Welcome back Fellow Woodworkers and Woodworking enthusiasts,

Just to re cap;

Over the coming weeks I will be doing a series of posts on the practical side of setting up shop.

This can apply to a hobby workshop but is mainly aimed at anyone who would like to set up a full time or part time business.

It is a big subject so I will do my best to divide it up into the following sections.

Workshop.
Tools and Machinery.
Finding a good timber yard.
Deciding what type of woodwork you are going to do.
Advertising and getting Customers.
Dealing with Customers.
Expanding your business.
I will add to this list and I would appreciate any suggestions.

I have experience in doing this myself from being self employed for 18 years.

If you missed the first three parts you can find them here;

Part 1: Workshop

Part 2: Tools and Machinery

Part 3: Finding a good Timber yard

Today's post is,

#4 Deciding what type of woodwork you are going to do.

Woodwork is an extremely general term which covers a massive subject with many different niches.

Deciding which niches you want to develop can be a daunting task.

Lets start by identifying the three main categories.

Carpentry

This is the most general type of woodwork that most people are familiar with.
First fix carpentry will consist of timber framing, roofing, shuttering etc.

Second fix carpentry work will consist of hanging doors, fitting windows , fixing skirting and architrave,fitting kitchens, boxing in pipes decking, flooring and shelving etc.

Basically it is the fitting part after the item to be fitted has been made.

Joinery

This is the manufacture of doors, windows, stairs, skirting and architrave, simple cabinetry and furniture.

Cabinet / Furniture maker

This is more specialised to purely making furniture. Although the same principles of joinery apply, different techniques are used.

Most woodworkers will be able to identify with all of these categories and there is no real dividing line between them.

There are many trades people who are Carpenter and Joiners for instance.

It is possible to specialise in any of the above.

Some specialist areas include.

Restoration carpentry. If you get in with the right people /organisations this is a fascinating area to work in.

Traditional Timber framing. Old traditional skills are disappearing, if you can continue them you will be rewarded.

Specialist joinery. Bars, domed roofs, hotel interiors etc there are so many choices.

Reproduction furniture. I have done a lot of this over the years. Some period furniture will go out of fashion and never return but most will have a resurgence now and again. If you can make sympathetic reproductions you will be in high demand.

Antique furniture restoration. There is always work in this niche from small to large jobs. Really interesting work and very satisfying.

Wood turning. Decorative items are always popular with the public. A good wood turner will be essential to any trades that cannot turn themselves or do not have the time . Restoration work will also be possible.

Wood carver. Again decorative items , carving furniture and joinery for the trade and restoration.

Wood finishing . French polishing and spraying lacquer take a lot of skill. Spraying requires a good spray booth and good equipment to be effective so you could provide this service along side finishing your own pieces.

Cutting edge Architecture. With new materials and products presenting themselves each day new opportunities are here for any woodworking category.

Deciding your path in Business.

This is the big question. You will be living your business 24/7 at the beginning, believe me. So it makes sense to choose something you enjoy.

Unfortunately no one cares what you enjoy and this is the hard truth. You must be practical in the beginning and take on the work that is available to pay the bills. I have seen many business fail over the years purely from this fundamental error.

Although always keep your end goal in mind and try to avoid creating a business you lose enthusiasm for.

The wise way to build your business is to cover the bills with 'bread and butter' jobs and develop other lines of work the rest of the time. ( more on this in the next post)

The more skills you can develop the better but this takes time. You can be a carpenter one day and a furniture maker the next if you are self employed.

As a starting point consider the following.

Carpentry work will be readily available and it is a necessity. People will always need a carpenter even if it is just for maintenance. This is always a good source of income.

Joinery work can be extremely lucrative if the building trade is doing well. Things can dry up if there is a downturn in the economy.

Furniture is a luxury. If people have money they will have custom furniture made . You will be staring at the phone waiting for it to ring in a downturn.

Consider the resources you have and use them to your best advantage in the early days.

Keep an open mind, you may find a niche you had never thought of before and decide to make it a life long pursuit.

Next up in the series will be: #5 Advertising and getting Customers.

If you have any questions about woodwork, furniture or being self employed as a craftsperson let me know.
I know my wood and I have spent years teaching myself furniture making , furniture history as well as living it as a self employed cabinet maker .

Still I am learning every day and the journey is the point.

Many thanks for reading,
Until next time,
@jist

Gifs from www.giphy.com
Pictures from www.pixabay.com