stumpy01 – Cambridge Regional College may be able to offer what you want or you could contact a furniture maker. I’ll have a look to see if I can find something as I’m not to far from you.

OP – If you had taken the time to look at the links provided, you would see that illustrator files can be used it even shows you how to set up. Only SketchUp pro will import and export DXF/DWG but they do offer a trial pro version. It is primarily a 3D modelling program but like with any design program you can work around this. Autodesk now make an online AutoCAD which I think you can have a play on, whether it exports and imports I’m not sure.

tails – good shout on CRC. I used to work round the corner on the Science Park, so pretty bad not to think of it!

For exporting as a dxf, Draftsight (as I think was mentioned above) is pretty good and free to download.
There’s quite a good pdf training manual that comes with it too, I think.

I have that draftsight on my computer at work although I currently use solidworks edrawings viewer. Might check out draftsight this afternoon.

Certainly CRC has the machine shop from when I did my art foundation their, maybe even a local school will offer evening courses.

tails – good call! From the CRC prospectus:

creative Woodcrafts
This is a course with structured tuition in which you will design and create your own piece of craftwork, from basic woodwork to furniture-making, framing, wood-turning, carving or toy-making

next course starts in early Jan….

introduction to Woodwork
This is a hands-on, DIY course which covers a range of woodworking skills and is suitable for adults of all abilities.

again, starts in early Jan

introduction to Handcrafted Furniture
This practical, 12-week course allows you to gain skills and some underpinning knowledge in the following areas: Safe working practices, Basic wood machining techniques, Core hand skills,
Introduction to materials technology

runs from September, so could try one of the above courses & then do this one in Sept if it’s going well.

There’s an open day on the 11th November, but I can’t go to that as I’ll be on a photography day in Kent, but there’s also one on the 12th November so might go along to that…..

Wahoo – a direction!!

I am near Peterborough, but work in Letchworth

Moulton College near Northampton do furniture courses and I suppose are sort of out that general way. Try them. We have links with them from our courses.

Thanks Kayak23 – they all look like full time courses? I’d be looking for some kind of evening class initially, unless I have read them wrong.

It looks like that college is about 1hr 15 from work & the same from home, so it’s not out of the question, but would make it a long old day!

Stumpy01, having done a HND in furniture making and then topped that up to a BAhons in contemporary furniture design. I would recommend going on the course with the most hand skills, so hand planning, dovetailing with chisels etc.

My reasoning is at uni we had a huge workshop with planners and thicknessers, CNC routers, table saws, 10 ton veneer presses you name it they had it. I used them a lot, this matters not one jot now all I have is hand tools at home. I can’t make anything and any skills I had will be very basic now.

Tools that you may be able to fit in a single garage – routing table, small band saw, pillar drill. Festools make this thing called a domino cutter that is a cross between a biscuit jointer and a mortise and tenon. You can cut a fair few joints with a router. I can’t think of anything else at the mo.

If you have a barn and cash forgot the above!

What do you do now tails, you not doing woodworking then?

thanks tails…..yeah, that was what I was thinking. I want to go to the open evening to look into the course content and how much of it is hands-on fettling of stuff and how much of it isn’t!

No point doing it all on fancy equipment that is only available at the college!

What do you do now tails, you not doing woodworking then?

I currently design garden buildings and used to design exhibition stands. Occasionally I’ll design furniture and products for fun with a friend. He comes from an automotive and aircraft design background so the dialogue is far better than that with my current boss who is an accountant!

I would like to work in a service industry (own a hostel/cafe) and use my design knowledge to create a really good experience.

Do you work in design and making Dobbo? I’m half tempted to join stumpy01 on this woodworking course!!

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgbUV7xv_sk[/video]

Not a clue what he did there but i like it! lol! My old lecturer used to make dovetail cubes.

Stumpy01 don’t want to appear to be rude but to learn proper cabinet making
takes years and Effin obviously knows what he wants But just needs the correct pointers
the correct pointer in direction on how to get what he wants.
Best simply to let others make it for him under contract.

I am totally different and done the Apprenticeship route and years lessons learnt in high end cabinet
making and production running from brining in planks of timber and making the cutters to produce
shapes and making furniture.

This thread keeps on giving. 😀

So glad others are considering educational opportunities as a result. Fantastic.

Grantway is right; I have a fairly clear idea of what I want, but now an much clearer idea of how to achieve it. It’s completely bewildering though, but fascinating.

Grantway; any luck on the CNC place?

I’m going to look into evening classes too, but on the craft/toymaking side of things, rather than joinery. I’ve made a few bits for the house; computer desk, TV stand, tables, shelving rack units, and a little bedside cabinet that I’m quite proud of. Simple things, but sturdy and robust. But joinery isn’t my passion; design is. Which is why it’s important to learn how things can be put together, how different materials behave, what’s possible and what’s not, etc.

Best simply to let others make it for him under contract.

I love making things myself, but in terms of commercial production, this would be the best option. Would still be my designs, which is the important bit.

I’m going to B+Q this weekend, have a look at some tools and oils and stuff. I’m soooo excited. 😀

[/url]
tumblr_lsgyremQys1r47byho1_1280 by tangwyn, on Flickr[/img]
This I like.

Is yours, Tang?

That is pretty bloody cool, that. What is it, layers of acrylic? Seen some stuff done like this, interested to learn more.

Grantway – I know it would take years to become a cabinet maker.
All I am trying to do is make a start & see if it’s something I am interested in; not necessarily cabinet making, but just general woodwork so I can get to a standard that will allow me to knock out some decent quality items…

Open days at Peterborough & Cambridge pencilled into the calendar….

Elfin – have fun looking for tools!

Not mine but I spotted it today on a link from a friend who is a pro skater/photographer/graffiti artist/shoe designer. there is a couple more but i cant post a link to the site as; i might get banned and the ol duffers on here will just start pnarring as there is lots of flesh. mail in profile if ya want the link. looks like ply?? brilliant.

To save you the filth my friend directed me to the artist. he recycles old skateboard decks. flipping marvellous stuff.
http://haroshi.com/artworks/

Wunundred! 😀

Tang; some nice stuff there, cheers.

Project’s coming along nicely. Steep learning curve, but loads of fun. The ply I’m using is cheapo stuff and prone to splintering, so not ideal, but gives me the overall effect I was looking for. Better to practice on cheap materials than waste money at this stage. Having lots of fun though, apart from the clearing up. 😳

Going to try a range of finishes next, using varnish, oil and wax.

Getting a feel for the kind of tools I need for small projects and prototypes; a bench drill would be very handy…

Ear, Grantway; what’s that place in Dalston then? Come on mate, I need to know!

Love this:

What an amazing thread! 8)

Don’t suppose anyone has ideas of how to mount a large deer antler onto some wood or granite? It’s to be free-standing on the floor – on the wall is so last year dahlin’ – so would need to be a reasonable size to support it.

Really fancy the idea of some slate with it, saw some last week and it was seriously lovely.

Thanks. 🙂

Ok so another step closer, two prototypes now nearing completion, going to B+Q tomoz with my neighbour as he has a pensioners’ discount card what works only on Wednesdays. Ten percent off! 😀

Will be scavenging for ply off-cuts and any other nice little bits of wood.

Right. Couple more questions for youse experts:

1. Varnish, oil or what sort of finish? What are the pros and cons of each? What would be the best for what I’ve done, with the laminated ply edges exposed? Want them to stand out as much as poss really.

2. Can get adapter to turn my drill into a bench drill type thing? Rather than fork out for a bench drill? just that I need to be able to drill some straight holes through multiple layers/thick pieces of wood, they need to be as straight and true as poss. Doing it ‘by eye’ ends up with holes on the piss. 😳

3. Finishing inside of holes (may be several centimetres deep, only 8mm diameter), so that they’re smooth. Some sort of cylindrical file? And how to varnish/oil inside holes? Thin artist’s paintbrush?

I’m so excited about it all. The more I do, the more I learn, the more ideas I have…

Elfin – don’t know if it’s any good, but there is this on eBay for using a hand held drill as a pillar drill…

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/bench-mounted-drill-stand-pedistal-mounted-drill-press-/270688847362?pt=UK_Home_Garden_PowerTools_SM&hash=item3f06500602#ht_2337wt_1104

looks like you can get a new, fairly basic bench drill for about £80 though….

Open evening at Peterborough Regional College [EDIT: meant to say, it’s tonight] to find out about carpentry! Quite excited. Just hope it’s relevant….

Selekta! Nice one stumpy, that’s just what I’m after. Can’t really afford/store/justify a full on pillar drill as yet, so this’ll be perfect. 😀

I am going to need a new drill at some stage though. The one I’ve got is getting a bit grumbly and wobbly. 🙁

Sigh. It’s a never ending expense…

Don’t suppose anyone has ideas of how to mount a large deer antler onto some wood or granite? It’s to be free-standing on the floor

Deer themselves are free-standing(when alive), but if you feel the need to reduce a body-part of this once majestic animal to a tacky nik-nak in a suburban living room, then I believe you can actually drill horn(if you’re careful), following which you could insert dowels or rods into the holes and Araldite them in place, and then mount that into your wooden base or slate or whatever.

I’d suggest starting with a small pilot hole and working up in sizes until you have your dowel size. Keep the drill spinning fast to avoid catching and possible splitting of the horn. You could also drill holes slightly bigger than the end you want fixed, and Araldite them in place whilst supporting the ‘structure’.

Apologies for the poor attempt at masking my dislike for animal ‘trophies’… 🙂

Yeah likewise I hope you found the horns. In regards to stone go to your local gravestone makers, the one I used was very helpful even shaping the stone for me and recommending drill pieces. I was using marble.

For ‘old style’ wood-working tools, consider going to local auctions. My dad-in-law goes regularly to auctions round manchester and picks up old tool chests. Lots of quality hand tools at very low prices (the last chest he bought was £22 and had four planes, three saws and a huge varity of angle and depth things, all great quality but from the 50s and 60s).

^Concrete! That’s my kinda furniture! Planning to start construction of my first pieces in the Spring or Summer, currently designing the moulds.

Edited to say, if that’s marble, good god! And have a look at what designeds are doing with Corian, amazing stuff!

Sweet Jesus is that cut from marble?? 😯

Amazing…

BTW; CG wooduv probbly wrestled the deer with her bare hands then karate-chopped it to death and eaten it so it’s ok.

That ‘stoned bees honeycomb’ thing looks like a 3D cad rendering to me.

Might be wrong, but it looks too perfect to be genuine.

Described on the artist’s site as

Voronoi Shelf – White Carrara Marble
2007 – Gagosian Gallery, New York

Far out!

Here’s some Corian shelves I think would be great in a child’s bedroom:

Ooohh…

Check it, right; it’s a carbon ladder.

No shut up it’s a ladder made from carbon fibre! 😯

I actually need this.

That marble shelf is real but that’s what happens hen an prominent designer and Italy’s best stone craftsmen come together. I’ve seen a video of it being made, they use very scary machinery.

Before you hit buy on that ebay drill press…..have a look here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=drill+stand&x=0&y=0

bit more money, but there’s some more substatial jobbies there, like the Draper one for £45.

Effin here is the link to a CNC place not the one I knew off has no longer there
These are in Tottenham.

DW Components

I don’t use these but known others to have.
Also at the back is a good quality spray finishers I use.
Thats if you want to give a professional finished to your product.

Excellent! Nice one Stumpy, and thanks, Grantway.

I now have a ‘working prototype’ and another possible design. Going to give a few places a ring this week, find out what they can and cannot do.

If anyone knows any other CNC places in London, any info gratefully appreciated.

The wonder of STW; from knowing nothing, to knowing a little bit, in less than two weeks! Fantastic.

Effin A friend has past me details on this place in London Fields
the web site doesn’t seem to work but I was able to find the contact address.

CNC Workshop

Metropolitan Works might be of interest to you Elfy – partly for their friendly robots, but also because they have a workshop of conventional tools and machines you can access.

LOL that was where I done my Three years City & Guilds
But was known then has London College Of Furniture.

Metropolitan University

Metropolitan Works might be of interest to you Elfy – partly for their friendly robots, but also because they have a workshop of conventional tools and machines you can access.

(Runs around screaming with excitement like an overactive toddler on too much orange squash)

It is possible this might very well be of inertest to me. 😀 Just down the road from me too!

Cheers for the London Fields place Grantway. Will check them out as well.

Oh, and a special Big Up An’ Nuff Respekt to Geoffj of this parish, what has incredibly kindly offered me a detail sander and a reciprocating saw (my mum won’t be too happy about the latter though…), for NOWT! And Dezzie B what is donating a sander which can be used in the community garden where we had all our tools and a genny stolen. Top blokes! 😀

This thread keeps on giving. Actually it’s bin inspirational and incredibly encouraging, definitely STW at it’s very best.

Three pages and not one argument! 😮 On an Elfinsafety thread!!!!

It’s unprecedented. 😐

(Needs a little lie down it’s all a bit too much)