I quit the rat race for furniture making

[Ross K]

Thanks for all the positive feedback, chaps, and for the warm welcomes - I feel at home here already!

Dan, will answer your question when I'm not in a mad dash. speak soon.

 

[OPJ]

Welcome, Ross. Thank you for sharing your experience - it's reassuring to know it CAN work out! :wink:

Joining a co-operative of woodworkers and sharing the costs of one workshop seems to be the best way to go about this... :-k

 

[Sgian Dubh]

Id love to know more about your worskhop set-up. You mention a 'co-op'. Does this mean that you share workshop facilities with other makers?

Dan

Probably Woodschool, although I see the link to their website takes you somewhere that is no longer very full-- the website at the following link used to have a lot of information. http://www.woodschool.ltd.uk/ Slainte.

 

[woodbloke]

Ross - welcome to the forum...lots of good stuff and people on here - Rob

 

[John. B]

Welcome Ross to our forum.
I like your website, professional feel to it. Your woodcraft seriously good.
I love furniture that has been designed. Yours has class =D> =D> =D> =D>

John. B

 

[superunknown]

Hi and welcome, a great story and I admire your work.

I am right in the process of taking this step myself (I'm in the planning stage). I currently and have always worked as a full time cabinet maker, but this last year I have become very disillusioned with my employer and finding their lack of interest and input incredibly frustrating.

I find what you and other members like Dan Tovey are achieving a huge inspiration. Good luck and keep up the great work!

 

[maltrout512]

Hi Ross, and welcome. I took the plunge over 8 years back and I have a nice comfortable approach to life and work. My parents have a house just over the boarder (near Lockerbie) and had a weeks break just after the new year. Coming up there in July, would be nice to meet up and share some wood talk. Great wed site. All the best.

 

[TobyB]

Nice furniture Ross - a feel of Tim Stead to it - and as a great fan and proud owner of a couple of his pieces - that's a very good thing in my book!

Cheers

Toby

 

[Richard Findley]

Hi Ross,

Best of luck to you in your business. I set up my own workshop to do woodturning (and anything else wood related) almost a year ago, I've found a website to be a good way to get enquiries and business.

Welcome to the best forum on the net.

Cheers,

Richard

PS, if you need any woodturning doing, just give me a call :wink:

 

[Lord Nibbo]

Another warm welcome from me too.

Can you take this pic off your web site, I don't want swmbo to see it

Lovely design and beautifully made.

 

[DangerousDave]

Hi Ross, and welcome. You'll spend many happy hours here. Nice work on the website, and the 'about me' bit is a nice touch, gives customers an insight into the man behind the work. Its truly inspirational to read about someone who has made their dreams into reality. Well done that man!

 

[custard]

Ross, what percentage of your income would you say comes from kitchens?

The reason I ask is that I've always been astonished at how people hum and haw over the hundreds of pounds asked for a piece of hand-crafted furniture, but don't bat an eyelid at the thousands of pounds asked for a hand-crafted kitchen!

 

[Ross K]

Ross, what percentage of your income would you say comes from kitchens?

The reason I ask is that I've always been astonished at how people hum and haw over the hundreds of pounds asked for a piece of hand-crafted furniture, but don't bat an eyelid at the thousands of pounds asked for a hand-crafted kitchen!

Hi mate, the quick answer is that it varies.

I make more per hour on kitchens but to be honest I didn't quit my previous career to just make hand built kitchens. The way I see it is that the kitchen work finances me to be able to turn out more challenging and interesting work that pays less per hour. It's hard to turn down a kitchen job, though!

It's true what you say, people's expectations are to pay thousands for a kitchen (thanks to the many hugely overpriced high street brands) whereas, say, an eight-drawer cabinet will fetch less than you should really charge, in most cases, because there seems to be a ceiling price for such pieces that people are willing to pay.

 

[BradNaylor]

So very true, Ross.

This is the reason I have found myself almost solely making built-in or fitted furniture. The perceived value of a freestanding chest of drawers may be £800, while the perceived value of a fitted wardrobe is £2,000.

Yet there is more work in the chest of drawers!

The touble is, a customer can compare the price of a chest of drawers with one they have seen in a discount furniture store; they can't do that so easily with a built-in piece.

So guess what...


...I make lots of wardrobes!


Cheers
Dan