The Making of - with Steph

The trailer was featured in the paper in around the 1960s. Towed by a David Brown Cropmaster tractor, it helped the men work the fields for many decades.

Although the trailer was in very good condition considering its age, it still needed lots of work before I could build on it! I carefully stripped the wooden floor off, sprayed the main structure with wood preserver and repaired any structural sections that needed strengthening. See my Youtube channel for more on this. @stephscabins

To strengthen the chassis further, I had a steel frame welded together, which enabled me to build the hut confidently knowing that things wouldn’t move too much. Wooden joists were also added and insulation placed between.

The hut was to be moved around a field from time to time so it was important that the varander could be put away easily. The wooden deck and stairs lift off enabling the main frame to be pushed underneath. Pretty tidy :)

The door and windows are all hand made in the workshop. This door was a particular challenge as my clients requested a double stable door, enabling them to let the world in when fully open, yet also having the choice to close the lower door as and when desired.

The front of this unit was made from 3 boards of spalted beech, with the drawer front and doors being carefully cut to keep the lines of the grain running through the unit. The Utile top features a chopping board (made from the same material) which can be placed over the sink hole providing more surface space.

The sofa with backrest was designed to flip down and pull out, turning into a double bed.

Here you can also see the original wooden floor replaced.

The woodburning stove was installed on a carefully prepared stone hearth to fit nicely in the corner, with log storage underneath. Here you can also see the chopping board over the sink.

A fabulous project with many challenges and triumphs. Being enjoyed by my clients and their pet dogs now, and for many years to come.

This desk combines the natural shape and colour of a large ash slab with the geometric design of its reclaimed pine legs. The native spirit of the tree is kept alive with the natural perimeter shape left untouched, thus often adopting the name ‘live-edge’ and the fork in the tree provides an ergonomic shape, which can reduce fatigue as you work, write or create. The bark texture is unique to this desk and the Rubio Monocoat gives the top a solid and well-presented finish, which is tough and water repellent. The legs adopt a geometric shape and are made from 150+ year old pine, with original saw marks preserved giving a rich depth of colour.

Before working on a project like this, it’s essential that the wood has had time to dry sufficiently. It will invariably be quite rough and may even be a little warped and needs to be made flat. I use a home-made router sled to do this. The sled moves along the outer frame and the router takes off a small layer as it passes over the wood.

Where possible, I like to keep the bark on for projects like this, which isn’t always possible as there’s a risk it will flake away. The bark on this piece seemed pretty solid, and apart from a few small imperfections (that could have happened during the milling phase) it was in good condition.

I could write a whole section on sanding, but I shall try to keep it brief. Sanding makes a piece of wood smooth, and for a plank this size the process can take over half a day! Starting with a coarse sand paper (60 grit), the big bumps need taking off but it’s very important not to sand a section too much otherwise you can end up with an unwanted hole! Keeping the machine moving and using a pencil line (see picture to the left) you can reduce the risk of this happening. Then it’s time to move to a slightly less coarse grit (80, then 120 grit) until you reach the desired smoothness (in this case 5000 grit)

I decided on this design as it keeps the strength needed for this of size plank, but also gives an addition point of interest. It’s made from reclaimed pine that has been sensitively prepared to maintain the rich depth of colour acquired over its long life. The original saw marks of 150+ years ago, when the wood was first milled, have also been preserved.

Here we have 5 separate pieces that need to be spaced out appropriately and attached to the bottom of the plank. A wide plank like this will move and warp if not supported. The black bars are designed to reduce the risk of this and keep the top flat.

The black bar supports are known as C channels (probably as they’re shaped like a C). These help to keep the plank flat, and are set into the wood to sit flush. A deep line is cut with a router and thin router bit, and a layer is shaved off between the deep lines. The ends are then tidied up with a chisel.

The C channels are secured with bolts screwed into a pre-secured hex socket screw nut (basically a nut that can be screwed into a piece of wood). This is secured with epoxy and enables the bolt to be screwed and unscrewed without affecting the wood. Without getting too technical, the tightness of the bolts needs to be managed to allow any movement in the wood caused by humidity or changing weather conditions. Once fixed correctly, the C channels will enable the plank to stay flat.

Not essential, and some may prefer a square edge. This one has been been routed and finished off with some fine sandpaper.

After all the other stages have been completed, a top coat needs to be applied to the shiny, flat and smooth surface. Rubio mono-coat is a hard wax finish that permeates into the wood, forming a strong watertight protective barrier, so a good choice for a table like this one. It can be applied by hand, but using a buffer pad on my orbital sander made life a little easier.

The steps are handmade from cedar and softwood. The softwood is laminated by a thin layer of the cedar giving it additional strength and adding to the beauty of the aesthetics. There are 6 steps, also made from cedar, which lead the bed-goer to the upper bunk on a slight angle, making the ascent slightly more comfortable. A little shelf at the top provides a place for a glass of water or reading book, or other essential items.

Thin lengths of cedar are cut to the correct length, glued on either side of the softwood and left until fully dry. The side sections of the steps are called stringers. To clean up the edges of the stringers, they are passed through a thicknesser which shaves off a layer of wood.

The length of the stringers have already been measured, but now the steps and angles need to be addressed. The step width is wide enough to accommodate larger feet, but as small as comfortably possible not to encroach too much into the room. The angle of the stringers and grooves for the steps must tally, unless you want some crooked steps.

Place the steps in the grooves and ensure they are lined up correctly. Clamp together, clean off excess glue and they should be good to go in a few hours, although I usually leave to dry overnight. I’ve added some star head screws for additional strength and they also look pretty good when counter-sunk.

The steps line up nicely after all the checks, measurements, glue and screws. They are safely attached to the bed and the wall ready for their new owners to enjoy.