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Masters of the Craft

Aled Lewis: Woodworking Odyssey

Jon Binzen, senior editor

79 users recommend

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Aled Lewis has packed an astonishing amount of furnituremaking experience into his 54 years. Raised on a sheep farm in Wales, he worked in shops in England, New Orleans and South Africa before he was out of his twenties. He repaired furniture, restored antiques, built kitchens and did millwork. He worked in large shops building furniture for boardrooms and in his first one-man shop doing whatever work he could find. For 18 years he ran a ten-man shop outside Oxford building furniture for colleges, corporations and airlines.

In 2001 Lewis left behind the big commercial shop with all its managerial demands and its "acres and acres of veneer" and returned to work at the bench in his own workshop in Oxford, where he concentrated on making one-of-a-kind pieces of furniture in solid wood. Then, in 2004, he heard from Peter Korn, director of the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Camden, Maine, who was looking for teachers. Lewis began teaching at CFC a few weeks per year, and is now lead instructor in the school's nine-month program. This slide show presents a fraction of the hundreds of pieces Lewis has made and a few of the places he's lived and worked.

More Masters of the Craft Slideshows

• Robert Erickson's Chairs: Angle of Repose
• Peter Galbert's House of Windsor
• Silas Kopf: Majoring in Marquetry
• Peter Sandback Nails His Designs
• Liam Flynn: Virtuoso Vessel Maker
• John Reed Fox: The Uncompromising Craftsman
• Jere Osgood: Modesty and Mastery
• Ulrika Scriba's Marquetry: Risk and Reward
• Adrian McCurdy: Furniture Riven from the Log
• Geoffrey Warner: Assembling a Life
• Peter Shepard Turns the Page
• Curve It Like König
• Partners in Craft: Harold Wood and John O'Brien
• Tool Chest with an Arts & Crafts Legacy
• Adrian Potter: Thinking Furniture
• Hank Gilpin: Exploring the American Forest
• Doug Mooberry: Kinloch Woodworking
• Michael Hurwitz: Planks into Poetry
• Brad Smith: Story of a Stool
• Hank Holzer and Judith Ames: Labor of Love
• Michael Fortune: The Clever Chair
• John Cameron: A Musician in the Woodshop
• Allan Breed: The Past Recaptured
• Kintaro Yazawa: Joint Wizardry
• Grant Vaughan: Subtropical Virtuoso
• William R. Robertson: Micro Maestro

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Comments (10)

61A writes: A very inspirational video. Be good to have a more in depth feature on this very talented maker.
Posted: 12:30 pm on March 1st

siobhanws writes: Hi. Is there something to see here? Could it be that there are differences, also similarities: Mr Aled Lewis teaches furniture making... whereas PFC Bradley Manning (aka American Hero) also from Wales, teaches the WORLD (but in his case the shame-faced US administration has chosen to torture him and bang 'im up for 1000 days.)
Posted: 6:50 am on February 26th

user-2423059 writes: Is there something to see here?
Posted: 12:23 am on February 25th

Bnose writes: Well done. Very interseting to see what an inspired person can do with their life. Many students will be better for his decision to teach.
Posted: 1:11 pm on February 24th

tommy_60 writes: Really enjoyed the video, like to see more. Really wish I could find a master craftsman locally where I live that is willing to take on an apprentace that is eager to learn like myself.
Posted: 11:00 am on February 24th

neverenougftackle writes: This was wirth watching, it is some how very rewarding to see what the skiled leaders can do with there talent. In these video segiment of what Fine Woodworking shows regulary towards the back of their magazines .Thanks to who ever put it together, and if possable IMO you could make this a regular.
Posted: 12:02 pm on February 23rd

deuxieme writes: Once again, the highlight of this month's offering. More. Please.
Posted: 5:23 am on February 16th

titans22 writes: Vary inspiring!!
Posted: 10:29 am on February 14th

woodnut3424 writes: whats up with this new site it seems like nothing comes out when its suppose to is it because its a new site or what i actually look forward to these videos lets get it up and running
Posted: 8:53 am on February 13th

chucktown writes: What time do you think this will be up? Just wondering

Posted: 1:59 pm on February 12th

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