Galerie - Het Noeste Leven

Draaifeest 2025 throw back. What a wonderful event

Draaifeest 2025 throw back. What a wonderful event it was again this year. The third time we've organised it, and it was even better than the previous editions. We're always learning new things, and traditions are born. You can mark June 12-14, 2026, in your calendars for the fourth edition (with a pencil). We're already thinking about how we can make it even more fun.

Today marks 21 years since my wife Rachne and I go

Today marks 21 years since my wife Rachne and I got together. We met in the historical open air museum @prehistorischdorp where we spent many weekends volunteering in the Iron Age. Together we carried wood, practiced all sorts of crafts together, and in the evenings, snuggled together under a blanket by the fire to stay warm. That day, November 26, 2004, Rachne gave me a letter in which she explained her feelings for me. A month later, I would be leaving for India for an extended period to complete my graduation project, and she hoped I would return to her afterward. Well, I did, and now, 21 years later, we're still together and haven't lost our interest in each other or the ancient crafts.

A series of what time, drying and oiling does to a

A series of what time, drying and oiling does to a pair of bowls. The end result is shown on the first photo. Some lovely warped little cherry bowls, with bright orange sapwood, licht brownish and spotted heart wood and a yellow line in between. Colours stand out due to oiling with linseed oil. On the second and third photo these bowls can be seen on the lathe. Photo number 4 shows how these bowl change colour over time. The bowl on the bottom is freshly turned, while the other one is one day old. Look at that difference! Then, on the fifth photo, both bowls after drying. Both have the same colour now, which is a little in between the two of the previous photo. And then after oiling, back to photo no 1.

How long should you let wood dry before turning? T

How long should you let wood dry before turning? That's a question I get asked often. Well, it really depends on what you want. The greener it is, the easier it is to work with, because it's softer. But with those soft fibers, it can sometimes be a bit trickier to get a good, smooth finish. After a few months, things often improve considerably. Wait a little longer, and then nice things can happen, like with this maple. Look at those colors! What started out as a smooth, almost white wood in January is now beautifully stained. Because it's already much drier, the finish is awesome. On the other hand, the wood much harder, which means you have to work harder and it takes longer to turn it into a bowl. That one one bowl that is extra dark was coloured with rust water. The other bowls only got a coat of linseed oil.

Doing some finishing cuts on a turned bowl with ha

Doing some finishing cuts on a turned bowl with handles. The results will follow soon.

It's been a while since I introduced myself. So fo

It's been a while since I introduced myself. So for anyone who's ever wondered who the person behind the wooden stuff and the workshops is, here you have it: who is Martijn? That's not easy to answer, of course, but let me give you a brief overview. As a child in primary school, I was very interested in paleontology and archaeology. Latin in secondary school taught me a thing or two about the Romans. In secondary school, I temporarily left history behind to study chemical engineering, followed by studies in sustainable energy technology and teacher training. During those studies, however, I re-entered history, or rather, prehistory, by volunteering at @prehistorischdorp (Prehistoric Village) in Eindhoven, where I attended university. At the museum, I met my wife Rachne, who works as a shepherd, with our dog Pip. Together, we pursued our interests in traditional crafts, sustainability, and self-sufficiency. After working as a chemistry teacher for several years, I transitioned to woodworking about seven years ago. I finally started working as a craftsman, something I'd long aspired to. After making spoons, shrink pots, and stools, I ended up turning on a pole lathe, which is currently my main occupation. But who knows what the future holds. I love experimenting and learning new things, so I'm sure something else will happen someday. For now, there's still a lot to learn in the field of woodworking, so I'm good for now. (Photo: @baptist_arnhem )

This year I was once again a guest at Harald of L

This year I was once again a guest at Harald of Lepelhuis in Bruges. I had the opportunity to lead a workshop with him for a few days as part of his annual training program. Would you like to try a pole lathe yourself and spend a day working outdoors under the guidance of an experienced turner? I still have a few spots available for this year's workshop. Two spots remain on November 11th to turn a cup, and, if you've already made several cups, several spots remain on November 25th to make a jar with a lid on the pole lathe. Register via the website www.hetnoesteleven.nl

It's been a while, and I'd actually forgotten how

It's been a while, and I'd actually forgotten how much fun it is to make a shrink pot. Today I finished five of them, which I started over six months ago. First, I make the pot and its base, after which the wood has to dry thoroughly. Only when it's completely dry do I make the lid. In this case, I chose a lid that fits between two raised lips and is held in place by a stick. The same principle they used in the Bronze Age. I'm happy with them and hope they'll find a new home soon. Willow box, oak base and lid, alder stick. #woodworking #shrinkpot #handmade #naturalwood

Only a few workshops left this year before the win

Only a few workshops left this year before the winter break begins. For example, on October 11th, you can also make a lovely wooden cup using an axe and pole lathe. There's also a bowl-turning workshop on October 12th and a pyxis workshop on October 25th, for those who have already made one or more cups. Please note: there are only two spots left on both October 11th and 12th. You can register via the website (see link in bio) #workshop #woodworking #houtbewerking #wipdraaibank #draaibank #schaal #dagjeuit #endgrain

A few alder bowls, fresh off the pole lathe. #woo

A few alder bowls, fresh off the pole lathe. #woodworking #woodturning #turning #lathe #polelathe

And another bottle in collaboration with Pieterjan

And another bottle in collaboration with Pieterjan @houtbewaarder . This one is a bit more challenging, with feet and handles to attach a cord. From sketch to finished product! #lathe #turning #polelathe #pilgrimflask

Making a bottle on a pole lathe! Yes, that is poss

Making a bottle on a pole lathe! Yes, that is possible. As part of the Master Apprentice Program, together with Pieterjan @houtbewaarder , we made a bottle, turned on two axes. And instead of me explaining all the steps, it's actually much more fun to just look at the photos of the process. #polelathe #flask #turning

Yesterday, Pieterjan @houtbewaarder and I had the

Yesterday, Pieterjan @houtbewaarder and I had the pleasure of leading a bowl-turning workshop for a group of @natuurmonumenten employees. It was the first time for me, or rather, for us, to have a group of 13 people, and to be honest, I was quite curious how it would go. Fortunately, everyone was very motivated and disciplined. They listened carefully, asked many questions, and worked hard and attentively. A great result, and above all, a very successful day. #bowlturning #workshop #polelathe #natuurmonumenten

@classicfabrics.nl gave me a bottle of linseed oi

@classicfabrics.nl gave me a bottle of linseed oil to try out, dyed with alkanet root. This gave the oil a deep red colour. I used the oil on a maple bowl, which was turned on a pole lathe and has hand-carved handles. The oil gives this wood a pinkish hue (not easily visible in the photo). A nice result, but you can also see online that it gives a deep red colour on cherry wood, for example. So, I'll experiment further with other types of wood.

(A few more workshops are coming up. The special c

(A few more workshops are coming up. The special closing event for the season is a pyxis-making workshop. Saturday, September 27 - Bowl turning Sunday, September 28 - Bowl turning Saturday, October 11 - Turning a cup from endgrain Sunday, October 12 - Bowl turning Saturday, October 25 - Season closing, pyxis making (for those who have already made a few cups on the pole lathe). It will set you back €95 for the entire day, including materials, coffee, tea, and soup. Registration is possible via the webshop at https://www.hetnoesteleven.nl/product-categorie/workshops (see link in bio) A pyxis is a small pot made by the Romans and also in the Middle Ages. The goal is to make a beautiful pot with a lid that is clamped on by friction. This means you have to work very precisely. During this workshop, I will teach you how to do this and the steps involved in achieving the final result. PLEASE NOTE: This is not a workshop for absolute beginners. To complete the whole thing in one day and get a perfect fit for the lid, it's important that you've already turned a few end-grain cups on a pole lathe

Lepelfeest 2025 was great. That's it. Not much mor

Lepelfeest 2025 was great. That's it. Not much more I could add... Thanks @vershout and @eemlepel for organising this wonderful event and thank you @van.groentje for the delicious food!

This week I've been making a few little lidded box

This week I've been making a few little lidded boxes on the pole lathe. Boxes like these can be found in the Roman age, the medieval period, and today. Made from sycamore and finished with linseed oil.

A glimpse inside my stall at a recent market. Beca

A glimpse inside my stall at a recent market. Because I've recently been busy moving, I haven't had much time to make new things, and my inventory has shrunk considerably. So, there won't be much on the table this coming weekend, but you can come and see me demonstrate my new bow lathe at the Roman Festival at the Gallo-Roman Museum Tongeren. Crafts, shows, music, food, workshops, and a lecture. It promises to be a great event in the Flemish town of Tongeren.

Lately, I've been practicing with a bow lathe. Tur

Lately, I've been practicing with a bow lathe. Turning a bit and then making minor adjustments where necessary. Slowly but surely, it's starting to work well. Or rather, I am starting to get it right, because it's not easy to operate the bow with one hand and carve with the other. I made this one for use in a Roman context. The problem, however, is that we don't actually know exactly what a Roman wood lathe looked like. It is certain that they existed. This is evident from the many finds of turned objects from that era, and also from texts from that period. From these texts, we also know that they had a bow lathe. There's also a very schematic illustration of a bow lathe for turning gemstones. I based this one on the bow lathes you can still see in North Africa today, and as they are also depicted in medieval drawings. It's a first example, primarily intended for practice and to demonstrate the simple (though not easy!) operation of a bow lathe. Pots from the Roman period have also been found, which would be much more difficult to make on this lathe, as well as turned bowls, which simply cannot be made on it. So there certainly were other models of lathes. But before I start working on those, I'm going to see how far I can get with this one.

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