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 (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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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 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

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.

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.