TURNERY AND TREEN

TREEN means literally “made of tree” i.e. wooden. This usage survives in the word ‘treenail’, usually a hardwood pin used to fasten other timbers together and still in use in traditionally built wooden boats, timber framed building, and gates. Treen nowadays tends to mean anything made of wood which cannot be easily classified as furniture, or joinery, etc. What for example is in the dish at right? Not cabinet making. Not carpentry. Just a load of balls! Treen in fact.

M uch of my turning used GREEN or un-seasoned, wet timber. Some was so wet that the resulting bowls, when first turned, were still heavier than water . Bowls turned green change shape and distort as they dry. Having started more or less round and ‘level’ they end up oval and wrinkly when dry. After drying, I planed the bottoms flat so the bowls sat without rocking. Good bowls don't rock ’n’ roll. For more details on the whole sorry saga and a step by step guide on ‘How To Turn A Bowl From Green Wood’ see ‘What Became of Kilvert's Pips.’ And if you think that is a load of rubbish you are not alone. The bowls turned green were mostly made from old cider-apple trees whereas the majority of the inscribed dishes were made from sycamore which I kiln-dried to minimise distortion.