Wooden Planes

[Gary H]

Blimey!! Not to my taste either but damn fine work all the same.

certainly no workshop.

Daresay no power tools either. Maybe we rely on our 'necessities' too much these days. (Maybe Alf's got a point!!)
:wink:

Ta muchly

Gary

 

[johnjin]

Hi Adam
Thanks for the pics. Yes the furniture is not to my taste as well, but that is not the point. These pictures are a very good example of what I would call supreme craftsmanship. The dedication necessary to achieve these results is something I can only guess at. The quality of these pieces is something to aspire to but knowing full well that I will never even come close. You should be very proud to have had in your family someone who could produce such incredible workmanship. With all the modern tools and equipment available to us today it is still something I could only dream of making.

All The Best

John

 

[Chris Knight]

Adam,

I DO like the furniture. He was obviously a heck of a fine craftsman if only a joiner so to speak. But when you read George Ellis and see what joiners used to do and were expected to master, it's not a surprise really. It's just that our modern expectations seem to have slipped a bit as far as craftsmanship is concerned.

 

[Alf]

Crikey, Adam, you've got an awful lot to live up to eh? Fabulous workmanship, and to be honest I'd happily give it space. Quality furniture never goes out of style, and that certainly qualifies.

Cheers, Alf

 

[Adam]

Just 'cos it's not to my taste, doesn't mean I won't "store" it on behalf of future generations :wink:. Problem is, I like "white" furniture, Ash, Maple, Oak, and don't really go in for anything so dark as a rule, although should I make a rocking chair like Chris, I'd have to say I reckon for contrast I'd go with black walnut.

Adam

 

[Aragorn]

Be careful there Adam - "blonde" woods are going out of fashion nowadays - probably because people assume it must be from IKEA if it's made of blonde wood! :wink:
I agree with the comments made about your ancestor's craftmanship - very skilled and great attention to detail.

 

[Dewy]

When my grandfather died in 1970 his son in law dismissed all his furniture as junk.
He had been a cabinet maker and much of it was self made and all in dark woods.
He made them during the Edwardian era when light woods were frowned upon.
I remember a shoe polishing box by the kitchen fireplace.
It had a felt seat lid with sloping part to rest your foot on.
The sides were all inlaid with various veneers.
He had always collected ebony elephants in pairs, male and female.
He had dozens ranging from 1" to 9" tall.
Each had real ivory tusks.
These too were dismissed as rubbish.
As a kid I often played on a table skittles set he had made when my father was a child.
These were the days before even radio became normal when eveyone made their own entertainment at home.

 

[Gary H]

When my grandfather died in 1970 his son in law dismissed all his furniture as junk.

These too were dismissed as rubbish.

Man, that is a tragedy. For a proud man, as he obviously was to make his own furniture, to have his life's work dismissed as rubbish and junk is not only sad, but a crime against the cabinetmakers/furniture makers/craftsmans profession. And an insult to the man personally, IMHO.
Sorry if thats a little strong but I feel, as many do, that any man or woman who enjoys a craft such as woodwork and loves the art as most do, should be praised on their merits - no matter how exceptional or limited they may be.
Rant over! :x
Here endeth the lesson

Gary

 

[Dewy]

It's not too strong at all. My father had emigrated & I was asked to represent him.
Others in the family went next door with my grandparents old friends.
We were all disgusted with what was happening.
I had an argument with my uncle an never had any contact with that side of the family since.
To rub their noses in it, my father insisted that my grandfathers WW1 medals were sent direct to me to care for.
They are to be handed down to my son complete with the DCM awarded for dragging his officer back from no mans land while wounded in the leg by machine gun bullets.
It took him 2 days crawling in the mud when everyone else who 'went over the top' in his company had been killed.

 

[trevtheturner]

Adam,

The pieces are spectacular. Thanks for posting them and allowing me the privilege of looking at them. I do like them and they would certainly fit well in my old house!

Could anybody today produce intricate work of such outstanding quality without the use of hand tools? Doubt it.

Now we know what Alf gets up to! :wink:

Cheers,

Trev.