A Shrink Fit Pot */**

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Teacher: William Torlot

William is originally from England but has been living in the Alps (currently in Austria) for more than 30 years. Thanks to his partner from Viljandi, he is a regular and enthusiastic visitor to Estonia. For over a decade, woodwork, particularly using green- or freshly cut wood, has been his creative escape from a desk job in an office. What started as a hobby has steadily become more serious, culminating in the recent completion of a three year Master course in Traditional Estonian Woodworking with Master Craftsman Meelis Kihulane (another tutor at the Craft Camp). In the last few years he has led spoon carving workshops in England, Austria, Germany, Denmark and Estonia.

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Making a shrink-fit pot is a great way to appreciate the fantastic properties of wood by making a simple but very functional container. In essence, we utilise the fact that wood shrinks as it dries. By fitting a dry wood base into a container hollowed out of freshly cut wood, the body of the pot shrinks on to the base, sealing the container with no need for glue or pegs. This technique was used for centuries in Estonia as well as elsewhere as a way of making simple but very effective containers for dry commodities such as grain or flour, as well as liquids such as honey or even water and beer. Pots varied enormously in size, ranging from small pots of 0,5 litres or smaller, right up to very big containers of 200 litres and bigger.

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The aim of this workshop is to make a small shrink fit pot using traditional techniques which can be used later (e.g. for salt or sugar or as a pencil pot, etc). Once the stem of freshly cut wood (a branch or trunk of a tree) has been hollowed, a groove is cut as a seat for the base and a piece of dry wood is fitted to close one end of the pot and make a container. The pot must then be left for nature to do its magic and for the body to shrink on to the base.

Please note that it will not be possible to make a fitting lid for your pot as a 1-day workshop does not give the time for the wood to fully dry and the final dimensions to be reached. It will be possible for those who wish to, to start preparing a lid which then must be completed by the student at home.  

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The material we will use is freshly cut Black Alder, Lime or Aspen. Tools which we will use are: augers to make an initial hole; gouges and knives to expand the hole and achieve an even, thin walled container body; a marking gauge to prepare the groove and then a knife or angled scorp to cut it; an axe and/or a plane is used for the base to achieve the required thickness; finally a saw is used to get the rough shape of the base before refining it for an exact fit using a knife.

This course is equally suitable for beginners or those with some experience. Students with no previous experience can expect to complete a small pot during the 1-day course. More experienced participants can, for example, make a larger pot, prepare a lid, or decorate their pot with chip carving. All tools and the materials needed to make a shrink fit pot are included in the participation fee.  

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