Forewords by Mike Abbott and Otto Koedijk 6
Introduction 7
Chapter 1: Green wood, an introduction 10; Green wood, about making
a chair and carving a spoon 12; Old tools 12; Trees and woods 15;
Shaving horse 18; Axe, knife, spoon knife…spoons! 20
Chapter 2: Green wood, background information 22; Handmade 24; The
magic of splitting 26; Make it fresh, assemble it dry 27; The most
important wood joint: mortise and tenon joint 27; When is wood
(still) green? 28; A tree inside out 28; Felling a tree 34; Where
to get green wood 37; How to keep green wood green 37
Chapter 3: Trees, wood and their use 38; Birch 40; Beech 41; Oak
42; Northern red oak 43; Ash 44; Maple 45; Black locust 45; Hazel
46; Sweet chestnut 47; Willow 47; Yew 48; Other trees 49; Coppice,
wood providing trees 51
Chapter 4: Green wood techniques 52; Splitting 54; Using an axe 57;
Sawing discs 59; Mortise and tenon joints for a chair or stool with
stretchers 60; Different techniques 62; Making a tenon on a leg 64;
Wedging a joint 66; Drying legs, stretchers and tenons 68; Making
your piece level 69; Wood carving knife grips 70; Grips for the
spoon knife 75
Chapter 5: Projects made with green wood: tools 78; Handling wood
and measurements 80; Basic tools 81; Projects: making tools 82;
Shaving horse 82; Wooden hammer/club 92; Chopping block on legs 95;
Sawhorse (in two parts) 96; Axe handle 98
Chapter 6: Projects made with green wood: objects 100; Stool 102;
Small table/bench 107; Tripod 109; Shingles 111
Chapter 7: Projects made with green wood: diving deeper 114; Stool
with stretchers 116; Chair 124
Chapter 8: Carving projects 134; Spatula 136; Spoon 139; Salt scoop
144
Chapter 9: Greenwood craft tools 146; Axes 148; Drills: brace and
auger 150; Bending moulds 153; Froe 154; Saws 155; Shaving horse
160; Scraper 160; Holdfast 160; Tenon cutter 161; Spokeshave 162;
Drawknife 163; Adze or carving axe 164; Hammer/club and mallet 165;
Chopping block 165; Wood carving knife 165; Spoon knife 166;
Clamping tools 166; Measuring tools 167
Chapter 10: Maintenance and sharpening 168
Vershout on youtube 174
Books and more 175
Appendix safety and taking care of tools 176
Sjors van der Meer developed his passion for woodworking when he was a student at a furniture making company. He learned all about joinery and became an amateur cabinetmaker. Though this gave him a lot of joy, he fell in love with wood and trees when he discovered the craft of green woodworking; his love for nature and craft came together in this way. The simple hand tools, the raw materials and the often-ancient techniques were a revelation. He decided to make a living out of the craft. Ever since, he has spent a lot of time in nature, working on green wood furniture and spoon carving. Since 2011 he has run green woodworking workshops with his friend and co-author Job Suijker.
Job Suijker studied at the Technical University of Delft and worked for 20 years as an environmental advisor. In his late twenties he developed a passion for nature, especially for trees and forests, with a special fascination for the ancient trees (yew tree) of Great Britain. He fell in love with green woodworking while chopping firewood for his wood stove. After having been to the west coast of Ireland for a sabbatical, a self-educating period started; he saw a chance for a green woodworking revival.
Great informative book about an old craft. My husband (a carpenter)
found it interesting and is going to make a Greenwood stool. It
gives great information on different woods and also the old tools
used.
*Customer review*
My hubby is a carpenter of 40+ yrs so I asked him to have a look at
this book for me to do a review for Search Press. Well for
someone's who not a book reader I lost him for an hour or so in the
book. He thought it was a fantastic book, so descriptive, plenty of
drawings shows you how to make tools in a very traditional way. He
found this really piqued his interest for something when he
retires. Equally felt this was an excellent guide for the
novice.
So as the novice and book lover I loved this book it's well laid
out starting with basics you may need a section all about trees,
which is what tree always - good to know, and what tree is useful
for different items. The intro into working the wood with what and
how to make a variety of things starting off gently working up into
more complex projects. A very useful chapter about best way to look
after your tools.
A very interesting informative book.
*Customer review*
I enjoyed reading this book as it gave a great insight into working
with green wood from the forests. I like the author gave a
background on the types of wood to use and how to obtain it without
costing too much. They gave good descriptions on the projects you
can undertake and these range from beginners to intermediate wood
workers. Myself, I look forward to trying to make a new wooden
hammer and making wooden shingles to tile my wood store.
*Customer review*
The subject is not so new, but the layout and photos are as
inviting as a celebrity cookbook. The tools alone are a thing of
beauty and there are instructions for a chopping block on legs
which looks like it’s walked itself out of a fairy-tale. The
attractive, no-nonsense cover and enticing photos on the back (I
note that the paper is appropriately FSC approved) would appeal to
anyone. Not just about how to wield a saw or create your own unique
stool, this book also taps into the recent rebirth of an
appreciation of nature as a gateway to wellbeing. Steeped in the
tenets of nature connection (and connection to ancestors, for that
matter), but without being too hippyish or bandwagonesque, the
Dutch authors naturally respect the tree in everything they do.
This is an absorbing read. Having attended a few whittling days
myself, I have since struggled to explain to those friends who
would rather just go and buy a spoon from a supermarket what it is
that I get out of carving my own wonky utensil beneath the trees.
This book did all that for me. It acknowledges my inner hobbit and
welcomes me in. I appreciated the little mission statement tucked
away at the beginning which mentions how the writers, “open up
working with green wood to everyone, from children to pensioners,
from experienced DIYers to clumsy people”. This instilled me with
confidence! There is a comprehensive index which is whimsical in
places (‘The Magic of Cleaving’!), but easy to navigate. Chapters
span the whole process including felling, coppicing (though further
reading is suggested in these areas) and types of tree/wood, before
moving on to technique and various styles of projects. Maintenance
and care of tools are found at the back; a welcome addition which
is often overlooked on courses unless you think to ask. Projects
range from Tools, Objects (mostly small items of furniture), and
Carving (i.e. utensils). All the items covered are useful, which
makes a refreshing change. There are even instructions to make
shingles. The tone is instructional, yet friendly. There is plenty
of information about where problems might occur, how to choose
suitable wood, and sharpening techniques. This is a lot of detail,
but the writers still managed to hold my interest. For instance,
the idiosyncrasies of a piece of wood – such as knots and the
effects of torsion – are discussed and advice on how to work with
them is given. I was particularly impressed with the thorough
description of axe and knife techniques and loved the suggestion of
using old bicycle inner tubes to weave a seat. Though I am now
inspired to have a go at making a salt scoop, I know I currently
lack the precision to be crafting a chair on my own. I’m guessing
that a more advanced woodworker would have no problem building a
shaving horse from the instructions in the book. However, if you’re
a beginner, or don’t have access to all the resources (i.e. tools
and/or a woodland), I would suggest going on a course to make a
shaving horse – a foundation tool that is more easily built with an
expert and an extra pair of hands nearby – to get a feel for what
you should be doing and to try out the other tools. This book would
be an ideal accompaniment to a practical workshop; everything is
here to remind you of what you were shown and what you might need
to purchase to further your new hobby. There is something very
Dutch about a book created “because there are other ways”. I found
this sentiment very touching. The writing is very coherent; you are
guided through the book itself as well as the techniques. It is
philosophical in places, almost poetic, yet not a difficult read (I
found it to be great bedtime reading). It’s a substantial hardback
which is definitely worth the money. If you don’t buy it for
yourself, then it would make a lovely gift.
*Customer review*
Good read, very informative, some interesting ideas and uses of
greenwood.
*Customer review*
This is such a lovely book. I like that it has a hard cover which
will protect it when outside. The photos are so clear and show step
by step instructions. I am a complete novice who wants to do basic
forest woodworking skills with the children that I work with and
there are enough projects include to keep us busy. The only small
disappointment that I have is that I would prefer more smaller,
simpler projects, but overall I am very happy with this
book.
*Customer review*
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