By the time of our 2026 Open Day and Hand Tool Event, Dunstone Design will also be the Lie-Nielsen Toolworks dealer in Australia.

This is much more than a good business opportunity for me and Dunstone Design. It’s our chance to help foster a sense of community within the craft. We have lost so much in recent years. The Bungendore Wood Works Gallery is gone. The Sturt School for Wood is gone (although there’s still a glimmer of hope). We have mourned the loss of William Matthysen, Raf Nathan and our William Bayliss. The Timber and Working with Wood Show, the Maleny Wood Expo, and other regional woodworking shows have gone.

By having the Lie-Nielsen business, we can create events that bring all the independent tool makers together for all the serious enthusiasts to meet. This year we will have Terry Gordon and the team from HNT Godon, Colen Clenton, Ben Adams, Chris from The Wood Tamer (who represents Aussie makers like Pete Von Trott), Hape Kiddle, Michael from Hardware for Creative Finishes and more (TBA).

American hand tool expert, educator and Lie-Nielsen board member Curtis Turner will be visiting our workshop and demonstrating with Lie-Nielsen hand tools. He’ll discuss sharpening, tool setup, maintenance, techniques, and appropriate tool selection. He has travelled across the US, England, Spain, Sweden, Netherlands, Russia, France and Norway teaching woodworkers how to sharpen, set up, and successfully use a wide range of Lie-Nielsen tools.

 

I learnt a lot from my involvement organising the inaugural Wooddust. The big lesson was to keep it authentic, and keep it contained. That old business model relied on selling spaces to other businesses and making money at the gate. We had sponsors, security guards, traffic plans, waste management plans and all the other elements that soak up money but add nothing to the experience for those attending. Dunstone Design has sufficient space that we can invite all our tool making mates and not have to charge them a penny to be here. We are limiting the gate to 400 people, so that we can manage with the infrastructure we have. The $10 cover charge pays for the insurance and the food van (did you know that organisers have to pay a food van to attend an event?). By running it on a Sunday, we don’t disturb the local businesses and there’s ample free parking. Our mates are away from their workshops for less time and have less accommodation costs (it’s very expensive for an independent toolmaker to be away from their workplace).

 

Dunstone Design is known for our authentic furniture. We care about the craft. We hardly ever sell through an interior designer, an architect or even a gallery/retailer. It’s not because I have anything against these groups, it’s just that I like to know who I’m actually working for. I want to understand the client and their needs. An incidental benefit is that it keeps our overhead down, so our clients get “more” craftsmanship for their dollar.  This approach has allowed Dunstone Design to evolve into one of the most successful fine furniture workshops in Australia. It also allows me to invest in my staff, which is why they keep winning accolades.

 

 

We will be able to bring the same level of authenticity to our Lie-Nielsen dealership. It will allow us to teach (both formally and informally). It will fund the time we spend with enthusiasts, showing them our approach to the craft. Over time, we will introduce more masterclasses, with an emphasis on hand tool use. It’s been a long time since you could buy a decent tool in the Canberra region. We will expand to represent brands like Brusso hardware, as well as reintroduce our own tools, such as the MacFarlane Bowsander and the TC Scraper.

I want to give a heartfelt thankyou to Anthony and Venita Powell for handing over the Australian dealership in such good condition. They have worked tirelessly over the best part of a decade to support and promote Lie-Nielsen in Australia. They have been incredibly generous and helpful throughout the transition. I also want to thank Thomas Lie-Nielsen and COO Robin Nolan for their help in making this happen. Thomas loves Australia and the Australian woodworking community. He is enthusiastic to have his tools represented by practicing, professional makers.

Our Workshop Open Day and Hand Tool Event will be a genuine, organic, gathering for woodworkers. Come and share our love of the craft. See how professional makers choose and use hand tools in their every-day practice. The Dunstone Design team will be in attendance to show you how we make our award-winning furniture.

 

 

The Workshop Open Day and Handtool Event runs 10am to 4pm, Sunday 18th October at our Queanbeyan workshop, 3/5 Aurora Pl, Queanbeyan NSW.

Tickets are limited to 400 places. Tickets are $10 each to help us cover the insurance and organizational costs.

Parking in available in the Services NSW carpark and in Aurora Pl. Disabled parking is available with prior notice. Our workshop toilets are easy to access but we do not have designated disabled toilets.

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