Reviews & Books
This page contains reviews of our products and courses as well as commercially
available books which feature Ashem Craft's tools.
We welcome feedback from our customers, good or bad, as we are always looking to
improve the products and services we offer. If you have any comments or
feedback on your experience of our products or courses then please
contact us and let us know what you think.
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| Tools : 1,
2, 3, 4 |
| Chairmaking Courses :
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6 |
| The USA Chairmaking Courses
: 1, 2, 3 |
| Our Chairmaking Video :
1, 2 |
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or books featuring Our tools
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Tools
I received my trapping plane yesterday and had an opportunity to us it today.
Thank you for making such a quality tool. It works even better than my expectation.
My buddy has had his for over 10 years and it still works beautiifully, even after 800 chairs.
Sam Lantz
My shop contains a large collection of both power and hand
tools. The rounder that I have ordered will add to existing Ashem rounders that
I already own. I prize these tools as highly as any tool I have. They are a
true pleasure to work with and never fail to provide consistent, quality
results. It has also been a treat to deal directly with real live people who
are involved in producing and selling the product and doing it on a human scale.
R Jones
Tennessee, USA
The following is a card sent to Ashem Crafts from a
customer in Dorset.
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...I'm delighted with your machine and tools - my
favourite tools in the workshop and definitely the best £800 I've spent!
All the best
Guy
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| Another card sent to Ashem Crafts. |
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Dear Peter,
Thank you so much for the trapping plane. I tested it this morning and as with
all your tools so far, its fantastic....
Many Thanks
J. Francis
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Chairmaking Courses
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"Many, many thanks for all your efforts on the recent course at Earnley Concourse near
Chichester...I thoroughly enjoyed the course and wish to thank you both for all the
thorough preparation that you put into preparing the materials,tools and machinery to
ensure that we wanted for nothing. Together with the Earnley staff you created a first
class workshop environment that was conducive to high quality furniture production....The
accommodation was first rate and the food was outstanding. All the staff were anxious to
make the venue as comfortable and welcoming as possible....I have no hesitation in
unreservedly recommending the experience to anyone contemplating a similar course.
I look forward to joining you on a future occasion"
From K.J. Canterbury 27th July 2009
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Dear Peter
Just a quick note to say how much I enjoyed the course. Not just me of course,
we all enjoyed it, and we all very much appreciated all the hard work you put into
preparing the course for us.
It was a nice crowd - in fact you always have a nice crowd on your courses -
and we all went away very satisfied with what we had achieved with your help. Many
thanks to you and Patricia.
Kind Regards
David
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Dear Peter,
Thank you so much for for such an interesting and instructive course. I know
I thoroughly enjoyed it, as I am sure the others did. We all appreciated your
and Patricia's patience and good humour and the long hours you put in to make
the week such fun.
...
Hope you had an enjoyable trip up north.
Best wishes,
Sam
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The following is a letter which appeared in the April 2005 isuue of Practical
Woodworking & Routing (www.getwoodworking.com).
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| The following
letter was written to the Good Woodworking magazine Issue 82 (email
goodwood@futurenet.co.uk) |
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Shaker Chairs
Last summer I had the good fortune to spot an advert in your excellent magazine
for a course in Shaker chairmaking, run by Peter Hindle at Malvern Hills
college. I enclose a photo of the finished chair which I was quite pleased to
have completed in the time.
The course, which was run over four days, was fully 'hands on' with practically
no wasted time. All eight students were able to commence work within 15 minutes
of the course starting. The workshop was fully equipped, a bench and machine
for each student and a wide range of rounding planes so that everyone could
proceed at their own pace. All of the students finished the course with a
completed chair needing only to be glued up and have the seat woven. Peter, who
I am sure is well known to woodworkers in both this country and America, ran a
well organised and interesting course, being on hand all the time to point us
in the right direction if needed. The equipment was all in first class order
and the materials were cut to size ready for rounding.
I found the course stimulating and exciting. Students came from all over the
country and further afield, some professional, some amateurs, and some retirees
seeking to fill their time with fulfilling activity. All were very friendly. I
am planning to attend another similar course in the autumn, hopefully to make a
continuous-bend Windsor chair. I can thoroughly recommend these same courses to
any woodworker, skilled or otherwise.
Ken Boyle, Grantham
Ken Boyle made a chair of this style and quality in just four
days
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| Letter of response
to a chairmaking class. |
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Dear Peter,
I felt I had to write to thank you for such an inspirational course at the
college last week... On seeing a recent article in one of the woodworking
magazines, I decided to book a course, not with any specific interest in
chairmaking but to further my limited knowledge of woodworking in general. Not
only did I achieve this objective, but I came away with an even wider interest.
More chairmaking is definitely on the future agenda.
Most of all though, it was your own enthusiasm, expertise and enterprise
that made the biggest impression on me. This together with being in such good
company with others on the course, contributed to a most enjoyable week full of
learning and practice.
Colin Wallace
Cardiff
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The Shaker Village Chairmaking Course
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Dear Peter,
It was a great experience to have you and Patricia take me from a pile of sticks
to a Shaker rocking chair....
Robert Malloy
Virginia
USA
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Thank
you for offering such a wonderful course. How wonderful is evidenced in
the fact that this 5'2", 104 lb, grandmother and complete novice successfully
made a Shaker rocker!
Peter and Patricia Hindle are experts not only in their craft but also as
educators. I felt supervised but not smothered. Willing help was
always at hand. The workshop was well equipped ( except for that vise Peter
wants...) and organized. I not only learned a great deal I also had fun
and felt confident that I would leave with a beautiful chair from the
first moment of class.
My more experienced class mates were awesome. They shared their
knowledge and love of their craft so graciously. I am truly impressed at
their patience and willingness to help.
Letter received.from
Connie M.
MacCaughelty, Tennessee after the 2005 chair course at
Pleasant Hill.
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| Chairmaking at John
Wilson's Home Shop - Charlotte, Michigan USA |
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Dear Peter,
Again my thanks for an outstanding course on chair construction: So many things
to thank you for - kind understanding, help at every turn, use of unparalleled
facilities with more than adequate supply of whatever was needed to make the
course a success. I'm sure all those attending felt it was. ....
John W. Hayden MD
Wisconsin
USA
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| Chairmaking at John
Wilson's Home Shop - Charlotte, Michigan USA |
Country Chairmaking Video
Review sent to Ashem Crafts.
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...I have spent a lot of time viewing your video on
chair making. After watching the tape at least a dozen times, I think it is an
excellent way to learn to build a chair using rounding planes. But also, there
are a number of other lessons to be learned by those who are not very
experienced in shop techniques. Your explanation of laying out the holes to be
drilled in the seat was very informative as was the demonstration of the
drilling the holes. I found the demonstration of the set-up and drilling of the
legs and stretchers very interesting also. The method and tools used to scope
the seat was interesting and (although I don't have the tools) seemed an
excellent method. When you consider that the main purpose of the tape is to
demonstrate how to build a chair using your tools and standard shop tools, I
think you have accomplished the task very well. The technical information and
the hands on demonstrations are excellent....
B. Phelps Lyons
Florida
USA
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| The following is a
letter which was written to the Good Woodworking magazine from a very satisfied
user of Peter Hindle's 'Country Chairmaking' video. |
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Chair inspiration
Earlier this year I cam across a video entitled Country Chairmaking by Peter
Hindle of Ashem Crafts.
The information described it as 'a unique video for the beginner in
chairmaking'. Realising that this was something quite different from my usual
woodturning, I ordered the video.
Now, over the years I've read numerous books and magazine articles on
chairmaking, but watching this video was a totally new, enlightening and
inspirational experience.
On the video, Peter demonstrates all aspects of how to make a comb back Windsor
chair from starting the project with square edged wood to final assemble of the
chair.
After viewing the tape numerous times, I took the plunge and ordered a set of
rounders and a turning head from Ashem Crafts.
Using Ash and Elm, as the video recommended, I successfully completed the chair
without any further instruction.
I was so pleased with the finished result, in fact, that I proceeded with
several other projects using my rotary planes.
As my chairmaking has progressed, I have returned to the video several times and
incredibly I am still finding new and useful tips which I missed on previous
viewings.
These are some of the chairs I have made so far, including my first comb back
dining chair.
Caradog Williams
Lampeter
Child's rocker by Caradog Williams
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| The following is a letter from Mr. R.
Whiting regarding the Ashem Crafts Country Chair Making Video. |
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Dear Mr. and Mrs. Hindle,
Earlier this year I sent for your Video "Country Chair Making" it came with a
Drawing for a Windsor Carver Comb back Arm Chair drawn by a Mr. Brian Smith.
I decided to make this chair and although I have done a lot of woodwork, I have
never before made a chair with all the angles involved.
I want to thank you for an excellent video and I want to thank Mr. Smith for a
perfect drawing. I followed all the dimensions and angles and in the end
everything fitted together perfectly.
I now have a very nice chair which I made with an elm seat and oak for all the
rest.
Best wishes for the New Year,
Bob Whiting
Sussex
UK
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Books which feature Ashem Crafts Rotary Planes
Living Wood by Mike Abbot - Published 2004, publishers - Living
Wood Books.
Country Chairmaking by Jack Hill - First published 1993/2nd
edition 1998, publishers - David & Charles
Green Woodwork by Mike Abbott - Published 1989, publishers -
Guild of Master Craftsmen pub. Ltd.
Making Family Heirlooms by Jack Hill - First published 1985/2nd
edition 1988, publishers - David & Charles
Making Shaker Furniture by Barry Jackson - Published 1990,
publishers - Guild of Master Craftsmen Pub. Ltd
Woodturning methods by Mike Darlow - First published 1999,
publishers - Stobart Davies Ltd.
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