Is woodworking your profession?

[flanajb]

I am intrigued as to how many of the forumites are making a living from making furniture ?

It used to be my main source of income some 15 years ago and then I decided to go to Uni and then into IT in the city. After 12 years it is starting to wear thin and I am thinking whether I should return to my roots, but I am unsure as to how much you can earn.

 

[2tone]

i'm a professional, i work 6 days a week 12 hours a day and love every minute of my day. I do alot of joinery, workshop and site based i also take on Full Restoration, refurbs and custom.

I earn €350 per day. my various friends in the UK earn as follows.

Domestic Carpenters £200 P/D
new build Estates ETC £110 -150 P/D

I think you should seriously ask yourself why you left the trade in the first time? Has these years out of the game helped you to develop a little rose tint and nostalgia on the situation.


Bear in mind that when your on site you're the boss and are responsible for everything and everyone who works for you. Times are hard when there's no work, tools brake form time to time and they cost alot to repair, clients can be real gits to get money from.

At the end of the day no matter how tough it's been i still stand back and look at what I've achieved with the biggest smile on my face.

I wouldn't have it any other way.


I hope my little insight is of use, if you want to know anything else "YELL"


Tony

 

[flanajb]

Thanks. I don't have the "stand back and admire what you have done" feeling with my role. As to whether I am looking at it with rose tinted specs. Not sure how to deduce that one.

The key thing for me is that it must be great to have the flexibility of working for yourself ?

 

[2tone]

As to whether I am looking at it with rose tinted specs. Not sure how to deduce that one.

Sorry, seem to be missing a paragraph there.

What i had wanted to say was basically, why had you left the trade in the first place, there must have been something that put you off it. Maybe after all this time, you like all of us remember only the good times.

If i was in your boat i would certainly give it a go part time and see how things take off. It's not worth while giving up a good paying job in city on the hope that it all takes off according to plan. Also if you've been out off the tools 12 years you should give yourself a few jobs worth to get back into the swing of it.

Sorry if I'm coming across a bit blunt, not very good with trying to express myself..... perhaps the reason i work almost alone.

Regards,
tony

 

[Doctor]

i'm a professional, i work 6 days a week 12 hours a day and love every minute of my day. I do alot of joinery, workshop and site based i also take on Full Restoration, refurbs and custom.

I earn €350 per day. my various friends in the UK earn as follows.

Domestic Carpenters £200 P/D
new build Estates ETC £110 -150 P/D

Tony

Do you want my accountants number, he ensures I earn no where near that.

 

[tom owens]

i'm a professional, i work 6 days a week 12 hours a day and love every minute of my day.

I wish i was in that position. I dont think theres many people can say that in this climate in the uk. I,v been busy for the last 4-5 months but before that was really patchy (mostly doing 3-4 days a week) and i think it will be from now on the run to christmas where i am. If the government make all the spending cuts that are been planned i think next year could be a real struggle for a lot of companys/sole traders.

 

[mailee]

Now thats really cheered me up! Same here, things are on the quiet side at the moment.

 

[tjwoodms]

I am also very quiet at the moment
but i depend on you guys breaking your machinery so if your quiet and not using the machines so much the knock on effect is things dont break and i dont get as much work.

 

[Max Power]

Bought a second hand lathe from a machinery suppliers the other day and they have never been as quiet

 

[JohnBrown]

Tony, I envy you in a geographical way. I used to stay in St Martin de Belleville for skiing holidays. Great place!

 

[jeffinfrance]

you've got to do what you love. you can always find a way to make it pay with the right motivation.

i was really lucky moving to a run down village in the countryside with loads of work and not enough joiners. with a free workshop space and no mortgage, i'm managing to learn as i go and take time on jobs to do them properly. i'll never be rich in monetary terms, buit one day, when money is worthless, you'll find out it tastes horrible.

all the best,

jeff

 

[Dibs-h]

I am intrigued as to how many of the forumites are making a living from making furniture ?

It used to be my main source of income some 15 years ago and then I decided to go to Uni and then into IT in the city. After 12 years it is starting to wear thin and I am thinking whether I should return to my roots, but I am unsure as to how much you can earn.

I've always been in IT - I miss contracting (the nearest IT folk get to be self employed), but I've a young family and it's nice to be home every evening.

Going back to contracting - I couldn't make that sort of money from woodworking even if I had a few folk working for me.

Dibs

 

[Jonzjob]

There seems to be a group of us here in France!

I suppose that I am ex IT as a retired IBM mainframe hardware service eng? I took early retirement after screwing up my back and now I do my turning as a hobby, but it has paid for all of the kit that I have and a fair amount of beer too!

I tend to work in my workshop when I wish and make what I want or need. I also do commissions, but nothing in the way of joinery if I can help it. I am afraid that I don't really have the discipline for that.

All in all, life has been good to me. The reason for the retirement wasn't good, but the retirement is great and we are lucky enough to live in a lovely house in a wonderful, interesting part of France near to the Canal du Midi and Carcassonne.

 

[Benchwayze]

Hi 2tone,

Sounds impressive, and good luck to you. But I notice you are working almost twice the normal working week (72 as against 40 hours).

Still, even at that it's a good wage, and as I said, good luck to you. You obviously enjoy what you do, and you earn a living from something you love doing.

Being a bit too slow now, I doubt I could keep up with you, but if I had my time again... :wink:

Regards
John

 

[devonwoody]

Tony, what exchange rate are you basing your figures on?

 

[jeffinfrance]

i think you might mean tony there woody!

i didn't publish any figures

 

[devonwoody]

i think you might mean tony there woody!

i didn't publish any figures

Yes you are correct, did an edit and put right. :wink:

 

[martdavis]

I work Mon - Friday fitting kitchens which does well, but it's not my business.

At weekends and sometimes evenings I make furniture out of driftwood and sell it online, it sells quite well as long as the courier does not damage it.

A hobby I know but turn over £200 per week.

 

[2tone]

Tony, what exchange rate are you basing your figures on?

There's no question of exchange rates, my price is in €€€€'s and the day rate for the boy's in the uk is in £££'s.

tony