Spring Competition - 'Build a Box' CLOSED

Thanks to those of you who entered your boxes in the Spring Competition.
The competition is now closed, and I shall be making a video to showcase the finalists.
Please watch out for the video, where you will be able to vote in the video comments section.
Alternatively, you can view and vote for your favourite here.

Please only vote once!

Competition news

The Spring Competition - Build a Box

There is only just over a week left for entries in the Build a Box competition.

Did I set the bar to high? There certainly haven't been many entire yet.

Of course that would give anyone entering a great chance of winning!

Get out in your shops and make a box!


The next competition

Great news. A major UK tool supplier has offered to donate a prize.
You'll have to wait until the launch of the competition to find out more, but if you enjoy hand tools or want to get into using them then this could be up your street.

I haven't fixed the launch date yet, but it with either be combined with the results of the Build a Box, or fairly soon after. So keep an eye out!

60sec Series

I'm going to make a series of short videos, showing the basics of techniques in sixty seconds.

The aim is to entice those not familiar with my YouTube channel to take a look: Studies suggest that short videos are far more likely to to viewed where the channel is not known to the viewer.

A pilot video on sharpening a tenon saw has been posted for a couple of days so far. The overwhelming feedback from subscribers is that they prefer the normal style - not a surprise, and I agree with them. But there has also been positive feedback, including areas to change to make comprehension of content better.

I'll be making some changes to the pilot, and looking to add future episodes from time to time.

Rest assured, the usual style will continue to dominate output.

Busy, busy

With the weather improving, there is so much to do in the garden. But still I have been able to keep up regular YouTube postings. Do please check the recent videos, which include a review of a side rebate plane, completion of the sofa table maquette, initial prep of some slabs for coffee table builds later this summer, and a how to on flattening and smoothing a glued up panel.

I've also been out snapping the spring buds, leaves, and flowers of some of the areas native and naturalised trees, for a little project. More on that later.

Thanks to all of you who sent video ideas in. I now have a stack that should keep me busy for some time.

Don't forget the box building competition. There is still time to enter. The closing date was the 15th May, but since I shall be tied up that weekend, I won't be closing it down until the 17th or 18th now.