Artisans of Dartmoor - Book - Page 100
Using traditional furniture making
techniques taught to him by a retiring
woodworker, Ambrose creates a range
of stools. “Working with my hands is
more enjoyable than using a dusty, noisy
machine,” he says. “Hand craftsmanship is
very physical. Your hands have to be strong
because you need to grip the tools with
a certain force. And it takes time – you
must be well-practised for the process to
be efficient.”
“Knots, grain
and growth rings
tell the story of
a tree’s life.
I like
to honour
In 2012, Ambrose decided to build an off-grid,
timber-framed barn to serve as his workshop during
the warmer months, and a home for his family tractor
in winter, when he moves to a smaller workshop next
to his house. It took him a whole year to construct.
“It was hard going and everyone thought I was mad,
but it really boosted my confidence,” he says.
These newfound skills led Ambrose to work as a
carpenter and timber framer on building sites but, in
his free time, he continued to refine his woodworking
techniques. In 2014, he exhibited his new product line
at a prestigious craft fair, where he was awarded Best
in Show. But it wasn’t until he opened an online shop
in 2020 that business really took off. “It was a very
gradual process, but I felt I could finally call myself a
woodworker,” he says.
them in my pieces”
100
The Woodworker • Ambrose Vevers
