Do you think Computers are taking over the Cabinet trade?

[Rick Reinsma]

My brother has a high end cabinet shop with multiple CNC machines, High end Computerized Sanders , Spray booths. The stuff they produce is not mass production but high end. Top top notch hardware dovetailed joinery, Solid wood construction. The stuff that he or should I say,the CNC programmer make are unbelievable. I feel that todays cabinet maker has major competition not only to get work that pays well but to be able to stay ahead of the technological advances that we see that are out there.

[frank shic]

yup, but don't forget the higher overhead as well as all the time that it takes to learn how to not only program a CNC router but also how to schedule work so that it stays busy. there are so many advantages including increased precision, less work injuries and having a trustworthy employee that will almost never complain... until something breaks down lol...

[Bryan Rocker]

True enough but one of the advantages of CNC's is the ability to replicate/duplicate stuff, once programmed it can be called up and reused.....I read some place that a housing company designed a factory to build homes modular style using computer automation. They had the capability of building thousands of house production style. They modules were better constructed and the overall accuracy was there, it just didn't catch on and finally went out of business......I guess people just couldn't/wouldn't accept the better process...I would think in the cabinet buisness this might not be the same issue....

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Yes, and from my perspective, it's a good thing.

[David DeCristoforo]

Computers are not "taking over" anything. We have given it over. The question as I see it is "Is it better to have the making of objects done by robots or by humans?" Obviously if your only concern is the availability of objects, then robots are vastly preferable. They are always at work on time, rarely make mistakes and have much more endurance than humans. They can perform complex, precise tasks repeatedly without complaint and never do stupid things like sticking body parts into the paths of cutting tools. While they may never have an idea of their own, they will do exactly as they are instructed without backtalk or argument. They will never ask for more money or better working conditions. They don't care if the shop is too hot or too cold. They don't need breaks or lunches or benefits or vacations or weekends off. Really, when you think about it, instead of complaining about being usurped, we humans should be grateful. We can spend our time at the beach house or flipping properties or building up our portfolios. Of course, if we don't solve our energy dilemma pretty soon, there my not be any way to power these machines. Of course that will never happen so we don't need to worry about anyone actually remembering how to make anything. It's all good.....

[Dustin Lane]

...and never do stupid things like sticking body parts into the paths of cutting tools...

A few weeks ago the robot we have at work swung one of its arms around into its own power supply. Knocked the power supply off its base, bent the arm, and ruined one of it's suction cups.

I took that to mean he wanted the night off early.

Computers, to me, seem to be the next logical step up from power tools. Hand -> power -> computer. Technology is developed to make things better and easier, and we use it to make our lives and jobs better and easier.
I for one welcome our new computer overlords.

[Stephen Edwards]

There will always be a market for a real live human being cabinet maker/woodworker. We may each have to "market" ourselves as such! I can see the ads now:

Fine Woodworking: Cabinets and Furniture Built by Live Humanoids! Get yours while supplies last.

[David DeCristoforo]

"the robot we have at work swung one of its arms around into its own power supply...I took that to mean he wanted the night off early..."

ARRRRRRGHHH!!!!! It's started! The Matrix..... Run... you fools!

[Per Swenson]

There will always be two camps.
People who create for the love of craft.
Then, the people who just do a job.

Per

[Karl Brogger]

For doing many one off projects a cnc doesn't save you much. By the time you program the part, cut it out, then take it to the cnc for machining, you could have just done it the ol' fashioned way.

For the things that you can mass produce, cnc is a good way to go. There are obviously many simple parts that can be quickly and easily programmed too. The screen to machine claims never seem to work out quite that easily.

A cabinet shop I used to work at did it pretty well I thought. The cnc machined all of the base partitions and sides. That's about it. You picked the part/program you needed from a catalog of parts, loaded the piece you needed and it went to town. Decks were still cut to length on the panel saw, and dado'd on the tablesaw. All bulk rips and stock part sizes were cut to size on a beam saw. Nothing was sized on the cnc router either. No system is perfect, cnc's do save time when you have the correct setup.

For me, I'd buy a beam saw way before purchasing a cnc router. Cutting 4 sheats at a crack saves a huge amount of time. Machining parts is really one of the simplest things, a few dado's, punch some holes on the line bore. A cnc router really shouldn't be cutting out parts anyhow, ineffeciant and slow.

[Chip Lindley]

As Karl says above, CNC is great for repeatable, multiple parts over and over and over..... Not so great for just one small job (or jobs) which vary even a small amount. The small custom cabinetry shop will always have its niche'. I don't *DO* White-painted faux raised panel doors. And CNC does not reface existing cabinets and make NEW raised panel doors of the same size as the old birch ply doors. WE Both have our uses!

[Chris Padilla]

Just wait until the computers become...aware....

[Steve knight]

For me, I'd buy a beam saw way before purchasing a cnc router. Cutting 4 sheats at a crack saves a huge amount of time. Machining parts is really one of the simplest things, a few dado's, punch some holes on the line bore. A cnc router really shouldn't be cutting out parts anyhow, ineffeciant and slow.

you have not seen one of the faster cnc routers cut. 12" a second is very fast. when you have to dado and drill and slot the cnc can start really saving time. but it all depends on the way the machine is run and the software used and such.

[Steve knight]

As Karl says above, CNC is great for repeatable, multiple parts over and over and over..... Not so great for just one small job (or jobs) which vary even a small amount. The small custom cabinetry shop will always have its niche'. I don't *DO* White-painted faux raised panel doors. And CNC does not reface existing cabinets and make NEW raised panel doors of the same size as the old birch ply doors. WE Both have our uses!

I do a lot of one offs on my cnc router. things that you would take a very long time doing other ways. though I admit sometimes it is slower too but thats more me then the machine. how long would it take you to cu these out of a sheet of ply? took about 16 minutes of cutting and about 30 minutes to draw it all out. a one off job.

[Denny Rice]

I'm sorry, the last thing I want in my shop is anything computer controlled.. I don't even have a PC anywhere in that shop. My shop is for me, for me to create not a robot.