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14 Cottage St
Blackburn, VIC, 3130
Australia

0413 537 490

The Melbourne Guild of Fine Woodworking was founded by Alastair Boell in 2007. After graduating from the world renowned North Bennet Street School, Boston (USA) Alastair felt that there was a great need in Australia for an educational facility that focuses on traditional skills. 

The Guild is committed to preserving and advancing craft traditions in furniture making. We are also committed to promoting a greater awareness and appreciation of
craftsmanship. In our classes we emphasize the skillful use of hand tools and power equipment and an informed use of appropriate materials. We are passionate about what we do and want to share information, ideas and skills with all our students young and old, from beginner to advanced.

People

My 20 year dream

Tom Beattie

Well, my 20 year dream of making my own Windsor chair has come and gone! If only life were always that interesting. A week after the intensive 6 day Windsor chair making course was completed it now truly feels like it never really happened. But of course when I sit in that chair I know that I am not dreaming.

There are 2 aspects to Windsor chairs that I have always admired (particularly after developing a bad back). Form and comfort. If you have never sat in a well made Windsor you do not know what comfort is. Sit in one and you will be bewitched! The form (and construction) generally ensured that most of us weekend woodworkers do not have the skills to build one on our own.

So, enough musing. Many thanks to Alastair for running a great course, and in the process, offering other like minded individuals an opportunity to develop their skills, appreciate the use of beautifully crafted hand tools and finally inflame their desire and passion for further development. The boys are a fount of knowledge, and in building the Windsor chair, you take away a lot more general information than you would imagine. For example, something as silly as that great sandpaper they use that seems to last forever (which we were strictly not allowed to use on our chairs!!!!) and those wonderful Dragon rasps, not to mention the Lie Nielson tools! I could go on and on but it is chairs I am supposed to be discussing right?

In summary, the course was much more physically demanding than I had anticipated (the first few days where you seem to be make no progress can be a little frustrating). But it was also much more fulfilling in many different ways. Since finishing the course I recommenced working on a couple of small bookcases that called for reeded tapered legs (I am extending an existing French bookcase so it sits wall to wall). Normally I would never have had the patience for this and would have turned the legs but not reeded them. Well, after sitting on a shaving horse for hours and hours and hours, I reckoned that I could knock this one over. I did and it cost me about 16 hrs of turning, reeding and sanding (8 legs). A stack of time that I could not normally justify. But attention to detail is what it is all about and after 6 days of playing around with hand tools in the chair course I had built up the confidence, and patience, to have a go. The legs look great and I am almost as pleased with these as I am with my chair.

Lastly, I am very pleased that MGFWood is able to offer courses of this quality. It is something that is sorely lacking in this country. I will be back in January to do another chair course and would encourage anyone interested in developing their skills to consider taking up one of the courses on offer.

Well done again guys. It was a truly inspiring week! I can not wait for the comb-back to be offered!!!!

Spiro Dossis

 

categories Testimonial