Wild Craft: Wooden cargo ships of South India

September 9, 2024 by kris de decker Filed Under: Books & Reference, Random, Sailing ships, Shipping, Travel, Wind Power, Wood, Woodworking

Giant wooden cargo ships that braved the oceans for thousands of years are still being made in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Even as metal motorised ships became the norm, some shoreline communities in South India continue to craft this wooden cargo ship. In a blend of reason, creativity and hard work the communities engineered their past to forge a future. This book traces the transition of this tradition over time.

The authors have created a photo documentation using hundreds of images that capture the shipyard’s atmosphere to offer a narrative and the manufacture of these ships at each step of their construction. It analyzes the conditions of their economic viability and how it has evolved over time. Through visual anthropology this book offers a narrative of wooden cargo ship building and craftsmanship in south Asia.

The open access book can be downloaded from https://www.ifpindia.org/bookstore/wild-craft/.

There is also a video about the project: Of Wind and Wood. Sustainable cargo ships in France and in India.

21st Century Craftsmen: Winne Clement, Flutemaker

July 19, 2015 by kris de decker Filed Under: Craftsmanship, Hand tools, Musical Instruments, Random, Wood, Woodworking

winne clement

The fujara is a long 3-holed fipple flute played in standing position with the flute held close to the body. It’s played using the natural harmonics system, which means the different tones are played by controlling the strength of inblown air. Using only three holes, the diatonic major scale can be reached playing two and a half octaves. Due to the natural harmonics the tuning will always be a compromise, but Belgian flutemaker and musician Winne Clement puts a great deal of effort in tuning and balancing the tones, in such a way that playing together with Western tuned instruments is possible.

All his flutes are made of harvested branches of local inland wood such as ash, elder, maple, hazle, etc. The wood is carefully chosen and cut in winter time – with respect for the environment, not damaging the donating trees – and put to dry for a long period of time. When making the flute the wood is never split in half to hollow it out, but hand-drilled with special old forged drills, leaving the main structure of the wood intact, benefiting the sound, and following the natural curves of the wood. No Tech Magazine visits Winne Clement in his studio in Ghent, where he explains us his tools and methods. [Read more…]

Let’s Grow Some Furniture: Botanical Manufacturing

April 22, 2015 by kris de decker Filed Under: Random, Trees, Wood, Woodworking

Botanical Manufacturing

“An ingenious British designer has come up with the ultimate environmentally-friendly way to create stunning household furniture – by letting Mother Nature do all the hard work. Gavin Munro grows young trees into specially-designed plastic moulds, pruning and guiding the branches into shape before grafting them together to form ultra-tough joints. Using this method he’s already created several prototype pieces and has a field in Derbyshire where he’s currently tending a crop of 400 tables, chairs and lampshades which he hopes to harvest next year.”

botanical manufacturing 4“You start by training and pruning young tree branches as they grow over specially made formers. At certain points we then graft them together so that the object grows in to one solid piece – I’m interested in the way this is like a kind of organic 3D printing that uses air, soil and sunshine as its source material. After it’s grown into the shape we want, we continue to care and nurture the tree as it thickens and matures before harvesting it in the Winter and then letting it season and dry.”

“Each of the pieces have grown from one tree, planted specifically for that reason, its limbs guided in an exact shape and later grafted together to produce the unique pieces of furniture, which he hopes are the pioneers of a new method of sustainable, efficient and ecologically aware production.”

See & Read more:

Via Unconsumption.

Japanese Joinery

February 15, 2015 by kris de decker Filed Under: Craftsmanship, Random, Video, Wood, Woodworking

japanese joinery“Japanese carpentry group Kobayashi Kenkou carefully demonstrates the fascinating way in which highly durable buildings are constructed with traditional methods of joining the wood with intricate cuts and interlocking plugs instead of metal nails. The fine planing and perfect fit of each interlocking piece of wood is a testament to the craftsmanship of the carpenters.”

See them in action. Via The Shelter Blog.

 

The Making of a Foot Powered Treadle Lathe

April 22, 2013 by kris de decker Filed Under: Craftsmanship, DIY, Lathes, Random, Video, Wood, Woodworking

chris builds lathe

“Hi everybody my name is Chris. I choose my woodworking projects based on whatever happens to inspire me”.

In this video, Chris builds a foot powered treadle lathe. Great project, great video.

Via Old Engineering.

Previously:

Wooden Bicycle Rims

November 1, 2012 by kris de decker Filed Under: Bicycles, Bikes, Random, Travel, Wheels, Wood, Woodworking

wooden bicycle rims

“They are hard to build with, they require regular maintenance, they are expensive and they flex a lot. However, if you want a traditional looking wheel, avoiding metal altogether is a marvellous move, something that we’re lucky to still be able to do today.”

Cerchio Ghisallo has been producing wooden rims since 1946, and in this video father and son show how they do it. Inside Cerchio Ghisallo part 1, part 2, part 3.

More about wood rims: Building with Wooden Rims / Cycling before Lycra / Wheel Fanatyk / Is Wood the Goods? / Wood Sprints /Cerchio Ghisallo / Sacro Bosco Bicycle works / CB Italia.

Picture: d’Annata by Sartoria Cicli.