I thought it would be a good idea to start collecting photos of the various family and friends who spends time with me in the workshop over the years. Seeing that the workshop is my haven where I spend most of my leisure time, I like sharing it with the family every so often. I enjoy getting the younger generation interested in the challenges and adventures of the creative process, so most of what you will see are the kids being introduced to the shop.

Another aspect that seems important to me is to get the (let’s call them) experienced bunch in the shop to get the flow of knowledge from one generation to the next going. Here I am for example working with my father-in-law.

My mother likes to hang around chatting about all kinds of stuff while I toil away at some project.

My daughter sometimes use my assembly table to practice for one day at Uni when she might feel the need to dance on the bar or tables, hopefully completely dressed throughout. Her mother seems to encourage this particular activity.

My son Didi and his mate Connor are serial knife smiths. They convert every freaking stick they pick up into a knife. Here you can see him sharpening another deadly wooden dagger.

 

Sometimes he likes posing with new jigs …

… and other times working half naked, although I have to say in his defense that it gets seriously hot around these parts. In the pictures below he is working on a bird feeder.

 

The wife on the other hand usually keeps her clothes on, but tends join me for a chat while she savors a glass of wine.

Aoife has helped me to plane a few boards.

I try to get them used to good habits such as wearing eye and hearing protection.

Here is Didi with his mate Connor helping me to rip Assegaai on the table saw. Connor is such a workshop junky that he sometimes hangs out with me in the shop while Didi is not even around.

I found that they can be very handy in cleaning rough boards before we feed it to the planer.

Apprentice cabinetmaker Connor during one of his solo sessions in the shop.

I have now started giving them small projects to keep them busy in order to get to know various basic tools and material.

The whole family sunbathing in front of the shop 3/8/2013.

The wife in action cutting out letters to put Aoife’s name on her (my daughter) bedroom door. 3/8/2013.

19/8/2013 – I took these photos on the weekend. Granddad Derick supervising proceedings at the drill press during their recent visit to the Land of the Brave.

 

1/9/2013 – The wife and kids left me all alone for the latter part of last week as they took advantage of the school holidays and joined our good friends (one of which you have already met earlier in this post by the name of Connor). They all had a ball of a time at the legendary Henties Baai, while I continued to save lives here in Windhoek. While they were away, our family lap-dog became my woodworking buddy. Her name is Pipsqueak and she is an imposing Miniature Pincher. We supported each other through the tough times, as you can see.

 

25-26/1/2014 – Didi and Connor working on an axe handle ….

 

… which Didi finished today.

 

10/3/2014

The hooligans helping to clean up shavings from the planer and used it as mulch for the trees outside the shop.

 

3/11/2014

My cousin Jogy creating a couple of orifices in my bench top to accommodated planing stops. He is particularly skilled at this type of activity being a Urologist by training.