Talking to Darren Oates: Judge for Wood Review Student Awards 2017

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Above: Darren Oates with two of his laminated sculptures recently exhibited.

Darren Oates is a regular contributor to Australian Wood Review magazine and this year a judge for Wood Review’s Student Awards 2017. Darren lives in the Hawkesbury, NSW and is a full-time furniture designer/maker who has also taught at Sturt School For Wood. We asked Darren about himself, and if he had any advice for this year’s entrants.

AWR: How did you get into woodworking?
DO:
I was heavily into Bonsai in the 1990s and wanted a stand to display my most prized specimens. I quickly discovered that there was not much in the market to purchase in this field, so this led me to designing and making my own. I ended up selling about fifty bonsai stands which allowed me to purchase more woodworking equipment. Later in 2006 I undertook two six week part time courses with Terry Gleason and this is what got me hooked.

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Darren Oates, Apollonius Table and Chairs

AWR: What do you most like about making?
DO:
Delivering a specially made piece to clients and seeing the look on their faces .

AWR: Who are your woodworking heroes / favourite designer/maker?
DO:
The work of Matthias Pliessnig just boggles the mind. I think he is the most incredible designer/maker anywhere on the planet and would one day love to go to America to meet him and see his studio.

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Darren Oates, Parabolae Hall Table

AWR: Who or what has taught you the most about woodworking?
DO:
Without a doubt, Tom Harrington. The ten months I spent with him at Sturt School For Wood can not be underestimated in their value of what I learnt. There is no way I would be doing this full time for ten years if it was not for what I had learnt from him. Tom knew I wanted to be a full time designer/maker and set out to teach me how to properly set up my workshop, and what machines to purchase to get myself of the ground.

AWR: Favourite wood species?
DO:
Northern silky oak. I just love the variation of grain that you can get from this timber depending on how you machine it in reference to grain direction and how you section it.

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Darren Oates, Coopered box in silky oak and cedar

AWR: Favourite hand tool?
DO:
My Sturt mallet, I use it every single day in the workshop. It has been used on every piece of furniture I have ever made.

AWR: Favourite machine?
DO:
My bandsaw feeder. After three shoulder operations it has allowed me to continue to make my favourite pieces involving curved laminations.

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Darren Oates, Hall Table in Mackay cedar, blackbutt, southern silky oak and silver ash.

AWR: Favourite woodworking book?
Woodworkers Guide to Bending Wood by Jonathan Benson.

AWR: Your biggest woodworking disaster!!?
DO:
In my early days to try and save a bit of money I tried using white PVA to make curved laminations. They would have made decent sculptures as they ended up twisting and warping in the most hideous ways.

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Darren Oates, Three Drawer Hall Table

AWR: What is the best thing about woodworking?
DO:
Teaching students techniques that they thought would be impossible to grasp, and seeing the looks on their faces when they finish a piece that weeks before seemed like a unobtainable dream.

AWR: What is the worst thing about woodworking?
DO:
Sanding.

AWR: The best thing you’ve ever made?
A three by two metres extendable dining table with eight chairs. A rewarding commission but an incredibly stressful one as well.

AWR: As a judge for Wood Review’s Student Awards 2017, do you have any advice for the students who enter?
DO:
Please, I implore you to take good quality sharp images of your work, from different angles with close-ups. It is impossible to judge a piece which is out of focus or has only one view.

Learn more about Darren Oates at: www.darrenoatesfinefurniture.com

Wood Review Student Awards 2017 are proudly sponsored by:

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