The Ravens Warband

Update on Settlement Project

The settlement project, which began in 2004, aims to reconstruct a 5-6th century Anglo-Saxon longhouse and ancilliary buildings which can then be used as a base for craft activities such as black-smithing, fabric production (spinning, dying, weaving), pottery etc.. The settlement is based on that excavated at Chalton, Hampshire. The first building, a sunken featured building or grubenhaus, was completed last year and work is now underway to enclose an area for a vegetable garden. It is planned to build the next building, a longhouse, in 2008. The settlement is brought to life by a range of primitive livestock.

This year the aim is to focus on constructing a woodturning lathe.

The project is in West Wales, near Carmarthen. We are always keen to have help - if you would like to be involved why not contact us.

	Tools used		Diary for 2007
	Livestock		Diary for 2006
	Plans for the settlement		Diary for 2005
			Diary for 2004

May 2008

We spent the winter making a wood turning lathe. We had our first chance to try it out at the late May Bank Holiday. We still have some work to do on perfecting our turning tools but the lathe itself, after a few adjustments, was a great success.

The lathe, a pole lathe, uses a springy pole to provide the motive power. Press down on the treddle and the workpiece spins. Release and it spins back. You only cut on the down stroke so you have to get into a rhythm where your foot and hand movements are coordinated.	Evidence for the exact form of Anglo-Saxon lathes is very limited. Finds of turned items and waste from turning shows they used pole lathe but the only piece of a lathe found is a tool rest stand found at York. This is the notched piece sticking out under the turner's left arm.
It is vital that the tool is supported from the tool rest to get it to cut properly. Here a cranked tool is being used to cut the inside of a small bowl.	A close up of the cut shows the ribbon of waste coming away.
The final product is a small applewood bowl or drinking cup. It needs to dry out for a few weeks before being finished with a coat of beeswax.

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