Wanting to learn about industrial wood working. Where to go?

[Steve Pilon]

I'm not sure where to post this but I'm interested in learning about production wood working, mainly relating to furniture manufacturing. I'v learned a lot about cnc but I'm interested in what kind of other tools are available. Is there a book somewhere or a guide that at least lays out the 1000 foot view? Im also interested in how do factories/high volume make panel glue ups, specifically prepping the wood, where a low volume shop would use the jointer, planer, table saw. Thanks in advance!

[Richard Gonzalez]

https://themillco.org/

Dean Mattson is one of the people behind this. Met him, very inspiring man. Has got multi-million investments from commercial/industrial woodworking industry to train next generation of workers, using modern, industrial type equipment. Just now opening up a training center in Colorado Springs. He has been running the Woods Manufacturing program at a small school district - most (high school) graduates have multiple $50k job offers upon graduation. The MILL (manufacturing industry learning labs) is taking this program to the next level. Will eventually have all types of vocational training, but starting with wood working.

[Wayne Lomman]

For general manufacturing principles, study LEAN manufacturing. Remember that when studying someone else's methods, you need to take away the key points and adapt it to your specific needs. Cloning won't work. Cheers

[Mick Simon]

https://themillco.org/

Dean Mattson is one of the people behind this. Met him, very inspiring man. Has got multi-million investments from commercial/industrial woodworking industry to train next generation of workers, using modern, industrial type equipment. Just now opening up a training center in Colorado Springs. He has been running the Woods Manufacturing program at a small school district - most (high school) graduates have multiple $50k job offers upon graduation. The MILL (manufacturing industry learning labs) is taking this program to the next level. Will eventually have all types of vocational training, but starting with wood working.

I second this suggestion. Dean has established a vocational model that this country has lacked for many years. Excellent backing from some of the finest suppliers in the industry.

[Bruce Wrenn]

August 2018, attend IWF in Atlanta. Largest single collection of wood working machinery in North America, with much of it under power.

[Wayne Lomman]

I should have added: Make sure you source your information from those who make money from woodworking more so than those who make money telling other people how to make money from woodworking. The second kind just may have a sideline selling snake oil... Cheers

[Mark Gibney]

A structured education can be great, but like any business you'll learn most working for someone else. Make your mistakes on their dime too.

[Mel Fulks]

There is a lot of variation in the shop types. And how much does it take to qualify as high or low volumn? Some low volumn shops that turn out real expensive stuff have quality lapses that some would say are related to low volumn. An example is the pipe organ console I saw that was made in another country. The glued up panel ends started opening up shortly after USA install. Maker said it was because of lower humidity here. And THAT was accepted as an excuse! I don't think that because pipe organs are expensive that they should get a pass on lousy panels because the organist likes its sound. I've matched and glued thousands of panels and personally guaranteed with cash bounty that all interior or exterior panels would not open up. I did that with no failures by hollow jointing. But most shop owners would say "that ain't needed". It's a lot easier to evaluate speed than quality. I've commented here before about how buying new easier to operate moulders can result in lazier operators ,lower product quality ,and shorter machine life. Repetitive work is not made any easier by cell phones. Get all the info you can ,but the biggest success factor will be the availability of honest, sober,interested employees.

[Darcy Warner]

Hollow joints, a sound practice lost on most.

[Andrew Hughes]

Are there really furniture factory's in the USA.I know about Thos Moser nothing.Dont know anyone that can afford to buy from them.
Hooker furniture was the last of the Giants. The days of the furniture craftsman is over

[Darcy Warner]

There are small furniture shops all over the place, by small I mean 25 an under employees.

[Martin Wasner]

I'm not sure where to post this but I'm interested in learning about production wood working, mainly relating to furniture manufacturing. I'v learned a lot about cnc but I'm interested in what kind of other tools are available. Is there a book somewhere or a guide that at least lays out the 1000 foot view? Im also interested in how do factories/high volume make panel glue ups, specifically prepping the wood, where a low volume shop would use the jointer, planer, table saw. Thanks in advance!

Find a big shop and fill out a job application.

Big shops are far too complicated to fit into a book.

[Brian Holcombe]

Are there really furniture factory's in the USA.I know about Thos Moser nothing.Dont know anyone that can afford to buy from them.
Hooker furniture was the last of the Giants. The days of the furniture craftsman is over

Herman Miller, Knoll and Thayer Coggin come to mind. The first two are large publically owned companies. There are also a fair number of large furniture manufacturers in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Maine and Vermont.

[Andrew Hughes]

I appreciate the time you took to post Brian. Herman Miller,Knoll and Thayer Coggin All look like office furniture to me.Very cold and stiff with metal legs yuk.
Out here near me there are some stores that sell unfinished pine pieces very affordable.But I think most of it is made in Mexico.
The days of the craftsman are over.Now it's the day of the artist craftsman.

[Brian Holcombe]

I'm simply providing that there are many American furniture makers, some that may not immediately come to mind unless you have worked in the industry. Even as someone who has made chairs, I still do enjoy my Eames lounge & ottoman quite thoroughly, metal base and all. :D

These companies have been a cornerstone of the industry for nearly a century, I think that stands as proof that the industry is alive and well.

There are also many boutique makers and most of the major studio furniture makers either continue or their studio's continue to produce their designs.

Beyond furniture there are many many woodworking shops in the US making cabinetry and other woodwork across the board.

[Andrew Hughes]

Sorry Brian but I disagree most people have furniture in their homes from Ikea,Living spaces,Mathis bros,Pottry barn the list goes on. I see no advertising from the highend stuff.Not even Thomas moser.
But Crate and barrel rustic farm tables made from Indonesian rubber wood all day long.

[Brian Holcombe]

Two companies I mentioned are publicly owned, you can google their sales figures, projections, product line, retail locations and so forth.

Walk down a street in Soho, or Beverly Hills and you'll see their product along side the famous Danish and Italian makers.

[scott vroom]

The days of the furniture craftsman is over

There are plenty of small business and hobby craftsman furniture makers, some of whom are SMC members, that might disagree.

[Martin Wasner]

There are plenty of small business and hobby craftsman furniture makers, some of whom are SMC members, that might disagree.

In a literal sense, you are correct. In a statistical model they are insignificant contributors to production. (Kinda like thinking the home garden is significant to farming numbers here in the USA.)

Consumers with any free money and any idea of what quality is are directly proportionate and shrinking in numbers daily.

[Andrew Hughes]

The Craftsman and the Artist Craftsman what is the difference?
An example when a artist craftsman makes a cutting board he will be more concerned about how it looks.The pattern of all the different woods he carefully selected and arranged for the best look.

When a craftsman makes a cutting board he is more concerned about how it will be used.It also needs to be affordable so more thought is put into making a board fast that will last and serve the needs of the buyer.
This is a example of what I've come to realize. One year i made cutting boards for christmas and handed them out to friends and family.Not many wanted to use them because they were too pretty i failed as a craftsman.:o But succeed as a artist.:rolleyes:
A craftsman is a higher calling.

[scott vroom]

Could probably start a whole new thread dedicated to what is an interesting topic. I'd agree there are fewer craftsmen furniture makers working in a production environment. But a true craftsman isn't defined by his/her employment status. I don't agree that "The days of the furniture craftsman is over" unless your criteria for craftsman is employment in a particular industry.

But I know what you mean.

[jack duren]

There are a lot of studio shops in Kansas City but aren't large by any means.. Where I work at is being restructured. We are hiring 25 employees to start just to level out.

According to the owner of our company,there are no restaurant furniture companies in the U.S. who is "king of the hill". Our company wants to be the first..

We are turning down contracts left and right. We can't handle anymore. The company already does 500hrs a week in overtime... I'm working Labor Day and still looking for an apprentice...

[jack duren]

There are plenty of small business and hobby craftsman furniture makers, some of whom are SMC members, that might disagree.

Key word "small"...

[scott vroom]

Jack, why is that a key word? I don't recall seeing a definition of Craftsman that includes a reference to volume output.

[Lee Schierer]

Are there really furniture factory's in the USA.I know about Thos Moser nothing.Dont know anyone that can afford to buy from them.
Hooker furniture was the last of the Giants. The days of the furniture craftsman is over

Stickley Furniture (https://stickley.com/) makes some really nice furniture. Stickley offers public tours of their Manlius factory at 1 Stickley Drive Manlius, NY 13104 every Tuesday at 10:00AM.

[Martin Wasner]

According to the owner of our company,there are no restaurant furniture companies in the U.S. who is "king of the hill". Our company wants to be the first..

just like home building, restaurants are built by a gc. That gc has a relationship with whomever is building the fixtures he needs. That's a massive market to try and take a big chunk out of.

I wonder what the yearly sales would be, and what kind of staff would be required to even take a 1% bite out of that segment.

[jack duren]

We rarely do small restaurants. There mainly after large contracts.. We did work for the mercedes benz stadium in Georgia before it opened.. http://www.midwestcabinet.com/ is our sister company...

[jack duren]

Here's am example of the problem. We took on maple street biscuit company We took 5 days to do one store. I have 2 days to do another store. See a problem:eek:

[Darcy Warner]

Here's am example of the problem. We took on maple street biscuit company We took 5 days to do one store. I have 2 days to do another store. See a problem:eek:

Yeah, much easier to just supply the parts to someone else that can put them together and install them.

I always get in a pickle trying to bite off too big of a hunk.

[Don Orr]

Stickley Furniture (https://stickley.com/) makes some really nice furniture. Stickley offers public tours of their Manlius factory at 1 Stickley Drive Manlius, NY 13104 every Tuesday at 10:00AM.
There is also Harden Furniture not far from there. They go from log to finished product in a single facility.

[Rod Sheridan]

Are there really furniture factory's in the USA.I know about Thos Moser nothing.Dont know anyone that can afford to buy from them.
Hooker furniture was the last of the Giants. The days of the furniture craftsman is over

Stickley come to mind for me.

https://stickley.com/


Regards, Rod.

[J.R. Rutter]

Im also interested in how do factories/high volume make panel glue ups, specifically prepping the wood, where a low volume shop would use the jointer, planer, table saw. Thanks in advance!

Buy lumber from supplier that has tight control over moisture content.
S2S with double sided planer (or buy H&M lumber)
Rip to width with saw capable of doing square parallel edges (SLR or gang rip).
Crosscut/defect cut just over panel length.
Glue and clamp in clamp carrier or RF press.
Crosscut and rip to final size.
Plane/sand to thickness.