Post a photo of the last thing you made

[Hino]

Unusual to read of anyone having done an A level woodwork - I did it in 1972. Despite being told by my master (in the olden days when they could see the papers before they were submitted) I would get a C and possibly a B, I failed it.

Ha ha. I was the first person to ever do it at my school. Fair to say the teachers weren’t up to it. Shame really as I do regret not following my passion back then. Did a geography degree instead

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I was the only one in my year - my friend didn't do A level and went on the teach woodwork at the same school for his working life.

 

[Cabinetman]

I did woodwork at A-level, my piece of work for evaluation at the end of the course (along with the exams )was a Windsor chair with laminated back arms and rockers, and to show how difficult exams were in those days (1973) even at a Grammar school I was one of only two who got an A that year, — and I’m not just talking about the ones who did woodwork, that was out of the entire sixth form all subjects. Ian

 

[MarkDennehy]

A friend who's been turning much much longer than I have said I should try turning a thin-walled bowl as a skill test because "get gud, scrub". Somewhat nervewracking - if I'd farted during that last cut, every dog in the neighbourhood would have come running.
Turned out okay though. Chestnut, with danish oil, yorkshire grit and hampshire sheen wax.

Got the rim down to just over 2mm pre-sanding, it's around 1.6-1.7mm now.

 

[houtslager]

Dare I ask what she intends to use it for?

That horrible looking female version of the ChUCKY doll, like I said, she's a Goth in the making

 

[Bristol_Rob]

Been busy building 12 cabinets for my garage loft.
Heavy work but happy with the end result.

 

[patrick k]

 

[patrick k]

Some Curved window sills I’m making for sash window repairs im doing on a 270 year old house

 

[Dominik Pierog]

I buy cheap silicone mold with other stuff.
I post it only because that looks ridiculous.

 

[Doug B]

An Oak coffin shaped picture frame for my sons partner who won the picture (the one in the frame is a photocopy for size)

She wanted it black so I sprayed it with Chestnuts aerosol ebonising spray & satin lacquer using their aerogun for the first time, first impressions are very favourable

 

[Rorton]

Trying to organise router bits a bit better, used the Rockler inserts that take either a 1/4 or 1/2 shank

Just waiting on some clear tape for my label maker, and will label each one up

If the drawer was a bit deeper, I could have included all my bits, but some are v long, and wouldn't fit in at the angle I wanted them.

Happy for a first try anyway - and so much easier to access the bits now instead of all being in boxes etc...

 

[D_W]

I did woodwork at A-level, my piece of work for evaluation at the end of the course (along with the exams )was a Windsor chair with laminated back arms and rockers, and to show how difficult exams were in those days (1973) even at a Grammar school I was one of only two who got an A that year, — and I’m not just talking about the ones who did woodwork, that was out of the entire sixth form all subjects. Ian

Things may have changed, but I recall perfect grades being very rare when I was a kid. I think there was an assumption back then that if a kid was superb at math, but just good at penmanship, don't spare the rod on the latter.

Carried on through college here, but I wonder if that's still the case.

 

[Cabinetman]

It’s a fairly common perception here that the exams have got much easier, an A used to be the top grade and then when they were handing them out like confetti they brought in the A star. It was unusual for pupils to take more than two or at most three A-levels now they are doing five and six and often get A stars in all of them.
When I was a kid it was commented on if somebody’s child was at University, then Tony Blair decided that all children should go to university which of course devalued the whole thing and then they realised it was costing the country a fortune so now the kids have to pay for it, not long after they started paying for it they decided to triple the rates, so now the poor devils have to pay for most of their working lives for something that they really didn’t need to start with, and an awful lot of the kids are coming out with a degree in something that is unusable.
Still, compared to the US and how much debt your kids have, it’s got a way to go to catch you up. Ian

 

[Phil Pascoe]

When I was at school it was unusual for anyone to take more than eight O levels. My daughter is bright, but no Einstein - she got seven As, five Bs and a C at gcse.

 

[gregmcateer]

I've finally had a go at bronze brush to raise the soft grain, ebonising lacquer, gilt cream, then polishing wax.
Ash. 15cm across x 5cm high. Wall is a bit too thick at 5mm, but got scared of ruining all the work!
Not too unhappy with the result, but know it could be much better.
Criticism welcome.

 

[kinverkid]

I've finally had a go at bronze brush to raise the soft grain, ebonising lacquer, gilt cream, then polishing wax.
Ash. 15cm across x 5cm high. Wall is a bit too thick at 5mm, but got scared of ruining all the work!
Not too unhappy with the result, but know it could be much better.
Criticism welcome.

Nice work. What ebonising lacquer did you use?

 

[gregmcateer]

Thank you for your thumbs up, gents.
Hi KK,
Chestnut Products and their gilt cream, then buffed on their system. (No shares in them - just found their products work for me)
Cheers
Greg

 

[Seaside Donkey]

A real scrap bin special this time.

Base is Iroko from Duffield's 50p clearance bin. Back and sides are White Oak which had been discarded as it was too dinged and the spalted Beech lid was scrounged from the docks.

The beech was used for chocking cargo in the ship's holds. When the ships were unloaded the dockers would just throw it into heaps and burn it to keep warm in the winter. Some of it, like the piece above has been laying about the place for ~25 years. The pics don't do it justice - there are all sorts of colours in it. Some of it looks like marble, some of it looks like coral and some of it looks like oil on a puddle.

I don't think the three woods match very well but I'm just practising on what I can get hold of cheaply.

 

[Ozi]

It’s a fairly common perception here that the exams have got much easier, an A used to be the top grade and then when they were handing them out like confetti they brought in the A star. It was unusual for pupils to take more than two or at most three A-levels now they are doing five and six and often get A stars in all of them.
When I was a kid it was commented on if somebody’s child was at University, then Tony Blair decided that all children should go to university which of course devalued the whole thing and then they realised it was costing the country a fortune so now the kids have to pay for it, not long after they started paying for it they decided to triple the rates, so now the poor devils have to pay for most of their working lives for something that they really didn’t need to start with, and an awful lot of the kids are coming out with a degree in something that is unusable.
Still, compared to the US and how much debt your kids have, it’s got a way to go to catch you up. Ian

And all to massage the unemployment figures.

So now we start work at 18 or 21 and retire at 67. there are a lot of kids who would be much better off working from 14 as my Dad did and given day release to top up practical skills. Keeping people in school teaching them subjects they see no practical use for teaches them to do the minimum they can get away with.

 

[Cordy]

Lovely box S/Donkey; the Beech lid looks terrific !
What is the low shrub like plant in the background ?