Andrew Crawford is an internationally renowned and respected craftsman specialising in the creation of distinctive one-of-a-kind high-end boxes and cases. He has worked for an impressive list of private and corporate clients worldwide for more than 30 years.
Originally trained as a musician specialising in C18th flutes, until recently Andrew was performing and recording regularly with many of the top UK period instrument ensembles.
A love of wood led Andrew to study guitar and C18th flute making at the London College of Furniture. But he has avoided the obvious marriage of music and wood - musical instrument making - preferring to make use of some of the skills and approaches he picked up to develop a style of box making he has made his own, featuring as it does multiple curves, fine veneering, distinctive inlaid motifs and complex interiors.
Since moving from a cramped shared London workshop to extensive barn conversion workshops on the Acton Scott Estate in beautiful South Shropshire, his activities have largely shifted from making towards teaching and writing. He has written three popular books on box making, and many hundreds of box makers, both amateur and professional and from all over the globe, have benefitted from his courses. These range from weekends to 2 weeks, both project and technique-based, both group and one-to-one, and cover a wide range of subjects including veneering, inlaying, box design, use of materials, french polishing and many other related techniques.
Andrew, often known professionally as ‘smartBoxmaker’, has also been an invited instructor in Australia and the US.
Being a perfectionist and dissatisfied with the box hardware generally available he has designed his own premium hardware. His ‘smartWare’ box hardware is now regularly used by 100s of discerning professional and amateur box makers all over the globe, being regularly referred to as the ‘Rolex’ or ‘Rolls Royce’ of box hardware.
"This is the second course I have attended with Andrew this year in his relaxing and well equipped workshop which, in itself, is Testament to how enjoyable an experience it is. Andrew caters for everyone, from beginners to those with more experience, and though this course is only 2 days you get to cover plenty of ground such as how to bookmatch veneer for the lid, how to glue the box together using a simple jig to ensure it is square, how to use a router to cut slots for the hinges ensuring that fitting the lid is a simple process and, of course, using his favourite hand tool, a scraper, to prepare the surfaces to take a finish. At the end of the course you take away the box plus enough suede to enable completion at home. I would highly recommend this course and am already making plans to book another course for next year."
"Last weekend I joined three other willing apprentices for the introduction to box making- two very full and stimulating days. The course exceeded my expectations- expert tuition from Andrew included not just clear instructions but really helpful explanations (how to get the most from machines and hand tools, properties of timber and other materials etc).
And it was a very sociable time with opportunities to share ideas and experiences.
I went home delighted with my beautifully veneered and inlaid box and excited by the prospect of using the skills to make the next one. Only now do I realise just how many boxes I need!"
smartBoxmaker responded:
"Thank you, John - that's very kind. I'm glad you appreciated the social aspect of the course - these courses can bring some very different people together, but with a common interest and purpose, and that can be very stimulating! "
"I have just enjoyed my third course at Andrew's excellent workshop. That should be testimony enough but allow me to continue....
On the box course, you will achieve something you can take home and treasure. I have made boxes that I am genuinely proud of under Andrew's calm and well explained tutorage. Modern routers allow even the most kak handed to achieve a level of accuracy never possible.
You will learn skills, behaviours and attention to detail that you can take into other woodworking aspects. I have certainly learned to transfer these skills now into mortise & tenon work (but, Andrew I will not mention dovetails!!)
To finish off, the workshop is in a very attractive part of the country which is well worth visiting in its own right."
smartBoxmaker responded:
"Thank you, Simon - you are most kind. Thank you, particularly, for pointing out that the skills are transferrable to other areas of woodworking. See you in October for the next one!"
"In a nutshell - in my view these courses are terrific and worth every penny!
The whole experience with Andrew Crawford is exceptional, from the calm, relaxed atmosphere in his large workshop (with its amazing coffee machine!), to his patient, expert guidance. I did a weekend course with him a couple of years ago making a leather lined, veneered box, and have been back twice for 1:1 tuition on a larger project of my own design. He teaches you not only how to do things but also, crucially, why he advocates doing them in that way.
And, my goodness, he teaches you precision. If you think you cannot work to fractions of a millimeter, he will quietly show you how, and then you can!
So, if you want expert guidance on how to work extremely accurately, to veneer and inlay to a very high standard, to come away with a stunning box that would make a wonderful gift, and at the same have a really great time - then one of his courses would suit you very nicely.
"
smartBoxmaker responded:
"Thank you for your very kind words, Andrew - it was a pleasure to have you along for the ride!"
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