Congo Carpenters article in BBC

[Brian Kent]

Here's a pictorial in BBC about carpenter apprenticeships for deaf kids in the Congo.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/07/africa_congo_carpenters/html/1.stm

In addition to being some good news in the news, it is pretty interesting to see the tools they use.

Can anyone decipher what this tool is in photo #6?

[Zahid Naqvi]

I think a thickness planer without the top.

[John Schreiber]

I think it's a convertable euro style planer/jointer with some safety interlocks bypassed. It looks like the bed is folded up to the right.

The satisfaction of woodworking is universal.

[Bruce Branson]

It's a planner thicknesser with out dust collection hooked up.

[Bill Houghton]

Interesting that the BBC reporter and editor don't understand the distinctions among the trades. Based on the photos and what they say they're making, they're not carpenters but furnituremakers - and very good ones, too.

Wonder what the BBC would make of one of us posting a story, with pictures, about the BBC teaches its interns how to be advertising writers.

Not that I'm comparing carpenters to advertising writers...

[Benjamin Dahl]

my job takes me to Africa quite a bit and I am often really impressed with the work the artisans produce with limited tools. like anywhere there are some people who take more pride in their work and are more skilled than others, but some of the pieces I have bought I find really beautiful.