I think I blinked and missed some sort of Grand Final in all the excitement of chair making. There is in fact nothing else but chair making.

On to the chair bottom, or perhaps the place where one is to place one’s bottom. A hollow is shaped in the camphor laurel base using various means. Anna approves of the use of a noxious weed tree.

Firstly a technique of swinging an adze towards oneself so as to rough out the shape, roughly chalk lined in. The adze is like an axe but with the blade being perpendicular to instead of in line with the handle. The swing is critical with the cutting on the downstroke with feet wide apart. It’s not for no reason this device is also called a shin splitter.

And of course bend the knees.

Secondly, the base was clamped down and fine carving was done with various blades until a nice buttock and thigh shape emerged. The smell of the shavings was gorgeous. Very much Vicks Vaporub. Apparently the shavings can be quite therapeutic for chicken nesting material and so I collected a bag of refuse for reuse.

Finally, sticking 180 grit sandpaper to the seat of your pants, and the sliding back and forth until a nice sheen appeared.

Kidding about the 180 grit. Sort of.