daily math used in a workshop


Humberto

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Hello to everyone here.

I am a 22 year old aspiring woodworker. I recently quit my job to start working at a cabinet and custom furniture company to learn more about this industry and woodworking hands on since I don't make enough money to buy lumber to make furniture, that is why I decided to work with masters at this in a real workshop. The owner of the shop was nice and he gave me a shot to work there even though I have no experience, so I want to be more than ready for my first day at the workshop and be as efficient as possible.

  • What is some fundamental daily math skills I need to re-study in order to be a useful team member at the workshop? the owner asked me if I'm good at math so I want to study but don't know what he meant exactly, what do I need to know.  

thank you all in advance to take the time to read this!

 

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Furniture math insist that complicated.  For cabinetry its  break downs. Furniture is about complicated joinery and execution. 
 

In fiurniture there are no nail guns or wood putty.  Cabinetry is all about woodputty and nail/staple guns. 
 

Furniture is about time frames just like cabinetry.Your on it 8+ hours a day till complete. 

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Plus 1 to everything above. Also realize that all lumber sizes are nominal - a 2x4" isn't actually 2 inches by 4 inches, 3/4" plywood is almost never 3/4" of an inch, etc. - and don't assume any corners are 90 degrees or edges are straight unless you made them so.

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On 10/17/2024 at 5:48 AM, Ron Swanson Jr. said:

 

What a great opportunity you have! Are you in the US? 

I ask that question because most of the rest of the world uses metric measurements, while the US uses imperial. So math with fractions becomes paramount. Being able to add, subtract, divide fractions is probably the math i use the most, although sometimes i will switch to metric in a project to make a math problem easier. 

Also, board feet. Hardwood is usually sold by the board foot - a volume measurement, and not by a linear measurement. 

The other thing that many of us use is the golden ratio - to try and keep proportions attractive within a project. 

That ratio is 1:1.61. 

Good luck!

 

First of all thank you for replying Ron. Yes, I live in FL, US I'll practice arithmetic with fractions then and calculating volume. Thank you so much for your recommendation.

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On 10/17/2024 at 6:44 AM, wtnhighlander said:

Also consider basic geometry. Most joints in furniture and cabinetry involve 90 degree angles, but there are numerous situations where the ability to determine cuts needed to form other angles is important.

That's very true. I couldn't figure out how to cut an angle for the legs of a bench I was doing and felt really dumb. Now I know I just got to go down to basics and trigonometry. 

Thank you for the suggestion. 

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On 10/17/2024 at 1:36 PM, Dave H said:

When I started doing construction work (carpentry) I realized I should have paid more attention in math....you know "when will we ever need to know this" well it was almost immediately. So I went to a used book store in town and bought algebra, geometry, general math reference books and, set down and read these book so I could figure out things like the volume of a cylinders ( geometry ). Laying out a building and, needing to find the cross square measurement of a building, or how find the length of a rafter (algebra). I still use these reference books as I need them. Now there is google or YouTube, but math I found was my weakest part of my job description, so I did what I should have done when I was in school instead of trying to take the path of least resistance. Pay attention how other tradesmen attack a task, ask about the tricks that they use to expediate the task and remember these tricks. Good luck

wow I really liked your advice. Books are definitely more detailed in math than youtube videos for sure. Would you mind naming the books you got? I will pay attention to the masters there every single move they take I'll ask questions for everything, thank you Dave.

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Good on you for doing your homework. Being an employer, I’ve found that many new hires just want a spot on someone’s payroll without taking the initiative to learn the trade. Good luck! 

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When I was in high school taking wood shop, I think I found three books in the library about woodworking. Today you can sometimes have a good library that will also have woodworking magazines available. Worth a Saturday to check out.

 

Most shop don’t want you trying to learn other shops practices. They want you to learn hands on doing their projects and their way.,

 

I tried to get  a job at a shop called Sni- Valley cabinets. The owner told me you have experience and I like that , but I don’t care how the other shops build cabinetry, how they payed or the equipment they used.  “We don’t care” . He didn’t care about other shops or how they operated. I didn’t go to work for them , but later heard after 25 years of business, the cocaine caught up the owners owner and wife and eventually went under..

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On 10/17/2024 at 8:46 PM, Coop said:

Good on you for doing your homework. Being an employer, I’ve found that many new hires just want a spot on someone’s payroll without taking the initiative to learn the trade. Good luck! 

I wanted more than a spot I wanted an opportunity and I won’t let Dan (the owner) down. I’m practicing arithmetic with fractions to have a better flow at the shop and not take so long trying to figure out simple calculations.

thank you for your words Coop!!

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On 10/18/2024 at 10:15 AM, Mark J said:

@Humberto, What type of furniture does the company make?  Do they use an assembly line like process, or are items more "one off"?

The main thing Is built in cabinetry and also custom furniture pieces. I know they do drawers in an assembly line like with a dovetail machine that’s by computer I believe.

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On 10/18/2024 at 11:16 AM, gee-dub said:

One thing I might mention is that your employer's version of how things are to be done is always correct ;).  The person paying you is the one setting the direction.  You do not want to be the new guy trying to tell the place you are working what they are doing wrong.  If they call a 22 inch lower a "550" then that's what it is.  Kitchen and bath have been metric for a long time.  If that is the type of stuff they are making get used to that.  If they are making custom furniture in the US then get used to the fact the 1/2" is 1/32" larger than 15/32".  Don't stress; you'll do fine.  Just be open to how things are done at your new employer's biz and adapt to that.  I made a 40 year career out of adapting to how other people did things regardless of how much "smarter" I thought I was :lol::lol::lol:

Kitchen and bath have been metric for a long time 


??????

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On 10/19/2024 at 8:34 AM, BillyJack said:

Kitchen and bath have been metric for a long time 


??????

Oops… Maybe this is regional. Since I was in college Kitchen and Bath cabinetry have all been spec’d in millimeters in my localized experience. People I’ve worked with call it the 5 mm, 32 mm, or system 32 method.  Is this another one of those weird California things that I thought was national??? wouldn’t be the first time I’ve stepped in it… :-)

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