CASE STUDY : Touchwood Carpentry with Guy Rave

When we heard that Guy Rave from Touchwood Carpentry had just completed two solid oak benches in Osmo for an exhibition at the Horniman Museum, East Dulwich, London, we just had to get in touch and ask him about it.

He collaborated with Alex Jones, a wood carver from Winchester who did the amazing animal carvings on the benches and then they were finally treated with Osmo UV-Protection oil (clear).

Tell us a bit about your business. How did you get started in carpentry?

I started woodworking as an apprentice to a master carpenter who caused me to become inspired about the possibilities of working with wood. I went on from there to work for a company building houses and buildings out of wood and was particularly inspired by Scandinavian design, eco houses and treehouses!

What environmentally friendly features do your projects have?

I am passionate about working with wood and try to keep it in its natural form as much as possible and to see what each piece of timber, its texture and its grain suggest. I search to find wood from a sustainable source such as an Old Oak tree that has fallen down in a storm, and to then give it new life in a new form!  

What environmentally friendly features do your projects have?

I use Osmo UV oil regularly on outdoor projects especially benches and find it works very well in preserving the wood and tend to re-oil with Osmo every year.  I usually work with Cedar or Oak wood for benches and find the oil easy to apply with a brush as it soaks in well. I appreciate the fact that Osmo has natural oils in it and not harsh chemicals - either damaging to the environment or to myself! and especially that it lets the timber breathe because it is micro-porous and the moisture can therefore evaporate and lets the air get to the wood.  It also doesn't crack like some wood preservatives and exterior varnishes. Celtic Sustainables is a great place to buy Osmo products as they always give reasonable prices and the customer care and service is great too!

What are your plans for the future?

As well as the Horniman Museum project in London, I have just completed some Cedar benches for the RSPB at their Ynys-hir nature reserve in mid Wales and my future plans include craft fairs around Wales and building a hexagonal outdoor building!

You can find more about Guy Rave and his work at www.touchwoodcarpentry.co.uk