Woodworking 101
So I received a great comment the other day. In it was a thought that suggests that woodworking schools produce “disillusioned woodworkers”. That statement got me thinking and you might ask why it got me thinking? Well as many of you know I have just finished my 2 year programs here at The Australian School of Fine Furniture. I am now a university graduate with a degree in furniture design. I am a product of one of these woodworking schools. So I started to think ‘ am I disillusioned’?
So let’s break down a few things first. Why did I choose to go to school? Why did I choose to go to a 2 year program? Why not a 1 week or a few days type program? Here’s my quick story
A few years ago I started restoring antiques and fixing furniture for a living. I have always worked with wood, but I quickly found that restoring and fixing was really boring. There was no creative outlet. So I signed up for a 2 week furniture making course at The North Bennett Street School , an experience that changed my life. It placed a bug in me that I knew I had to nourish. That lead to some attempts at building some furniture for my house, which lead to a desire to do this for a living. With that desire I knew that if I wanted to make that happen with in the next 10 years of my life, that I needed to be trained. That’s where I decided that I need to go to school. Plus I knew that I needed to dedicate time and money to get this training. It wasn’t going to be easy, but nothing worth it ever is. So that’s basically how I ended up here in Australia. That’s why I choose a 2 year program, to full immerse myself in all things furniture making.
These programs are set up to teach you a lot of the skills that you need to make furniture (this done in the first year), then to let you go and use those skills develop more and make some stuff (this is the second year). I was fortunate enough to be taught by a great furniture maker Neil Erasmus. Then to have one on one time with 4 established furniture makers with brilliant skills, guys like Jono Everett, Evan Dunstone and David Up-Field Brown (who is the head instructor at The Center for Furniture Craftsmanship. Now unlike most 2 year programs in the states I got 5 different points of views and making styles. I got to see 5 ways these masters worked and could decided which I thought was the best, or just find my own. But the best thing that I got from these men was the business that furniture making is.
So I’ve got a lot more to say about this, but the post is getting way to long. So let me know your thoughts on the subject so far. I’ll leave you hanging until the next installment.
January 18th, 2008 at 5:29 am
By all means, please continue the story! I am really interested in the fact that a) you can go to a 2 year program to learn how to design furniture, and b) the whole business end of the stick.
I am seeing some threads developing here that appear in other creative venues (photography for one). It seems to me that creativity and business are two things that are almost completely independent of each other and that the really creative people I know are terrible business people. Is this typically true in the furniture business as well?
I think it is a fabulous thing to come away from some formal creative education and have knowledge about the business side. Those 5 men should be applauded - perhaps even a standing ovation!
January 18th, 2008 at 8:00 am
I wish there was a fine furniture school where i live, Montreal, Quebec(hey maybe there is i just haven’t found it yet!). What i ended doing was taking a 14 month cabinetmaking program that gave me a taste of everything there is to woodworking(production, kitchens, marquetry, hand and machine cut joinery, etc etc). Luckily for me the program was funded by the government so it cost me next to nothing to take the course. not only that, the teachers were great, one has some serious designing background, so his classes always had the most thinking, crazy jigs and criticism :P, “1/32 off? what did you fall asleep at the wheel?!?” sorta thing.
i came out of the program hungry for more, then i got heavily into Krenov. bought all his books and read them a few times over and now im in the process of setting something of my own up. these school are dangerous in that you spend way too much time and money reading/buying tools/setting up.
well i hope this hasn’t gone without a point for too long :P. From what i gathered reading some of your other posts you’re setting up soemthign of your own? or already have something! As for Steel City Tools, i own the 18″ bandsaw and it’s a pretty solid machine. sure its no euro monster but pretty good damn for what you pay for! and the customer service is AWESOME, plus a 5 year warranty to boot!
January 18th, 2008 at 8:25 am
Interesting comment on creating “disillusioned” woodworkers. I’m an IT guy by trade, and I was quite disillusioned after graduating from college. It’s now 20+ years later and I’m only now earning what my professors told me I’d be earning the day I graduated. I suppose if a school is ill-informed, then the students become ill-informed. I wouldn’t trade in my education. My education got me were I am today. Being disillusioned was part of my learning experience. I didn’t give up and I’m older and wiser now.
I guess what I’m saying is, be disillusioned is the result of not being informed. Too many people accept things at face value, without checking it out themselves. If I had only done a little research of my own, I would have known what an average college graduate earned. I could have saved myself years of feeling underpaid. If you know going into a new venture that it’s not going be easy and will require a lot work. You will be much “happier” and will most likely succeed even quicker.
January 18th, 2008 at 9:51 am
Hey Kaleo,
I’m in a similar situation that you were. I’ve finally decided to become a full time furniture maker with in the next 5 years.
My question is why did you go to the ASFF and not the North Bennett school’s 2 year program? Where there specific reasons you chose one over the other?
I’m considering NBSS’s 3 month course (I’m not brave enough to give up 2 years with no income :-) because I really love the older style of furniture.
Thanks for the blog and podcast.
- David
January 18th, 2008 at 10:18 am
Hey Kaleo:
I see some important words that mean something…..”style” and “business”……Don’t leave us hanging……I’ll wait until your thoughts are complete to comment.
January 18th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Kaleo,
I was wondering if the school you attended had any courses in business. I touched on the subject in response to episode 4. Again, I would love to hear your strategies as you go forward to create and run a successful furniture business. I don’t think there is anyone actually addressing the business end of this particular business. It’d be great to hear your thought.
January 19th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
I agree with everyone else - by all means, please continue!!
My career is already established and rewarding (RN, specializing in hemotology/oncology), and I have no interest in taking on a new career. I’ve always had a creative side and a love for sawdust. However, I am only now starting to attempt any woodworking that could be considered “fine”. So, the design side of things is my biggest appeal currently. Still, I’m very interested in what way a schooled woodworker is “disillusioned” - I’m assuming on the business side of things, right?