Wood Whisperer

On Wednesday 8th February the wood whisperer closed his doors for the final time.
He had battled for just two years his fight with cancer but he lost the war .
He was my beautiful husband my best friend and to you who followed him and bought from him his very dear friends.
Each piece he did he put his heart and soul into it and between us maybe have kept all of it if we had the room !!!
Sleep tight my darling
Wait for me
Love you # # # # # # # # x
Caroline the Wood whisperer widow

For sale. £75
As many of you know the Wood Whisperer has not been in top form lately and time in the workshop of dreams has been far from my mind
I have three projects on the go and the oldest project is the trunk you see before you.
It is a First World War munitions/ordnance box as identified by the two large countersunk screw holes at the front left and right corners.
The box is made from good old pitch pine and miraculously needed no straightening and came woodworm and damp free!😁👍
Not so miraculous we’re the thick layers of gloss white paint painted on to bare wood
The outside I managed, after much perseverance, to bring up to a standard suitable for any room
The inside though defeated me so after much smoothing two coats of Mrs Wood Whisperer’s best ‘French Grey’ - yeah. I think it looks slightly green too- brought up a lovely contrast.
I am not usually a fan of painting ‘old stuff’ but to do the inside properly I would have had to set fire to it and then scrape for a week and the old paint could easily have lead in it! His would also release sap and glue risking ruining something I was trying to save.
So French grey it is (I still think its damn green)
Having stripped down the outside I went from 80 grit to 400 grit and then several coats of BriWax Antique pine coloured wax
What we have now is a grown up child’s ( man!!) toy box or younger child’s treasure box
It could even be a log box for beside the fire now that we are all looking at log burners.
Measurements
L. 34”
W. 13”
H. 12”
£75 and it’s all yours

I was asked by a great friend to help with a really rather tired foldable card table.
This table was probably 60 years old and has had a rough time. The veneer had chunks missing around the edges and what was once a green baize was now torn dirty and very worn.
The folded base was in great condition other than the varnish was falling off.
The base was easy. Sandpaper and patience and several coats of Briwax sorted it
The top however was a VERY different.
The baize was glued on with what appeared to be araldite and took ages to remove and clean
The veneer it had been decided was to be removed and the wood smoothed and polished. Again. This is easier said than done and took much chiseling sanding smoothing and waxing.
A layer of quality blue baize was fixed to the baize side of the table and then lots and lots of buffing had the unit finished.
I am super pleased with it as more importantly is the owner.

For sale. £60
Well folks.
The Wood Whisperer has stepped outside his usual fair with this latest little ( ha ha. Little it isn’t ) project.
What we have here is a huge wooden mallet. I found it sulking outside a friends antiques shop and had to bring it home.
A day cleaning sanding, more sanding smoothing and waxing followed which resulted in a sublime piece of wood.
A little research shows that it is called a ‘Beetle’ ( I don’t know why) or a Commander or Persuader.
It would have been used in the building of wooden houses with great beams. The Beetle would be used to ‘persuade’ the beams in to place and also knock in the big wooden dowels. The large face of the mallet prevents damage to the beams
This guy has had a very long and hard life and deserves to be a decoration in a man cave
Maybe you have used one and wish to reminisce
Maybe you have a big fireplace and want a talking piece ( tell your grandkids it the real Thor’s hammer - try swinging it with one hand and you will feel like Thor )
Yours for £60 ( try finding another one. I couldn’t)

For sale. £35
The Wood Whisperer found this lovely antique pine box at the back of a shop covered in dust and pretty much forgotten.
It had originally had scumbling on its surface but this was damaged pitted and past redemption. It really was forlorn.
A close examination showed it was hand made from good quality pine with proper hand cut dovetail joints.
It was not at that stage, but certainly could be, a thing of beauty. A purchase was made and over several evenings the Wood Whisperer removed the old surface and applied a new one. Much hand sanding and smoothing and then an equal amount of waxing and buffing ( BriWax of course) resulted in the lustre you see before you. (wait until you run your hand over the surface!!)
A nice piece of green felt in the bottom both offsets and protects whatever resides inside.
This box was always a storage box and as such I feel that it should stay that way.
Wether it sits on a table next to your favourite chair, with a book and a glass and a bottle, or sits in your bedroom with jewellery and trinkets matters not.
It could even be a memories box for a marriage or a birth.
It is once again a thing of beauty and is ready to please it’s new owner for many years to come.
All yours for the princely sun of £35
16” x 12” x 6”

For sale £75
The Wood Whisperer has had a good day today so cracked on with his other purchase from his latest holiday.
This box is not your usual tool box. It is made of English hardwood ( probably mahogany ) with a sliding tray and an embossed top.
The handles are sunk in to the sides of the box and are made of brass. Not the usual handles you would expect for a tool box and are really for only occasional movement.
This toolbox would have contained more than mere hammers and drills. This had engineers pieces. The box being a thing of beauty in its own right
The box has had a reasonable life but was still old and tired. After all it is probably 100 years old.
Lots of little repairs and a whole bunch of TLC ( you know the routine by now. Clean wax & buff, wax & buff, wax & buff - BriWax Spanish mahogany ) and bingo the old fella came back to life.
It is now the most beautiful of things.
Now that the tool box has its inside clothes on, it is ready to spend another 100 years performing much more subtle duties.
It now wants to be a memories box or a man/woman cave box
It might even be a small coffee table
27” x 15” x 12”.
£75 and it’s yours to cherish

I know the Wood Whisperer has been quiet recently with stuff for sale but holidays and not being in the best of health have slowed me slightly
Anyway
I had two interesting projects that were for a friend and client
One was a chair that was described as a little bit wobble
Well. It would. It had a whole leg missing 😳
The second project was less complicated
It was a Victorian stained glass window, all beaten and bashed, that I was to turn in to a wall mounted shelf with gin glass slots underneath
The chair came first. Fortunately the missing leg was almost straight. The issue was always going to be making it robust enough to go back into ‘chair service’
Although the original chair leg was one piece from the top of the back to the floor and half of it was missing
Several hours cutting slots and trimming fashioned a replica that was so tight it needed hammering in to place.
Then it was secured with countersunk screws which were covered with filler
Several other small repairs and ‘loose bits’ were repaired and everything then got a dose of sanding. ( the owner was to repaint so all I did was prep).
Then came the window. Repairs, realigning filling and smoothing.
The shelf construction was relatively simple and four grooves cut to allow glasses were cut.
This was fitted and the whole thing refinished again
Then a couple of coats of paint applied showing up some flaws. More smoothing and painting resulted in a nice aged finish.
Job done.

For sale. £45
The Wood Whisperer has been away on a little holiday in North Yorkshire.
A chance to go to a steam rally could not be missed and a wrong turn on the way home saw Mrs WW finding an antiques store literally in the middle of nowhere
It was one of a dying breed of antiques emporiums. Several old barns jammed with things that have not seen the light in many a year.
The Wood Whisperer spotted this gorgeous oak box and fell in love. Dirty forgotten and ignored but I had to have her.
A discussion ensued with the proprietor who knew the history of every piece he had ( he tried to sell me 6 x 10’ (( yes ten foot)) candlesticks. 😁).
Anyway.
This oak box is believed to have been a flintlock box.
It would once have had a velvet lining and a pair of matching duelling pistols and would have sat atop a grand bureau in a gentleman’s room there to settle a sleight perceived or otherwise
What tales it could tell.
It has been gently cleaned smoothed waxed and buffed ( several times) and gleams as if never neglected.
It looks the same, just better.
Now it is ready to have a new role
Pistols long gone it begs to be a trinket box or treasure box. Maybe just a thing of beauty to be admired
If only it had the flintlocks eh?
17”x9”x4”
£45 and it’s yours.

For sale. £35 the pair
The Wood Whisperer made a few wands the other day and had a gorgeous piece of Japanese White Oak left that was shouting at him from across the workshop.
It would be rude not to listen to it so what to do?
At 32” it was far to big for the lathe so initially I cut the biggest piece that would fit and set too.
Lots of flying wood chips. Much degrees of wood dust and a little creativity and the bones were there. At 19” this is the biggest wand I have ever made and is almost a Stave!
Then I had an idea. Surely a ‘big’ wand deserved a ‘little sibling’
Ahh
That’s what the second piece was for.
When ‘Big’ wand was all smooth and shiny I set too with ‘Little’ wand.
The plan was to make them similar so the DNA was obvious.
So
Both handles were bound in the grips with old twine and both pommels had stones mounted on leather strapping.
That all sounds really quick but in reality took a full evening
Lots of waxing and buffing later and ‘Big’ and ‘Little’ were born.
If ‘Little’ will make mischief ‘Big’ will make serious magic.
I would like to keep them as a duo so it’s £35 collected or £40 posted for the pair
Are you the Necromancer who deserves two oak wands

For sale.
£17 collected or £20 posted
The Wood Whisperer has been busy doing ’stuff’ over the last week or so but found time to turn on the lathe for a few hours.
The first wand was for a neophyte witch and came with specific requirements
2 & 3 were raffle prizes for Bluebell Wood and came with bags thanks to Siobhan Lougher
The last one was just an exercise in creativity.
A piece of fallen silver birch with a lovely curve and an under bark grain to die for was lined up and turned. I always love it when the shape and colours appear
With these came signs of ancient wood beetles. Rather than fill this hole I decided to craft some copper staples and staple over the groove. The wand was sound anyway but the staples give it an ancient look.
Some lovely old twine made the handle and a pale pink quartz stone was fixed in to the pommel
Lots of waxing and buffing and now we have something that looks as if it has been preserved in a druids grave.
Whether you are a budding necromancer or just a fan of the Witcher this wand will fit the bill.
£20 posted or £17 if you collect it and it can sit on display or be used to make mischief.

For sale. £65
The Wood Whisperer has been doing all sorts of interesting stuff recently
The last couple of days I have been doing a conversion.
Antique leather suitcase in to antique leather suitcase side table/storage box.
The suitcase came to me a while ago old dry unloved and forlorn albeit still sound. There followed a good clean and the application of many layers of wax. Each layer was buffed up and the next layer applied. In total there must be 7 or 8 good coats and 3 light coats. The leather now gleams. It has retained its age and patina but now wears posh clothes.
The inside though a little world weary was still there and was after all the original lining so was left.
A wooden insert was made for the base which was padded and then covered
Then some 10” three prong hairpin legs were fitted
Just for good measure another coat of wax was added and the little table was finished.
This will now sit next to a chair with a book and a bottle inside it or maybe in a bedroom beside the bed for bedroom things.
For £65 the choice is yours

For sale £75
If anyone is looking for a treasure box. A beaten, bashed, dented and abused treasure box.
Then this is it
It is an old, possibly antique, carpenters, or more probably Bodgers, box made from pitch pine and angle iron. Tough doesn’t come close.
It is worn but solid and somehow avoided the dreaded woodworm.
The Wood Whisperer has spent several hours making something only suitable for the outside suitable for the inside.
Lots of degreasing. A little burning. Some repairs and much sanding and smoothing.
The intention was s as to make the top a thing of beauty and keep all the ‘life’ on the sides
The inside just needed to be cleaned and made suitable for storage
Then there was LOTS of wax and polishing
Lots and lots of waxing and polishing
Now it is ready for its indoor duties
Memory box, side table, treasure box the choice is yours.
25” x 14” x 14”
£75

For sale. £15

The wood whisperer happened upon a couple of small boxes and went back to his roots today.
Stripping, cleaning, sanding, smoothing, waxing, wire wooling and finally buffing.
They are both antique church boxes made of ancient English wood dovetailed and lidded with brass hinges.
It now wears several coats of BriWax and has a touch and sheen to die for.
The larger one was promised to a friend as a memory box but the little one is still up for grabs
It is 7” x 4” x 4”.
I think initially it would have been used for candles so it might be nice to continue this life
It could also be a key box or just a little ( or not so little) girls treasure box.
£15 and it’s yours

The Wood Whisperers brother also likes to make things. Not wooden things but metal interesting different things.
He has recently been making copper lamps. Fancy, different, unique copper lamps each one with an attitude all its own.
Each one is custom made and can be altered or designed to order. Completely unique and timeless.

£100 and you can have a one off lamp

For sale. £55
The Wood Whisperer has not done a box in what seems an age so when I started on this lovely old thing I set too with gusto.
It is a pitch pine storage box with two removable shelves. It measures 14” x 10” x 10”.
The box came to me, as so many do, covered in horrible varnish almost purple in colour and hiding the true beauty of the wood.
My job, as it so often is, is to take a lovely old thing hidden in tramps clothes and re-dress it in Sunday best.
Several hours of stripping, smoothing, buffing, waxing and repeating made it look the way it should always have been.
Popping in to view were lovely hand cut dovetail joints and gorgeous smooth, glasslike, polished wood.
The inside had at some stage in its many and varied uses and long life been painted dark green indicating possibly that it had had a military use back in its past.
I subjected it to the same system of sand, smooth, buff, repeat. It started to glow and matched the outside.
All it needed now was some felt for the bottoms of the trays and the box itself and it would be finished. A raid of Mrs Wood Whisperer’s felt box brought up some nice green and an hour of trimming and fitting and it was done.
The icing on the cake was that the lock AND key were still present and worked.
It is going to make the best of storage boxes. Maybe sewing or keys or just to replace all those bits in that top drawer we all have.
£55 and it is yours to guard your important bits.

For sale. £40
The Wood Whisperer has been busy again.
Having made Saurons staff I decided a more subdued ‘gentleman wizard’s’ staff was in order.
I still wanted it to look like it had been around for hundreds of years but also wanted it to have appeal to both our magic friends and the eclectic gentlemen
So!
We have a shaft of cherry that is old and hard and has a fabulous ring when struck on a hard floor ( they are going to hear you coming that’s for sure).
We have a ‘bubbled’ crystal ball at the top either as a handle or a ‘jewel pommel’ and a bound handle.
There is of course multiple applications of wax and much buffing applied to the shaft to bring out the beauty of the wood.
Are you a secret Druid or Wiccan or just a gentleman who has a certain panache.
Either way this is the walking stick for you
£40 and you can own a unique accoutrement

For sale £95
The Wood Whisperer has been busy again but this time on a very different tack
Having made lots of wizards wands around Christmas time I really fancied making a Wizards staff.
I knew in my head how I wanted it to look but this meant a wait.
I had to find the right piece of wood first
I wanted to make a staff that looked like it was unearthed in a Cornish castle foundations not some Halloween prop that was all cliche.
Once the shaft was sourced all I needed to do ( ‘all’ is an interesting word) was fathom a way to fit a 10cm clear crystal ball to the top.
Loitering in my workshop, sourced courtesy of the Wood Whisperer’s brother, was the most gorgeous piece of gnarly twisted spalted wood
Another ALL coming here
All I now needed to do was splice the wood to the shaft, build a cradle for the crystal ball, make sure the ball fits then add a top bridge
Then the pieces had to be fitted in place and bound with rope
All - another all - that was left was a couple of bourse of waxing buffing and cleaning.
During photography I stood the staff outside and the sun hit the ball. Seconds later the wand started to burn. The ball was magnifying the sun in to real power
This staff is a real unique piece, it is over 6’ tall and is all yours for £95

The Wood Whisperer has been busy on quite a complicated project for a while now.
A friend of mine who recently purchased my treadle chair wanted the mantle to be finished to match
It had been ‘shabby chic’ed’ badly and the top was broken and dry and generally unloved. I guess some folk would call it patina. I just called it a mess.
The plan was never to make it immaculate ( shot blasted and powder coated would have done that) but just make it look like it was ready to be put back in to service.
The top and the tray were removed and the pressure washer used to remove years of grime. Then it was washed degreased and pressure washed again.
Once dry it was stripped further ( I wanted it to work properly as well as look the part) and piece by piece undercoated and painted
The top was repaired the tray cleaned and I then found the top cross member was made of beech so that was stripped as well
Everything was then waxed and buffed.
A pleasant afternoon Re assembling ( I s as Lao greased all the dogs to get it to work smoothly ) and touching up and it was done
I am over the moon with the final effect and have had great fun doing it!!

Fir sale. £15

The Wood/Wand Whisperer has been making some interesting things recently but still found time to conjure up some wands.
Here we have four very different wands
Silver birch and hazel branches were the starting points
Lots of wood chippings, turnings, sanding scorching smoothing and waxing revealed some lovely tactile things.
Then leather straps handles and bindings were added. Then stones and crystals and even a crystal pendant were added Quartz, Smokey quartz polished granite and tigers eye adorned the pommels.
Now these wands need magicians witches wizards Wiccan’s or magic folk to do them justice.
£15 each or £18 posted

Hi to all my friends in Facebook land
I am after a piece of plum or burgundy coloured leather about 16” wide and 4” deep to help in the repair of a really rather posh writing slope ( I want to salvage the original writing surface as opposed to replace it).
Any offers greatly appreciated
Ta
R

The Wood Whisperer has been a little under the weather recently but was asked by a good friend to ‘make something’ from ‘some salvage’
Intrigued I of course said yes.
Then he told me he had already dropped it at my house 😂😂
What I had been left was The remains of a stained glass window from above the door of a Victorian house
The request was to turn it in to a feature to fit above the mantelpiece
Hmmmm
Ok
Then I looked at the piece
Well
The bottom piece of wood was missing in action. Probably still in the house
The arch had a large chunk missing courtesy of its, not very sympathetic, removal and was also sprained out of shape
Oh well
Not a challenge then
With a little gentle wriggling the glass came out and I set too repairing the arch. A little cutting shutting later it was once again a proper arch
Then I had to make a piece to fit across the bottom with a recess to put the glass in (out came the trusty router)
Once it was all back together I carefully stripped of all the old paint and took the time to sand - fill - sand - fill to get a printable surface.
A little work removing some of the crap from the lead and the rest was cosmetic
A good undercoat and four light top coats later it was done.
A good and careful clean was all the glass needed.
The jury was out until I placed it on my mantlepiece.
It is going to look awesome

I was contacted by a lovely lady who order a special wand for her husband as a present
All I was given was a picture of one he already owns as a little bit of a guide.
I took the theme and ran with it.
The idea was to try and get a tribal look.
The body was enhanced with a piece of iron
Which was bound in to the handle
The pommel had pheasant and magpie feathers bound in leather.
A clear quartz stone was dived to the body and a green eye string bound in the point.
I am so relieved that the new owner sees what I see.
It’s heavy solid and purposeful

For sale!
The Wood Whisperer has been working hard on a commission piece soon to be revealed but in amongst that he has managed a few hours as the Wand Whisperer
The two small hair pin wands are already spoken for ( I can though make more) but the other three are up for grabs.
The dark one is scorched Hawthorne set with a piece of faceted Flourite ( it shows purple and green when light shines through it )
The medium one is also Hawthorne but set with faceted orange Chalcedony
Both these can have a handle added if required
The pale one is silver birch and has a leather strap handle and is as yet without stone ( just not sure what it needs yet)
The three long ones are £15 each and the little ones I can do for £10

£15 ( + £3 postage if reqd)
The wood/wand whisperer found an afternoon spare recently and as he had a long thin piece of gorgeous witch hazel a wand beckoned
I managed to get it on to the lathe and turned it down a little
Witch hazel is as hard as iron yet pale and smooth
After turning it and scraping and smoothing the inside curve what came out was a proper grown up wand.
As smooth as glass and just a pleasure to hold.
A little leather handle a leather tassel in old brown leather and it is finished
Anything else would detract from the simple beauty of this piece
£15 (+ £3 postage) and it’s yours

For sale £10 each.
The Wood Whisperer tested his lathe skills over the last couple of days bu making little wands
And I do mean little.
The smallest is the length and diameter of a biro
They are copies of the larger wands I make but just smaller
They are all made from pieces of Witch Hazel which I sourced locally ( already fallen)
The leather is also recycled
They were initially suggested to be hair pins for magical ladies but equally they are wands for those who just want little wands
They are £10 each

I know I have been making lots of wands lately but there was a rush coming up to Christmas
Anyway
This chair has been on the back burner ages but a mate and regular customer saw the ide as I did and pushed me to finish it.
So.
It is sold. 👍
I am however really pleased with it so wanted to show some pictures.
It is an antique singer sewing machine base with seat and back rest
Lots of stripping painting fiddling fabricating covering beading and general ‘making’ later voila
We have a unique chair heading for a conservatory with a foot stool and table to match

Two very different things finished by the wood whisperer in the last couple of days
The first one the wand was a commission to match one I had already made as there are two granddaughters and of course they need matching ( well pretty much) wands.
I really like this one as it has a leather handle and a fabulous white stone

The second thing is as different as chalk and cheese
A vintage captains / smokers bow chair.
It was requested to go with a leather topped desk
It came to me tired and threadbare. My job was to bring it back to life
The woodwork was easy if a little slow. Sanding smoothing and waxing brought it back
The next job was too sort the material.
An evening carefully removing the old piece and a couple of hundred staples revealed a foam seat that was just about saveable.
The material was provided by the new owner and a couple of hours cutting and fitting ensued.
Finally a couple of hundred studs to finish the edges
Both massively different and I love them both.

For sale. £25
The Wood Whisperer has been busy for the last couple of days doing ’stuff’ and today found time to spin up the lathe and make something different.
This is a small live edge bowl made from half a piece of trunk from a log from a wind blown giant tree from a farm in Slawston
The log was rescued ‘because it looked good’ and came to me to make it ‘look better’.
It turned well and by making it rectangular to start with the sides cut themselves away
This is called ‘live edge’.
It’s my first attempt and I am really happy with it.
If it’s something that would grace your table then £25 and it’s yours

For sale £30

A little deeper delving revealed some more gems in the shed today.
First up is this Robert Sorby antique draw knife.
At 18” I think it is the biggest one they made.
I has had a reasonable life, has the original beech handles ( no cracks or worm) and brass caps and a blade made of old Sheffield steel and as such you could shave with it. ( let’s be fair. Antique Sheffield steel was cast by Dwarves in Mordor!!)
It has lots of history. It has the name D PEARCE inside one handle and initials of D S burned in to both handles
Unless you are a Carpenter or Cooper or Bodger ( yes that really was a trade) this is more likely to be an ornament for a man cave but no matter what, it’s a thing of beauty.
It is cleaned, smoothed and waxed and just needs to be displayed.
£30 and it’s yours.

For sale £15
The Barnsley Wand Maker has once again been manufacturing things of magic and mischief.
These wands are for both neophyte and fledged witches and wizards and I am sure will conjure much imagination amongst there recipients
These are all spoken for but if you fancy something similar there is just time to get them magicked up for Christmas