Monday 21 January 2013

Getting on with the jobs in hand...

Snow, beautiful...

So I'm writing this about the workshop over the last couple of weeks. The problem is Blogger has been down as far as uploading pictures, and if you already follow my blog you'll know that I like to take photos and put them on here. Loads of people are complaining about it, so hopefully Google (who own Blogger) will get the problem sorted out. There is a sort of fix, where you install Google Chrome, but lots are against this, for whatever their reasons.



Here's the Gallery area including shelving...

The workshop is improving, I have to make it safe for customers to walk in, I don't want people to get too close to the benches and machines. I have a Gallery to the side as you walk in and needs to be, as accessible as possible for customers to look at my work. So as I was telling one of the other artists about the fence idea, then someone, knows someone who can help, for the price of me turning a glass blowing block, this is one of the tools used to shape the glass.


This is the fabulous fencing...hinged so that I can change its orientation


This is some of the old timber from up the garden, soon to be turned into another bench.

The extra bench is for workshops and courses, I'm going to use all scrap timber to make the bench, and the vice will be off my bench. Mine will have the one bought from famous auction site, last year. The owner was from Worcester, and was clearing out an old shed. The 10" vice is a Parkinson's Perfect with quick release lever and will be a great addition to my bench. From what I've read, Parkinsons was bought out by Record around the 1940s.


I think the timber for the bench will have to be put through the planer, I don't want students getting splinters off the legs or rails, and I'm sure I've got some old varnish that needs using up. So, in all it will be a pretty good bench, There is some of the chipboard shelving left over that will be used for the top of this bench and the other bench that I need to make for my metalwork stuff.


Here is one of the Large chunky candlesticks I have been turning...
Just giving the rough stuff a bit of burnishing..


Here are four of the Large Chunky Candlesticks, complete with price tags. 

I just love the chunky simple shapes, on a timber that has split due to drying out, these would be just at home  on an old refectory table or outside on a shelf or table going silver grey...but could quite easily be painted and distressed.. up to you..


My Mitre planes are polished up and sitting in the bottom of the cabinet
come and have a look if you want..

I'm working on some classes and short courses that people can come and learn how to make something, so keep coming back, details will be on here soon.

And there are more things to come off the lathe...

Thanks for reading

All the best

Jamie


Friday 11 January 2013

Happy New year...Jamie Hubbard Creative Woodwork

And if you are new to my blog, welcome.

On here I will be going through some of the items being made in my workshop at the Ruskin Glass Centre.

Every now and then I will be covering some of the work that I will be doing on our house.


So while you might have been taking some well deserved time off over the Christmas and New Year, Lynn, myself and the girls were in and out of the workshop, taking some of the smaller bits and pieces over. Then on a couple of occasions my brother Stuart, came over in one of his trucks and we filled it up to the top of the sides, then off to the workshop. So before I forget I'd like to thank Stuart, Lesley, Dean and Adam for their help.

One of the many things that I have had to sort out is the insurance cover. let me tell you that that, in itself is a bit than a pain, but after all the shopping around it came down to the insurance company that most of the others in the building use. But I'm glad that I did the comparisons, there was a huge difference between some of the premiums, so it was well worth the effort.

I have had all sorts of checks, the reason for this is the workshop is owned and run by the Ruskin Mill Trust, and part of my tenancy agreement is that I have students (aged between 18 - 25) with learning disabilities for at least one session of work experience per week. I'm looking forward to this, and I think that the session could be broke down into small chunks of time, cleaning and checking work on display, keeping the workshop tidy. Onto assisting with making some of the work, keeping a check on some of the tools, just to see if there are any chunks out of chisel edges that may have been used in a class or workshop.

I've moved into what I feel is a pretty well set up workshop space as far as, there are plenty of double sockets around, lots of light through the windows and roof, the walls and underside of the mezzanine are all painted white and there is a sink unit up the corner. Toilets are located in the passageway down the hall, so, all in all a pretty good space.

Down the left hand side as you walk in, there are alcoves between the supporting pillars and in the first large alcove I have put some shelving to display some of the work being made. Stuart had some old flooring, 40mm chipboard from his works, that was not needed, so I jumped at the chance of having it, and you can see in the pictures that it works really well. I didn't want just plain long shelving...So I thought back to a picture I saw on Twitter of Laura Jane Clarkes shelving in her living space in some disused toilets in Crystal Palace London.



Anyhow the new name for the workshop is...

Jamie Hubbard Creative Woodwork


So this is the entrance to the building, my workshop is in the middle of the shot,
on the outside corner of the building...
 
all the best

Jamie
 
more pics to follow when Google Blogger have sorted out their problems.

It's been about a week now, and Google Blogger still have not got the button for downloading pictures working, I'm soory about this but it is out of the authors hands...


all the best
Jamie