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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    adelaide
    Posts
    7

    Default Cabinet makers / joinerys Adelaide

    I am an amateur woodworker who is looking to do some work on my house cheaply. The problem with this is i dont' have access to a decent saw and edgebander for working with laminated chipboard.

    I also want to order board hinges etc etc etc at wholesale cost.

    I have a mate that will let me do it at his joinery but it's an hour and a half away.

    So basically i want a joinery / cabinetmaking workshop in Adelaide near the city that would be willing to let me use their workshop.

    What is in it for you.

    1. I can offer small amounts of $$ to use the equipment.

    2. My preffered option is to offer my Labour. I will come in every saturday for 8 hours and clean or build or do odd jobs that you need done. I have experience building 6 kitchens now and have used edgebanders routers etc etc etc. As long as i can use the equipment while i am there to build my own kitchen.

    3. I can pay you to provide cut and edged wood but i don't want to pay someone 45$ an hour to do it. It's just too expensive. Maybe we can come to some arrangment there.

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Brisbane
    Age
    63
    Posts
    1,337

    Default

    I might be a simple soul here BUT I can't see why it is you are prepared to work in a workshop to pay for use of said tools but don't want to spend the time (only 1.5 hours each way) to use a mate's workshop.

    Surely if you were organised you should manage your visits to only two.

    In the bush an hour and a half is a small run just down the road.

    Beyond that you get to spend a bit of time with a mate - take a six pack and enjoy the outing.
    Cheers

    TEEJAY

    There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness"

    (Man was born to hunt and kill)

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Adelaide
    Age
    44
    Posts
    229

    Default

    Hi Chunksoul

    Welcome to the forum.
    A few years ago i was in the same situation.
    What I did was locate some joinery places that were close and convenient to my place and approached the owner.
    I explained my situation, what I required and that I was prepared to put in some hours sweeping and tidying up. In return he supplied cheap timber and jointed/ Thicknessed as required. Instead of sweeping and cleaning he got me involved in some of the projects he was working on. He also took a lot of interest in my projects and offered some great advice.

    My advice is to get out and be proactive, go and meet some of these joiners in person, I think you'll find that there are some pretty good blokes around who are happy to help out a fellow woody.

    Good luck.
    It's better to be thought of as a fool than to speak up and remove all doubt!

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Goulburn NSW
    Age
    89
    Posts
    913

    Default

    I agree with TeeJay, go to your mates shop, cut your pieces over the weekend assemble them over the week. Try ebay for your hinges.
    les

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    adelaide
    Posts
    7

    Default

    My mates shop is a 3 hour return trip. I would rather spend that 3 hours doing something productive.

    I was kinda hoping to turn it into a semi regular gig. Whenever i need a workshop i go do some work and get access to the shop floor.

    I am happy to do every weekend for 6 months or similar.

    I approached 2 joinerys in the area and both fobbed me off.

    I plan to try more but was hoping there might be some guys here who know of something

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Brisbane
    Age
    63
    Posts
    1,337

    Default

    I don't think it is because they don't like you rather more about if you were to hurt yourself on their machinery could they be sewed - yes - would their insurance cover it - most likely not as you aren't an employee.

    and

    As they don't know you from squat if you were to damage their machinery would you disappear into the sunset?

    Harsh realities I guess - there are most likely more reasons too.
    Cheers

    TEEJAY

    There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness"

    (Man was born to hunt and kill)

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    brisbane
    Posts
    65

    Default reality

    the reality is that as a craftsmean who has invested extraordinary amounts of time learning and researching his craft that i should be prepared to work for penance so that you may have a cheap house.......my law degree got posted to me the other day by a company called kellog's......

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    lower eyre peninsular
    Age
    74
    Posts
    3,577

    Default

    I have worked in several jionery/cabinet makers in Adelaide. Iam seriously not trying to be rude but mate "you are flamin dreamin"
    Insurance is the big killer in your dreams, You can sign any waver saying the place is not responsible but it dont mean sh**.
    Sorry to be a fly in the oinment mate but hell I drive for 7 hours one way to buy me timber cause it still works out cheaper than buying it locally. Yes Iam not supporting local business I know but I now come to Adelaide see the family, buy me timber, visit friends have a few drinks and go home. Not always in that order.

    Your 'mate' is 3 hours drive away ,. oh tiddlye poo bum what a bloody shame , thats what mates are for helping each other out sharing things.
    Shoot got get me wired man you are dreamin.
    I would love to grow my own food, but I can not find bacon seeds

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    South Australia
    Posts
    4,470

    Default

    I agree with TEEJAY, if you are not an employee the shops not coverd, if you are an employee then you probably will not have time for your own work. The work you mention above can be done by hand, you don't realy need an edgebander etc, you can cut melamine and trim it by hand plane, it would take more time but you would be spending you 3hrs in the shop

  11. #10
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Kuranda, paradise, North Qld
    Age
    62
    Posts
    5,639

    Default

    Besides the liabilty issue, which is huge anyway I couldn't see the value in it for me. Somebody wanders in and offers to pay for machine time in exchange for non skilled labour. Even if it was semi skilled labour or a qualified tradesman I really wouldn't see much value in it. I'd have to keep an eye on them for the first few days just to make sure they didn't stuff anything up so that would be costing me time/money. My machines are there to make me money, not any one else. I estimate that they make me between 2 - 4 times per hour what I'd need to pay a qualified cabinetmaker so someone would need to sweep the floors for about six hours to buy an hour of machine time. Even my messy shed doesn't need that much sweeping.

    Mick
    "If you need a machine today and don't buy it,

    tomorrow you will have paid for it and not have it."

    - Henry Ford 1938

  12. #11
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Brisbane
    Age
    60
    Posts
    1,055

    Default

    What they said^^^. Pay someone to do it or use your mate's shop. As insurance stands at present, I can't let ANYONE use my machines because it would cost me a fortune for the policy to allow it, not to mention all the hoops that are required to demonstrate that I've determined they're competent. Not to mention Worksafe...
    Sadly, the days of "dropping in" to use a mate's gear are coming to a close very rapidly.
    Cheers,
    Craig

  13. #12
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    adelaide
    Posts
    7

    Default

    The answers are interesting.

    I run a small business and from our standpoint it's a win win situation.

    If we get someone to do free labour and use our facilities in exchange.

    I am what i would consider to be a decent non proffessional cabinet maker.

    Anyway thanks for the replies. If anyone needs some free labour. I am prepared to use it as a learning experience and a bonus if i get to use the equipment.

    I was more aiming it at part time job in exchange for equipment and materials.

  14. #13
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    Port Pirie SA
    Age
    52
    Posts
    6,908

    Default

    Why cant you do it at home?
    You dont need a edge bander, you can buy melimine already pre-edged it comes in standard widths(ie 300/350/400/450/595mm).
    Its what I just did, yes I have an equipped workshop but it would still be possible with just a drill and a circular saw!

    In Adelaide for fittings go to Elraco's you wont get much better prices.
    ....................................................................

  15. #14
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Goulburn NSW
    Age
    89
    Posts
    913

    Default

    I have built a lot of kitchens with only hand tools a circular saw in the correct jig will cut the melamine dead square. The cut edge use a electric iron to apply the melamine strip. The hinges on a press drill. No need to go on, too easy if you don't want to travel and be independent
    les.

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