Work today

I prepped the layout for the oak doors today. Heavy, heavy work moving largesections around to square shoulder lines and gauge the mortise holes. Got to work work on some machining next, which I do in the machines at my home workshop. I walked over to the walled garden to check my measurements once more just to make certain before irreversible cuts are made.  John took care of many shop needs and worked on another eBay saw he bought, which was a nice W Tyzak 12″ brass-backed tenon saw he bought for peanuts.

I was also in and out of Penrhyn Castle filming and photographing. It’s remarkable to see the expanse of woodworking from floor to ceiling and wall to wall in solid English oak. The furniture pieces range from heavily carved oak desks to mahogany tambour tables and ornate chairs to match. I like the hidden details and features as much as the flamboyant exteriors. The opulence of the era contrasts markedly with the starkness of the quarry villages surrounding the Castle. Hard to imagine that royalty have slept and dined within these walls and walked through these doorways in centuries past.

Tomorrow John and I have more door making work to keep us busy and we have a two-week deadline to complete them before we start making a batch of eight furniture pieces. Keeping on track is critical at this stage because we have many business considerations to prioritize.