sutton046

What is Eco-Woodworking? It's a bit like the woodworking equivalent of the Slow Food Movement. It's about making consicous choices regarding the wood we use, the tools we use, and the way in which we approach the craft.  In a nutshell, it is working with wood as if the planet matters... I subscribe to several woodworking magazines from around the world, including the USA, the UK and Australia. One of my favourites would be "British Woodworking", which comes from the same stable as the wonderful "Living Woods" Magazine - both from Freshwood Publishing in the UK. The December 2012/January 2013 edition of British Woodworking magazine published an article I had written about Eco-Woodworking. First page of the published article.  The text version of the article has been re-printed below, with the kind permission of the publisher:   Eco-Woodwork Australian Greg Miller explains why approaches and tools are changing   The challenge for sustainable living on...

Today was the annual Claisebrook Carnival and Duck Derby, 24th March in East Perth. With the able assistance of Phil and Elijah Sparrow, and Rotarians Mark and Jodie, I provided the woodworking activity for the many kids at the event. The Claisebrook Carnival /Duck Derby is run by the Heirrison Rotary Club as a major fundraiser, with a range of beneficiaries including Telethon. We were provided with a 9m x9m marquee to run our activity. Amid a variety of other stalls, activities, and performances on the adjacent stage, the pounding of 30 hammers echoed through the delightful Victoria Gardens were we were situated!  Young and old, creating things together. The sawing station was always busy, with 4 tenon saws at it all day. A nice boat in the making... With 30 hammers across the 9 benches, and 4 saws at the sawing station, there were many times when there were families waiting around hoping to get hold of a hammer and a corner on a bench! For much of the day we were...

Decision made .  This year I am going to seriously improve my saw sharpening skills. I have a lot of saws. Many dozens in fact ... most awaiting cleaning up and sharpening. Sure, I do sharpen the occasional saw - but mostly I pay someone else to sharpen them for me. Saw sharpening is not what I would call one of my strengths. However that is all going to change. I have commenced my upskilling process. Q: Why bother mastering saw sharpening? A: It's the smart thing to do! It's about sustainability, self-reliance, flexibility and independence. It's also about respect. Respect for a quality saw and respect for the people who have used, owned, and valued the saw before me. Q: Why fix up old saws when it is cheaper and easier to buy new hardpoint saws for under $10? A: It's about being a responsible global citizen. Hardpoint saws are "disposable" saws of low grade steel with hardened teeth and nasty plastic handles. They cannot be sharpe...

At last, I have finally organised the March 2013 round of public workshops. The delay came about when I was unable to secure my normal venue, Earthwise in Subiaco. However I am happy to have secured an alternative venue - the PVI/CIA Workshop space in West Perth. What a great line-up of workshops! The ever-popular favourites are there, including Carve a Wooden Spoon , Make a Kitchen Chopping Board , Making Cajon Drums (Parents and kids together), and Make Kitchen Spatulas & Salad Servers . In addition to these, there are a couple of new ones: Make a Small Picture Frame and Carve a WELCOME Sign will be fantastic opportunities to push your woodworking hand skills into new territory. Make a Traditional Wooden Stool is one of two workshops being run at times which may suit people while their kids are at school - an experiment in accessibility. For those wanting to discover the wonders of planes, there is The Plane Facts: Learn to choose, use and enjoy hand planes - an exciting...

Unless it rots or is eaten by insects, wood can be recycled indefinitely for centuries. Oooh yeah, what a wonderful natural, sustainable, re-newable, low energy (to produce), high value material wood is. However, it is mind boggling and disturbing how much wood goes into land fill every day.  How could anybody drive past this booty? Almost all from the USA. Living close to the light industrial area of Belmont/Kewdale/Welshpool, I have the opportunity to readily obtain packaging materials - which come from all over the world. In fact, one company, an importer of big commercial washer/driers, even contacts me periodically when they have a pile of packaging material they think I might like. Most of their stuff comes from the USA, Italy or Belgium. Through them I get sheets of OSB board (which is not in common use in Western Australia), pieces of 1/2" plywood, heaps of cheesy soft pine from the USA, other bits of nice fine harder pines from Europe and Nor...

In November I had the pleasure of spending a day at the Silver Tree Steiner School, in Parkerville, working with 10 kids and their fathers/grandfathers/uncles. The project was to make a bookcase together, which the kids could feel proud of as a legacy they would leave the school. It was a great day. The Brief. The teacher, Yvette, wanted the 10 boys of her class to "create a bookshelf... for our classroom, so they can see their contribution everyday... measuring 1900H X 920W X 330D (6'3" high x 3' wide x 13" deep) and  ... to make something together that they can give to the school ... as a reminder to future Silver Tree School children of those who went before them...   It was to be made from recycled timber, as a matter of principle, and another very essential ingredient would be the participation of fathers/uncles/grandfathers in the activity with the kids. Doing it together as a shared experience was to be one of the key elements of the day. Base...

The big jarrah cabinet I am making has been progressing slowly. Embarrassingly slowly. Interestingly, I have had an unprecedented number of group activities this year: across the Festivals, workshops, and school programs that I do. It's taken me be surprise, really, though it is what I have always intended, to transition from custom furniture to more group activities and teaching. My customers awaiting their beautiful jarrah cabinet have been incredibly patient. For that I am extremely grateful - but ultimately it will have been worth the wait. No question. I am pleased to say a big step forward has taken place. The other day a friend came over to help me with the big glue-up of the top section. Phil's assistance was most appreciated, as it was a big job I couldn't do on my own. There was a huge amount of preparation before this event, with all the panels and fixed shelves having to be prepared and glued up, accurately cut to size, and every joint cut and test fitted, bef...