Beginner in woodworking

[George1983]

Hey,
I`m George a 29 years old guy looking to start a career in woodworking...
I was wondering if someone can tell me what is the best way to begin in this business,maybe some good complete training courses,good tools to start with,timber,accessories(screws,glue...) and sheet materials(mdf,ply...) suppliers around or in London.
Thank you and we`ll keep in touch!

 

[andersonec]

College.

Andy

 

[Chrispy]

Wow not asking much there then.

What do you want to make / do?

 

[George1983]

Wow not asking much there then.

What do you want to make / do?

I`m interested in making small furniture out of mdf or wood,not big projects but starter ones...

 

[joiner_sim]

Do you have any previous experience in woodwork or DIY?

 

[George1983]

Unfortunately not but i have a basic theoretical knowledge from months of searching on the internet reading and watching "how to make.." clips and a big wish to learn the secrets of woodworking...

 

[joiner_sim]

Welcome to the forum by the way....
Theory is good. But an old saying - PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT is always true in the case of woodworking.
Apprenticeships are the best route into working in the trade. However, apprenticeships are usually favoured for school leavers. So college or one-off courses are all thats left really and this will most likley cost you money.
I'd suggest buying a couple of books, basic hand tools and just have a go at making something. If you enjoy it, move onto more complicated stuff, with this will come more hand tools. Using hand tools instead of power tools is a good way to start learning. Only use power tools when you're good enough with the hand tools. It is possible to self-teach this way, but a practical course would provide you with a better understanding.

 

[George1983]

Thanks for the nice welcome...
Can you recommend some beginner books that i can learn from or some good courses that you ve heard of?Even if i have to pay for them...

 

[custard]

"The Essential Woodworker" by Robert Wearing is probably the best single book on woodworking with hand tools. I've been working wood for many many years and I'll still dip into this book to clarify a point or get inspiration. You can pick up used copies for not very much.

 

[marcus]

Hi there,

There's an old joke:

Q: What's the quickest way to make a small fortune in woodworking?
A: Start with a large one.

It's funny, because it's true. So by all means go for it, people do survive, and even thrive in the industry; but whatever else you do, decide here and now to go into it with your eyes wide open...

In answer to your question, I would say that if you are a free agent then do anything you can — beg, borrow or steal — to persuade someone to give you an apprenticeship. Then you will be learning and making your early mistakes at someone else's expense, and you will be much more employable afterwards than if you are self taught. As has been pointed out, your age will count against you in this, so a college course with a qualification may help to prove you are serious.

What sort of woodworking did you have in mind?

 

[joiner_sim]

Some members on here actually run courses from their workshops. Think I've saw them offer 3 days+ courses, keep an eye out for website address' at the end of users posts and have a look.
Only course I can personally recommend is Carillion's Apprenticeship scheme. http://www.carillionplc.com/constructio ... ships.aspx This was what I did when I left school and it provided me with the knowledge and work based training, which has kept me in work ever since.
Books... I have a few I've picked up from The Works in the past: http://www.theworks.co.uk/ Not paying over the odds and getting some decent information about tools and working techniques. Also can recommend the Brian Porter Carpentry & Joinery books which when I did my apprenticeship was issued as the book to study.

 

[Cheshirechappie]

Hi George, and welcome to the wonderful world of making sawdust and getting splinters!

There are a couple of things you can do. The first is to trundle off to W H Smith's and buy a couple of woodworking magazines. Two reasons - firstly, they often have beginner projects in them, and secondly (perhaps more usefully), they have classified adverts with established woodworkers who run courses, many of which they will tailor to the client's needs. In your case, a one-day or two-day introduction to basic handtool technique would be an excellent investment.

The next thing you can do is invest in some books. 'The Essential Woodworker' by Wearing has already been mentioned, and from my experience it's about the best on explaining the basics. The Collins Woodworker's Manual is also mentioned by many on here when the subject of beginner's books comes up, though I've not read it myself so can't confirm!

The third thing you can do is post questions on this forum. We'll do our best to answer. (Warning - steer clear of asking about sharpening techniques; for some reason that subject almost always seems to start a war on here - Goodness knows why).

The fourth thing you can do is find a space in which to start setting up a basic workshop. Nothing fancy - just a corner of a garage or somesuch in which to rig up a simple bench.

The answer to the question, "Where do I start?" is, "Somewhere, anywhere!". Just go for it, and have fun!

 

[George1983]

Ok so basically i`ll start buying some of the books you`ve told me about,look for an Apprenticeship scheme to fill myself in and then i`ll start some projects by myself in the backyard workshop that i already have
Thank you guys for the answers and be sure i`ll be back bothering you with more and more questions....

 

[Dangermouse]

Indeed a big question. First not many people make a good living out of making furniture, unless its the few that are at the top end of the business. Most just bump along and some have another job to bring in the money or just make stuff for the fun of it.
In your position, I'd say you wont make any money out of small stuff, unless its top notch quality. Which I expect you will not be able to achieve for a number of years, having not done any woodwork at all yet. So either have a job and learn as a hobby for a few years, learning by your mistakes mainly, like a lot of us still do, lol and then start selling what you can make or as has been said go to a college for a couple of years, but that would cost a fair bit of money.
With this trade I maintain you cant just pick up a book and go to selling stuff right away, read all you can of course, but it will still take a year or more to get all your tools and learn how to use them. After that comes long hours of not getting it right until one day you do get it right.
Welcome to the mad house by the way from another George (hammer)

 

[George1983]

What sort of woodworking did you have in mind?

I m looking for a combination of small furniture(mdf/sheet materials/wood) and wooden toys.Sure thing i will take them step by step not all at once...

 

[George1983]

Welcome to the mad house by the way from another George (hammer)

I`ll start low and expect to go all the way up at any costs...
Thanks for the good words and nice to meet you another George lol

 

[Jelly]

One thing WRT apprenticeships... Being apprenticed as a carpenter will not be anywhere near as beneficial to your intended pathway as being apprenticed as a joiner/shopfitter or better yet bench joiner...

Whilst there are lots of transferable skills between those roles and most professional woodworkers will do work in more than one field, bench joinery is rather more closely related to cabinetry, funiture and chair making.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Sorry, George, I wish you the best of luck - but my money's on a snowball in hell.

 

[Dangermouse]

The trouble is with todays throw away society, people want cheap tat from a supper store, that can be thrown away when the fashion changes, rather than a well made, hand made piece that will last a lifetime and be passed on to the children.

 

[marcus]

Here are my thoughts on the ways to make a living (or not) from wood in the UK.

Trades where it is possible to make a reasonably remunerative and secure living

• Carpentry (ie large scale structural woodwork in buildings)
  Joinery (ie production and fitting of windows, doors and trim etc. to buildings)
  Commercially-minded cabinet making (ie fitted kitchens, wardrobes etc)
  Specialist trades serving the high end joinery/super yacht market, like laser cut marquetry etc.

Trades where it is possible to make a living, but probably earning less, or with less security, or both.

• Boatbuilding
  Antique restoration
  Large batch commercial furniture making (?)
  Commercial wood turning (?)

Trades which are very difficult and risky to try and make a living from

• Custom (free standing) furniture making
  Lutherie (musical instrument making)
  Niche handcrafted products like toys etc.
  Carving
  Artistic wood turning

Very few people manage to earn a full time living doing one of these last five full time; most who do some of this kind of work have to supplement it with some of the other things higher up the list. Of course all the above are generalisations and you will find exceptions.