The Restory Retreat Centre

Foto deur Matilda Angus ‘n Bakkie wat ek onlangs uit American Elm gedraai het. Ek leer aanhoudend nuwe name terwyl ek met hout werk. Die Engelse name van hout en bome is oor die algemeen meer bekend. Telkens weet ek nie wat dit in Afrikaans is nie en moet dit gaan opsoek. Dis woorde wat vir my mooi op die tong lê. American Elm is Amerikaanse iep of olm. Hickory is Amerikaanse okkerneuthout, Maple – esdoring, Yew - taksusboom, Ash – essehout, Holly – huls, Birch - berkeboom, Larch – lorkeboom, Spruce – denneboom (kan jy glo!), Beech – beukehout en ook boekenhout. Daar is egter ook name van Suid-Afrikaanse houtsoorte wat net nie hul lê in Engels kan kry nie – ysterhout, olienhout, hardepeer, stinkhout, kiaat (wat nie dieselfde as teak is nie), blinkblaar wag-'n-bietjie. Om nie eens van Afrika-, Asiatiese en Australiese houtsoorte te praat nie – Karri, Tatajuba, Panga-Panga, Masuranduba, Merbau, Jarrah, Cocobolo. Buitestaanders sien die stukke vorm aanneem op die draaibank....

Photograph by George Angus The following usually serves one, but more can be nourished by it as well. Ingredients: * A workshop * A lathe (other machinery will do as well, but I find the rhythm and sound of the lathe to be soothing) * A job (not job as in “At least I have a job”. In the workshop we use it more in the sense of “Can you do this job for me, or do you have another one in the lathe?”). What works well is something repetitive, without being too complicated. Otherwise you have to concentrate too hard. A fairly big diameter or reasonable length is also an advantage. It ensures a nice long travel for the tool. *All the paraphernalia that goes with working on the lathe: enough soluble oil in the sump to keep the job lubricated, the necessary drills and tooltips, the wire hook that you use to remove the shavings from the bed, the splash plate to prevent the soluble oil from being flung in a fine spray all over the floor by the fast turning chuck, the peg spanner to fasten t...