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lowfatroubo

Full time furniture maker, tool maker, writer and Furniture Lead at London Design & Engineering UTC
After a week of cricket tables, a few people have After a week of cricket tables, a few people have asked which one is my favourite. The honest answer is that I try not to think about it too much. Furniture makers are supposed to sell things, not adopt them. What I do think about is ownership. Or perhaps more accurately, the illusion of ownership. Most of the old furniture I admire has already outlived several owners. Some pieces have survived wars, house moves, changing fashions and the occasional enthusiastic amateur repair. Long after the makers and owners disappeared, the furniture simply carried on. When you buy a handmade piece, you’re not really buying ownership in the absolute sense. You’re buying custodianship. You get to look after it for a while, use it, enjoy it, spill tea on it, tell visitors where it came from and perhaps kick the feet a few times as generations before you have done. Then one day it moves on to someone else. With any luck, these tables will still be doing their job long after both maker and current custodian have shuffled off this mortal coil. Of course, there is another option. You could do what I did and make your own. There happens to be a book I can recommend that might help. Or, if you’d prefer to fast-track the experience, I’ll be teaching cricket table making @schoolofwoodwork in August and @london_iwf in October. Al this is a slightly roundabout way of saying that a few cricket tables are looking for their next custodian. If you’d like to apply for the position, send me a message.
Today’s table is one you might have seen before - Today’s table is one you might have seen before - it’s the one featured on the cover of Cricket Tables. @lostartpress or @classic_hand_tools will be happy to supply you with a copy. Furniture names are curious things. Many were coined by antique dealers, auction houses and collectors to help describe and market objects. There’s nothing wrong with that, but over time these labels can take on an air of historical certainty that they don’t always deserve. Take the term “cricket table” for example - it has nothing whatsoever to do with the game of cricket. This style of table is sometimes referred to as a “tavern table”, though I’m not entirely sure for whose benefit. Perhaps it conjures up images of ye olde England and flagons of ale. The truth is these tables were probably more likely to be found in coffee houses than public houses, but that’s not nearly as romantic. This particular table is based on a period piece that I never actually got to see in person. It was probably the fourth or fifth cricket table I made, long before the idea of writing a book about them had crossed my mind. Looking back, it’s interesting to see how much of what interested me then still finds its way into my work today. Some of the things I struggled to accept - imperfection and asymmetry for example - now sit comfortably in my repertoire. If you’re interested in giving this table a new home, send me a message for details #crickettables #lowfatroubo
Today’s cricket table brings together two of my fa Today’s cricket table brings together two of my favourite things: the physical outline of a well-worn piece and a murky patina. Let me explain. Cast your eye down to the feet. They’re tapered, which is something you’d often find on old tables after a couple of centuries of being kicked around parlours, coffee houses and kitchens. Wear doesn’t just affect the surface of a piece; over time it changes its shape, and that’s always fascinated me. So many unanswered questions. This table is a nod to that history. Not an attempt to reproduce a particular antique, but an appreciation of the way objects evolve through use and the stories that become written into them. Add in a suitably murky finish and you’ve got many of the things I enjoy most about old furniture. If you’re interested in giving it a new home, send me a message for details. #crickettables #lowfatroubo
And here’s another. This table is my contemporary And here’s another. This table is my contemporary take on the classic stick style cricket table. Made from Douglas fir and finished with oil and wax. Douglas fir is still seen by many as a construction timber, but I think it has a lot to offer furniture makers. One face can reveal beautiful swirling grain while another displays perfectly straight pinstripes. It’s a timber with more range than it often gets credit for. It’s not always the easiest wood to work with either. Depending on where your tool lands, it can feel somewhere between granite and sponge cake. I suspect that’s part of the reason I like it. Simple construction, clean lines and a material that deserves a closer look. It’s also one of my personal favourites. It’s always difficult to part with your favourites, but this one is ready for its next home. If you’re interested, send me a message for details #crickettablesforsale #lowfatroubo
Here’s that sliding lock mechanism for previous po Here’s that sliding lock mechanism for previous post #crickettablesforsale #lowfatroubo
Another Cricket Table over the finish line and now Another Cricket Table over the finish line and now looking for a new owner. This piece was never originally intended for sale. Built from a combination of oak and ash, it has spent the last few years accompanying me to open houses, exhibitions and shows before finally receiving the finish it deserved. It also features what I believe to be a unique detail: a knock-down top. The top is held together by a keyed wedge system, inspired by traditional Japanese toolboxes and sliding dovetail joinery. No screws, bolts or other ironmongery - just simple mechanics. Projects like this often end up waiting patiently in the workshop while commissioned work and T Level classes take priority. It’s satisfying to finally bring one across the finish line. If you’d like to give it a new home, send me a message for details.m #crickettablesforsale #lowfatroubo
Put the finishing touches to a couple of Cricket T Put the finishing touches to a couple of Cricket Tables this week. This one features a beautiful brown oak top paired with a European oak undercarriage. Originally made as part of a pair back in 2024, this table never quite made it across the finish line until now. A couple of light coats of shellac and a dark wax have brought out a rich, deep colour that really highlights the character of both timbers. This design has been one of my most popular pieces over the past few years with customers and students and this table is now looking for a new home. If you’re interested, send me a message for details. #crickettable #madebyhand #handmadefurniture #lowfatroubo
A workshop full of final projects, two years of le A workshop full of final projects, two years of learning, and countless hours of hard work. Last week our Year 13 T Level Furniture students @ldeutc laid out their completed projects ready for external moderation. We don’t have the final grades yet, and we’ll wait for the official feedback before saying too much... But when the moderator said he was “blown away” by the quality of the work on display, it’s fair to say we’re feeling pretty proud of this lot. The final assessment required students to complete two timed practical pieces to a strict specification - a kitchen shelf unit and a Shaker-style cabinet door - alongside their major Design & Make project: a Carver chair of their own design and manufacture. For context they were allowed 30hrs build time - no prototype, no dry run ! Just design it and build it. These pieces represent far more than timber, joints and finishes. They represent resilience, problem-solving, technical skill, creativity, deadlines met, mistakes overcome, and a huge amount of personal growth. As the first cohort to complete the T Level Craft & Design Furniture course, they’ve set the standard remarkably high. Now we wait. #tlevelfurniture #furnituremakers #lowfatroubo #ldeutc
Crucible don’t make a Framing Edition of their Lum Crucible don’t make a Framing Edition of their Lump Hammer. Which is odd, because I’ve spent the last few years using mine almost exclusively as a framing hammer. I’ve taken out staircases with it, put staircases back in with it, worked on loft conversions with it, and generally applied it to every task for which a sensible person would choose a completely different tool. Most recently, it’s been helping me build the new workshop, persuading 4x2s into alignment through a combination of precision engineering and blunt force trauma. If you’re thinking of buying one from @lostartpress, ask for the Framing Edition. They’ll have no idea what you’re talking about, but you’ll know #workshopbuild #lowfatroubo #lumphammer
I’ll be teaching a joined Cricket Table (or Tavern I’ll be teaching a joined Cricket Table (or Tavern Table) workshop at this year’s London International Woodworking Festival. @london_iwf It’s a form I’ve become slightly obsessed with over the past few years. At first glance it appears incredibly simple, but the geometry becomes surprisingly involved once you begin working through the structure properly. This joined version uses draw-bored mortise and tenons throughout, with multiple compound angles to contend with across the entire build. There are very few places to hide inaccuracies, which makes it a strangely humbling thing to make considering its vernacular origins. Probably the hardest thing I’ve built. We’ll be working through the process together over the course of the workshop this October at LIWF. Details and booking via the link in bio. #furnituremaking #woodworking #crickettable #lowfatroubo #londoniwf
At the end of two days of glorious sunshine we’ve At the end of two days of glorious sunshine we’ve got a post in each corner and the pitch sussed out. Time to fill the gaps #workshopbuild #lowfatroubo
First cohort. First finish line. This week our Y First cohort. First finish line. This week our Year 13 T Level Furniture students headed to the Furniture Makers’ Hall @furnituremakerscompany to receive an award recognising them as the very first cohort in the world to complete the T Level Craft & Design Furniture course. After six relentless weeks of assessments, it was a chance to stop, reflect and celebrate everything they’ve achieved — not just the grades, but the growth, resilience, professionalism and confidence they’ve built along the way. Proud doesn’t even cover it. Congratulations Year 13s — you’ve helped create a path for others to follow. And yes… they went to the pub afterwards. Of course they did. 🍻Looks like my work here is almost done #tlevelfurniture #furnituremakerscompany #ldeutc
From Japanese joinery and marquetry to stick chair From Japanese joinery and marquetry to stick chairs, carving, upholstery and CAD — LIWF 2026 is bringing together an incredible line-up of woodworking and furniture-making courses this October. Whether you’re looking to refine traditional skills, explore new techniques, or learn from internationally respected makers, there’s something for every level. We’ll even help you find your accommodation 📍 London International Woodworking Festival 📅 26–30 October 2026 🎟 Courses, masterclasses, talks & more now live #LIWF2026 #Woodworking #FurnitureMaking
“More bull$%it than you can shake a Welsh stick at “More bull$%it than you can shake a Welsh stick at…” …and apparently now we’re fluent in stick chair. 12 months ago we posted a similar video when this group were building stools. Since then they’ve taken on Welsh stick chairs, shaker-style doors, kitchen cabinets, joinery, finishing, and more than a few workshop debates along the way. Not everybody smiles for the camera — but every one of them has put the work in. Come September, around 15 fledgling furniture makers will be heading into employment, apprenticeships and university. That feels pretty special. Huge thanks to @lostartpress for the support and generosity shown to the programme and our learners along the way. At @ldeutc we don’t just make furniture.We make furniture makers. #FurnitureMaking #ChairMaking #Woodworking #CraftEducatiion #tlevelfurniture
In other news, the base for the LowfatRoubo HQ rel In other news, the base for the LowfatRoubo HQ relocation is coming along nicely. Joists and insulation down in two bays… one more to go. Of course, with this being a woodworking project, everything gets put back into sticks at the end of the day. You can never be too careful. #lowfatroubo #workshopbuild
When it comes to baking, I’m a one-trick pony: ban When it comes to baking, I’m a one-trick pony: banana bread. That’s it. That’s the repertoire. Over the years—yes, years—the main ingredient I’ve discovered is tenacity. Whole grain silos have been reduced to dust, and entire fields of bananas have been sacrificed to get me here. My “spin” on this classic? Diced prunes (no particular reason), sliced dates, and chopped walnuts. Only today… I forgot the walnuts. Guess I’m not a natural baker. Still, it never lasts more than a day—so I’ll take that. On the other hand, should you ever need a cricket table… I’m your guy. Currently (and possibly mercifully) the only author of a book on them. Know your limits. #bananabread #crickettables
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