Interesting reading

[DaveO]

Stuck at home sick today, I found myself surfing the internet. And while very deeply into results for "woodworking" on Google, I found this page. Interesting and depressing all at the same time. Check it out.
http://stats.bls.gov/oco/ocos237.htm

Dave

[mshel]

Dave,

I read that as if a person was planning on getting a job in an industry similar to what Phillip does. As for a craftsman or craftsperson, there is a special niche that isn't accounted for in the gov. studies.

[DaveO]

I sure hope so, because those wage numbers really don't sound as good as what I am doing now. I think that I am under selling at $25 an hour for my side work. I did find the descriptions to be interesting and how they classify the work levels. Dave

[clowman]

Hmmm... 2 years to become skilled... I wonder what I'm doing wrong... I'm just a hobbyist, spending my weekends doing woodwork, but 7 years later, I wonder if I'm "skilled"

- clay

[DaveO]

Well, if you work full time 5 days a week at woodworking in 2 years you will have put in 500 days of experience gaining work. You said that you do weekends 2 days a week for the last 7 years, account for family and slacking time, you've put in at least 650 days. According to that article you should be experienced. That is why I have found the descriptions to be so interesting and at times comical. But that is what the government says, so who knows. Dave

[cloudancer]

That is most depressing, but not news I suppose.

[Big Mike]

That is interesting reading.

I have to say I have far more than 500 hours invested in learning woodworking but to say I am "skilled" as they mean "skilled" might be a stretch. Now if I had had the benefit of apprenticing under the tutelage of a master woodworker I might be "skilled".

Unfortunately I am self taught. That means I have not had the best teacher or necessarily been the best student.... .

[Phillip]

hi all, i didn't find it as depressing as some of you, i agree with mshel, the gov can't take the independent craftsman into consideration. i've been a woodworker for 7 years now, 5 of them "professionally" as a cabinetmaker, boatbuilder, furnituremaker, and now as a bench carpenter at an architectural millwork firm. in that time the thing i've noticed most was the waste produced by the woodworking industry. we were recently told a story at work about a man who orders 500 bd/ft of clear maple at a time for his cabinet shop. when he receives his order he culls out the curly, birdseye, etc. and burns it in his woodstove because it is not what he ordered, clear stock. (no, i don't know his name or how to contact him...) While this is an extreme case, in high point we routinely threw out small boards as wide as 6" and as long as 2-3ft, walnut, mahogany, maple, and all thicknesses, up to 16/4. Many of these pieces could be used for turning blanks, leg stock, small boxes, big boxes, anything. These were offcuts leftover from ripping rough stock, crosscutting boards that were too long instead of looking for a more suitable piece, really, inattention to how much, and what size lumber we really needed for a particular piece. Also plywood, mostly strips, but some good sized pieces too, good for drawer bottoms, back panels, etc. i have to admit the boatyard was better about waste, repairs were always needing some small piece of plywood in an odd shape so it paid to hang onto almost everything. Also, i don't think anyone throws teak of any size out. the point of this ramble is that the advent of cnc machinery will help to reduce waste in an extremely wasteful industry and probably produce a better product cheaper. i don't know how to reconcile the loss of jobs these same machines will cause. i feel like no matter how cheap or good mass produced goods become, there will always be a place for the handmade. well, i lose focus easily when i'm typing so that's my ramble for now. thanks for the post daveo, it really is something to think about.

phillip