Real People. Real Places. Real Stories.
On the latest episode of Evolution TV, we are pulling out all the stops to bring you a diverse mix of interesting titbits about fine furniture making, an insight into real DIY projects to improve your home, and a coveted interview with our guest star Ollie Allen, multi-talented designer, maker, builder, and jeweller. You also don’t want to miss out on helpful tips to operate different power tools, technical product features, and new portable tool launches peppered throughout this packed episode.
Here's all that you will discover in this riveting read:
- Deep Dive into Fine Furniture Maker – Sean Evelegh’s Workshop
- Giving You Major DIY Inspiration with Aimee & Matthew
- Readers' Most Trusted 5 DIY Tips
- An Interview with Guest Star - Ollie Allen, Famed Designer
- Detailed Product Guide of Reciprocating Saw
- Competitions & Winners
Let’s jump in.
Deep Dive into Fine Furniture Maker – Sean Evelegh’s Workshop
Sean Evelegh’s sanctuary or his workshop is jam-packed with various tools, machines, and a workbench that aid him in producing everything from tables, chairs, and vases to pitch frames. The fine woodworker has come a long way since his initial days, and the picture that we see today is an upgraded version of what it once was. A firm believer in reinvesting the money earned into his business, Sean has managed to grow his impressive workshop and even build a dedicated timber store from the ground up. He uses the latter to store wood exclusively and is the starting point of every project he undertakes.
Expanding on the building process of the timber store, he candidly tells us that it was a challenge and one of the biggest things he has ever built. There were many unseen bumps along the road, the biggest being the unpredictable weather. However, the need for a separate store triumphed over the roadblocks. He started facing a severe space crunch in his main workshop, and as Evelegh’s business grew and projects poured in, the requirement for a separate space could not be ignored. Looking around the handsome build, he admits that growing his work would have been difficult without this store.
Adding to the workshop timber store, he also has a separate outdoor workstation. Fully decked with a portable workbench and the Evolution Gazebo, Sean fondly states that it has allowed working freely outside, undeterred by the weather elements. With the help of Evolution cordless power tools, he has made the deal even sweeter as he does not need to worry about getting power or extension leads getting in the way. He can work on wood as much as he wants and as long as he wants.
Going back inside his workshop, he proudly shows us the latest addition to his many machines - CNC. Known for his creativity, Sean has built a special enclosure and stand so that it doesn’t get too loud. This has been another key factor in growing his business, so far as he is able to batch production and get more pieces out that require repeatable cuts.
Sean majorly operates on two types of commissions - one-off/ custom requests and his personal designs that he likes to batch out and sell on his website. So far, two of his favourite creations are the Oxford table and Hawthorn Chair. The latter is one of his proudest pieces - designed from scratch - it features a unique design in which the back connects to the chair’s legs, turning into an armrest, and the legs are modelled in such a way that they look tapered off to a point.
Now that we know the highs, it is time to talk about the lows. Sean shows us the most challenging piece he has worked on. It is a beautiful Celtic Made vase. After deciding to make a large segmented vase, he wanted it to have a Celtic pattern on the outside and to make the process even more challenging, and he wanted the pattern to be a game. He decided on a maze and on the idea that you need to start solving it from the bottom and work your way up to reach the top. With the vision in mind and 1500 pieces later, this became a surreal reality. It required tremendous focus and effort, as even if one of the pieces were affixed in the wrong location, it could throw off the entire maze.
Unfortunately, the stunning piece is not for sale. In Sean’s words, “ It has so much sentimental value for me and is definitely one of my favourite pieces.”
He also elaborated on the biggest and latest furniture he designed. It was an L-shaped walnut desk, having a dedicated storage area with sliding doors on the side and a computer table on the other side with cool geometric patterns and dedicated holes for wires.
As a bonus, he also showed us how to make a Japanese-inspired storage shelf. If you are interested in a little DIY project to improve your storage, you can find detailed instructions here.
Giving You Major DIY Inspiration with Aimee & Matthew
Next up in the lineup, we visited Aimee and Matthew’s homes to check out their interesting and creative DIY projects. The couple has been together for four years and has been living in their current house for three years now. With a warm and welcoming vibe, Matthew took us straight to the backyard to showcase his first DIY project - decking under the pergola. Explaining his process, he started off by digging the footings out for the support beams for the composite decking to sit on top. He then painted the top of the support beams with creosote as it prevents rotting. Sensing the need, he also added a power point for outdoor heating or music and two outdoor lights.
To help him cut precise angles, he used the Evolution Mitre Saw and found it incredibly useful to achieve the perfect and polished look all the way around. The one thing he loves the most about it is that he doesn’t need to have running electricity, allowing him to work more freely.
Aimee then sheds light on the behind-the-scenes of the master bedroom’s decoration. Pulling off inspiration from social media, she incorporated sconce lighting, aesthetic photo prints above the bed, and touches of the colour blue and blush pink. The pair was mindful of supporting small businesses while they were making their purchases and fondly showed us the respective pieces. The project they embarked upon in this area was making a den under the stairs for their adorable pooch, Nala.
At the same time, they got Nala, and they also took to renovating the downstairs bathroom as the sink didn’t fit the purpose. They were also keen on changing the overall look and feel, so they got to work. Matthew came up with the idea of going with hexagonal tiles, and with a grey and white colour accent decided, they moved ahead. They decided to keep the black fittings, but with other changes, they sought the help of a plumber.
If any of the projects that Aimee and Matthew have undertaken has caught your fancy, and you want to know the steps in detail, you can check their in-depth and helpful video.
Readers' Most Trusted 5 DIY Tips
Before we dive into the most anticipated segment, we are excited to share the most trusted and tested DIY tips with our readers:
- Don't know how far to drill into the wall for a wall plug? Putting the drill bit against the plug, use tape to mark how far you need to drill. Proceed to drill into the wall till you hit the tape marking.
- Get a dedicated DIY notebook to keep track of all your plans, measurements, and materials.
- Take some extra time to set up a square and level edge to work from. This will make your work much more accurate as you progress through your project.
- Investing in good quality tools at the beginner phase really pays off in the long run. You don't need to clear out the entire section, but a few basic tools will essentially do the task for you.
- It's good sense to set up temporary lighting, especially if you are doing a ton of work in the house or planning to work in the evenings.
If you have some tips to share yourself, we are all ears. You have to send us a video of yourself explaining the tip, and you could be featured in our next episode. Here's a little incentive: if you get featured, we will send over a brand new Evolution Mitre Saw!
An Interview with Guest Star - Ollie Allen, Famed Designer
In our final and the most-anticipated segment, we sat down with Ollie Allen, voted UK's Carpenter of the Year and featured on BBC. The designer, maker, builder, and jeweller is seen juggling many projects simultaneously and honestly, given his many talents, it is not surprising.
If you are unaware of who Ollie Allen is or what he does, he explains it all, "I am a furniture and jewellery designer and maker, and an overall craft person. My projects range from pieces of furniture for upcycling too, more recently, working in our jewellery company to create titanium and stainless steel wedding rings. I am also involved with many house renovations."
Curious about how he began, we asked him to share how everything came to be. He shared, "I studied design back at the university. I was always a creative kid and a maker. I was always into taking things apart, breaking stuff, and figuring out how things worked while I was growing up. I then went into project design about 10-12 years ago now and then evolved from there. I started getting involved in construction projects and then furniture and set up my woodworking business and workshop."
Asking him about how he got started on the BBC show - Money For Nothing - which was a recycling and restoration show, he revealed, "I was following them on Instagram and saw some of the projects and really wanted to get involved in some of them, and start some upcycling, and have a go. So, I DM'ed them and sent a mini portfolio and a video too. They got back in touch and said that you look like you are doing some good stuff and agreed to give it a go. Soon, the filming crew turned up and got cracking."
We complimented on how we loved his projects, especially the pendant. He explained the process and stated that he cut up an old beach slatted blind, really thin strips, and put them in a homemade steam bender out of an old bit of drain pipe and then bent them into this onion-shaped light fitting. He also made his own jigs and clamped them all together. He recalls it to be a great experience from which he learned a lot.
Listing off other similar projects, he took a tired-looking coffee table and cut it up to make a shiny nest of tables with steel welded legs and a couple of lighting projects. He also remembers using an Evolution saw to cut up a granite worktop that someone was throwing away and turn it into a really cool oval-shaped coffee table.
Upon checking out his Instagram page, we asked him about some of the jewellery we saw. He said, "My wife has been in the jewellery industry after studying at the university, and this is where we met. We met right after we finished our studies, and she started her jewellery design business, which is now twelve years old. So basically, I was doing my woodwork, and she was doing her jewellery. She started getting orders for stainless steel wedding rings, and we just had our first child, Carmen, and she basically went back to work really quickly after that. One of the rings she collected from her friend, who was making them, disappeared. So, the couple who ordered them was getting married in three weeks, and Jess was lost because the friend who was making them was away. The only option left was for me to have a go and basically started making rings the hard way."
Ollie's creativity is brilliant, so we asked him how he gets inspired and where he gets the ideas from. He said, "Loads of different places, really. I think looking at what other designers are creating, YouTube videos, online media, and having an overview and kind of taking your pick of what things you see on the internet."
These were just the excerpts! If you'd like to see the entire interview, you can click here.
Detailed Product Guide of Reciprocating Saw
In this episode, we also catch up with Lee from our design team as he discussed at length everything there's to know about reciprocating saws. Our newest launch, Evolution Cordless R150RCP-Li Reciprocating Saw, is cordless, making it ideal for all kinds of remodelling and demolishing work.
Anybody who has used or is aware of power tools knows that they are really great for making precise cuts. So much engineering talent and manufacturing skills make our Evolution tools as accurate as possible. We know you want your mitre saws and table saws, to be precise, but what do you do when you just need to tear something down or cut something off? Evolution Cordless Reciprocating Saw.
We fondly call the reciprocating saw "the wrecking crew of the saws." You may call it crude, but these are some of the most powerful and incredibly versatile saws. They can be applied in various ways and in many different professions. A reciprocating saw may not be on the essential list of a typical DIY hobbyist, but we beg to differ. These saws are versatile; they get a variety of jobs done and make your work much smoother and quicker.
If you want to see it in action (cutting through a car's hood), see us comparing different models available in our lineup and a full rundown of the specifications, you can click here. Trust us, and you will not be disappointed.
Competitions & Winners
With every episode release, we at Evolution TV feel generous and give away tons of free gifts, including boutique hotel stays, Apple and Amazon products, Evolution goodies, and so much more. There are many different ways to enter yourself into the competition and stand a good chance of winning a great prize. The best way to seize the opportunity is by subscribing to our YouTube Channel, clicking the Bell icon to turn on all notifications and keeping an eye on Evolution TV episodes. In the description below, there will be some links that will allow you to enter.
Evolution Power Tools
This concludes our Episode 6; we had a blast shooting it, and we hope you liked it! At Evolution Power Tools, we are always toiling away to ensure that our customers get the best service and creatively-designed products. We guarantee that we will become your first preference once you start using Evolution power tools. Our products and dedication are just that good. Browse our online store to see our entire range.
When using Evolution tools, make sure you follow all health & safety guidelines. For more info, you can contact our expert support team based in Sheffield.
At Evolution, we pride ourselves in designing and manufacturing power tools that are safe for the user and the working environment around them. When using Evolution tools, make sure you follow all health & safety guidelines. For more info, you can contact our expert support team based in Sheffield.
