viewing category: OneOak project

A student who won a national prize to have his seat design made into a piece of furniture from the OneOak tree has returned to the National School of Furniture at Oxford & Cherwell Valley College (OCVC). This time he came with classmates from the Arden School in Solihull, to see how his winning design was being put together at OCVC and to lend a helping hand.

Oliver Mason won the MakeIT! award in June this year (read more) with his design for a seat.  MakeIT!  is an sector-based project and competition for schools, organised by Proskills, to show students how furniture is designed and made in the Furniture, Furnishings and Interiors (FFI) Industry. 

MakeIT winner Oliver Mason visits OCVC

MakeIT winner Oliver Mason (front right) at the National School of Furniture, Oxford & Cherwell Valley College, with fellow students from Arden School, Solihull. Here they are learning to steam-bend oak from the OneOak tree. Photo OCVC.

 

Oliver and classmates had a tour of the facilities, undertook some practical activities and then made some components for the winning furniture design, supervised by OCVC’s Woodmill Technician Geoff Carter.

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A major milestone was reached in the OneOak project yesterday. The timber was removed from the drying kiln at Deep in Wood sawmill, and the Makers came to collect their boards.

OneOak Makers - November 2011

Some of the OneOak Makers gathered in the timber shop at Deep in Wood

Makers present included Philip Koomen, Derek Elliot, Robert Ingham, Philip Clayden, Simon Clements, Martin Damen, Terry Hardaker, Pathway Workshop, and students from Rycotewood Furniture Centre (Oxford & Cherwell Valley College) led by Chris Hyde and Joseph Bray.

These makers will be working mostly with the main sawn boards from the OneOak tree, and their products will join those already made by other makers from its branchwood and waste products. All Makers will now get underway in making a myriad of wooden objects from the OneOak tree’s timber, in readiness for our major exhibitions from Summer 2012.

Our huge thanks to James Binning and team at Deep in Wood for hosting the event and for their generous support of the  OneOak project over the last two years.

 

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Sylva Christmas Card

Christmas Card

Sylva's new Christmas card

We are delighted to offer our first Christmas Card: OneOak tree on a Winter’s night.

The image used is a stunning photographic portrait of the OneOak tree taken by Sam Scott-Hunter in 2009. The image captures perfectly the snow-clad woodland scene as the sun set on a cold December afternoon. Sam used a long exposure and then ran around the base of the tree with a lantern to create this unique image.

The cards are very competively priced, especially in our multiple packs. All proceeds support our charitable work.

Visit Sylva’s online shop

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The story of the OneOak timber being used by Carpenter Oak & Woodland in preparing a frame for a new house was told in a previous post: OneOak timber framing the future.

OneOak in timber framed house

OneOak in timber framed house, Gloucestershire

Earlier this week, OneOak project manager Gabriel Hemery, visited the site of the new house build in Gloucestershire. The timber frame of the stunning curved design, in which the OneOak braces form an integral part, was nearing completion. Workers from Carpenter Oak & Woodland were putting the final touches to the frame in readiness to hand it over to the builders to complete.

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Sylva Online Shop

We are delighted to launch our online shop. We have some wonderful works of art arising from the OneOak project that many people have expressed interest in.  To launch the shop we are initially offering a rare opportunity for people to own a limited edition print of a pen and ink drawing by internationally-renowned artist Sarah Simblet. Over the coming weeks and months we will be adding other artwork and products.

 The OneOak tree portrait

A stunning pen and ink portrait of the OneOak tree drawn by internationally renowned artist, and author of Botany for the Artist, Sarah Simblet. Generously donated to the Sylva Foundation by the artist. All proceeds from sales will be used for our charitable work. Only 100 limited edition prints have been made, and each hand signed and numbered by the artist.

Sarah Simblet is an artist, author and teacher of drawing at the Ruskin School of Art in Oxford. Sarah made an original pen and ink drawing of the OneOak tree before it was felled in 2010. In the tradition of the teacher and art critic John Ruskin, her botanical drawings are a great aid to our understanding of the structure of plants by encouraging the viewer to study their intricate detail. Such meticulous drawings made by the human hand can be more compelling than photographs which are now commonplace in everyday life.

Printed with pigment-based inks on acid-free 310gsm FSC grade cotton rag paper, with UV coatings providing light-fastness in excess of 100 years. Double-mounted (where applicable) with off-white cotton rag board. All materials are sustainably sourced. Frames (where applicable) are made with FSC grade ash finished with natural wax.

For further information and prices visit our online shop.

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OneOak kilning underway

Category: OneOak project, Wood

Some of the timber from the OneOak tree has been placed in a drying kiln at Deep in Wood sawmill.

The boards have been air-drying since being sawn in February 2010 (read more).  We have waited patiently for over a year and a half for the moisture in the sawn boards to reduce naturally; down from around 60% to about 35-25%. In green woodworking some movement in the timber is acceptable, which happens due to shrinkage as the timber dries. However, for furniture making and joinery movement in the wood is not acceptable.

OneOak timber kiln drying. The higher quality and thinner boards are lifted onto trolleys tracks ready to be slid into a small wood kiln at Deep in Wood sawmill.

OneOak timber kiln drying. The higher quality and thinner boards are lifted onto trolleys tracks ready to be slid into a small wood kiln at Deep in Wood sawmill.

The thinner boards that will yield the best quality timber for furniture makers, joiners and other craftspeople, have now been placed in the kiln to lower their moisture content further to about 15-20%. The boards will stay there for about six weeks, and then they will be ready for collection by the makers.

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Sylva’s CEO Dr Gabriel Hemery was invited to speak at an international conference organised by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation, held in Bangalore in India. It was part of the UN’s activities supporting the International Year of Forests.

The conference was on the subject of the Art and Joy of WoodRediscovering wood: the key to a sustainable future. It aimed to tackle the cultural dimension of wood that is rarely explored or discussed.  About 350 delegates attended from all corners of the world.

Gabriel Hemery speaking at The Art and Joy of Wood conference in India, October 2011

Gabriel Hemery speaking at The Art and Joy of Wood conference in India, October 2011

Gabriel’s talk, entitled Recovering Britain’s Wood Culture, outlined the cultural divide between people’s love of trees and of wood, yet an unwillingness to accept the need to manage woodlands for their wood. He presented an overview of Sylva’s myForest Service and OneOak project.

His paper will be published in the Conference Proceedings, alongside others.  We will publish a link when available.

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OneOak charcoal

Category: OneOak project, Wood

A very successful OneOak charcoal burn and training event was held recently at the University of Oxford Harcourt Arboretum. The event was managed by Alex and Lisa of Chew Valley Charcoal (read more about the preparations).

The charcoal kiln site viewed from the top of a nearby oak tree

The charcoal kiln site viewed from the top of a nearby oak tree

The charcoal kiln fille to the brim with OneOak branchwood

The charcoal kiln filled to the brim with OneOak branchwood. The lid lies behind.

The kiln soon after lighting. The smoke is cold and very wet so sinks to the ground.

The charcoal kiln soon after lighting. The smoke is cold and very wet so sinks to the ground. Notice that the chimneys are still blocked and the lid propped open.

The charcoal kiln has heated up and the smoke starts to rise. It is quite dark in colour, indicating that it is still full of moisture.

The charcoal kiln has heated up and the smoke starts to rise. It is quite dark in colour, indicating that it is still full of moisture.

As with all good charcoal burns, a nearby fire is lit to provide heat and for cooking. Two volunteers on the charcoal-making course enjoy a break.

As with all good charcoal burns, a nearby fire is lit to provide warmth and for cooking. Two volunteers on the charcoal-making course enjoy a break.

As the night sets in the draw of air changes in the kiln. Now hot smoke pours from the side chimneys.

As the night sets in the draw of air changes in the charcoal kiln. Now hot smoke pours from the side chimneys.

 

Branchwood from the OneOak tree was mixed with sycamore wood to fill the kiln; charcoal from the two different woods being separated later.

A total of 28 bags, each containing 4kg of OneOak charcoal, were produced after the 48 hour burn. More photos will be posted soon.

Chew Valley Charcoal

 

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Robin Wilson and Rosie Fairfax-Cholmeley of Flagstone Press have produced two stunning prints using small wooden offcuts from boards used by other craftspeople working with the OneOak tree.

Robin Wilson's carving "Great tit landing" in progress using wood from the OneOak tree

Robin Wilson's carving "Great tit landing" in progress using wood from the OneOak tree

In contrast to their usual carving of softer woods and lino board, Robin told us that the oak was difficult to work but I think you’ll agree that the results are wonderful.

Great tit landing by Robin Wilson

Great tit landing by Robin Wilson of Flagstone Press

The sow and the acorn by Rosie Fairfax-Cholmeley of Flagstone Press

The sow and the acorn by Rosie Fairfax-Cholmeley of Flagstone Press

Robin and Rosie are currently Artists in Residence at the University of Oxford’s Wytham Woods.

 

 

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OneOak branchwood ready for charcoal kiln

OneOak branchwood ready for charcoal kiln

About two cubic metres of branchwood from the OneOak tree has been delivered to Oxford University Harcourt Arboretum. It will soon be used to produce OneOak charcoal.

Chew Valley Charcoal

The charcoal burn is being undertaken by Alex from Chew Valley Charcoal, who is also running the burn as a course to show how charcoal is made. There are places still available, for the weekend of 15/16 October: see more information and how to book.

 

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