Latest Works
Pine dowel offcut with an acrylic finish. This intricate carving of The Emperor from Baldur’s Gate 3 required quite a bit of hand finishing due to the many angles that prevented the machining. The tentacles around the mouth were so thin (about 1 mm) that I had to mount the whole piece to a display case to prevent them from being broken.
Hevea laminate with Roman ogee border. Finished with beeswax. This is Shen Long (Shenron) from the original Dragon Ball. Designed by legendary animator Akira Toriyama, who was also the original character designer for Chrono Trigger and Dragon Quest. The join down the middle of the dragon is a bit of a shame, but I feel the imperfections of wood can add to the beauty.
A little owl made from some leftover pine dowel I used to make curtain rods. Finished in satin acrylic. I’m quite happy with most of the details. However, I wish the eyes came out a bit sharper.
Koala and Wombat, turned from 30 × 30 offcuts from my CNC enclosure frame. Pine, finished with clear acrylic.
I turned these little guys just for fun. Given as gifts to two international visitors. I am particularly fond of the little mushrooms and the wood splits on the stump of the wombat.
Approx 30 × 30 × 35 mm.
Laminated hevea with a chamfered border and clear acrylic finish. This is an etching of a very nice portrait of a model. instagram.com/caro_petitemodel/
Radiata pine scraps thicknessed down to 5 mm (leftovers from the Paris build). Finished with Monocel wood oil.
I made this little glasses case as a side project, but it actually turned out to be a beautiful piece. The box was laser cut, which caused this really nice dark contrast at the joins. Unfortunately, when I was sanding back the glue from the joints, I lost much of that contrast to the pine underneath. I had to then go back and repaint every joint by hand with wood stain to get the effect back - a big lesson.
I have no idea what the original image for the eyes is, I just found that cropped part online. I find them utterly mesmerizing.
The inner lining consists of a fabric sewn onto a felt backing that was then glued into the casing to keep the glasses from scratching. I wish I had either used a darker thread for this part, or was able to sew straight. Most of that sin is hidden in the corner of the box, and is difficult to see unless directly over the box.
Pine plank with Roman ogee border. Finished with clear acrylic. This is an etching of the vinyl artwork from the Smashing Pumpkins’ third album, “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness”. Since I was about sixteen, this record has held a dear place in my heart as my number one album.
The inscription on the back reads: “Her mouth the mischief he doth seek, her heart the captive of which he speaks…”
A line that appeals to my own self-image as a cavalier troublemaker.
Radiata Pine, finished with clear acrylic.
This was my most difficult and intricate built to date, with several hundred hours of recuts and hand finishing required to get something passable. I went through about three meters of timber trying different hard and softwoods to see which would give me the fine details I was after. I learned a lot about machine finishing strategies and how to push my router to its absolute tolerances.
The gardens were hand cut with a rotary Dremel, while each street and building was deburred by hand. First with a fine file, then fine-grit sandpaper, and finally a sewing needle. Due to the height limits of the timber, the tower is made of two parts glued together with a hidden dowel in the middle. I didn’t really get away with that in the end.
This piece was inspired by a dream. The problem with dreams is that whether you catch them, or whether they slip your grasp, they are always fleeting in the sober daylight of the next morning.
Tasmanian oak with round over border and Cabothane Clear finish. A picture of my beloved dog Artemis taken at Roma Street Parkland.
Atlas Woodworking
Atlas Woodworking is a small hobby gallery in Brisbane, Australia. Each piece is bespoke and manufactured in my home workshop using a combination of hand crafting, CNC routing, and laser etching. All pieces are one-of-a-kind and will not be reproduced. You can purchase pieces below if you like. I also offer a range of custom commission services using your photos and models. These can be a great gift to commemorate special occasions.
Custom Item Request
I can do custom laser etching of your photos in sizes ranging from a fridge magnet to 800 x 800 mm.
Portraits taken indoors or with minimal shadow tend to translate better when etching. Given the nature of my process, these are artists’ interpretations and may not be entirely photo-realistic. They will be bold and stylish. The turnaround time is approximately two weeks plus shipping time.
I can also produce custom routed 3D wooden models; these are generally more complex and have a longer turnaround.
The cost of any custom work depends on the complexity. You can choose from a range of wood types, finishes, and borders.