At 7pm, the lesson started with Anthony introducing himself, describing the room and the course. The learners then each went through what they wanted from the course and how much previous experience of woodworking they had. Fortunately, like me, most people had pretty much none. There were 9 fellow learners, and we watched as Anthony gave us a demonstration of making a half-lap joint in a piece of wood. It looked simple, but with time running out Anthony had to resort to a half half-lap. After a short descripton of woods we were given our own piece of wood, got out the equipment and had a go for ourselves. Again time was short and I felt as though I was rushing, but still made a reasonably good lap, although it was too large for the cross-piece to fit in it. Oh well. 9pm the lesson ended.

After rushing to arrive on time, I turned up a couple of minutes late. The lesson had just started. 2 people from the previous lesson didn't turn up, but 4 new people did, so the room was getting quite busy. After a brief introduction, Anthony explained to the new guys how to make a half-lap joint, while the rest of us continued to turn our half-half-lap into a full half-lap. I was much more careful about sawing within the boundaries of the pencil line this time, and also used my knife to score the line. Because I wasn't so rushed I was able to make a much better job of it. While describing the half-lap to the newbies, Anthony gathered us all around to show us how to sharpen chisels on an oil stone. I then carried on with my half-lap. Having finished my half-lap more successfully this time, I wasn't happy with the chiselled area inside the joint. The new chisels I bought were very blunt, so I had a go at sharpening them. They were so blunt that it was taking forever, so I decided to leave it and spend some time at home doing it. Anthony continued to explain the mortice and tenon joints, but again ran out of time. I marked up my wood at the shoulder of the tenon. We will continue this next week.

Having got stuck in a long traffic jam on the A31, I was almost late for my class. It meant I had to drive to class to get their on time. Once there, Anthony gathered us around and showed us a set of his tools - spoke shaves, planes, and various chisels and saws. He went through how to sharpen the tools again. He then went on to show the newer people how to do the mortice and tenon joint. Last week, he showed all of us how to do the tenon, for this joint, but not the mortice. I carried on with my tenon expecting Anthony to be showing the other guys how to do that. But he demonstrated how to make the mortice. I missed the beginning of this, but fortunately he went over it briefly with someone who had to returned from an urgent call to work. Unfortunately, the classroom lacks enough mortice chisels, so I ended up waiting around most of the lesson for one of these - which I never did get my hands on. Anthony went on to explain to those who'd finished their mortice and tenon, how to make a dovetail. I was only overhearing this explanation, really, as I was also trying to keep in the queue for the chisel. Anyway, come the end of the lesson I still had no mortice made, and wasn't entirely sure of the dovetail. It's pretty awkward there not being enough tools for the class. I won't be there next week, as I am in a conference.

Anthony briefly described jigsaws and biscuit cutters, before lettings us get on. He showed some of us how to do the dovetail (again) and we went off and made a dovetail. I completed my dovetail this week (at last) and it wasn't too bad. Fitted better than my halflap did, and far better than my mortice and tenon.

Arriving easily on time (probably due to the fact that I drove), I sat with Adam, Nick, Tony, and Brian for Anthony. He turned up on time, and more people dribbled in. It wasn't quite a full class though. Today was fun. We got a task to build a bridge to span 80cm with a given set of various sized timber, none of which was more than 12cm long. We worked in teams of 2 or 3 (I was in a team of 2 with Julie), and had to design and build it within 90 minutes. It was hard work knowing how to build something strong, using the skills we'd been taught, within the time. Hell, it took me a whole lesson to make a single dovetail joint!! I suggested we use pegs, so that's what I started with. I was planning on drilling a hole then making the hole square for a square peg. Instead, Anthony showed me how to use to mortice machine. What a great machine that is!! I made my holes pretty quickly and the peg fitted great, making a very tight fit. Julie dig a half lap for our helipad (!), and we did some rather ad-hoc joints for the other joints as we were rapidly running out of time. Our bridge did span the gap, but only with the counter-balance of a mallet :o) Carolyn and John made a great arched bridge and won the coveted chocolate orange. I found the "lesson" great fun. I had a chat to Anthony on the way out about careers in woodworking. The rest of the gang went to the pub, but my wife was waiting at home for tea, so I went home.

Bob, our external examiner, turned up for class today. He introduced himself and went round the class while we were working. Today was a continuation of last week that I missed. We were given some random block of wood and were to make a desktop sculpture with it. I knew I only had this week to complete it, so I got a piece of wood - a small thin square - and had to make a quick decision. I decided, having just returned from Japan, a japanese scene would be, perhaps, possible. So with water, a boat and mountains in my head I began chopping. Bob came round an informed me I was working in oak - which explained why it was so difficult to work. I didn't get the scene finished by the end of the class, although I did have a boat floating on water.

Having not attended last week due to having a random bout of shingles, I wasn't sure what the current theme was. I knew that last week, Anthony said we'd be discussing our projects, and that's how this lesson started. It was a depleated class, although Mandy Ross was visiting because she had the necessary qualifications for using the power tools. Anthony asked if we'd discussed everyone's project, and I said I was away. So everyone gathered around the table in the middle and all looked at me. Thankfully, leaving home I'd made a on-the-spot decision to take with me a book containing some plans that I might use. So I got these out and decsribed that I'd like to make a psaltery (not a zither as anthony kept saying - and definitely not a zimmer as he said once). Both Anthony and Mandy were excited about the prospect, as they'd not help make one before. I'm actually excited now, because prior to that moment I hadn't been at all convinced doing it was possible. Having talked it through with them, I think it will be. Although Anthony and chaps are taking a trip to Somerset to pick up wood, I think I will investigate sources of instrument wood, particularly if I want to do this more often. To that end I may go and talk to Robin Greenwood, the luthier at Stapehill Abbey (at least, I hope he's still there). The rest of the class was spent writing out a parts-list of wood, and a project-plan. I actually didn't get that far, because I was too busy reading the book in which the plans came, which was describing different woods and construction methods.

Before getting going with some work, we spent the first half an hour being shown how to veneer using rabbit skin glue. We all had a go, before going back to our desks. I spent most of the lesson reading up the plan of how to make the psaltery and other things like that. Last weekend I'd been to see Robin Greenwood at Stapehill Abbey and he'd shown me a psaltery he'd made and it was very nice. It was entirely made of Beech. He said he gets much of his wood from Touchstone Tonewoods, so I expect I will get my supplies from them. I read up about the different woods in the book, and I will also probably choose beech.

At last I had my wood. I was originally planning on going with Touchstone Tonewoods, but I thought David Dyke Luthier Supplies had a better range of materials and didn't seem to specialise on guitars and violins. I phoned them on Thursday and after chatting to David himself, decided I would go with maple rather than beech. It's harder and more stable (and actually looks nicer). The soundboard will be spruce and the bridge sycamore. I got my order yesterday (Monday) and the wood looks great. It was £30 + VAT + Post and Packing, so came to about £56. Quite expensive, really, which is why I'm now scared stiff of actually cutting it!! I spent the lesson choosing and marking up the wood. It's the last day of term, so we had a "quick one" down the pub with Anthony.

Back to work and back into the deep end! Anthony gave us a quick demonstration of planing before letting us get back to our projects. I had a quick chat to Anthony about whether I should plane the soundboard - I noticed it had some small imperfections (divets) in the top, but he said it's so thin already it would be very difficult to plane. He suggested I build the thing and just give it a good sand with a fine-grit paper. I also asked him what he thought the best joint to make would be at the apex of the instrument. He thought the standard butt-joint mitre to the apex would be best, and I agreed. I had considered doing a half-lap but decided if would be much more difficult for no real gain. So, after Mandy sharpened my pencil for me (!), I marked up the wood again (I'd marked it up wrong before) and marked it out again with a knife. I then cut the mitre on the two side pieces. I used a tenon saw and clamped the wood to a bench hook which was clamped in the vice. This meant the piece was solid and I could concentrate on cutting accurately. I cut the first piece really well, but the second piece went a bit out of line. Fortunately I didn't cut over the line, I cut behind the line at an angle, so next lesson I will have to take some off this to make it fit. I guess I'll need to ask the best way of doing this.

I really enjoyed today's lesson. Well, it was less of a lesson really, and more a "just get on with your project" time. However, the help from Mandy was very useful. Last lesson I'd cut the mitre at the top of the psaltery, but didn't do it too well on one side, so it didn't fit properly. So, on Mandy's advice, I went and sharpened up one of the planes and carefully planed the cut edges of both the pieces until they were flat and the right shape. I initially tested the plane on an old bit of softwood and I just couldn't get it very good. It would jam and snag. But as soon as I moved to the maple, it worked lovely. The planing meant that the pieces fitted almost perfectly - but not quite. Mandy showed me that by holding the wood upto the light with a straight edge along it you could see where it wasn't quite flat, even though it looked it. By carefully shaving one or two shavings from the specific areas you could get these surfaces almost exactly flat, and that's what I managed. The pieces now fit tightly together with a bit of pressure, as you can see in the photos. Anthony then suggested I should glue the pieces before working on the bottom part of the frame. This would mean the top half of the frame would be a rigid structure to work to. But, I didn't have (haven't chosen) any glue, yet. So, I started work on whittling the bridge. I'd got a fairly large lump of sycamore for this. I marked it up (see photo) and Mandy cut it in the bandsaw. I then marked the second cut and I cut this myself in the bandsaw with Anthony's supervision. The piece is now about the right size (see photos) and just needs planing to shape. That's what comes next lesson.

Today's class was a little depleated and Anthony began by showing us the belt sander. However, we quickly got on to working on our projects again, and I was down for working on my bridge again, as I've still not got any glue to glue the two finished sides of the psaltery's body. The next thing to do on the bridge was to square it off, and shape the top. I spent some time squaring the sides with a plane, although this is rather difficult. If none of them are quite square, deciding which side to work off is hard. Anyway, it's not too bad, so I decided to get on and shape the top. I wasn't sure how to do this, as I couldn't put the block of wood in the vice at an angle. Anthony suggested using a small bullnose plane and planing the angle by hand (with the block of wood square in the vice). So this is what I did, and you can see the wood mid-plane and finished in the photos. Anthony stopped us once to show us how to create a cabinet scraper from the unsharpened tempered steel that you can buy to make them. I'm relatively pleased with the outcome of my bridge, although it's not quite flat, but I don't think this will make too much difference. I need to get some glue for next week, and I've had a read through my books on the subject, and they all suggest the animal hide glue that Mandy showed us before Christmas, so I'll order some of this for sure.

Despite ordering my rabbit skin glue, from a company called Relics who specialise in stuff for antique furniture restoration, it still hasn't arrived. I'm not actually convinced that they have not just gone bust and left their website running. Anyway, it meant I couldn't cut the base of the triangular frame for my psaltery and I'd already pretty much completed shaping of the bridge. So I was left with nothing much to do. So, Anthony and I discussed it and attempted to find some glue around the workshop, but couldn't. So instead, I had a go at using the fret saw to cut some sound-hole designs. I really like using the fret saw, and found it very easy to get detailed shapes. I filed the shapes out a bit when they were finished, so that they looked quite smooth (see photo). Although this is clearly a nice easy way to make some detailed shapes, the shapes do have to be "solid", that is, not a lattice-type sound-hole like you find in lutes.

Last Thursday I received my rabbit skin glue that I re-ordered from a different company, and the original order was not even acknowledged. On Saturday I took 100ml of the glue and added it to 200ml of water in a small can. I covered it up and left it overnight.

On Sunday I steamed the glue in its can, by placing the can in a saucepan of water, which was heated from the hob. I stirred this until the glue was smooth and contained no lumps. I then glued toegether the two pieces that make the long sides of the triangular frame of the psaltery, using a brush to apply the glue. It was all clamped to a workmate and left to dry all day and overnight.

All this meant that by my lesson on Tuesday, I had a glued together part-frame, which I could use as the template for creating the bottom, short-side of the triangle.

So, that's what I did this lesson - just got on with cutting an oversize piece for the bottom, then re-cutting the sides at an angle. I cut the excess off the bottom of the long-sides and marked up the half-lap on the short-side to be cut.

Today it was really just another 'get on with it' day. I began to cut the two half-laps that will form the joint at the bottom of the triangle that forms the instrument body. I had already marked out the cuts, so I just started. I purposely cut well within the lines - too far within really - because I was particularly scared of cutting too much off. However, this meant that I spent all lesson planing the regions that were left back to the lines. This, of course, meant the they were nicely flat, but it also meant that it took ages. The next cuts I'll make I'll make closer to the lines. I had to use the bullnose, or rabbit, plane to get right into the corners of the lap, while constantly sharpening it throughout the lesson to keep it cutting. I did break out the grain at the edges a little in a couple of places, although, it's fortunate that they will be within the body of the instrument and not visible from outside. At the end of the lesson, the laps were nearly correct, but need a little bit more planing to make it fit within the sides of the instrument.

Although Bob was due to turn up today, he was unable to, so the lesson was just a "get on with your project" lesson, again. I still had to get the half-lap to fit into the frame, and continued with this. At the beginning of the lesson Anthony asked if anyone felt like they were getting behind, but I didn't. However, by the end of the lesson I did. I still hadn't got the piece fitted. I spent all lesson planing the edges, little by little, but it seemingly had no effect. Anthony suggested using the chisel to whittle, instead of planing, as it was more controllable, and less likely to break the edges out. It also took off more at a time. The piece is certainly getting closer to fitting, but still not there. I plan on doing some in the week to catch up a bit, if I can find the time. I still have the following left to do:

1. Cut the half-lap on the frame
2. Glue the end-piece into the frame
3. Cut the back
4. Glue the back to the frame, and trim
5. Cut the front
6. Cut a soundhole in the front
7. [possibly inlay the front]
8. Put a label inside
9. Glue the front to the frame, and trim
10. [possibly rout the edges and apply purfling]
11. Drill holes for the pins, and insert the pins
12. [possibly apply some finish]

Bob was at class today, and circulated while people went on with their projects. Although I hadn't filled any of the NCFE stuff in, he seemed happy that there was a log of some sorts, at least. I was pleased with my progress today. Using whittling, I got the half-lap I'd been struggling with to fit, and got on with cutting the laps on the other parts of the frame. In fact, I whittled them down too and the lap is getting close to fitting. It needs some tweaking, to be sure, but I think next lesson I should get it to fit. Anthony came over at one point and had a look at my chisels. Despite me sharpening them 3 times throughout the lesson, Anthony wasn't happy with them and tried to sharpen them himself. He said they were very cheap (well, they came in a bundle with a work-mate) and that if I was planning on doing more woodworking, I should get myself some decent chisels. So, this week I'll do just that - get some Sheffield steel Marples.

Today ended up a bit of a waste for me. At the weekend, I stuck the back onto the psaltery frame (see photos). However, when I checked on it, when it had dried, it had slipped a little. Although this didn't matter too much for the actual final article, it meant that the clamps that were holding the corner joints were no longer holding as well as they should have been. This meant that the very corners (the top peak, and one of thse bottom corners) had not stuck properly. I pointed this out to Anthony who suggested that I needed to stick this prior to planing the sides down. This was a real shame, as I didn't have my glue with me. I spent this lesson filling in my forms. How dull.

I didn't get any time in the week to re-glue the badly glued joints on the psaltery, so that was the plan for this lesson. I melted the glue and stuck the label into the psaltery, then I waited. It took a while for Anthony to realise I needed help (I guess I wasn't assertive enough) but eventually he helped me glue the top onto the frame, while re-glueing the back joints that hadn't worked too well. It was useful being able to do this at the class because there were alot more clamps available than I have at home. This was the problem I'd encountered when I'd stuck the back on, that the thin wood comprising the back and top, lifted in between the places where the clamps were squeezing. The more clamps you have available the more you can fill in those clamps. I left the psaltery there clamping overnight, and collected it in the morning. It's looking like a psaltery now, and the joints are solid. I am not going to have chance (or the skill!) to do the inlaying I would like - that will have to wait until another project. I have 2 weeks left to plane the sides, drill the pin holes and screw in the pins. This should be achievable. I still do not have any music wire to string the instrument, though.