The Winners: Best Design, AWR Student Awards 2018
BEST DESIGN
SPONSORED BY
Award Winner: Jesse Seymour, Year 12, Freshwater Senior Campus, NSW. Teacher: Ben Percy
For his Fern Chair made from Tasmanian blackwood Jesse Seymour received a TWX7 Workcentre inc Clamping Table, 2400W Plunge Router and Superjaws System, value $3500. After we let Jesse know that he'd won a major award we asked him to reply to a short Q&A:
AWR: When did you start woodworking?
JS: I started woodworking when I was around 12, building little Co2 balsa wood cars at school. Whilst at home, I would go around collecting old timber that I would find at council clean-up and try and turn it into a skateboard or some form of entertainment.
AWR: Biggest influence on your woodworking?
JS: I would have to say the biggest influence would be to experiment with the limitations of timber and manipulate it in a way which has never been done before.
AWR: Hardest thing about making the Fern Chair?
JS: The hardest thing about making my Fern Chair would have to be knowing what to do next. The process involved was very unique and required a lot of thought, which was very time consuming and for anyone doing their HSC knows that time needs to be used wisely.
AWR: Best thing?
JS: The best thing was 100% joining all of the components together. There was honestly countless hours spent on all the pieces and to finally see it all work and create the image which had been in my head for so long was like Christmas.
AWR: Hours spent?
JS: Countless. It took Mr Percy and I until 2am to do the final glue-up.
AWR: Favourite tool /machine?
JS: The bandsaw – although when the blade broke when I was cutting a laminate I was scared off after that.
AWR: What was the thing your teacher said to you most often?
JS: “Mmmmmmmmm….”
AWR: Any words for your teacher?
JS: I honestly couldn’t thank him enough if I tried, his skills and the knowledge that he brings forward, not only in fine woodworking but of the whole industry allowed not only me but all the students to produce our projects to the degree and quality of which we did.
AWR: What are you doing this year?
JS: This year I am working at at a car restoration shop full-time and am hoping to start Uni in the second semester
AWR: Are you planning to keep up your woodworking?
JS: I can’t really see myself making a career out of woodworking although it is something that I will definitely use for the rest of my life, constantly making furniture for my house as well as other items of interest.
See an 8-page feature on AWR Student Awards 2018 including comments from the judges in the March issue of Australian Wood Review. See all Student Award entries for 2018 in our online gallery.