Tables, Chairs
Cabinet Furniture
Beds, Built-ins, Other Work
Exhibitions, Galleries, News
Articles
Links
Services and Charges
Teaching and Student Work
Contact
Richard
Jones Furniture
Links
Select the subject you are interested in below and click on the link, or just scroll through the page.
Index:
Alan
Peters: The Maker's Maker- A short video
Professional furniture making
organisations
Timber
Merchants
Woodworking
Forums
Woodworking
Tuition
Wood
Finishing Expertise and Suppliers
Hardware/Ironmongery
Machinery
and Tools
Health
and Safety
Alan Peters: The Maker's Maker- a short video
Jeremy Broun recently released a short excerpt from his video-in-progress called Alan Peters: The Maker's Maker. Alan Peters died on October 11, 2009 but he is considered one of the 'greats' of mid to late 20th century British furniture design and craft, and his ability and skill is acknowledged worldwide. From the first time I saw his work in the 1970s I was struck by what I saw was honesty and integrity visible in abundance married to a fine design sensibility, economy of detail, lack of fussiness, and impeccable attention to premium craftsmanship; I think this might have been a result of his early training at the Barnsley workshop with its links to the philosophy of the Arts and Crafts movement of the late 1800s, coupled with his well documented learning tours to Japan. I have to admit that from time to time I am aware of his influence in my own designs. The short video the link above takes you to is a prelude to a longer film due out towards the end of this year-- I'm looking forward to that.I will forever remember the generosity of Alan Peters as one of Britain's most respected senior statesman in the business through the very few times we met and through equally rare telephone conversations in which we discussed some of the finer points of furniture design and making-- he always seemed to have so much patience and found time for a short conversation and to offer encouragement, even to someone, such as myself, that he could only barely know!
Contact Jeremy Broun here via his website if you wish to find out when the full length version of the film is available.
Professional furniture making organisations
Scottish Furniture Makers is an organisation made up of craft furniture designer maker businesses-- many are one person businesses and others have a few, or quite a few, employees. They hold group and individual exhibitions, eg, during the Edinburgh Festival in August and run a closed email subscriber list.Northern Contemporary Furniture Makers (NCFM) I am a member of this organisation that has a similar role and profile to the Scottish Furniture Makers above; membership is nominally restricted to furniture makers based in Cheshire, Derbyshire, Yorkshire, Lancashire, Durham, Northumberland and Cumbria-- there is just a handful of the total membership that are not based in the list of northern English counties.
Designer Makers Organisation of the United Kingdom (DMOU), has a similar membership profile to Scottish Furniture Makers and Northern Contemporary Furniture Makers above, but covers the whole of the United Kingdom, has members based in Ireland, and even a few in mainland Europe and other continents. I am also a member of this group of furniture designers and makers.
The Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers is the City of London Livery Company for the British Furniture Industry. The company states that its purpose is "To foster the Craft and the Industry of Furniture Designing, Making, Marketing and Retailing in the United Kingdom".
Proskills is the Sector Skills Council of the UK and represents a broad range of British manufacturing and processing industries, including furniture and furnishings. Its remit is really more attuned to the needs of mass and batch producers than to individual furniture designers and makers, but the organisation provides guidance and sets qualification and training standards.
Up to Index
Timber Merchants/ Wood Supplies
John Boddy Timber. This long established Yorkshire based company supply home grown and imported timber species. They also convert logs and run timber drying kilns and supply mouldings of various sorts.Spa Laminates of Leeds, West Yorkshire supply veneered panels and board materials.
British Hardwoods in Keighley, Yorkshire, supply a range of native timbers, mouldings, flooring material, doors, etc.
Capital Crispin Veneer. An excellent source for a wide range of veneers.
WoodCentral is owned and managed by Ellis Walentine of Pennsylvania. There are several discussion forums, competitions, articles, classified advertisements, etc. Primarily amateur users with a sprinkling of professionals.
UKWorkshop is a British based forum with several discussion boards and other activities. Most users are amateur woodworkers.
WoodworkUK is another British based forum. Its user base is comparatively small so it is quite 'intimate'.
Woodweb is American based, has several forums along with a massive knowledge base and links to industry, mostly north American. It has sections for work opportunities, for sale and wanted sections, and many more. Mostly populated by professional woodworkers and woodwork suppliers.
Woodworking Australia's Woodworking Forums. I don't know much about this one. I am a registered user and I posted two or three messages, perhaps as long ago as 2005 -06, but I don't visit much. There are many discussion boards to choose from and it seems to be a pretty active site.
Rycotewood Furniture Centre, Oxford. Offer a Foundation Degree/ BA (Hons) in Furniture Design as well as National Diploma in Design Crafts, restoration and City and Guilds qualifications.
Wood Finishing Expertise and Suppliers
Michael Dresdner is an extremely knowledgeable wood finishing consultant based in the USA.Homestead Finishing is owned and run by Jeff Jewitt, another American based consultant on finishing techniques, supplier of wood finishing materials and equipment. He runs a forum for technical questions and answers, creates articles on the subject viewable online, offers courses on wood finishing. Apart from the knowledge base I suspect much of what is on offer isn't useful to anyone not based in north America.
Morrell's supply wood finishing products to the trade. I find their products work well. Go to the Contact button on their homepage to find your nearest supplier.
Fiddes are another company whose finishing products I like.
Häfele supply
a vast range of hardware. You have to be a registered user to buy directly
from them.
Woodfit don't require you to buy in large quantities and sell a range of useful hardware ranging through contemporary hardware for kitchens and other built-in work. They also sell a more traditional range of hinges, catches, and so on.
Screwfix sell hardware, tools and other useful items.
Machinery and Tools
Axminster Power Tool Centre supply heavy machinery, power tools and handtools. They also sell a very large range of other furniture making related supplies and equipment.D B Keighley of Leeds supply heavy duty woodworking equipment, much of it reconditioned.
Robert Osborne, in Northampton sell industrial woodworking machinery.
Holtey Planes. If you have the odd copper or two to spare, Karl Holtey makes highly acclaimed planes.
Marcou Planes are made by Philip Marcou in New Zealand. Owners of his planes rate them highly. I wouldn't mind test driving one myself, but none have crossed my path.
Classic Hand Tools are UK based and sell a range of higher quality tools, such as Clifton, Lie-Nielsen and Veritas planes, saws and other tools.
Health and Safety
Health and Safety Executive. The British government's body responsible for industry wide health and safety issues and legislation.© 2009 Richard Jones