JOHN LLOYD FINE FURNITURE NEWSLETTER
April 2016
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Spring is finally in the air! Students and bench renters are taking their tea breaks in the sun, and everyone is smiling. Only the hardiest and the quick drinkers were braving the great outdoors during the winter months – the tea simply cools too fast!.
The January long course term has now ended and we’ve said our goodbyes to another batch of talented furniture makers striding out to start their new careers. We know they will stay in touch and look forward to watching their businesses develop and wish them every success. We welcome Peter to our thriving group of bench renters, he has chosen to take up the opportunity to transfer to the bench rental workshop to concentrate fully on establishing his new business without the immediate pressures and expense of setting up on his own.
Each month we will be featuring the work of one of our bench renters. This month the focus is on Matthew Paré a talented and imaginative designer/maker.
John ‘s blog this month has already caused an unprecedented number of hits. Could the clue to it’s success have something to do with it’s title? TOOL PORN! Do I really need every plane in the catalogue?
Finally, don’t forget to check out John’s latest top tip below!
Treat Yourself to a Weekend Woodworking Course this Summer
Join John for two days of action packed intensive tuition in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Indulge your creativity and improve your woodworking skills. Complete beginners very welcome. Teaching hours are from 8.30 am to 6pm (with tea breaks!) to enable everyone to gain as much as possible from their time in the workshops. Spend a weekend in the beautiful Sussex countryside, with excellent B&B and country pub accommodation nearby and Brighton just a short drive over the stunning South Downs.
Cabinetmaking Fundamentals
21-22 May & 20-21 August
£250
Sharpening & Tuning Hand Tools
16-17 July
£250
Antique Furniture Care and Repairs
19-20 March, 13-14 August & 3-4
December
£250
Wood Machining
11-12 June & 1-2 October
£300
More details ……….
CABINETMAKING FUNDAMENTALS
Weekend Course
21-22 May and 20-21 August
This course is aimed at the complete beginner or the woodworker who may have some experience but wishes to get back to the basics of cabinet-making in order to produce woodwork of a high standard.
If you have never used a well tuned and set up plane, or a razor sharp chisel, this course will be a revelation, and when you understand the basics of cabinet-making you will realise that ‘engineering in wood’ to minute tolerances is not only achievable, it is also joyful!
The main purpose of this course is to develop essential hand skills and give a good understanding of the main cabinet-making principles Read more…..
GRADUATE FOCUS – Matthew Paré
Matt took the one year Advanced Fine Furniture Making course and launched his company Petrel Handcrafted Furniture in 2014.
Always brimming with his own original design ideas, Matt is often applauded for the ease with which he works with his clients to incorporate their wishes into the final design.
Matt says: I am incredibly privileged to work creatively with my hands using beautiful British woods. I make elegant, understated fine furniture that lasts a lifetime. To me the mark of success within my work, is when I bring the function, design and materials together to create a piece of furniture that sits in harmony with its surroundings. Achieving this balance is a constant endeavour.
Whisky Cabinet (Walnut & Bog Oak)
Made for a Scottish Gentleman to hold his fine whisky collection, the cabinet was designed to sit in a modern room. I wanted to create a solid seamless block of walnut that would flow and encourage you to explore and open the cabinet. I also wanted the piece to speak to the flavour profile of the clients’ favourite whisky: caramel and smoke, with leather and peat aromas.
Linen Press (walnut & Sycamore)
Inspired by the clean utility of shaker furniture, this piece really lets the wonderful solid walnut shine. The interior is lined with English sycamore, which gives a wonderful light contrast to the dramatic walnut. Hand turned pulls continue the honest constructing giving this substantial piece a quiet confidence.
Console Table (Cherry)
Designed as a limited edition piece, this table reflects my approach to design – elegant and understated pieces, with beautiful touches to please the eye. I created a sweeping profile at the top of the leg, to draw the eye up and into the main part of the table, and then a gentle curve leads you to a discrete drawer.
WHY NOT COME AND VISIT PETREL AT CRAFT SHOWS THIS SUMMER?
We’ll be at CCD selection @ London Craft Week, May 3-7.
Craft Central Gallery, 33-35 St John’s Square, London EC1M 4DS
And at the Celebration of Craftsmanship and Design, 20-29 August.
Thirlestaine Long Gallery, Bath Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL53 7LD
We will be at the ‘meet the makers’ events at both shows (Tuesday 3 May in London and Friday 19 August in Cheltenham) so we hope to meet some of you there.
Matt can be contacted for a no-commitment chat about any project you may have in mind on info@petrelfurniture.com.
SKILLS WEEK REVIEW
The feedback from my latest bunch of SKILLS WEEK students. The July course is very nearly full, I will try to schedule another if there’s enough extra demand please contact me Email
“I would just like to say a big thank you for the fantastic course that you ran last week, i can honestly say i haven’t learnt that much in years and along with that had such fun.
You truly have an exceptional environment to learn and the camaraderie is second to none. Again many, many thanks and hopefully i will get myself along to the long course in the not to distant future.”
“It was Excellent, I liked everything. Really. The people, the equipment, the course content, John’s expertise, Sara-Jane’s cake. It was all Brilliant.”
Course details
RESTORATION ROUND UP
When is a chair not a chair? When it’s a Back-Stool!
“A chair without arms, a stool with a back. Recorded as early as 1588 ‘in the Greate Gallerye’ at Leicester House, The Strand were ‘twoe backe stooles…covered wthe greene Velvett’.”
Extract from The Shorter Dictionary of English Furniture
DON’T MISS THIS MONTH’S BLOG
This month John advises how to rein in your Tool ‘Porn’ habit! Follow John now…..
Any feedback is very welcome!
JOHN’S TIP OF THE MONTH
A clever bit of recycling.
Old upholstery springs make really excellent clamps for precision glueing.
And finally ………. when the sky is on fire – a simply glorious sun disappearing behind the workshops.
Just had to share.
BENCH RENTAL AVAILABLE
A bench has become available in our dedicated ‘bench rental’ workshops to share with other like minded woodworkers. Would suit furniture makers, antique restorers, semi retired second careerists or simply woodwork enthusiasts of any age. These workshops are light and bright and solely for the use of bench renters, they are not shared with students or large noisy machines! There is a well equipped, sound proofed machine shop adjacent, easy parking close by and great camaraderie – there’s always a helping hand with timber delivery should you need one.
We’re 20 minutes from central Brighton and 1 hour from London, 10 minutes from the M23. Several people commute from London by train, it’s easy as we’re only a 5 minutes bike ride from the Wivelsfield station.
We offer very competitive rates for long or short rental which includes heat, light etc.
Please call 01444 480388 for prices and to arrange a viewing.
FOR SALE
Are you longing for a really good bench? These beautifully made and carefully thought out cabinet makers work benches, designed by John Lloyd, and made to order in his workshops. Standard dimensions 1800mm (6′) long x 600mm (2′) wide with a custom built height. Other sizes are available on request. More info…
