Left to right with the cabinets they made: winner Piers Reid and runner-up Will Franklin.
LIBERON Finishing Oil has been put to the test by learners at a prestigious furniture school for professional woodworkers.
Robinson House Studio introduced a competitive element to a Finishing course for seven learners, tasking them each to produce a wall cabinet. Each cabinet had to measure 65 cm x 40 cm, and feature two doors. Learners were allowed to incorporate laser-cut veneer or some kind of pattern. Liberon’s Finishing Oil was then applied to the completed cabinets, which were then judged by Robinson House Studio staff to determine a winner and runner-up.
Theo Cook, vice principal and senior tutor at the furniture school said: “This project is one of the most challenging for the students to achieve, and is a good test of a variety of skills in addition to its finishing element. These include veneering, lipping, hinge application, carcass construction and the production of back panels.
The project provides a good grounding for students to be able to scale up later to larger furniture carcasses. We find that Liberon’s Finishing Oil is a good ‘all-rounder’ that’s easy to apply for both professionals and beginners.”
The winning design by Piers Reid was produced to an exceptionally high standard and demonstrated a high level of skill. The use of a laser cutter to create a compass design on both the inside and outside of the door was particularly impressive.
The runner-up was Will Franklin whose cabinet was also completed to a very high standard. While more understated in appearance, it featured a hand-cut starburst veneer pattern on the back of the doors. This is an extremely challenging technique and was executed with great precision and craftsmanship.
Both students are attending a 50 week course at RHS furniture school, during which they complete training on finishing.
Richard Bradley, UK head of marketing with the competition sponsors, Liberon, says: “Congratulations to Piers and the runner up, Will. The cabinet designs showcase the beautiful effects that can be achieved using our Finishing Oil. The students produced something of which they can be really proud.”
The cabinets were judged by staff at the college, and the winner and runner-up each won a £50 Amazon voucher provided by Liberon. The winner was also presented with a bundle of Liberon woodcare products.
Liberon is renowned for excellence in products such as dyes, waxes, oils and varnishes. In addition, there is a broad range of solutions available for tackling all kinds of wood preparation and repair to ensure users achieve perfect results and keep them looking good.
See page 20 of our June/July 2026 issue on our Back Issues page.
