# My first attempt at carving (finished, in situ)



## MikeG. (17 Feb 2009)

Just because it is all a bit quiet on here at the moment I thought I might post some pictures of my weekend labours. I have never carved before, and I only have a set of normal workshop chisels. I borrowed a carving chisel from a friend, but didn't use it as the angle was wrong. This is a quick project whilst my workshop is still in turmoil in metal-working mode.

1: A very plain piece of American White Oak







2: The weaponry, and the print-out pasted to the wood






3: Another view of the ironmongery......sharp but limited






4: Making a start, with an easy straight bit............I went very deep!








5: So far so good.......






6: ........about 6 hours later!!! You can imagine how awkward the curved bits were just using straight chisels. I did sharpen up a bradawl at one stage and carved with that for a bit.






7: The frame takes shape






8: I like a little hand-made stop to my chamfers.......a bit classier than a burnt bit of furry oak off the router!






9: Gluing up.........draw-bore pins ready, but the sign is fixed in dry.







More to follow soon..............

Mike

PS BTW, this is all by hand............no electrickery whatsoever.


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## DaveL (17 Feb 2009)

Very nice Mike.  I do like oak.

I have a cheap set of carving tools that you can borrow if you want, never been used in anger, probably need sharpening. :twisted:


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## MikeG. (17 Feb 2009)

Thanks Dave!!! But I'm done now...........it might be a while until I get to do another one  

Mike


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## PowerTool (17 Feb 2009)

Looks very good,Mike  
Same as Dave,I like oak anyway - I've made a few signs with the router,but yours looks neater,and the drawbored frame makes it look a whole lot classier 8) 

Andrew


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## wizer (17 Feb 2009)

Hey Mike that's fantastic, you bloody show off 

You've certainly proved your point about minimalist tools. A bunch of standard bench chisels and a V gouge!

Well Done. 

PS are you going to paint the lettering black or gold or leave as it?


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## Doug B (17 Feb 2009)

Excellent first attempt Mike,
You`ve done really well, & spelt it correctly, (no names, no pack Drill :lol: )
Do you intend colouring the letters? Also how are you finishing it?

Cheers.

Doug.

PS,That mallet looks almost new? have you been spending??? :wink:.


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## joesoap (17 Feb 2009)

Excellent job there Mike with the ''wrong'' shaped tools . Shows what can be done with ''sharp'' regardless of shape . Not by me I H T add , enjoyed that on such a quiet night at the forum .
Cheers !


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## brianhabby (17 Feb 2009)

Amazing...!

For a first attempt you should be very pleased with yourself, that sign looks great.

regards

Brian


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## Paul.J (17 Feb 2009)

For your first attempt that looks pretty good to me :shock: 
Well done that man


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## Oryxdesign (17 Feb 2009)

Bloody hell Mike that looks the business!


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## Mr Ed (17 Feb 2009)

Thats very good Mike. I had thought about doing some initials on the lid of a chest before, but talked myself out of it. Maybe I should give it a go.

Cheers, Ed


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## MikeG. (17 Feb 2009)

Cheers guys............much appreciated.

Doug, Tom, I'm hoping to leave the letters "au naturale", rather than paint them. I am thinking of oiling the whole thing, and the carving is so deep that I'm hopeful it will show up well enough without the usual black paint. I held it up in place the other day and my neighbour could read it from across the road............so I'm hopeful. Tom, I didn't use the v gouge.........I went down at a much steeper angle than the gouge would allow. A curved and a pointed chisel would have made life easier. As for mis-spelling.......that would be embarrassing, wouldn't it Olly? :wink: 

Joe, your dead right about "sharp" being more important than "shape". I've no idea how much those chisels cost me 20 or 30 years ago, but knowing what a cheapskate I am, probably not much! Yet they keep an edge so well that I didn't even touch them up once during the whole job. 

Thanks again

Mike


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## Mattty (17 Feb 2009)

Thats lovely Mike. I look forward to seeing it completed.


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## MikeG. (17 Feb 2009)

EdSutton":3klri7p5 said:


> I had thought about doing some initials on the lid of a chest before, but talked myself out of it. Maybe I should give it a go.
> Cheers, Ed



Thanks Ed............the difference is that if I stuffed this up (and I did get a bit nervous towards the end!!), I would just chuck away one piece of wood. If you stuff up the carving on a chest lid, that is one whole chest lid going up the chimney........you probably made the right decision!! Do give it a go, though..........it only takes patience.

Mike


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## MikeG. (17 Feb 2009)

Doug B":2p7il92d said:


> PS,That mallet looks almost new? have you been spending??? :wink:.



You're joking!!!! Me? Spend money???!! 

I knocked this up out of some scrap ash around xmas time. 

Mike


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## OPJ (17 Feb 2009)

See, Mike? I told you it was easy!!  :wink: 

You're right to be chopping them deep, otherwise you wouldn't be able read it! :roll: :wink: Chris Pye reckons you should carve at an angle of about 60° (no, I didn't measure mine, either).

I don't blame you for choosing not to paint them, it can make a mess if you don't seal the oak first... :? 

Curved letter look tricky but, all you have to do is hold the gouge vertically and hit it!  But, you weren't using a gouge, were you... :shock: That bradawl trick sounds... Different!! :wink: 

Careful what you say about my *deliberate* spelling mistake, Mike - what goes around comes around, and all that.... [-X


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## Ironballs (17 Feb 2009)

Are you sure you've never done that before Mike, very pro looking job. Take it you were a wicket keeper in your former life as a cricketer then


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## Jenx (18 Feb 2009)

Thats Lovely, Mr Garnham, Sir ! 
      

My Dad is a reasonable carver, sudying with Henry Phillips .. but I haven't ever tried it myself... looks far too difficult !! 
Your sign is teriffic. 
Really nice bit of work 8) 8) 8) 8)


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## Woodmagnet (18 Feb 2009)

=D> Very nice Mike, just shows what can be
done with basic tools and a little imagination. 8) 
A lot of skill helps too. :lol:


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## MikeG. (18 Feb 2009)

Thanks again chaps!! Sorry, I went to bed early last night.........but I am humbled by all your praise. ...........and yes, Ironballs, I was a 'keeper! A friend of mine lives at "Spinner's Rest".

I got up early to scrape the excess glue off the frame this morning, so there will some more piccies soon.

Mike


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## Blister (18 Feb 2009)

Ooo

very swish :lol: 

had to do a double take when first looking 

what the hell is 

eepers ottage :shock:


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## dickm (18 Feb 2009)

Nice lettering that. I spent yesterday afternoon doing a joint sign for ourselves and the neighbours who share our drive, but on a piece of slate using a Dremel. Didn't look too bad, I thought, till SWMBO pointed out that I'd put our neighbours' house as WestWOOD, not WestBROOK.......... 

Talk about senior moments......


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## MikeG. (18 Feb 2009)

OK here's a bit more on this little project..........

1: Cleaning off the glue and pencil marks.......scraper time:







2: Progress so far:






3: M&T for the gallows bracket:






4: Gallows bracket, roughed out on the bandsaw & mocked up....a bit to do yet!






Nice to see some sawdust on my floor after months of iron filings, aluminium and plastic waste! Sorry about the poor photos......I must remember not to take them "square on" when using the flash....

Mike


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## TrimTheKing (18 Feb 2009)

Lovely looking work that Mike, well done.

Quite fancy having a go myself as people keep missing our driveway so could do with a double sided sign so people can see it from both sides. Think you have just spurred me on....

Cheers

Mark


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## ByronBlack (18 Feb 2009)

Nice work, looks very neat, just how did you do the curved bits with straight-edged tools?


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## MikeG. (18 Feb 2009)

ByronBlack":ajnyl5n8 said:


> Nice work, looks very neat, just how did you do the curved bits with straight-edged tools?



Thanks BB......

The curved bits were a series of facets well inside the lines made with the quarter inch chisel, cleaned up closer & closer to the lines. It was relatively easy on the convex bits, where you are cleaning off a "hill" (only one point of contact, in the middle of the chisel)...........but when on a concave section both edges of the chisel are making contact, and not the middle. Then, you have to turn the chisel over and follow the line of the lettering, rather than going down into the wood. You just take a deep breath, and go very very carefully! It really was a hair's breadth at a time.

Mike


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## Lord Nibbo (19 Feb 2009)

Just stunning, I can't knock it in any way and I like the design of the wall bracket if thats a proper name






You've inspired me to add a tuit to my list. :lol:


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## John. B (19 Feb 2009)

Stunning, [ =D> =D> =D> =D> ] If that is what you can produce without carving tools, 
imagine what you could produce with a good set of proper carving chisels. :-k :-k :-k :-k
Super Job.

John. B


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## MikeG. (19 Feb 2009)

Thanks John, Lord N, much appreciated!

Well, John, the lack of carving chisels was a bit of a nuisance, but really only slowed me down. I would have liked something that came to a steep point, and even considered grinding on old 1/4" chisel back to say a 30 degree point, and putting an edge on each of the 2 new faces. By the time I could have done that, though, I would have done another half-hours carving, and the thought passed.........

I could really have used anything with a bit of a curve to it...........I even looked at a turner's gouge that I have, but it was way too big, and the angle of the bevel was all wrong. Turns out I could have nipped up to Sudbury to DaveL's and borrowed his set.........ho hum!!

Mike


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## Chippyjoe (19 Feb 2009)

Very nice work Mike and all the more difficult to do with out the "proper" tools all credit to you.
Just goes to show that certain work can be done without the excuse for all the right tools.
As you spent a lot of time crouched down behind them,did you consider trying to incorporate some stumps or bails into the design or did you consider that to be to "tarty"?

Mark.


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## MikeG. (19 Feb 2009)

Cheers Mark,

no, it never crossed my mind! I am quite content to have everyone think that the keeper living in that cottage is a game-keeper.

Mike


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## Steve Maskery (19 Feb 2009)

Mike Garnham":14jip18j said:


> As for mis-spelling.......that would be embarrassing, wouldn't it Olly? :wink:



I think you'll find, Mike, that it is a well-documented fact that that particular cottage has belonged to more than one Keeper.....
:lol: 

Excellent, I hope my first attempt will be as good. I've bought a 30mm Henry Taylor gouge today at 25% off  I was tempted by a set of rifflers, down from 180 to 99, but it is still a lot of money, even if it was a bargain, so it stayed on the shelf.

Thanhks for sharing.
S


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## MikeG. (19 Feb 2009)

Very good Steve  


.
.
As I built the house, though, I'm fairly sure that I'm the first and only keeper to have lived in it!!

I had to google "riffler" to find out what else I am missing from my tool collection! That seems a lot of money for some files!!!

Mike


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## Chippyjoe (19 Feb 2009)

Mike Garnham":tt74ec3b said:


> Cheers Mark,
> 
> no, it never crossed my mind! I am quite content to have everyone think that the keeper living in that cottage is a game-keeper.
> 
> Mike



Conjures up thoughts of man inside who might have a pump action shotgun, so we will give this one a miss!!
Like the sound of that :lol:


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## johnjin (19 Feb 2009)

Hi Mike
I can only echo other peoples comments.
The satisfaction of doing something so good knowing that you are using the wrong tools but ending up with such a good result is the icing on the cake. Very well done indeed.

Best wishes 

John


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## CNC Paul (19 Feb 2009)

Mike,

That is a really really nice job, do you intend to pick out the letters or leave it natural ?


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## MikeG. (19 Feb 2009)

The next phase......

Roughing out the gallows bracket:












Next comes a bit of planing, scraping and spokeshaving, the holes for the pegs, and then the final glue up.

Mike


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## MikeG. (19 Feb 2009)

John, Paul........

Thanks guys!  

I know what you are saying about using the wrong tools, John, but it is a bit of a philosophical thing with me....... I have always thought that our hobby, and all skill based crafts, are much more about skill and ideas than they are about tools. My workshop is a pretty decent one, but I don't have half the kit that some do.......nor do I want it. This means that I work out a way of doing things with what I have got, which means that a whole lot of the time I am working with the "wrong tools".

Paul, I am hoping not to paint the letters. All shop-bought signs seem to have painted letters, and that is as good a reason as any to leave them wooden!! I cut the lettering really deep, and the shadows cause plenty enough contrast such that I am confident it will be clear.

Anyway, anyone who has needed to find me over the last 10 years has found me perfectly easily without a sign!!! (2nd up from the pub helps!!).

Mike


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## Doug B (19 Feb 2009)

Mike Garnham":2bw9k0qr said:


> Anyway, anyone who has needed to find me over the last 10 years has found me perfectly easily without a sign!!! (2nd up from the pub helps!!).
> 
> Mike



Definitely wouldn`t find you then Mike, i find it impossible to pass one of those :lol: :lol: :roll: 
Really like the gallows bracket, your sign will look great when finally hanging.

Doug.


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## Ironballs (19 Feb 2009)

Really like this Mike, elegant and classical without seeming old hat. Don't forget the in situ picture at the end - if you do, it never got installed :wink:


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## MikeG. (19 Feb 2009)

Cheers Baz, IB.........

Of course I'll post the in situ photos! I promised my wife that it would be finished this weekend......

So............loads of oil, or do I try yacht varnish??

Mike


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## Mattty (20 Feb 2009)

No finish for me Mike, I'd let it go silver and natural.


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## Chris Knight (20 Feb 2009)

Mike,
That looks really very nice indeed.


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## CNC Paul (20 Feb 2009)

No finish for me.


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## OPJ (20 Feb 2009)

Looks good, Mike. I like the gallows bracket. :wink: 

You can go for an oil finish, of course but, it will probably need re-oiling every year, where as something like yacht varnish should last a bit longer before it needs re-coating... If you do go for the varnish, I recommend you thin down the first couple of coats - I think I used white spirit? This makes subsequent coats easier to apply and gives you less of a gloss finish!


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## Ironballs (20 Feb 2009)

I'd go no finish, don't want it going slightly wee coloured and then flaking after a couple of years.

Mike you do realise that technically spokeshaves are planes and as you mentioned using a couple that must mean you have more than 2 planes. Slope descent alert


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## MikeG. (20 Feb 2009)

Ironballs":bfbtgzet said:


> Mike you do realise that technically spokeshaves are planes



Instantly doubling my plane numbers to 4! Eek.....eBay, where's the address?

We're going for linseed oil.......once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year, once a year forever after......it doesn't end up quite that nasty orangy yellow colour outdoors as everything is fighting to go grey.

Mike


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## maltrout512 (20 Feb 2009)

Mike I as others have said, you have done a great piece of work there with (not being rude) what tools you have. =D> To show members how you carried out the work was great. I enjoyed seing when push came to shove and it's a real eye opener. Past wood workers, cabinet makers, used what they had to hand. Like yourself and produced very good quality. To add to their working enviroment, it's hard to think that with the quality they were producing they were working with candle light and day light. I think that most of us can just look and admire the progress of the sign that Mike has made.


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## MikeG. (20 Feb 2009)

Kind words, Malcolm..........much appreciated.

Mike


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## woodbloke (20 Feb 2009)

Nice bit of lettering for this sign Mike, but please, no finish...just leave it to weather outside. Linseed oil won't make any difference to the eventual finish which will be silver, so don't bother to start with :wink: I haven't done any incised lettering of this sort, but someone I knew years ago who was a master at this said that all that's needed is a couple of decent bevel edge chisels - Rob


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## MikeG. (22 Feb 2009)

Finished, and in situ........


























Mike


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## Lord Nibbo (22 Feb 2009)

WOW! I'm bookmarking this, absolutely beautiful. =D> =D> =D>


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## CroppyBoy1798 (22 Feb 2009)

Beautiful piece of work, well done! :wink:


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## TrimTheKing (22 Feb 2009)

Fantastic Mike, looks great.

Mark


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## MikeG. (22 Feb 2009)

Lord N, Croppy Boy, Mark.....

Many thanks fellas....much appreciated. I'm surprised by how much attention this has got as it is only a little "fill-in" project. It was great fun though!

A neighbour has already asked if I could do one for him......but wasn't quite so keen when I said it was a 4 day job, therefore at least £400 even at "mate's rates"!! I'll stick to the day job!

Mike


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## woodbloke (22 Feb 2009)

Mike - looks very good indeed, I may have to have a go at something like this - Rob


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## Ironballs (22 Feb 2009)

Looks great in situ and you say you built the house too. Most impressed


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## Doug B (22 Feb 2009)

Have to agree with everyone else Mike, it looks really nice & the bracket shows it off a treat.

Doug.


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## MikeG. (22 Feb 2009)

Thank you very much for the compliments chaps......I'm quite pleased with it myself. More importantly, my wife loves it!

Yes, IB, I built the house......and everything else you see in the photos, and the house next door.....Oh to have that energy again!

Mike


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## wizer (22 Feb 2009)

Really well done mate. I think it's stunning.

Must have a go at lettering one day.


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## Jake (22 Feb 2009)

Skillfully done.

I like the flint-work (being a Kent lad at heart).


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## MikeG. (22 Feb 2009)

I've found another photo that some may be interested in........







All the pegging of the M&T's followed this principal. Even though it was all seasoned wood, this still pulled up well when the peg was driven in. You just need a bit of a taper at the leading end of the peg to feed it nicely into the tenon hole, and it pulls the joint up beautifully. 

Given that the wood was seasoned I went for roundish pegs, rather than the more traditional (for green oak work) octagonal section. I often see square riven pegs, too, in timber framed buildings...........the original square peg in a round hole.

Mike


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## John McM (22 Feb 2009)

Yes well done Mike, that's a cracking little project and fits the scene really well. Nice design too.


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## MikeG. (23 Feb 2009)

Thankyou John


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## MikeG. (28 Feb 2009)

Sorry to drag up an old thread like this.....but this tickled me!

My daughter, away at University, saw a photo of my sign for the first time and her instant reaction was.....
-
-
-

"........Dad, you really are half-hobbit, aren't you?"


   

Kiddies.......they do make you smile occasionally!

Mike


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## DaveL (28 Feb 2009)

Mike Garnham":22losmz6 said:


> you really are half-hobbit, aren't you?"


I have had that comment in the not so distant past, for the LOML. :roll:


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## Woodmagnet (1 Mar 2009)

Me too :lol: , look at my signature. :lol:


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## Tom K (1 Mar 2009)

Half Hobbit :lol: excellent my dear old Dad used to call those "back handed compliments". Does she consider Pebmarsh to be in "The Shire" then? Funnily enough I bought a car from a chap near Rettendon his place was called the "Hobbits Hole"


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## MikeG. (1 Mar 2009)

Tommo the sawdust maker":3b363vyk said:


> Does she consider Pebmarsh to be in "The Shire" then?



Not sure.....but I do think there are times when I am speaking English and she is speaking Elvish........


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## TrimTheKing (1 Mar 2009)

Mike Garnham":1fusyver said:


> Not sure.....but I do think there are times when I am speaking English and she is speaking Elvish........


I loved Elvish, he wash the greatesht. I particularly loved shushpicious mindsh.



Mark


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## mailee (1 Mar 2009)

That is beautiful work Mike. It really compliments the cottage too. Hmm! may do a Pinky on this one then. :lol:


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## MikeG. (1 Mar 2009)

mailee":1spe7nnv said:


> Hmm! may do a Pinky on this one then. :lol:



:shock: :shock: :shock: 

Copy the work Mailee, with pleasure..........but not the photo!

Mike


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## Mattty (2 Mar 2009)

That is superb Mike. =D> It's very in keeping with the surrounds too.


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## MikeG. (2 Mar 2009)

Thanks Matty!!


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## Jenx (3 Mar 2009)

Mike, that REALLY HAS ended up looking rather splendid    

Super job. you pleased yourself with the end result ?
( definately should be ! :wink: 8) )


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## MikeG. (3 Mar 2009)

Yes I am Jenx.....really pleased, thank you.

Funny thing, it was such a tiny little job, and yet has had so much comment, not only on here, but also from friends and neighbours. Two or three have asked if I can do one for them........which is almost the sincerest form of flattery!

Mike


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## Jenx (3 Mar 2009)

Sometimes its just the 'way of it' ... what starts out as a 'little something or nothing job' really captures the attention and imagination of people ... I saw it when you posted about it originally, and like many others obviously thought too, it was something that just really 'jumped out' and said.. "look how bloody nice I AM !" ..

There's something about it that really shouts 'quality'.

I like it A LOT ! 

Lovely job Mike.. really is


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## MikeG. (3 Mar 2009)

Cheers Jenx.......I'm humbled.


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## Neil (3 Mar 2009)

Beautiful work, Mike =D> 

How long ago was the thatching done? Less than ten years at a guess? Is there much of a loading on the insurance?

I used to have this house:




Must admit I miss the thatch, its a wonderful roofing material.

Cheers,
Neil


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## MikeG. (3 Mar 2009)

Neil,

I finished building the house in Dec 1999, and it was thatched early in 2000...........so the thatch is only 9 years old. You weren't far out!! And yes, it is a wonderful roofing material. 

This is apparently the first new thatched house in Essex for over 100 years. It being reed (as is yours), it should last up to about 70 years.

Mike


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## Neil (3 Mar 2009)

The house is the the West of Ireland, so the thatch doesn't get the chance to dry out much! I bet you'll get twice the life expectancy out of yours in Essex - you don't have any rain there, do you? :lol: 

Cheers,
Neil


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## MikeG. (3 Mar 2009)

Driest part of the British Isles.........about 22" year in Southend, I'm told.

Mike


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## The Shark (4 Mar 2009)

Mike,
Excellent job!
Oak is my favourite wood, and it is great to see a piece of this quality produced without resorting to spending another mortgage on new tools.
Congratulations.

Malc =D>


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