Andrew Dobson, upcycling wood (and a life)

Andrew Dobson with the one of the tables he now makes for a living under the business name, Upcycled Wood Designs.

Many of us have a dream of turning a part-time passion into a full-time job. After 20 years in corporate sales and one bad day in particular, Andrew Dobson took the leap and never looked back. We asked him to tell us more…

Q: How did you get into woodworking?
I don’t really recall a defining moment that made me interested in woodworking. As a youngster, I enjoyed being active and using my hands to make ‘stuff’. I’d often help my dad around the yard – whether it was concreting, building a deck, or mowing the lawn. I was either lending a hand or being underfoot and in the way!

My creativity and desire to be hands-on really took shape watching my late grandfather tinker in his basement workshop, where he would craft incredible wood and bone carvings and cuckoo clocks. Watching him work (when he let me) inspired my creativity and desire to craft.

I further explored this with wood and metal working in high school, along with graphics and design, before concluding timber was my preferred material. At around 16, I convinced my parents to buy me a well-used wood lathe where I spent numerous weekends making shavings.

Custom endgrain butchers block bench

Q: When did you decide to go pro? What do you mainly make?
I had been in corporate sales for the better part of 20 years and never felt fulfilled. Coming out of the covid-era, I noticed a woodworking business for sale. That evening I casually mentioned it to my wife (who was sick in bed with covid) but honestly didn’t plan to pursue it. Fear of the unknown and a lack of security were big factors.

But the next day, I set off on a two-hour drive to make numerous sales calls. After visiting just one customer, the day spiralled into chaos – damage complaints, quote issues, and non-stop calls. It was a defining moment. That afternoon, I drove home, but not before phoning the listing agent. The next day I met with the agent and then business owner. By the end of the week the offer was made, and I was in the process of becoming a business owner and full-time furniture maker.

When I took over Upcycled Wood Designs, the business was rooted in creating sustainable custom furniture with a rustic edge. I’ve remained true to its core values but brought my own craftsmanship and design sensibility to the work. Today, I create everything from dining tables and cabinets to butcher’s blocks and bathroom vanities – each piece reflecting a more refined, contemporary style while still honouring the character of reclaimed timber.

The Echo Cabinet, made from hardwoods reclaimed from a basketball court. Entered in Maker of the Year, presented by Carbatec, 2025. Photo: Adam Wilson

Q: Who are your woodworking heroes/gods/gurus?
Being primarily self-taught, social media forms a part of my development, technical problem solving and creative inspiration. That’s where I’ve found some of my main heroes – but they’re far from your typical YouTube woodworkers!

Erik Curtis – in part for his videography, but mostly as a wonderful artist and teacher.
Nick Pedulla – his craftsmanship and creative vision is at times as inspiring as it is mind blowing.
Anton Gerner – a balance of technical and artistic work that inspires me to continue developing my skillset.
Nathan Day – for his ability to engineer and build large-scale pieces in ways I’d never imagined.

Tabletop butterfly joint detail

Q: What is your desert island hand tool and machine? And why?
If I knew I was heading to a desert island, I’d splurge on an HNT Gordon jack plane – not necessarily to use, but just to admire – it’s a beautiful piece of craftsmanship. My original wood hobby was turning, so I’d pick a lathe as the machine. It’s an easy way to waste the hours away while waiting to be rescued.

Q: Your most often-made mistake?
I’d have to say over engineering and over thinking my pieces, forgetting that they need to be moved for delivery. My Maker of the Year entry in 2022 ‘The Bench That Repurposed History’ (shown above) weighed in at over 400kg! Each drawer alone was 17kg, so we shaved 80kg by removing those, and with a four-man team got it delivered. Lesson learnt.

Q: Your biggest woodworking disaster!!?

I spoke to my wife about this question, and she kindly reminded of the time a router attacked my finger. It certainly wasn’t one of my finer moments! As a trip to A&E confirmed, there was no major damage, thankfully. On the plus side, it meant I got to buy another router – one that was more suited to the task at hand.

Reclaimed blackwood sliding door cabinet

Q: The thing I would most like to change about my own woodworking is…

I’m working on scaling back the overall weight of my pieces – refining designs without compromising strength. My work is becoming more polished, in line with where I see my business and the industry heading. I’d like to enhance my pieces further through hand tool use and more traditional joinery techniques.

Carved panels on the reclaimed blackwood sliding door cabinet shown above.

Q: What do you love most about woodworking?

I love the transformation process of taking old timber and turning it into bespoke furniture. One of my favourite moments is sitting on the bench after applying the final finish and just admiring what I’ve made. There’s real satisfaction in solving clients’ problems and the learning of new skills that comes with unique pieces.

Upcycled Wood Designs hoop leg table

Q: My best tip to other makers is…
If you are on the fence about going pro or even semi-pro, just take a chance and do it. When I was looking to buy Upcycled Wood Designs, my accountant was a bit sceptical. But I took my lawyer’s advice – “What’s the worst that could happen? It doesn’t work... Then you sell the tools you purchased, lose some money and go back to the workforce. But at least you tried”. There have been tough days, but after 20 years of working in corporate sales, I can finally say I’m one of the lucky ones who love what they do for a living.

Photos: Andrew Dobson
Learn more about Andrew Dobson at @upcycledwooddesigns and www.upcycledwooddesigns.com.au

Maker of the Year, presented by Carbatec, is a competition for all makers, amateur, professional and student, and showcases the wonderful things they make from wood. In 2025 we present a series of interviews with some of the makers who have already entered their work.

Maker of the Year, presented by Carbatec is open for entry to makers all over the world. In addition to awards totalling A$19,500 in value, The Jan Pennell Award (A$1,500) will be made to an entry that displays outstanding woodturning. This entry will be selected from the Top 100 shortlisted entries across all Maker of the Year categories including Furniture, Arts & Objects and Student. Local and international makers are eligible to win this award.

In addition, the A$1000 Recycled & Rescued Award will be made to an entry that displays outstanding use of recycled and reused materials. This entry will also be selected from the Top 100 shortlisted entries across all categories. Local and international makers are eligible to win this award.

Enter Maker of the Year, presented by Carbatec

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