ccarrolladams
Member
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2010
- Messages
- 1,451
Recently and on another thread here at FOG a member for several years made fun of another well respected member who has participated in several Festool Training Classes.
All of my career I have taken the time to attend hundreds of continuing education courses in many subjects. Sometimes doing so was required for me to retain my license. In other subjects, such as woodworking, I doubt that any of us ever know everything about everything. The problem is until we discuss a subject to others we have no way of knowing the things we do not know.
Although I built my first drawer case days after school went on summer break in 1940, I am thrilled to have the chance to participate in the Festool Door and Drawer (or as I call it "D&D") Class in Henderson in late May. My cunning plan is to create a drawer department within my cabinet shop. I have not personally built a drawer case since 1961, because back then I made a good deal with a wholesaler of top quality drawers. My time needed to be devoted to designing custom cabinet jobs for clients and making the cases. In those days it made sense to me to buy drawers from vendors who were as passionate about drawers as I am about the cases, face frames and drawers.
Now that my new shop has reached a decent volume, I want to investigate the practicality of bringing the drawer construction in-house. All six of the cabinet makers working for me agree in principle. We all also admit it has been a long time since any of us actually built a drawer. None of us can remember building a drawer for a client.
Therefore my plan is to take the course to gain the insight of the five others being trained and Steve Bace who will be our instructor. Once I have participated in the class I will have a much better understanding of not only how to build drawers, but more importantly, how to discuss the building of drawers with those who have been so kind as to submit their resumes to me.
Who knows, we might well add visible Domino joints instead of dowels, while making a lot of dovetails. Currently over 90% of our jobs specify dovetail drawers. Sure, I do own a lot of routers and I have used dovetail jigs 50 years ago. I also own a large CNC nested router.
Fortunately besides Festool the Alexander Dodds Company specializes in drawer making machinery for factories. They have CNC routers designed for the size parts used in drawers, with can effectively make dovetail and other joints at profitable speed. Still, before I sign purchase orders, I want to return from class, go to a quiet corner of my shop and manually build enough drawers I feel confident doing so.
Last fall I participated in a cabinet class and later that wee an advanced router class in Henderson. Was I embarrassed to do so? Of course not. I helped my grandfather build cabinets starting in 1939. I purchased my first electric router in 1949. I have always felt confident using any tool that will help me make cabinets, especially routers. Yet I am sure that until the day I die I can gain by sharing experiences with others in classes and at meetings. Possibly I have experiences of use to instructors and fellow trainees.
Festool classes are about more than the chance to use tools not yet being sold in the USA. In Festool classes we make new friends. Last year there were always 8 of us per class. This years there are 6. Some from my cabinet and router classes will be back for D&D. A really good pal of the solid surface professional who was my work partner in solid surface class this February will be flying in to Henderson because he could not get into a class closer to home in Lebanon. There is a fellowship from these classes.
Of course everyone is entitled to an opinion, or even several opinions. When I am interviewing a prospective new employee or vendor, I distrust those who project an attitude that because they were trained in a certain method they are unwilling to consider alternative approaches. My business is based of a willingness to adopt modern methods. My personal experience is that I cannot do business with a vendor or employee with a closed mind.
It seems so sad to read that a member of FOG looks down on other Festool users and FOG members who do believe in training classes.
All of my career I have taken the time to attend hundreds of continuing education courses in many subjects. Sometimes doing so was required for me to retain my license. In other subjects, such as woodworking, I doubt that any of us ever know everything about everything. The problem is until we discuss a subject to others we have no way of knowing the things we do not know.
Although I built my first drawer case days after school went on summer break in 1940, I am thrilled to have the chance to participate in the Festool Door and Drawer (or as I call it "D&D") Class in Henderson in late May. My cunning plan is to create a drawer department within my cabinet shop. I have not personally built a drawer case since 1961, because back then I made a good deal with a wholesaler of top quality drawers. My time needed to be devoted to designing custom cabinet jobs for clients and making the cases. In those days it made sense to me to buy drawers from vendors who were as passionate about drawers as I am about the cases, face frames and drawers.
Now that my new shop has reached a decent volume, I want to investigate the practicality of bringing the drawer construction in-house. All six of the cabinet makers working for me agree in principle. We all also admit it has been a long time since any of us actually built a drawer. None of us can remember building a drawer for a client.
Therefore my plan is to take the course to gain the insight of the five others being trained and Steve Bace who will be our instructor. Once I have participated in the class I will have a much better understanding of not only how to build drawers, but more importantly, how to discuss the building of drawers with those who have been so kind as to submit their resumes to me.
Who knows, we might well add visible Domino joints instead of dowels, while making a lot of dovetails. Currently over 90% of our jobs specify dovetail drawers. Sure, I do own a lot of routers and I have used dovetail jigs 50 years ago. I also own a large CNC nested router.
Fortunately besides Festool the Alexander Dodds Company specializes in drawer making machinery for factories. They have CNC routers designed for the size parts used in drawers, with can effectively make dovetail and other joints at profitable speed. Still, before I sign purchase orders, I want to return from class, go to a quiet corner of my shop and manually build enough drawers I feel confident doing so.
Last fall I participated in a cabinet class and later that wee an advanced router class in Henderson. Was I embarrassed to do so? Of course not. I helped my grandfather build cabinets starting in 1939. I purchased my first electric router in 1949. I have always felt confident using any tool that will help me make cabinets, especially routers. Yet I am sure that until the day I die I can gain by sharing experiences with others in classes and at meetings. Possibly I have experiences of use to instructors and fellow trainees.
Festool classes are about more than the chance to use tools not yet being sold in the USA. In Festool classes we make new friends. Last year there were always 8 of us per class. This years there are 6. Some from my cabinet and router classes will be back for D&D. A really good pal of the solid surface professional who was my work partner in solid surface class this February will be flying in to Henderson because he could not get into a class closer to home in Lebanon. There is a fellowship from these classes.
Of course everyone is entitled to an opinion, or even several opinions. When I am interviewing a prospective new employee or vendor, I distrust those who project an attitude that because they were trained in a certain method they are unwilling to consider alternative approaches. My business is based of a willingness to adopt modern methods. My personal experience is that I cannot do business with a vendor or employee with a closed mind.
It seems so sad to read that a member of FOG looks down on other Festool users and FOG members who do believe in training classes.
