The world has got plenty of diverse career opportunities. The aim of this article is to focus on how to be a cabinetmaker. Out of all the types of professions available in the job market, it is necessarily up to you to decide on what field you are going to choose to move ahead in. Particularly, this would depend on a few factors like your passion, your ability, your scope of choices. We cannot influence any of that. But we can guide you in the best way if you have a passion for this field.
The Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer’s Guide Kindle Edition
The author of this book is George Hepplewhite. Chairs, stools, couches, sideboards, beds, pedestals, cellarets, desks, bookshelves, tables, chests of drawers, dressing glasses, closets, brackets, fire-screens, and many more things are among the guides to the furniture in this book. Further, elegant drawings appear on the plates, revealing practical and simple craftsmanship. This book has received positive and good reviews and ratings from all over the world. And therefore, this would be a good book for anyone who has a keen interest in becoming a cabinetmaker.
What is the difference between a Cabinetmaker and Carpenter?
At a glance, both of these professions look alike. You might think that the profession of cabinetmakers is just one part of the profession of carpenters. Both cabinetmakers and carpenters are professionals who are working with wood. But cabinetmakers specialize in the finer intricacies of what may be accomplished with timber. Carpenters, on the other hand, use their skills mainly for large structural projects. Hence, there is obviously a difference between the professions of cabinetmakers and carpenters.
Manual of Traditional Wood Carving (Dover Woodworking) Kindle Edition
This book by Paul N. Hasluck is a fine choice for you to read and understand the art of traditional wood carving. Although knowing wood carving would not be mandatory for a general carpenter, it would particularly be necessary for a cabinetmaker. That is why we have exclusively mentioned this in our article on how to be a cabinetmaker. And in terms of this book, this is a perfect guide which you must not miss reading. This is well-organized, simple to understand, and exact. The book starts with the fundamentals: what equipment and appliances are required, which woods to use, and how to cut wood. Afterward, there are sections on how to design, trace, and outline your project, as well as how to transform your thoughts into furniture.
What do Cabinetmakers do?
However, before we get to know how to be a cabinetmaker, it would be vital to know what cabinetmakers do precisely. In the previous section, we tried to give you a brief idea while trying to distinguish the profession of cabinetmakers from carpenters. But let us just look into it more descriptively.
It is cabinetmakers who build wooden cabinets, furniture, and fittings and install or repair them. They work for bespoke furniture businesses, building companies, and cabinetmaking contractors, or they might work on their own. This is the outline of the work of a cabinetmaker. But surely, there is a much bigger process in it.
So, cabinetmakers should have the necessary skills to cooperate with the relevant machinery that cabinetmakers would have to use. Basically, cabinetmakers would have to set the parts together, trim them, sand them, and a lot more. So, although this may seem easy, you really have got a lot to do. So, make sure you read this article on how to be a cabinetmaker completely. We are not teaching you the trade. But we can surely guide you with the best pathway for you to follow.
Making Authentic Craftsman Furniture: Instructions and Plans for 62 Projects (Dover Woodworking) Kindle Edition
Anyone who has the passion to become a cabinetmaker can try reading this book. This book is by Gustav Stickley. By referring to this book, you can make beautiful, practical, and long-lasting furniture such as tables, chairs, wall cabinets, desks, a hall tree, and more. Reprinted from The Craftsman magazine in the 1900s, these construction plans include drawings, schematics, measurements, and timber specifications. “If you’ve got a little experience in furniture making, this is a great book for creative ideas. Each project goes into enough detail to get you started, with diagrams and cut lists, without any extra fluff.” This is how a customer has reviewed this on Amazon.
How much can you make as a Cabinetmaker?
This would be a question that you would badly need answers for. So, we thought of telling you how much a cabinetmaker can earn before telling you how to be a cabinetmaker. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the annual median wage of cabinetmakers and bench carpenters was $36710 in May 2020. The highest 10 percent earned an annual wage of $57460 and the lowest 10 percent earned an annual wage of 25310. These statistics surely would be helpful for you to grab an understanding of the income if you become a cabinetmaker. However, you would understand that this is a good income. So, you would not have to worry about your income here.
Craftsman Furniture Projects (Best of WWJ): Timeless Designs and Trusted Techniques from Woodworking’s Top Experts (Best of Woodworker’s Journal) Kindle Edition
Here is another book that would be worth reading it. This book by the Woodworker’s Journal comes with 17 incredible projects. And they consist of plans, instructions, as well as tips. So, this would be pretty convenient for you to refer to and put them into practical situations and work on. This book has got very good comments from all over the world. And we are so sure that anyone who reads this book can gain a good knowledge on the profession as well. In fact, this would be a good read for a cabinetmaker doubtlessly.
Steps to be a Cabinetmaker
Alright. Let us now get into the main content of our article on how to be a cabinetmaker. So, here are the steps we think would be most effective out of all.
- Get a high school diploma or equivalent
- Complete an apprenticeship
- Learn the skills and master the profession
- Get work experience
- Get over the master cabinetmaker examination
- Keep growing
Here are the steps that we think would work the best for you if you are reading this article on how to be a cabinetmaker and seriously want to be one. Go ahead reading! You will have lots of valuable details.
1. Get a high school diploma or equivalent
Cabinetmakers, like the majority of other similar jobs, require a high school diploma, to begin with. Getting industrial-level training in your field is, of course, critical. A high school diploma, on the other hand, shows that you have the essential skills to function in this industry. Reading, writing, science, and math skills are among them.
When we say “equivalent,” we’re referring to a General Education Development test. This is also enough because it provides the idea that you have the requisite knowledge. Basically, the first thing you need to have is a qualification that is comparable in general to this level. And a GED certificate would suffice.
The most important of all the abilities you need to work as a cabinetmaker is math. Most of the time, you will have to utilize your math skills to complete various tasks and activities. It might be about the planning or implementation of a piece of furniture. If you have the necessary knowledge, you should be able to sort things out without too much difficulty or confusion. Besides, it is just the basic knowledge that is necessary. Becoming a math prodigy is not important at all.
2. Complete an apprenticeship
You are eligible to enroll in an apprenticeship program if you are over 18 and have completed a high school diploma or GED. As a cabinetmaking apprentice, you will need to put in adequate hours. This usually takes 2,000 hours. You will learn how to utilize hand and power tools, as well as the necessary measuring, fitting, and joining methods, material selection, and workplace safety requirements.
Through an apprenticeship program, you will have the opportunity to work with and learn from a group of specialists in this industry. Nevertheless, you will not be able to work on your own as an apprentice. You will be under supervision at all times. It is because you still have not mastered the art of this profession and you still are. So, this is a gradual process. You will have to undergo this.
3. Learn the skills and master the profession
Yes, this is what you should do during the apprenticeship. You ought to learn the necessary skills in the right standard and master the profession. Just like the practical aspects, there are certain theoretical aspects that ts that you need to learn in this regard as well.
So, you have to spend at least 144 hours per calendar year in regular classroom education, or more as specified by your state’s legislation. This involves learning about woods and their properties, as well as the chemistry and nature of various stains and finishes, as well as the math, science, and computer skills necessary to work with blueprints and technical equipment.
After this, you must take and pass the journeyman examination in your state. These will vary by state, but they generally consist of a multiple-choice test to examine your understanding of cabinet and furniture construction, as well as workplace safety and other relevant issues. This is how you should proceed if you want to be a cabinetmaker.
4. Get work experience
As we told you, it is necessary for you to et work experience to advance forward. You have to go ahead for a few years, learning and improving your skill via trial and error, observation, and mentorship from other cabinetmakers. Study the industry as well. This includes keeping up with the latest technologies by following trends, reading books, and attending trade fairs.
Also, you have to learn the general esthetic and structural elements that distinguish specific works of art. Most libraries include such books that provide a wealth of knowledge on these fundamental rules of proportion.
Obviously, there would be certain soft skills you feel you should improve when you are working in this industry. Perhaps, you would have some soft skills from the beginning. And there are some skills that you would have to master as well. For that, time is all that you would need. With time, you would be able to master the right skills.
Zen Your Work: Create Your Ideal Work Experience Through Mindful Self-Mastery: Audible Audiobook – Unabridged
Okay. Here is a way for you to start with in terms of gaining job experience. You may become a very successful professional in your job if you listen to this audiobook and follow its instructions. Karlyn Borysenko is the author of this. Judith Hoag is the narrator. This audiobook discusses how to set personal objectives that will help us focus our efforts and establish success measures. And it demonstrates how to apply mindfulness techniques in the workplace to achieve professional success, develop game-changing relationships (even with the most negative employees), reduce stress, and achieve a better work-life balance. So, this would be an important book for you if you have to work with a group of other employees as a cabinetmaker.
5. Get over the master cabinetmaker examination
This will be provided by your state’s labor board if it is available. Otherwise, the Cabinet Maker’s Association offers master cabinetmaker accreditation. A minimum of five years of industry experience, as well as formal education and testing, is necessary for master-level certification.
Cabinetmakers who want to work in the commercial, rather than artisanal, part of the business can pursue university-level degrees in wood product technology and engineering, as well as production, design, and manufacture. But it is up to you. How you should proceed to be a cabinetmaker is what we have been explaining to you.
6. Keep growing
You now know how to be a cabinetmaker. We are now going to tell you what measures you can take next. To put it another way, all you need is an experience to progress. You can do a lot with experience. You could be able to advance to positions in management, for example. All of this, however, takes time. But you can surely keep growing.
Of all, only someone who has worked in a specific field for a long time can understand how things should be handled. As a consequence, even after becoming a cabinetmaker, you are likely to have a wide range of career options.
After that, you can actually start your own business. And you might be able to make a lot of money from it rather than working for someone else’s company. Yet, in this case, you should know how to grow a business as well.
Important Qualities of a Cabinetmaker
Apart from knowing how to be a cabinetmaker, you must also know the important qualities a cabinetmaker ought to have. It is due to these important qualities you can make yourself a professional. Having mere talent and skill would not do that. It requires certain qualities.
- Being detail-oriented
- Precision
- Time management skills
- Dexterity
- Communication skills
Obviously, you need to have these skills if you wish to excel in your career as a cabinetmaker. So, let us take a look at each of them and get to know them better.
1. Being detail-oriented
It is pretty important to have attention to even the slightest fact if you want to excel in your professional career as a cabinetmaker. It’s the simple things that really matter. If you don’t make use of them, it might have a detrimental influence on the overall telecommunication line installation process. So, while it is not necessary to overstate the necessity of being detail-oriented as a professional, it is nevertheless necessary.
Most of the time, after you’ve made a mistake, you won’t be able to rectify it. So, it is always important to do the right thing initially. And that means you need to have immense attention to detail right from the moment you start your cabinetmaking work. So that the task may be completed swiftly, a superb craftsperson will not skip sections of the work or neglect the tiniest detail. This is pretty important to keep in mind if you are reading this article on how to be a cabinetmaker.
Improve Attention To Detail: A straightforward system to develop attention to detail in yourself, employees, and across an organization. Paperback – April 17, 2019
As we previously told you, a cabinetmaker’s attention to even the tiniest details is important. If you have not been doing so, we suggest reading this book by Chris Denny to learn how to pay attention to even the tiniest things. This book is written in a straightforward and fast-paced way. There are no useless fillers in this 125-page book. Chris Denny, the author, keeps things moving along while staying focused on the purpose of the content: to help you build and/or improve your attention to detail. This book has received a lot of favorable reviews. A professional like a cabinetmaker would benefit greatly from reading a book like this in terms of enhancing the ability to pay attention to detail.
2. Precision
A passion for minute detail and precision in the creation of the parts leads to a high-quality end product. In cabinetmaking, you would have a standard to which you must follow in order to ensure that the work is of high quality. And for that, precision really matters. Things should be exactly the way they should be. In other words, all your woodwork should be exactly in the way it should be. That is what precision is. If a cabinetmaker lacks, precision, that really is a problem. Therefore, you need to make sure that you are perfectly precise in the measurements and all in order to produce a quality product.
Your Brain at Work: Strategies for Overcoming Distraction, Regaining Focus, and Working Smarter All Day Long Kindle Edition
No doubt, being precise to the letter is of immense importance for cabinetmakers. Of course, you need to be precise and accurate with each and every single aspect of cabinetmaking. It is important to get the right end result. This book by David Rock helps you have a consistent focus on something that you are doing. You would lack precision when you are getting distractions. So, we suggest you read this book and make sure that you would not lose the precision of your cabinetmaking tasks.
3. Time management skills
Needless to say, time management skills are pretty important for any professional. In fact, it is pretty important for a cabinetmaker as well. You would be at a loss if you do not have good time management abilities as a professional. As a cabinetmaker, your first task would be to map out the scope of work that you have to do. Simultaneously, you will need to plan out how you would use your work hours to accomplish this. Actually, this does not need any extraordinary time management abilities. However, it is critical that you manage your time well. For a cabinetmaker, though, this is critical.
Time management is a tool that is vital in both official and informal settings. There will be certain time limitations for the completion of a particular project. So, if that project is part of your work, you must understand that you need to allocate your time accordingly for each part of the work that you have to do.
Yes, time management skills are that important. It is as important as knowing how to be a cabinetmaker for anyone who has an interest here. Hence, if you feel that you are not currently managing your time right, you surely would have to fix your problem. You can surely try to manage your time and excel in it. But you need to have that strong motive whenever you are starting some sort of work.
15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management: The Productivity Habits of 7 Billionaires, 13 Olympic Athletes, 29 Straight-A Students, and 239 Entrepreneurs Kindle Edition
And here is a suggestion from use to improve your time management skills. Kevin Kruse, a New York Times bestselling author, and who is the author of this book shares the fascinating results of his research on ultra-productive people he has carried out. Of course, the productivity of a particular individual really matters. It is important to make use of every single second that you spend. More than all that, you need to adjust yourself to the schedules of your work-frame. So, that is why you need to learn to manage time. And this is an ideal book for you to refer to.
4. Dexterity
What is dexterity? Well, dexterity refers to the ability to utilize your hands to accomplish numerous activities at your instructions. In cabinetmaking, you would have to use your hands for any type of work that you do in your profession. So, you need to know that your dexterity levels should be up to the standard if you are reading this article on how to be a cabinetmaker and seriously wish to be one. Of course, you cannot actually have physical excuses in your professional career.
Jump Rope MASTERY DVD – Jump Rope DVD With Routines, Exercises & Techniques To Improve Fitness, Agility, Cardio & To Tone Body
This DVD is really a help for you to improve dexterity. Overall, this will help you enhance your fitness, agility, cardio, and other skills. However, in this case, it is clearly beneficial for you to greatly enhance your dexterity. As you may have guessed by now, this DVD demonstrates how to enhance your dexterity with jump rope workouts. This product has a lot of satisfied consumers. They claim that this aided them in sticking to their fitness goals. And if you want to enhance your dexterity, this will be a huge assistance. Participate in these jump rope workouts. Refer to the DVD and participate in the activities as directed. You would achieve excellent outcomes. We assure you.
5. Communication skills
Particularly, a cabinetmaker must have excellent communication abilities. If you do not have good communication abilities, you might not be able to get what your customer or client wants. Then you would wind up doing something completely different from what you had planned. That serves no one’s interests.
In terms of having good communication skills, what you need to understand here is that you need to be effectively communicative. There are certain individuals who are too communicative but still not effective. Those types of people do not really grasp the facts the other person says. And that undoubtedly affects the end result in an adverse manner. Hence, you surely do have to make sure that you are effectively communicative.
If you feel that you are not communicative enough, you have to improve your communication skills. This is for your own good. If you do not do anything to improve your communication skills, you would be in trouble ultimately.
Simply Said: Communicating Better at Work and Beyond Paperback – October 31, 2016
Alright. So, you have to learn about communication skills if you think that you are not up to the standard. We told you how important effective communication is. If communication is not effective, you can never get things right in the end as we told you. And this book is perhaps, ideal for you to refer to, in this regard. The author of this book is Jay Sullivan. “One of the better books on improving work skills that I’ve read in a long time! Great advice paired with real-life illustrations, and some rules/tools.” This is how one reader of this book has reviewed it. So, this would be adequate for you to purchase this book and take a read.
Conclusion
We hope that we could enlighten you on how to be a cabinetmaker. And we are so sure that if you follow the pathway we mentioned, you can serely excel in this field. All the same, if you would like to read about the paths to be such similar professionals like plumber, electrician, mason, HVAC technician, ironworker, glazier, solar installer, boilermaker, painter, and so on, you can read about them too. Happy cabinetmaking!
