This project was perfect for batch production; the pieces are simple and can be cut in multiples. BUT, the coolest part of all is that when it was done we put our carriages together and created a train of inspiring proportions. 
My friends were impressed by the notion that our train’s carriages could be hooked together and towed around. It failed, however, in that each woodworker could only take home a single carriage; they had nothing to tow. At the end of the train project, and experiencing a flush of overconfidence, I asked staff for inspiration. They requested a fire…
Clip Board The note pad that went into the Mothers’ Day baskets was a hit. It was both simple to make and functional.Wooden mechanisms are clumsy. At the proportions of a note pad it is difficult to include complexity. But, enlarged to A4 scale you can fit a nice wooden spring loaded clip at the…
I Broke a Promise… …but I also made a discovery. When I began doing wood projects among my disabled friends I made some promises to myself. The promises were a personal, but unwritten, statement of policy. I promise to: do work that is engaging because the thing we make is interesting, never to do all…
New Experiences Never Stop Happening in the Classroom For teaching to happen, a teacher must believe that they have something to offer. But no amount of self belief can surmount a brick wall cemented with the rubble of self doubt. Self doubt compacted under decades of hammering. Regular children in regular schools are frequently open…
Small workbenches are a continuing theme.This bench is a commission.The brief prescribed 1000mm x 500mm with dog holes that are not obstructed by objects beneath them. For instance, it is not uncommon for a dog hole to be installed directly above the screw of a vice and long hold downs become useless. There was also…
The wood speaks for itself!