Lignin Layabouts

Lignin Layabouts Bespoke creations in wood - Rustic by nature....naturally rustic :) What started as some fun in the woods back in 2004 became a bit of a hobby.

mostly making presents for friends and family. After a few years noone had room for anymore so I started doing the occasional market stall. Nowadays it's wet weather work - I'm a gardener in mid-Wales and if you know this area you'll know it does occassionally rain...ok, it rains a lot! So it's handy to have something to do in the dry when it's just too wet to garden. To be honest I prefer it bei

ng a part-time thing - it's a noisy, dusty, back breaking process and I only tend to use wood I get from my work as a gardener, so supply can be haphazard. But I love creating things and if they have a practical use then all the better. I do some sculpture because wood is pretty gorgeous to begin with - so I just help it along. I have three 'styles' -

Indoor - these are nearly always treated. I use a variety of finishes, but Danish Oil, Osmo Oil and Linseed are favourites. I don't generally season my timber, so the finished product is likely to develop cracks and splits as it dries, especially in a warm dry house environment. The oil helps and annual re-treatment is recommended, but the cracks and splits don't usually cause a problem, just add character to the piece. "It's not MFI" I tell people. Outdoor (treated) - when I've sanded a carving and the grains standing out it can be irresistable to oil it. It takes it to another level of lovelyness! Like the indoor stuff, outdoor carvings are prone to crack and split, but they tend to move with the weather - when it's dry they'll open up and when it's raining they'll close, plus I use oil with added UV protection. The oil finish not only enhances the appearance but also increases durability and prolongs their new 'life'. Again I recommend annual re-treatment - best done during a dry spell, so the wood takes the oil in better. Outdoor(untreated) - being a wildlife gardener and enthusiast these are my favourite. The process is the same - chainsaw to remove the bulk of the wood and orbital sander & finger file to finish(and remove the chainsaw marks!) but it stops there. It's like adding some deadwood to your garden but it'll be more aesthetic than just a lump of wood, before it decays after a few years. How long depends on the type of wood and the environmental conditions.

Address

Ffoslas, Penuwch
Tregaron
SY256RA

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Lignin Layabouts posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Our Story

The essence of what I do is to take a piece of surplus wood from the woods(or forest, garden, etc) and using a minimum of tools - mainly chainsaw, but also orbital sander and finger file(these help get rid of the saw marks and prepares the wood for oiling, where appropriate) - turn it into something either useful or aesthetically pleasing...hopefully both! I say 'surplus wood' as I try and to apply some good ethics to my work, i.e. I don't go out to find trees to fell, just to make things. Also I don't take all the wood - I'll always aim to leave a good amount in situ, if possible, thus striving to strike a balance with nature(it can't be all take, take, take). Rotting wood is great for bugs and beasties and there's really not much out there(there's too much tidyness!). Talking of bugs and beasties.....I can't resist oiling some of my finished pieces(it enhances their looks and durability), but this essentially prevents decay so denuding said bugs and beasties from their home and dinner. So some pieces I like to leave 'untreated'. They can still look good and they can still be durable(some types of wood more than others), but I'd hope they'd be placed in a garden(or wherever) and allowed to do their thing, benefitting the wildlife on their way. Most of the wood I use is green, i.e. fresh,unseasoned. This can make it easier to work with, but can result in 'movement' - it may contract/expand in response to environmental conditions, causing splits or cracks to open and close in the wood. That leads me onto.... ......Inside or out? A finished piece put outside may react to the weather - in dry conditions it may well crack a bit and in the wet it will expand and the cracks will close. A piece put indoors will likely only be exposed to warm and dry conditions, causing the wood to dry out(probably too fast) and the cracks will open and stay open. That may not always be a bad thing - it adds character - but may not be what the purchaser expects or desires. With some pieces I can be pretty confident they'll be ok indoors, but with most it can be a gamble - it's not an exact science. (N.B. where they are indoors can make a difference - away from sources of heat(radiators, woodburners, hot sunny windows) can help). The majority of what I do involves a single piece of wood, i.e. no 'joinery', but I do make the occassional rustic birdtable, bugbox or bespoke item. Please feel free to get in touch if you have an idea you want bringing to life.