Leigh Aitken, Rocketman Sidetable (TABLES, CHAIRS & DESKS 2023)

Photos:

Leigh Aitken

The Rocketman Sidetable was conceived as a way to utilise the numerous short offcut boards generated from another piece I regularly make from urban salvaged pine logs, and present this typically low-rated timber in a beautiful way. The shape was inspired by the rocket slides that dotted country Victoria during my childhood and the work of Wendel Castle, the American sculpter who pioneered stack-lamination. The piece is made using a stack laminated construction to obtain the large block of timber from smaller offcuts. This block was then carved with a robot-mounted chainsaw to the approximate shape required, with the final shape being carved with a router and large cutter mounted to the same robot system, with final shape refinement, detailing and finishing done by hand. I produce my work under the name Twig&Bot, and focus on blending traditional techniques with an unconventional robot wood carving system that I have designed and built. I primarily work with urban salvaged logs, which I carve and mill on the robot and then dry in a vacuum kiln (which I also designed and built).

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