Hi,
I put a post up a while ago regarding my intention to go into carpentry as a profession. I am 24, and obviously looking to do a course and start an apprentiship. I live in Sheffield and the local course is commonly know to be rubbish and there don't seem to be any opportunites to become an apprantice at 24. Can anyone help?- I will be willing to move anywhere including abroad to get the best training! I am looking to get into furniture making long-term.

cheers
Matt

Hi Wolf,

Thats really good of you to help me! Thank you very much!

Matt

[quote author=Scrit  link=1143130874/0#3 date=1143278894]As to furniture making for a living,  personally I think it's a fast track to the poorhouse in large parts of northern England. One difficulty is that everyone compares your prices to Ikea and expects you to price accordingly. You can find pockets where this is not the case, but it can take many years to gain acceptance.

Scrit
[/quote]


yep get this a lot an argos catolouge and"can you make this any cheaper"pointing at a flat pack bedroom set

and the answer is nope but i can build you a custom set that actualy enhanses your room dosnt need puting together and lasts a lifetime rather than 3 or 4 years

[quote author=Scrit  link=1143130874/0#5 date=1143287719]Problem is, BA, that you've still got to pay the rent whilst you're trying to find the customers with a bit more savvy/taste. Joinery puts bread on the table.

Scrit [/quote]

yep spot on thats why the job description should be
cabinet maker bench joiner carpenter "basics plumber" "non part p electrics" "brickie"labourer"and  decorator

best money made at what you do best

the other 80%every thing else

all i am saying is you must turn your hand to whatever needs doing to finnish the job
and to fill the books in quiet times

Quote:


I was at the Ideal Home Exhibition show on Friday and you can't help but notice a lot of very similar oak furniture being imported from Slovenia (or some new EEC country). Mostly tables and chairs but also sideboards, dressers and the like. It's not top quality but it's not rubbish either. Must be having some impact on the UK furniture building industry.

Same thing here, although I prefer the bespoke furniture there are not that many people willing to pay a couple of grand for a table particularly without seeing a finished one in the flesh.

Heres a list of jobs this year

- Bathroom, did have bespoke oak vanity, WC boxing & bathpanel
- Bathroom,Premade units
- Current project, knock master bedroom/on-suite/second bedroom into one, Some Bespoke joinery but wardrobes in dressing room were reduced to using the old panel doors due to £1500 worth of mosaic but client also wants me to make bed, bedside cabinets etc. See the progress so far
-Another bathroom with a couple of small cabinets
-Large wardrobe project £5K
-Pair occasional tables
-Bathroom
etc etc

If you can turn your hand to most things then you should not be out of work although it may not always be what you like to do.

Jason

Scrit ,
     It started over ten years ago or in reality twenty, and it makes me sick to think about all that crap from the far east especially China pouring into this country.
 Ivegone from making one of pieces of furniture and bespoken joinery to what I am doing now, f***ing formwork.
Now I competing against eastern eroupians ,who will happily do my job for half the going rate .all I need now is some smart arse to tell me that there is a shortage of skilled trades in the building industry

Hi Matt,

Don't be disheartened by what you read here. At 24, you are young. The important thing is to learn and acquire knowledge, read as much as you can, and more importantly practice your skills. Do as much carpentry as you can, whether it be for friends & family, or, just for yourself for fun ! Making draws, boxes, whatever, you'll be learning more about working with wood than you'll be aware of. It can be a beautiful (& very frustrating at times!) material to work with.

I understand you want to get into furniture making long term and there are city & guilds fine woodwork 2 year diploma courses, or 3 year degree courses out there (Buckinghamshire Chilterns Uni / Rycotewood, etc) that would give you a basic grounding, but, you could even start on the NVQ / ICA level 2 route in wood occupations or bench joinery. They're not to be sniffed at. You may have to pay your own way through the course (they're often block release and you can take any old job just to pay your way through the course between the college weeks),  but it's not hugely expensive (compared to the diploma/degree courses). You'll still be learning useful skills towards your long term goal of furniture making, like building carcasses, frame & panel doors, through and lapped dovetails, using and maintaining hand tools & power tools, working with hardwoods / softwoods / MDF / Plywood. It's all useful. If you can get work as a carpenter / joiner in the first instance, then who knows, you might find someone who is willing to pay for a one off piece of furniture made by you eventually. You have to start somewhere. You may find you enjoy it more than cabinet making in the long run !

Dig out your yellow pages / thomson local directorys and write to all the local carpenters / joinery shops explaining your situation & include a self stamped address enevlope. You may get paid next to nothing for your services, but you will be learning. You never stop learning regardless of how many years served.

If you want it bad enough, you'll get yourself sorted. Stay positive and don't get disheartened by what you read here ! Onwards and upwards !