Working at a cabinet maker?

[Chris S Anderson]

I have somewhat outgrown what I can do in my little garage shop, and I wish to learn more about joinery and cabinet/furniture making. I have taken a few classes at Woodcraft, but 1 and 2 day lessons dont seem to fill the gaps in my woodworking experience.

I thought about working part time for a cabinet maker or other wood shop, but I am not sure exactly how to go about finding a job, what to expect, or what I could possibly learn.

Most of my experience with woodworking is with fine hand tools, and some power tools, but nothing like industrial sized tools.

Should I just start making phone calls, sending resumes, trying to find someone by word of mouth?

By trade, I'm a 15 year English teacher, so I'm not really counting on that landing me somewhere, but I got lots of moxy.

[Brian Elfert]

You'll find it nothing like a home shop unless you find a guy who works alone and works at a deliberate pace. A good cabinet maker is going to have all kinds of jigs and such to build cabinets at a high rate of production. Each job may be custom, but the shop will be more like a factory. Less time spent means less customer cost and more profit to the owner. The owner is probably looking less for a woodworker and more for the guy who can insert part A into slot B all day without complaint.

[Jim Underwood]

What Brian said. I work for a cabinet shop, and it's more of a production process than a fine woodworking shop. Don't get me wrong, we make nice custom cabinetry, but unless you're working for a smaller craftsman style shop, you won't find fine craftsmen in most shops. Production shops aren't likely to be making hand cut dovetails...

In addition, you'll find cabinet shops are hurting and not likely to be hiring since everything in the housing sector is really sucking wind right now.

That being said, part time work might be an option. Hiring part time help and not having to pay full benefits may be a way they can save money.

Don't take our advice too hard though. In the end, if you persevere, your desire to learn certain skills will trump all the problems and roadblocks you encounter. You can't ever tell what the response is going to be when you start your enquiries.

[James Taglienti]

i worked for a custom cabinet shop outside of chicago for a while. i learned how to make a particleboard box that was square and strong, and how to spray lacquer pretty well. but thats about it. a lot more like factory work. very little space to get creative. but not all cabinet shops are the same. that one made kitchen and bath cabinets, and thats about it. if an order did come in for anything resembling a piece of furniture, theyd find a way to cabinetize it and make it look like every other mediocre thing coming out the door.

i think i used a chisel three times in the two years i worked there. there were no planes or anything, maybe a couple framing squares. but i am glad i know exactly how to make a quick kitchen cupboard! i wouldnt take it back!

tablesaw skills improved a lot too.