Jim
Tolpin's Guide to Becoming a Professional Cabinetmaker
Thirty Years
of Lessons from the Trade
by Jim Tolpin
Softcover
215 x 280mm
128pp
Published by Popular Woodworking Books, Ohio USA
R.R.P.$39.90
ISBN 1-55870-753.0
ON BACK ORDER
Extract from back cover of book:
Your Blueprint for making Good Cabinetry and Good Money.
If you've ever dreamed of making an honest living with your hands, then let Jim Tolpin show you how to become a professional cabinetmaker without losing your shirt - or your sanity.
Thirty years ago Tolpin almost destroyed his custom cabinetmaking business because he committed every easy-to-make but hard-to-avoid mistake. He fixed his shop, his woodworking techniques and his business model so that instead of them making him crazy, they made him a comfortable living.
With the help of Jim Tolpin's Guide to Becoming a Professional Cabinetmaker you can follow the same successful and detailed path as you set up your own woodworking business (or make your existing business run more smoothly). Here's what you'll learn:
- Be as good at business as you are at woodworking. Structure your business correctly. Keep records that allow you to set accurate prices. Find new business and keep the old.
- Configure your shop, buy your tools and build your jigs so they earn their keep.
- Blend high-tech European cabinetry techniques with American furniture styles to make cabinets that are quick to build, easy to customize and a snap to sell to people in your market.
About the Author: Jim Tolpin is one of the most respected names in woodworking today. He's the author of many ground-breaking classics, including: Measure Twice, Cut Once; Table Saw Magic; The Toolbox Book; and New Cottage Home.
Contents
Introduction
The
Shop
Location
and work space
- Where to locate
- Size and space
- Lighting and
electrical requirements
- Heating
- Plumbing
- Structural Modifications
Shop
Layout
- The saw/jointer/router group
- The drill press station
- The grinder/sharpening area
- The placement of mobile tools
- The placement
of work surfaces and storage systems
The Tools of the Trade
- The
table saw
- The crosscut saw
- The jointer
- The surface planer
-
The drill press
- The band saw
- The air compressor
- Dust collector
-
Hand tools
- The sharpening station
Shop-Built Fixtures
- Table
saw runoff and side extension tables
- Crosscut saw extension table
- The
multi-purpose work platform
- Storage systems
- The three "stooges"
Protect
the Shop's Most Valuable Asset
- Protective clothing and devices
- First
aid
The
Process
Cabinet Design and Block Production
-
The block production method
Generate Shop Data
- Shop drawings
-
Cutting lists
- Bill of materials
Collate and Stack the Materials
-
Organizing your materials
Prepare the Sheet Stock
- Laminating sheet
stock
- The sizing process
- Milling carcass components
- Milling other
sheet stock components
- Milling laminated panels
Prepare the Solid
Stock
- Surface planing
- Layout
- Ripping the first straight edge
-
Ripping edge-banding and moldings
- Ripping the other components
- The
crosscutting process
- Face-frame preparation
- Preparation of door and
panel frames
- Preparation of panels
- Preparing the drawer faces
- Preparing
other solid stock components
Assemble the Components
- Panels and
frames
- Face frames
- Drawers
- Slide-out shelves
- Edge-banding
Finish
-
Finishing materials
- Preparation
- Finishing procedures
- Preparation
for case assembly
Assemble the Carcass
- Installing the other components
-
Preparation for delivery
Install the Product
- The delivery
-
Preparation for installation
- Reference lines
- Installing the cabinets
-
Install the components
- Final inspection
The
Business of Cabinetmaking
Structure the Business
- License, registration
and other requirements
- Help without hiring
- Set up and keep the books
-
Banking
- Contracts
- Insurance
Market Analysis, Product Design and
Pricing
- The clientele
- The marketplace
- Product definition
-
Price the product
- Cost estimating
- Pricing formulas
- Write bids
Market
and Sustain the Business
- Business media and displays
- Build relationships
within the trade
- Contact cards
- Appointment etiquette and a pep talk
-
Direct marketing to consumers
- Advertising avenues
- A good reputation
-
Follow up
- Working for the generals
- Working with the team
Epilogue
Tools
and Supplies
Further Reading
Production Flowchart
Index