The Heavy Life

Furniture made by hand in a small workshop on the Bellarine. Classical Chinese joinery, marquetry, parquetry — in Australian timbers, made the way it's worth making, or not at all. Writing about every joint, every jig, every failure and every success.


Start Here

Three ways in. The manifesto if you want the argument. An essay if you want the thinking. A Bench Mark if you want to see what's on the bench.


Latest

Brush Notes: Decorative Tenons and a New Invention

I wasn't happy with yesterday's mitred tenons. Because the jig I knocked up didn't support the router on both sides the deflection meant that the tenons tapered slightly, presenting itself as gap. A feeler

20 May 2026 · 2 min read min read

Brush Notes: Decorative Tenons and a New Invention Brush Notes: Decorative Tenons and a New Invention Brush Notes: Red Gum the Paradox Brush Notes: Red Gum the Paradox
The first time a chisel bit into a piece of timber the lie of the digital world was exposed.
Read the manifesto →

Bench Mark

Deep workshop writing on Chinese joinery, marquetry, furniture design, and the pieces I'm building.
Bench Mark: So What the Heck Is an Àn Table, Anyway?
15 May 2026 · 6 min read min read
Bench Mark: Eight Millimetres
17 Apr 2026 · 3 min read min read

Essays

Longer pieces on whatever's on my mind. Sometimes the workshop, often not.
Essay: The Anova Paradox
31 Mar 2026 · 7 min read min read
Essay: On Camping
13 Mar 2026 · 3 min read min read
Essay: The Boys Made the Pastry
23 Feb 2026 · 3 min read min read

Dispatches

Weekly letters from the workshop.
Dispatch: Winter is here.
8 May 2026
Dispatch: Three Days of Prep for Four Hours of Work
1 May 2026
Dispatch: Is This What Skill Feels Like?
24 Apr 2026

Brush Notes

Quick notes from the bench. Short, unpolished, honest.

Stay close to the work