What is your experience in joinery

Joined
20 Jan 2012
Messages
160
Reaction score
4
Location
Norwich
Country
United Kingdom
What sort of joinery have you manufactured and or fixed and what machinery experience do you have e.g. heavy machinery, portables etc and did you have an indentured apprenticeship
 
Sponsored Links
Throughout my time as a 'woodwork teacher ' that involved 3 years training plus one for the B.Ed using hand tools to a pretty high standard.
Used that to make my own house windows using the schools planer / thicknesser and band saw.
Have used most portable tools to some degree at some time, including a large router for work tops.
All those skills have largely gone now!
John :)
 
Traditional (i.e. long) apprenticeship with a shop fitting and joinery firm. We made everything in-house with a variety of "classic" heavy machinery from power fed 30in rip saw to pin routers, although we didn't have a 4-sider (nearest we got was a massive 3-sided "match planer"). You learned everything in the business from start to end in the shop (including a period spent in the polishing shop) as well as going out on site to install stuff, which might also mean doing the carpentry component of any building work (floors, staircases, and even roof structures on occasion). I've since worked on CNC point-to-point routers (including CAD-CAM) and run a couple of 4-siders although my preference isn't for shop-based work these days because I find those places far to "cliquey" for my liking (although they are warmer in winter!). At times I regret the passing of the old way (where you did both shop and site) because I often find stuff coming out to be installed with no thought being given to how we get it off the truck into the building let alone assembled or fixed it in a real world environment.
 
Originally a long traditional general engineering apprenticeship to become a maintenance electrician, with 18 months in the in house (excellent) training school. This might sound irrelevant, but I reckon it taught me the elusive thing which is "craftmanship"
Taught myself furniture making 25 to 30 years ago from books and asking / being showed by people amd "hands-on".
Did a small amount of joinery. Mostly made oak and other hardwood furniture full time for about 20 years.
 
Sponsored Links
I got an NVQ (not very qualified) in joinery.

I have been working for agency's as a joiner on and off over the years and built my own workshop.

I have most tools but could always do with more but I can wing it on jobs most of the time with what I have.

I stupidly bought a lot of 240v tools that are no use to me when on site so need to get 110v tools but it's hard work as I'm trying to get into electrics as I'm more qualified electrician than joiner but just about saved up £780 for my inspection and testing course and need a good tester that ain't cheep.
 
I made a blanket box in a Woodwork evening class. It involved 36 dovetail joints and by the time I finished it, although it was pretty damn impressive, I had gone off woodwork more or less for life.

I am however the proud owner of a mitre saw which I use to put new bits of skirting board and picture on, in houses which I decorate.
 
I stupidly bought a lot of 240v tools that are no use to me when on site so need to get 110v tools but it's hard work as I'm trying to get into electrics as I'm more qualified electrician than joiner but just about saved up £780 for my inspection and testing course and need a good tester that ain't cheep.


Just buy a knackered 110 transformer, open it up and wire the input to the output. Replace all the plugs on your kit. Don't let someone with real 110 kit use your transformer




Note: don't actually do this - this post was for amusement purposes only
 
Just to bring things down a level - I have no experience in joinery but have acquired basic carpentry skills along the way - timber framing, fixing joists, floorboarding. I've made cupboards and bookcases but no joinery was involved. I count myself in the school of Approximate Carpentry - motto "Measure once, cut twice, put a bit back".

Cheers
Richard
 
Just buy a knackered 110 transformer, open it up and wire the input to the output. Replace all the plugs on your kit. Don't let someone with real 110 kit use your transformer

Note: don't actually do this - this post was for amusement purposes only
And when you get onto a proper site with a 110 volt supply board ONLY on every floor hardwired into an armoured cable, what then?

There is a "legit" way of doing this, with a 110 to 230 volt step-up transformer, but it would still depend on the SM giving his/her permission. I've hired one of these a couple of times when we had 230 volt kit where there was no 110 volt equivalent. HSS certainly used to hire them out at one time
 

DIYnot Local

Staff member

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.


Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

 
Sponsored Links
Back
Top