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

Latest

Craft in the Age of AI

Once again the poo fairy (or maybe her cousin this time) has graced our family, so once again I find myself thinking more than doing, which is all but guaranteed to have a man lose his head further and further

7 August 2026 · 8 min read

Craft in the Age of AI Craft in the Age of AI What the Poo? What the Poo?
The first time a chisel bit into a piece of timber the lie of the digital world was exposed.
Read the manifesto →

Stay close to the work


Bench Mark

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

Essays

Longer pieces on whatever's on my mind. Sometimes the workshop, often not.
Craft in the Age of AI
7 Aug 2026 · 8 min read
What the Poo?
17 Jul 2026 · 5 min read
Essay: Why the Way We Make Things Matters
2 Jun 2026 · 17 min read

Dispatches

Weekly letters from the workshop.
What the Poo?
17 Jul 2026 · 5 min read
Disptach: Sanding, sanding, sanding.
3 Jul 2026 · 2 min read
Dispatch: Deskbound
19 Jun 2026 · 2 min read

Brush Notes

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

Stay close to the work