Thread: Workstation

Nice design Cabbie, and welcome to the forums.
The table seems to 'swoop' with the curves in the legs and tops.

Entering competitions and exhibiting under your own name are good ways to put your name in front of potential customers.

Cheers and good luck.

welcome to the forums mate.
awesome table you got there

cheers

Cheers for the comments guys good to get some other feedback from fellow woodworkers out there. I try to be totally differet with things I create. Sometimes I need a little inspiration from someone else but once I get it I don't stop hehe.

Originally Posted by Cabbie

Hi there
I am new to this forum and I really like the fact there is a forum such as this one here. I am a cabinetmaker and specialise in lots of custom work ranging from large scale shopfronts and kitchens ect to smaller personal cabinets for homes. Here is a piece of work I designed and built for a competition my work wanted to enter. I can't take credit for the large top but the legs and smaller lower top is all my idea I just wish my work would have given me a little more credit for it but they decided to register it and now, even though it is my design legally it isn't. I got plenty more things in my head that I will do in my own time. The workstation came second in the comp that was entered so I was pretty happy about that considering it was a first competition I have entered. I have done all sorts of different varied work and I love working with my hands. I plan on starting up my own business in the next couple of years just so I can work for myself and do my own thing.

Sadly mate this is the way it works... you work for them anything you create that fits within their framework while you work for them belongs to them... Okay your a cabinet maker their business is cabinet making including desks such as that one if they choose to make that sort of desk... they ask you to create something interesting you create and make the legs and small top they or someone else that works there creates the top... they the company you work for own that peice and the ideas that went into creating it... you work for them they own anything you create within their framework of your employment

I ran into this issue in another life and it cost me dearly... end result was to use my own designed items I had to leave the position with the firm wait some years (cant remember how many) then and only then could I go ahead and use it... and ONLY if they had not copyrighted it if they copyright it (and they had) you again cant use your own work that you created while working for them... and mate? You cant work around it either.

You may think to create something similar but slightly different? and nothing will happen its a new idea right? But they can sue you under copyright and use the fact that you created a similar peice to the new one while working with them and so you are infact breaching copyright AND steeling their idea... and mate? they can win that one.

With mine I created 10 training programs while working as a trainer for a training company... these 10 programs were entirely my own work I created and delivered them to clients for over 2 years... but when I left I was made to hand over everything and anything related to those programs... everything!... I objected strongly to this and was informed if I didnt comply I would be sued under several acts... when I investigated the legalities of it I would have lost... quite simply what I had created as an employee of the company that related to the work that the company employed me to do that was theirs... it was however arguable that the other 5 I created after hours in my own time and on my own computer were infact theirs as well however the risk of being pursued by them at law was not a thing I intended to try and so Ive never used any of the programs I created during my tenure with that company... simple legality was that what I created during my tenure that related to my usual work and the work of the company was theirs

Id step quite warily with this mate... as it could be seen by the company if before or after you leave them that you start to create similar peices to what you did there that they may well consider that you are "ripping them off" and that they in fact own the rights to your work... just something to consider

Otherwise... bloody nice peice!

Yeh I already have researched quite a bit about copyright law and stuff. I aint too bothered it just means my more creative Ideas are gunna stay ideas until I put them into fruition myself. It is only 5 yrs they hold the copyright for then i can claim it unless they re-sign it. I really only wanted to do it to see how I would fare up against others in the same industry as myself and I quite surprised myself. That piece came up second against a $50,000 bar fitout all in veneer. I was pleased about that and glad to know my ability is good enough to get me somewhere.

Very nice design, Cabbie. And congrats on the prize.

I wouldn't worry about copyright etc. Life's too short. Just keep the ideas coming, and you'll be right when you start working for yourself.

Look forward to seeing more of your stuff.

Great work.
Love the design, and it is all ways nice working in a nice big shop, like in your other post. Good luck on starting a business, that sound more like work to me then fun. You know what that was about the plumers house.

great work cabbie
the only thing l will ad if you going out in a few years slowly build up a room full of your ideas so when your ready you can fill some floor space in a gallery saves going hungery

Great work Cabbie, and hang on to that enthusiasm with all your might.

If you have a workspace of your own, or just bludge one off your olds, start to build up a collection of tools, which you probably already have. Then start to slowly acquire machines and do small paying jobs as you go. Before you know it you will have everything you need to go out on your own..

You would be surprised at how little machinery you actually need to build custom furniture, unless you intend on making kitchens etc and start talking about big panel saws etc..


As for the desk, whats it made of?

Looks like maybe veneer board with solid timber edges?

Yeh the desk is made from a Tasmanian Myrtle Veneer with American Cherry Solid timber edging. My plan is just to starts small work my way a little bigger til it's just big enough to support me and a family comfortably really. I aint doing it to get rich or anything. I have no plans on ever becoming rich I just wanna do it cos I have a genuine love for the work and I prefer to work on my own and do my own thing. I gotta work up to get some serious machinery such as a panel saw ect but Ill sort it just guna take time really.

Cabbie great work and great design.
Keep the ideas coming BUT keep them in you're head and/or start making them for you'r self.
What is the finish

Cheers Peter

Sorry I should have explained better what it was. It's finished in 2 Pack High Gloss Lacquer about 4 coats cut back and buffed up