Making Your Own Shaker Boxes Course With Barry Horton

Handcrafted Shaker Oval Boxes & Carriers

Shaker Oval Boxes by Barry Horton

Lauréat. prix Départemental SEMA des Métiers d'art 2005

Version Française
Summer Workshop - 2011
Woodworking course in the heart of France

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_0006.jpg (175141 octets) This year my regular summer woodworking course will concentrate on hand tools, their preparation and proper method of use. This will centre on a lined and lidded jewellery box, constructed with hand cut dovetail joints which you will take home. The various aspects of the jewellery box construction will be broken down into separate modules of comprehensive knowledge and skill attainment. You will therefore learn basic furniture making skills that can later be applied to larger projects. Most importantly you will learn how to select, prepare and care for your hand tools in addition to their correct sharpening. Knowledge will be imparted from intensive one to one instruction; therefore there are only places for one or two students at any one time. The mood of the workshop will be relaxed and informal to make your time gaining professional skill and knowledge as enjoyable as possible.

Although the course is flexible and can adapt to suit all levels of competence, it is assumed that you will have some practical ability.

Duration of the course will be 5 days from 9.30 am, to 5.30pm, Lunch, morning and afternoon tea/coffee provided.

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The use of all tools for the duration of the course and course materials are included in the course fee. Brusso quadrant hinges, should you wish to use them, are an extra 47 euros at the time of writing, please ask about these when booking.

Self contained on site accommodation is available if required. Details below

Course Fee for one person without accommodation, 500 euros.

Course Fee for one person, with accommodation for either one or two people sharing apartment, 750 euros.

Available Course dates: July/August. Choice of week available.

* In the event where two people are sharing accommodation, but only one participating on the course, extra lunches can be provided for a companion at a minimal extra cost.

A few thoughts about those dovetail joints we will be making on the course together and a few details explaining how we shall be going about it.

For centuries the dovetail joint has been the preferred method of joining timber in all superior woodwork. Originally this was for strength when a mortise and tenon could not be used. In the days when good handwork was taken for granted, the craftsman generally concealed these joints. Over time, well-executed hand-cut dovetails have become synonymous with fine furniture and boxes. Today, rather than be concealed, they are used as a decorative device that confers quality to any form. _0027.jpg (176279 octets) This raise in status has attracted an aura of mysticism about the joint that perhaps prevents some woodworkers from attempting them, or makes them go out and buy an expensive dovetail jig to use with their electric router instead. While dovetail jigs are great for saving time or reducing production costs, they should never be a replacement for handwork if handwork is called for.

With this in mind I am offering a short course in the layout and execution of the dovetail joint, both the through and lapped dovetail using traditional hand tools. During the course you will use the lapped dovetail to make a hinged and lidded jewellery box, from either Cherry or Walnut, the skills you will learn doing this are those exact same skills required to make a dovetailed drawer. You may have time to add a compartment to the box or make some adaption to fulfil a specific purpose. I’m quite flexible on this, however extra costs may be incurred if we stray too far from the basic concept. Please ask about this when booking in case some Hand-cut-dovetails-web.jpg (265125 octets) additional preparation is required. The box itself, although sure to give you years of pleasure, is simply there to provide us with a starting point from which we may branch out to cover other foundational woodworking skills. First of all we shall discuss the right practice of tool care and tuning followed by demonstration and guidance to the correct way to sharpen them. We shall then go on to talk about the right way to hold each tool for maximun control and efficiency and the various ways of work holding. We will look at the criteria behind timber selection, its preperation and the constructional reasons behind orientation and placement of different elements.

We will also look at marking out the work with emphasis on dovetails and how we use the tails of the joint to conceal the groove holding the box top. The box top incidentally will be a raised and fielded panel housed in a groove that will allow for seasonal movement, while the bottom of the box will be housed in a simple rebate; all accomplished with hand tools. Taken together, this is quite a lot to cover in the 5 days available and each person absorbs knowledge in different ways and at different speeds. Therefore, it’s difficult to say how much time we will have to investigate further aspects, but if there is time, I’m happy to answer whatever questions you may have and even give extended tuition.

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Accommodation.

Double bedroom, shower room with toilet, living room with TV and DVD and a hallway that also contains a galley kitchen. Kitchen comprises, cupboards, sink, fridge, electric hot plates and microwave oven. Cooking utensils and implements, crockery and cutlery. The accommodation is wheelchair friendly, especially the shower and toilet, which have been designed specifically with wheelchair users in mind.

There is an additional bedroom upstairs that can be included in the accommodation if required. The rooms are so arranged that two couples could share the facilities while occupying separate bedrooms.

Situated in the centre of France surrounded by beautiful and unspoilt countryside, My workshop is south of Bourges, between Saint Amand-Montrond and Sancoins in the very heart of the Berry.

During your stay, you will find plenty to discover if on a combined holiday, or just an afternoon and evening out after a pleasant day woodworking.

My workshop is a converted barn that is professionally equipped while retaining its rustic charm, it's very typical of the area and nestles close to our old traditional farmhouse. Both are stone built and look out over uninterrupted views across meadow and woodland. We also enjoy the sights and sounds of abundant wildlife as well as the cows, which roam the surrounding meadows, their occasional calls punctuating the quiet tranquillity. The overall ambience of rusticity belies the creativity and work we accomplish here. In fact in 2005 we were awarded a laureate “ Prix Départmental SEMA des Métiers d’Art” - one of only four presented that year in our department - for one of our chairs.

Our Farmhouse
The farmhouse

That's me making chips and shavings

Click to enlarge photos

A sample of activities and places you can find in the area. rando-pedestre.jpg (13419 octets)

Activities such as fishing, golf, riding, swimming - local lakes with beaches, canoeing on the river Loire (the part of the river Loire in our region is the wildest part, full of exceptional fauna and flora), cycling along the canal de chasse-berry.jpg (21233 octets) Berry. There are many places to visit and, as a bonus, we do not have the crowds here as in the more “touristy” parts of France. There are plenty of interesting Chateaux, such as Ainay-le Viel, Meillant, Mentou-Salon, including le chateau de Bannegon, which is in the next village to us. Aubigny sur Nère, home to the Stuarts for 3 centuries. Gardens are a “must” here too. Visit the gardens at Orsan, Drulon, Ainay le Vieil, Apremount-sur-Allier - one of the 100 most beautiful villages in France, Limeux and plenty more. Bourges is the capital of the Berry and was the medieval capital of France and is a beautiful city to visit with its magnificent cathedral and “Nuits Lumiere de Bourges”. We have the Forest of Tronçais – the oldest and largest oak forest in Europe - on our doorstep. The “Route Jacques Coeur” and “ Route de Porcelain” run near us too. The Berry is the land of “Witches” and even has a museum devoted to them too. Being France, there are many good things to eat and drink and we have our own specialties such as wine from Sancerre, Mentou, Côteaux du Giennois, Chateaumeillant, Quincy, goats’ cheese from Chavignol…… to name but a few. Look up www.berrylecher.com for more information on our region.