Rivers Joinery

17/06/2026

Flyers, the old-fashioned way.

12/06/2026

The riving part of riversjoinery.

07/06/2026

It's about time this had an oiling. These geese will be winging their way to Birdwood House, Totnes for the exhibition, so time for a spruce up; 12th-18th July. Come and visit! Copyrighted design.

26/05/2026

Just a light trim to fit. Last one. Marie from the CCT came along to make video and a few stills. I'll leave the movie for Church Conservation Trust to post.

26/05/2026

When I started here this morning, the sun was shining in the East window. Now it's time to pack up my WW1 kit box, the sun is coming through the West window. Goodbye pulpit, goodbye box pews. This might just be my favourite church. Sweep the floor and close the door. Back to silence.

24/05/2026

24/05/2026

In with the new panel. It has been agreed with CCT to take a SPAB (Society for Protection of Ancient Buildings) approach to this restoration. I.e. minimum intervention/leaving the new timber unstained. It will mellow in in 50 years or so. The joints drawbored/pulled tight as they were before. It's amazing what oak will put up with! The rear of the panel matches the original panels now, with axed chamfers.

23/05/2026

Slowly take the stile off the tenons. When you can see the light, you know you're winning! Gentle taps and leverage; these mortices possibly haven't seen the light of day for 400 years. What a joy to see the evidence of the original joiner working the wood. The runout of the plough plane through the tenons, shavings made when chopping out the mortices still in the bottom of the mortice! If you've been careful ,the holes in the tenon should be intact enough, to pull the joint together again. Place the half of the pulpit to one side and set about removing the broken panel.

22/05/2026

My office for today. While working next door, I visited this church. There was this beautiful 17th century pulpit inside, sadly vandalised with a smashed panel, itself a modern replacement. There was a sign asking for donations. I contacted the Churches Conservation Trust and said I could do better than donate, I could do the work! So here we are. First up, drill out and extract the pegs carefully, with a spoon bit and brace.

18/05/2026

Angel roof boss. Just finished carving. Then a quick burnish with my favourite burnishing stone.