Definitions of a Cabinet Maker, Joiner, Carpenter, = Screws, Nails, Dowels.

Thanks for email, you need to ask yourself several questions in order to clarify your thinking.

1 What do want a qualification for ?

2. Is for employment ? as it is very doubtful whether just a qualification alone will get you a job at the end of a course. Employers want experience not just qualifications because too many people are train but have little or no experience in the day today running of a cabinet making shop. If you can get a job and do a course at the same time that is the best of both worlds. Check out Yellow Pages and Thompsons for local craftsmen or craftswomen look under all the headings you can think of, woodworkers, wood turners, cabinet makers, antique restoration, furniture makers, designers, built-in-furniture and see if they have any vacancies. But Don't ask me !

3. What is your main interest cabinet making, antique restoration or wood turning or another subject ? Do you intend to specialize in a particular field ?

4. Check what the qualification will get you ? Is that what you wants to end up with ? If it's for a job, then check with prospective employers to see if they will recognize it as there are quite a few courses which lead to a dead end and you don't won't to waste two or three years doing the wrong course.

5. Or are you intending to start your own business ?

If so where are you going to work from ?

Who are you going to get your work from ?

How are you going to finance the business ?

How much do you need to earn a year ?

Check out Yellow Pages and Thompsons for local competition and look under all the headings you can think of, woodworkers, wood turners, cabinet makers, antique restoration, furniture makers, designers, built-in-furniture and see if there is a niche in the market that you could fill.

6. There are lots of colleges that do woodworking courses, but you need to answer the questions above and then you need to make sure that you make the choice and are not pushed into a course that the college just wants to fill. Your local library and local colleges should be able to advise you on courses, try a few local colleges first and then look at colleges that specialize in particular fields such as West Dean. Look in the Woodworker and other magazines as they often have articles and talk to as many people as possible. If you go to a woodworking show there is often a stand by a college go and have a chat don't be afraid to ask "Why is your course better than so and so's !" " What's the pass rate ?" "Is it a new course ?" and find out all you can about the course because it is often to late once you have started to change. Ask if there are any of last years students you can talk to ? Have they got jobs ? What did they think of the course ? good, bad or ugly. When you have all the facts then you can decide on the best course for you. Once you have decided on the course find out from them what qualifications they would require preferable in writing.

Write down the answers to the questions above. Then decide on your goal and give it a reasonable time limit. Now sit down and draw up an action plan on how you can achieve your goal that suites you. A good time period would be a five year action plan.

Here's a few general tips

1.Be sure to use all the guards on machinery you only have one body and replacement parts are not always available. Take your time, "Measure twice and cut once" is an excellent motto.

2. Read all you can but question some of the advice you are given as there is a lot of rubbish and bad advice talked about in woodworking circles.

3. Any book by Charles Hayward is good and The Technique of Furniture Making By Ernest Joyce is a Bible for Cabinet Makers.

4. Look at furniture and as you look ask yourself these questions,

How was it made ?

Why make it like that ?

Could it be improved ?

What wood is it ?

Why use that wood ?

What joints ?

Why those ?

What finish ?

Why that finish ?

You will not be able to answer many at first but as time goes on you will answer and understand more. This will increase you knowledge and in turn your design and craftsmanship will improve as a result of this new found knowledge..

Good Luck ! Richard Nice