The Forest Woodworker

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.

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