Hobbist?

[Joshuashaw1]

Hi all,

After a bit of advice and a point in the right direction, I'm a plumber by trade working alongside my Dad, but we do alot of joinery work, alot of shop fitting, studding work and bits and bats in luxury bathrooms. I'm still quite young 20 so I'd like to keep my options open and maybe branch out at some point but at the minute I'm making sheds, small-holding buildings and so on, mainly for family and friends while I get more experienced and skilled. I have a workshop set up in a unit we rent for storage which has most of my stationary power tools (makita ls1018l mitre saw, makita mlt100 table saw, trend t5 router and crt mk3 router table) along side my cordless makita 18v tools drill, impact, jigsaw and circular and first & second fix paslode nail guns. I'm also enrolled on a night school course in joinery/carpentry to atleast gain an insight into how things are which I'm enjoying and taking in as much as possible, learning about the technical aspect of joints (as only ever used butt joint in the past), and making joints with handtools rather than cheating with power tools.

Within the next few weeks I'm going to invest in some specialist joinery hand tools- carpenters mallet, mortice marking gauge, adjustable bevel, planes etc to practise joints and maybe whip a few bits and bats up that can be given away as gifts. also got 4 irwin marple chisels that just need some proper tlc as they've never been abused just blunt. What guys would you reccomend, I don't mind buying high quality second hand tools if any of you guys know of any going cheap as obv good tools come at a good price as in the past, I've always bought the best I could plumbing tools, estwing hammers, bahco adjustable spanners, wera screwdrivers etc.

Do you guys have any reccomendations for books, I was going to buy the NVQ2 and NVQ3 to read, and learn from as I think they cover both site and bench based joinery and carpentry. Maybe a few website you guys use for tutorials?

Any help much appreciated, kind regards

J

 

[Chippygeoff]

Hi Joshua.

From what you say it looks as if you are going in the right direction, there is no quick fix to woodworking, it is not something that cannot be learnt in a short time. I am retired now but have always been a carpenter/joiner, brought up on hand tools. I have made most things, doors, windows, frames furniture and a few years ago even made a coffin. If I were in your shoes I would always buy the best I could afford but the best is not always the most expensive. There is no substitute for experience and as the old saying goes, practice makes perfect.

I will relate a story about a lad I had working with me some years ago, he was 18 and a pain in the rear, I could not get on with him and the boss took a dislike to him. He came into work one day clutching a folder under his arm. I asked him what he had, he said it was all his qualifications as a fully trained carpenter. I told him he was not old enough to be a fully trained carpenter. He said he had the proof. Out of curiosity I asked him how he got his qualifications, he said he had gone on a six week YTS course. I asked him what he learnt on it. He said he learnt everything. I asked him for the address as I wanted to go on the course. I had been a carpenter and joiner for more than 40 years and still learning.

 

[Joshuashaw1]

I definitely agree with your sentiment there, even the 2/3 years that is there to achieve a NVQ lvl 2 in a trade isn't enough in my opinion. People don't pioneer there trade in 2/3 years.