Shrink pot

Finally the shrink pot is finished. I got the idea to make a shrink pot from Jögge Sundqvist's book, ”Slöjda i trä”. It is the first one I have made with a sliding lid. The two others I have made have no lids. One serves as a knife holder in my workshop. The other one is sitting on a shelf and it is going to stay there until I find out what to do with it.

The shrink pot I have just finished is made out of ash. The top and bottom are from dry pieces of scrap. The lid stands a bit proud. The figure on the top of the lid is a seahorse. The seahorse is made with a chip carving technique. I like it when you use an old technique in another way. I believe that keeps old techniques alive.

Normally you would choose beech wood to make a shrink pot because it is softer wood and

easier to work with. In addition the shrink pot originates from Sweden and in the north the most common material available is beech or fir. In Sweden it is very common to paint the shrink pot, something I did not feel like doing.

I have made a lot of mistakes and, hopefully, I will learn from them. First of all I had trouble drilling the holes. Unfortunately I drilled a hole in the side, so the box had to be shorter than I intended. Then someone pointed out to me that an old style drill was better because it creates less friction. I will have to test this when I get hold of a sharp one.

The inside was carved out with a spoon knife from Bo Helgesson of Sweden. I had put a handle on the spoon knife myself by using the shrinking method, but it came loose. I guess it had something to do with the length of the tool and the pressure I was exerting because I have previously made lots of handles for knives and files with good results. I am planning to make a new handle for the spoon knife, using a brass ring and plenty of glue this time around.

The base of the pot is not as tight as I would have liked. It is possible to see glimpses of light in certain areas. I assume this has happened because I did not put the base on immediately after hollowing out the pot.

I love my new shrink pot and enjoy showing it to anyone and everyone that happens to come around. They all say the same thing, ”Shouldn't you get on with your house instead!”

Bodgers Ball

I have just been to England for The Bodgers Ball´s 21st anniversary. It was held in Herefordshire in a very beautiful country setting, like something out of a film.
I met a lot of nice and interesting people and old friends. I also bought an old wooden spokeshaver and saw a demonstration on how to sharpen a saw. I saw another demonstration on how to carve a bowl with a crooked knife on a stick.

That same weekend I went to my first book launch. It was for Mick Abbott's third book:

Going with the Grain. I like the book. It describes how to build chairs and the gadgets that go

with chair building.

I am going to build Mike's new shaving horse. The shaving horse has featured in an aticle in Living Woods Magazine.

The book is like having nicked the clever student's notes from a chair makers course.

The book launch took place in Mike's work shop. Two of his helpers were making pizza and there were flapjacks and local apple juice. I took a photo of his oven to dry chair parts, the same photo as is in the book, just with the oven open. The guy in the picture is one of the pizza makers.

When you have been to an event like the Bodgers Ball you are full of new ideas and impressions but frustrated that there is not enough time to carry them out.