3 ms·

Ah I'm not too far into my tech career (2 years) and wouldn't say I'm looking to get out quite yet (I'd like to pay my debts off first), but I'm curious to hear

• bradly 5y ago
  I've added my email to my profile. Here are some of my big takeaways after just a few months: - Hardwood is expensive. Very expensive. I get most my wood out of the scrap box and use that to practice techniques (bow tie inlays, dovetails, veneer making, epoxy, live edges). - Quality tools are expensive. Very expensive. Even hand tools can easily be over $100 for a single chisel or rasp. Hand planes and hand saws will start at over $200 often times. - The work is very rewarding. - The people are very helpful. I reached out to a furniture maker on YouTube I've been enjoying and asked if I could come work and learn with him for a couple weekends and they were onboard. - There are co-working spaces with full wood and metal shops. I belong to one and I'm there most weekdays for a few hours, but most of the others are running 1-3 person companies making quality furniture and art. It's great to be around. $200 a month for table saws, drill presses, band saws, planers, jointers, spindle/edge/disc/widebelt sanders, 10'x5' CNC. - Community colleges and local woodworking associations offer lots of classes on a variety of topics and techniques. I took an initial five day course where I made a cutting board and stool. Since then I've taken a lathe classes and I have a measuring and marking class and a shaker tray class next week. - Buy the SawStop.