Peter Seftons Machining Course

[pollys13]

I've tried to acquaint myself with the proper and safe use of the spindle moulder.
I have Peters Seftons PDF download on the use of the spindle also his PDF on using it for raised panels.
Has anyone been on this course what did they think, what do you get for your hard earned cash?
I see he charges, yikes £450 for 3 days maybe he would do a 1 day on the spindle for a hundred.
Not like a college course, which aren't available or affordable.

Even if he would consider one day......... I have Roy Suttons Basic Spindle Moulding DVD, the American Furniture Institute DVD on the use of the shaper. I have the Health & Safety Executive leaflets on the use of the machine and videos, have the UKs Spindle Moulder Handbook two American books on using the shaper.

I've read forums posts on the use of the spindle and shaper.
Please don't misunderstand me but I feel reluctant to part with any of my hard earned money, to be taught things I'm already familiar with.
I know you are all trying to be positive and helpful, so thanks guys

 

[deema]

If you've a small business there are grants available for training which is worth pursuing. I was lucky, my father trained me, and the spindle is one machine where supervised practice is a really, really good idea.

I would always advocate the use of a power feed with a spindle moulder. I had used my spindle for years with just shaw guards. The day it changed is when I had a kick back and my hand was slammed into the shaw guard. I was lucky not to break anything, but it illustrated to me what can happen. If I hadn't had the saw guards on it would have been a lot of cleaning up! The next day I oredred a Maggi power feed. The difference in finish on the wood is significant, and I now work with my hands in my 'pockets' rather than anywhere near the machine!

 

[Steve Maskery]

£450 for three days of professional tuition of the highest standard is not expensive. Any self-employed plumber or electrician would charge much more than that, and they wouldn't have workshop premises to set up and run. I'd say it was a bargain.

I guess it depends on what price you put on your fingers, really.

 

[ColeyS1]

How much would it be worth not to have a severe accident on the spindle ? When I started as an apprentice, admittedly when pinned blocks weren't common, someone use to check the spindle was o.k everytime before turning it on. I think that lasted about two years before I was able to use it unsupervised. Even then they like it when there was atleast one other person around in the shop.
They really can be lethal things, even to an experienced user !
I hope you've got roller feed cause it makes the task much safer and efficient. How did you get on with the Axminster fence ? It'd be nice to have an update

Coley

 

[Glynne]

I haven't been on the machining course but I've been on both the Laminating & Veneering course and the Routing course. Both the courses were excellent and I learnt a lot more than laminating, veneering and routing on the courses.
£450 for 3 days = £150 / day might not be cheap but I can't see many other top professionals in any sphere charging such a low amount. Think about a tradesman not only doing some work for you but transferring skills as well?
If you have any doubts about the course give Peter a ring, but out of all workshop machinery, the spindle moulder has to be potentially one of the most dangerous. If you have any doubts (and by posting this you obviously do), then I would suggest some practical training is the way to go.
As an alternative option, you could try a professional cabinet maker who offers training - for example Dodge (Roger Berwick) of this forum.
I spent a week with Roger several years ago and whilst Roger was happy for me to use his table saw, radial arm saw, bandsaw and router table by myself, I was supervised with his spindle moulder!

 

[david123]

I spent time with Roger to, money well spent, great teacher and an all round nice guy.

 

[RogerS]

I've been on a couple of Peter Sefton's courses and can recommend them wholeheartedly. Well worth the money and you pick up so many other useful tips along the way.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

You could always call him and ask if he's prepared to offer a reduced content course for a lower price. No idea if it's possible/sensible but he's a perfectly approachable chap so why not just call and ask him. He's also a regular on here so may well see this thread.

 

[thetyreman]

I think it is a fair price to be honest, it seems like a bargain to me.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

£450 for three days of professional tuition of the highest standard is not expensive. Any self-employed plumber or electrician would charge much more than that, and they wouldn't have workshop premises to set up and run. I'd say it was a bargain.

I guess it depends on what price you put on your fingers, really.

Steve, I don't think the OP is maintaining that it is over priced or not worthwhile, just that it is an awful lot of money (it certainly is to me). If an electrician charged me say £200 a day, he wouldn't be working for a couple (or more) people at the same time. I expect my opinions are coloured by my living in an area where a wage of ten quid an hour is way beyond many people's dreams.

 

[RogerS]

£450 for three days of professional tuition of the highest standard is not expensive. Any self-employed plumber or electrician would charge much more than that, and they wouldn't have workshop premises to set up and run. I'd say it was a bargain.

I guess it depends on what price you put on your fingers, really.

Steve, I don't think the OP is maintaining that it is over priced or not worthwhile, just that it is an awful lot of money (it certainly is to me). If an electrician charged me say £200 a day, he wouldn't be working for a couple (or more) people at the same time. I expect my opinions are coloured by my living in an area where a wage of ten quid an hour is way beyond many people's dreams.

But an electrician doesn't have to maintain premises, buy expensive machinery etc. And there are lots of electricians. Not too many people around with Peter's experience and skills.

 

[PAC1]

There are other courses for instance:
http://www.axminsterskillcentre.co.uk/c ... ding-8.htm
But then the question would be what can you learn in 1 day with up to 6 other students.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

It is still an awful lot of money. Do we know how many people would be on the course?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

There are other courses for instance:
http://www.axminsterskillcentre.co.uk/c ... ding-8.htm
But then the question would be what can you learn in 1 day with up to 6 other students.

£150 a day. The same pro rata.

 

[Peter Sefton]

My Wood Machining course runs as a two or three day option, the third day being all about the spindle moulder. This give students the option to take only the first two days if they don't have a spindle or to come back at a later date when they feel more confident using the other machines to tackle the more involved spindle training.

This also gives us the opportunity to offer the spindle day as a stand alone course. We don't advertise this as we can only offer it if space is available and I feel the potential students is already competent or experienced on the other machines.

The course is structured so that by day three the students have a good understanding of cutting actions of saws and cutter blocks in standard machines and understand the importance of feed rates, sharp tooling, in-feed and out-feed setting on machines and maintenance of tooling. It could be both dangerous for the student and frustrating for the others if these fundamental points are not understood, we don't want to recover the same teaching points already covered in the past couple of days but will reference back to them when appropriate.

Re DVD's I have been working with Artisan Media over the summer on a series of DVD's on hand tools, we plan to make a series of Wood Machining DVD's next year, my feeling is the current ones available are getting old and wood machining has moved on so much in recent years. The Eric Stephenson book is excellent for reference.

If you are interested in the third day as a stand alone course send us an email and Sarah can look into it, we charge £150 for the day.

Cheers Peter

 

[Steve Maskery]

If I'd got my spindle moulder up and running, I'd bite Peter's hand off for that.

 

[Peter Sefton]

If I'd got my spindle moulder up and running, I'd bite Peter's hand off for that.

That's either a great recommendation or a really bad pun!

Cheers Peter

 

[Steve Maskery]

Yes, perhaps I should have phrased it differently!

 

[pcb1962]

It is still an awful lot of money. Do we know how many people would be on the course?

It's peanuts by IT standards. Computer training courses in London are 400 - 500 a day, and that's with up to 20 people in the classroom.

 

[tomatwark]

First of all what machinery training have you already under taken.

If you have only learnt from books and DVD's I would spend the money and go on the full 3 day course, you are looking at setting up a business after all.

All the employees we have here have to sign off they know what they are doing on each machine plus explain how they work, and also if they are not confident about something to speak up.

I am about to spent several thousand adding to the qualifications for my machinist and see it as an investment as well as covering my back with the HSE.

£450 to be shown how to use machines properly and be able ask questions as you go is a good deal, look at it as a break from work learning something you want to do.

You only have one set of fingers and things can go wrong very quickly if you do not know what you are doing.