I think the first time I experienced a woodworking shop at the start of my cabinetmaking apprenticeship around 25 years ago, it felt like I belonged. From then to now nothing has really changed in that respect. Working with wood, especially as i get older and are drawn more to the quietness of hand tools, is a little hard for me to describe - there's something addictive about working steel on wood; the feel, the sound, the fragrance, the way the surface dances as it catches the light. It's a place of freedom,  creativity, frustration, fatigue and contentment. It has been really refreshing over the last years to steer the business from manufacturing into more of a studio space for makers. Now alongside our resident makers we have two schools: The Australian Guitar Making School Townsville and the Dubbeld Wood School. I teach here at both. ​Ultimately students can learn as little or as much as they like and I'll do my best to guide them through their own builds and show them the techniques I believe are best practice. When I get the chance to build, my preferred style is exposed joinery with little reliance on glue - there's nowhere to hide here but if the construction is sound, the piece will stand the test of time. The same goes for finishing - natural finishes that, with little maintenance, only get better with age. At the moment, time on the tools is a bit of a luxury for me. However, if you're willing to wait, I would be happy to provide a quote on a solid timber project. ​ ​

Aden started off as a student in early 2017. He started a desk soon after helping Joel out with getting his website updated.