Hello and welcome to The Compost Bin. I'm Compostwoman and I live with my family in rural Herefordshire. We have nearly four acres of garden and woodland, all managed organically and to Permaculture principles, which we share with Chickens, Cats and assorted wildlife. We also grow a lot of our own food, run courses in all sorts of things and make a lot of compost!

I am a Master Composter and have spent more than a decade as a volunteer Community Compost adviser with Garden Organic and my local Council.
I'm a self employed Environmental Educator so I run workshops and events where I talk about compost, veg growing, chicken keeping, cooking, preserving and sustainable living. I also run crafts workshops and Forest School/outdoor play sessions in our wood.

We try to live a more self sufficient lifestyle here, as best we can, while still having a comfortable life and lots of fun.


To learn more about us click on the About Compostwoman tab and remember to click on the photos to make them full size!


Showing posts with label green woodworking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label green woodworking. Show all posts

Tuesday, 10 May 2011

Birthday present pole lathe

My birthday present from Compostman - hand made by him using mainly reclaimed timber from the house roof refurbishment OR seasoned timber from our own woods.

BEST PRESENT EVER! (apart from the Shave horse he made me, last year ;-)

Here seen as Bungee lathe, because it was raining outside. But can also be Pole lathe.









Have been playing with birthday chisels and getting a feel for turning wood on it. Also have to fell a few more trees as all our wood is split and stored and the hot weather has made it dry out so it is a bit hard going to turn!





Shave horse ( made by Cm for me last year) in use to make a blank for the lathe from a split Ash log.






A bit of stuff I have turned down from the blank in the above picture.

I hope to make assorted treen ( wooden items) such as cups, plates, and various ornamental items with the pole lathe, I eventually hope to make a chair and some really good bowls, but I think I need to practice, first!

But even making shavings is good fun.

Friday, 6 May 2011

A visit to the woodland workshop of Mike Abbott


Today Compostman and I had the most wonderful day out. As members of the Association of Pole lathe Turners and Green Woodworkers we were lucky enough to visit Mike Abbott, renowned green woodworker, in his woodland workshop.

Todays visit was part of this weekend's  21st anniversary Bodgers Ball festivities which is an annual get together of green wood workers.....on offer were visits to Mike's workshop plus another couple of green woodworking sites nearby.






We walked up to Mike's workshop past a team of working Heavy Horses doing log extraction




Fabulous views across the Herefordshire countryside.





Ancient woodland being regenerated.





Amazingly lovely wooden composting toilet building



Inside!





The workshop in the woods





Mike splitting wood to make a chair spindle.




And then shaping it up on the shave horse.



Lots of pole lathes!



Walking back through the woods.













This amazing display of renewable energy generators on the Farm buildings!

A fabulous day out and thanks to Mike, Tamsin and the team for giving us all such a hospitable welcome.
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