty...
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