new member green woodworky stuff

[Angusmccoatup]

Hi All, delighted to be among you all and thank you to those that have posted advice and guidance I have used but never really acknowledged........... many a crisis averted by seeking information and wisdom from others experiences related here... I really love making in wood but my greatest passion is the simplest of green woodworking and making......

 

[Sean Hellman]

Looking great. The pole lathe is one of my favourite tools and I feel far safer turning on one than I do with an electric lathe. Personally I have my tool rest far higher than you do. On both my lathes it is about the same height as the metal centres. I don't think it matters much, just feels awkward when using someones else's set at a different height.

 

[Angusmccoatup]

Hi Sean, good to hear from a fellow Bodger...... that lathe is still a work in progress and the tool rest came from it's predecessor - I am enjoying 'tuning' it to try and build in some of the novel ideas of others I have noted moving around the bazaars.... I have had a few goes on powered lathes and wonder at the magic of what can be achieved but there is no comparison to the sound and feel of working a pole-lathe in full swing under the dappled shade of the woodland canopy..............

 

[bourbon]

Our Medieval group has one of those as well. He is a turner, never a bodger, Unless he came from High Wickham. The term is very area specific

 

[Angusmccoatup]

Now is that High Wickham or High Wycombe....? Rather than based on a town / city I think the term refers to makers of chair legs operating in the woods around the Chilterns.... though I do not consider Sean to be afflicted in the same way but I am of the other definition:

' a person who makes or repairs something badly or clumsily. '

Though I am sure there were chairs with turned legs in the Medieval times I am pretty sure the mass turning of legs in in bulk Bodger style was something that came quite a bit later........ I suspect this is very much not a thread that will not ' go quiet into the night ' so look forward to learning more....

A

 

[bjm]

....
' a person who makes or repairs something badly or clumsily. '
...

It's an unfortunate turn of phrase now as the original 'bodgers' around here (High Wycombe) were highly skilled workers - they had to be to keep up with demand.

 

[Angusmccoatup]

It's an unfortunate turn of phrase now as the original 'bodgers' around here (High Wycombe) were highly skilled workers - they had to be to keep up with demand.

Indeed BJM, and to be much admired in their skills and deep understanding of the challenges of working with green wood................ I suspect though if used today as a term for describing something less than brilliant it would only be people of a certain age that would understand anyway.... even less so the woodland workers churning out chair legs...........

 

[Tris]

I sometimes wonder if the negative use of the word bodger came about because of the somewhat 'Heath Robinson' appearance of green woodwork devices?
Much of the appeal to me is that you can carry a small sack of tools into a woodland and build everything else you need from what is around you.

 

[bjm]

I sometimes wonder if the negative use of the word bodger came about because of the somewhat 'Heath Robinson' appearance of green woodwork devices?
...

According to Wikipedia the negative connotation comes from Australian slang for bad workmanship - Bodging

 

[bourbon]

we understood it to mean someone who doesn't complete a job, I had spelt it wrong, It was high Wycombe. The Members of the Public who come and see us, normally call Mike a bodger, He is one of two woodworkers we have on the show, The other one does General carpentry, If its round, Mike does it.

 

[Angusmccoatup]

we understood it to mean someone who doesn't complete a job, I had spelt it wrong, It was high Wycombe. The Members of the Public who come and see us, normally call Mike a bodger, He is one of two woodworkers we have on the show, The other one does General carpentry, If its round, Mike does it.

Sounds fascinating - I have always enjoyed living history events and am in awe of the dedication to detail of those that take part........ though those calling your man a bodger might factually be incorrect it is nice they know the term and it's links with green woodworking in these times of screens and electronic gadgets.....

I had a great weekend photographing the proceedings at the reenactment of the battle of Bosworth.........

 

[bourbon]

you have seen us then. The group with the wooden fences round it. They are used as a safety device so the public don't get hurt. If you do have any photos of us, we would love to see them.

 

[Angusmccoatup]

I do not have access to my main archive at present but will look when next working in the archive. I fear it will have been quite a while ago as my son who was with me was too young for cub scouts so I will have been working on film rather than digital which may limit what I can offer you but will look anyway....
I do remember the very distinct division between the living history attendees and the 'plastic camp' ....