From Richard Vaughan, contributing editor to Australian Wood Review.
In January this year I went via the NGO http://friendsoframbutso.org for a couple of weeks to a remote island of PNG in the province of Manus to teach furniture making without nails, screws or glue. The population of the two inhabited islands of Rambutso is about 3,000 living in 12 villages with a subsistence lifestyle for the most part. In a full-on week on the small island of Bundrou I taught two men from each of five villages, and these men then went back to their villages with a kit of tools to train others.
I've written a story about my time there that's coming out in the June issue of Wood Review. There's also some info here about the lead-up.
The project got wide coverage and caught the attention of influential people up there so it is very likely that this pilot programme will be getting support from local government, hopefully including sending those I trained to the main island of Manus to share their skills. But nothing would have been possible without the generosity of the woodworking community here. The island had virtually no tools at all so I felt like Santa Claus as the boxes were opened, and then even more so when they learned the techniques for simple furniture making and really got excited about the potential for both home use and sales.
It is easy to forget how very fortunate we are to be living the way we take for granted, and what a huge change can be enabled simply by providing tools to those without, and especially when they are so competent.
I am planning another trip there at the end of this year and although the main focus of this trip will be to teach the building and use of composting toilets I would love to bring more woodworking tools to share in order extend the potential benefits of the furniture making project. Unfortunately communication with Bundrou is virtually non existent so I am very keen to see the results of last trip.
This is an appeal for woodworking tools in good usable order. I sure would appreciate it if you could do whatever restoration/tuning was necessary - I had a flat out three weeks de-rusting and sharpening the abundance of donations last time and would love it if you could save me a bit of time. But rest assured that even if you don’t have the chance to rebirth them they’ll be welcome.
I am in Brisbane and unfortunately will have to depend on your getting donations to my shedudio in Sumner Park. There will also be a drop off point in Sydney. Just get in touch with me to arrange that or with any queries.
Email: richard@richardvaughan.com.au or phone 07 33765 8520
The tools needed include: chisels, carving gouges, handsaws, planes, drawknives, spokeshaves, honing guides, sharpening stones, rasps, adzes, braces and bits – especially bits 20mm or more, and clamps. And whatever other woodworking tools you can manage
Please note that I will need to have the tools cleaned, packed, and ready for shipping by the end of September.
