The people have spoken and it looks like a fair percentage of the population of the central west town of Mudgee, NSW may have come out in support of their local young woodworking hero Thomas Smith!
Voting for Popular Choice Award in Australian Wood Review's second annual woodworking competition for secondary schools was by the number of 'likes' tallied at noon, January 27, 2016.
Wood Review's 2015 Student Awards achieved a phenomenal reach on its social media channels as families, friends and admirers viewed entries on the magazine's website, Facebook and Instagram pages. There is no other online national competition for students of woodwork in Australia.
At the time of counting Thomas had received 1635 Facebook likes, putting him over 1000 votes ahead of second Popular Choice placegetter Domenic Acitelli, Clancy Catholic College, NSW with 607 votes, while Kelly Linke, Nuriootpa High, SA was a close third with 536 votes.
Award winners for Overall Best, Best Handskills, Best Design, Best Use of Native Timbers, Best Turned Piece, Best Carved Piece will be announced in the March issue of the quarterly print magazine Australian Wood Review. The schools attended by the top three will also receive awards.
Thomas's winning entry was his Contrasting Hall Table With Twisted Legs in walnut, claret ash, glass. He wins a flat sole ebony spokeshave valued at $240 from premium Australian toolmaker HNT Gordon Classic Plane Makers along with a voucher for $50 from national woodworking supplier Carbatec.
Last year Thomas attended Year 12 at Mudgee High School and his teacher was Peter Smith.
‘I built a modern style hall table using CNC routing for the inlay and twisted legs. Other joints were handcut. The walnut used was from storm damage and the claret ash reclaimed from a property development,’ said Thomas in his entry submission.
At a time when our manufacturing base is being eroded in this country, it's heartening to see handskills being fostered at a grass roots level at so many of our schools throughout Australia.
Australian Wood Review congratulates Thomas, his teacher Peter Smith and Mudgee High School on a fantastic result and hopes Thomas will keep developing and enjoying his obvious talent for woodworking.
See all the entries at www.woodreview.com.au/student-entries and at www.facebook.com/woodreview
Judges for the competition have now also been announced, see here.
