Success all around – a message for many

Our Online Broadcast is an Immediate Success

Launching our Online Broadcast posed many challenges but its success over the past 24 hours far exceeded our expectations and so we thank you for all of your support. There is of course as always a great deal of behind the scenes work that marks every success story and we have a our fair share of people that have made this happen.

Thank you also for all of the emails encouraging this work. You have made this so worth while. Yes we had a couple of glitches, but these are being ironed out and thank you for your patience and diligence. Also, please remember that we have longterm goals and ambitions to reach all nations with our message of real woodworking as an alternative reality. If your country has a specific need we are not reaching, please let us know. If our translator doesn’t work as well as we hope it is, again, let us know. If you have a topic you need info on please do not hesitate to contact us and if we seem enthusiastic it’s most likely because you are enthusiastic too. So thank you all for your encouraging words and emails.

Re our Month-long workshop

I have neglected mentioning this for a few days because it has been so wonderful. We have tool chest boxes together, 12 of them, and we have panels being raised as we speak. The standard is high because expectations are high. Dovetails don’t always come easy at first as we all know, but these are pretty good all round I would say. Tomorrow we will have most of the superstructure done and we will start the drawer tills next. That’s always a challenge as we have some tricks to joinery to pass on, most of which they will never have heard of let alone seen. The group is very mixed in every way imaginable. Different countries, both genders, various spiritual backgrounds and many types of jobs. They are all working well together and we have a very full class. The oak is all dried and ready for milling for the next project which starts on Wednesday next week. That will be a lot of fun too. The challenge are very real. It’s the uncertainty they feel that hinders laughter for a while and then, without realizing it, they are laughing. The task they were unsure about is done and they have learned new techniques they will have for the rest of their lives. I laugh too. I saw it coming, watch them struggle and then the victory. A software engineer has an overwhelming choice to make as he works the wood. Unfamiliar ground can be tough, but he is determined and that’s what makes the difference. So too the men from Bedgellert here in North Wales who car pool the long road from the other side of Snowdon. One develops exhibitions for art and the other thinks he’s retired. They have become woodworking friends and share conversation as they drive over to Penrhyn Castle. They are both happy in the work and the learning curve. Soon we will be discussing how to become a lifestyle woodworker and how to make a living from working with your hands. I will tell them they must work twice as long for half the pay. That they will have feast on one day and famine on the other. Then, one day, something will click and no matter feast or famine they will have joy and fulfillment from their chosen craft.

Slovakian Chisels

 

 

Lea brought some lovely chisels to me to day. I used them all afternoon and didn’t want to give them back. I felt so encouraged in using them. They are made in her native country of Slovakia. I will buy some as soon as I can get the details. I think of these chisels as detail chisels as they are lightweight, yet will chop dovetails all day long which is what I was doing this afternoon. I would love to try other tools from Europe. There are many fine tool  makers there.

 

Help is always at hand

Caleb and Phil are my two proteges at the moment. We are thinking of opening another school in the USA. If we do, we will need new staff too. That’s where Caleb comes in. He lives in Texas and that’s where we are considering opening the next New Legacy School of Woodworking so please keep this in mind. We have not chosen the location, we are looking right now, but we do have staff thought through.

Phil of course helps me here in the UK and enjoys the people we work with. This is a very busy month for both of us. He’s gaining new woodworking skills ever day and his work sells here at the Castle alongside mine. he has wonderful people skills and that’s critical to our work. Making furniture has always been essential to our staff at the schools as we always want teachers to be furniture makers who have and are making the bulk of their income from woodworking. Remember the hope chest (blanket UK) I was building for video a few weeks ago? Well, I sold that about a month ago as we had no space spare and the people who bought it needed it because they loved it.