Bodger

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rococojo

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Et al,  I thought I'd share  with you all.

This term was once common around the furniture-making town of High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, between London and Oxford. Bodgers were highly skilled itinerant wood-turners, who worked in the beech woods on the chalk hills of the Chilterns. They cut timber and converted it into chair legs by turning it on a pole lathe, an ancient and very simple tool that uses the spring of a bent sapling to help run it. Their equipment was so easy to move and set up that it was easier to go to the timber and work it there than to transport it to a workshop. The completed chair legs were sold to furniture factories to be married with other chair parts made in the workshop.
Hope it’s useful.

                                                   Joseph Hemingway
 
Joseph,
Thank you for that interesting piece of history. 
Following up, I discovered that there are qiute a number of folks (bodgers) in your neck of the woods who are keeping the art of pole lathe turning alive.
http://www.bodgers.org.uk/index.php

Regards,
-Chuck
 
Hi Chuck, "Yes" there are some out there that are interested in keeping  old craft alive, and passing on this skill.

I will be demonstrating with 2 at least at: The festival of the Tree, where the BWA has stands in a large marquee, I’m looking forward to visiting the old tools stall there.

The word "Bodge" can be used out of context, to “Slander”? So this was my  reason for posting? for these are talented craftmen, As well as a real good exercise in education.

                                               Regards

                                                - Jo
 
Chuck, here is an early photo of a Badger at work, just to enlighten any one how condition were in the woods, today they work inside a warm Brick (Not timber) building, but still use the pole lathe.
                                              Joseph
 
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