Timber for 'Matthew" figurehead milled

Last Friday we milled the timber for the new Matthew figurehead at the Ashton Court estate on the edge of Bristol. The tree trunks used are Lawson cypress, which was cut down as part of a landscaping scheme and has been sitting around unused for a few years just down from the mansion which it grew next to. This timber is very durable and not bad to carve, so will be ideal for the Matthew. This kind of tree also comes originally from North America, so also ties in nicely with the Bristol-American connection that the Matthew represents.

My mate Bob brought along his Alaskan mill-a frame which attaches to a huge chainsaw so that timber can be cut up onsite. With the help of Alex Philips, the three of us managed to cut large logs into some good, usable timber in a day. Some of this will now be glued into a block to carve the figurehead from, making it more stable and less prone to warping or splitting over time than a squared-up piece of trunk would be.

 Alex, Bob and I take time out 

                                                                                           to pose for a team photo

Many thanks to Bob and Alex- it couldn't have been done without your help! And here's a nice sunset photo of Ashton Court to finish with...