Trubakoff

Hows it going, First let me introduce myself my Name is Thad Trubakoff, I am 21 and attend ASU where I am studying Industrial Design as well as Architecture and Design Management. I Started woodworking freshman year in High school and absolutely fell in love. There is no way to describe my passion for wood except for it is all I think about. I am pretty talented and have won a few VICA cabinetmaking competitions. Through woodworking I have been able to set up morals and my personal beliefs that coincide with how I work with wood, so basically I call it my religion. I graduated Highschool and with it I had to leave my school's wood shop. I have not been in a shop for 2 years and its killing me. Everyday I wake up with an unquenchable urge to create, and I cant. I finally was able to enroll in woods II here at ASU and start in the fall so I am ecstatic, but I need my own shop. Here is my question, does anyone have any ideas on how I can get tools to fill a shop. It is impossible for me to save being in college and all, I have been racking my brain as to how I can get my own shop without taking out a loan, Ideas? I plan on making woodworking a business as well as my career/life. There aren't very many craftsmen left, The Alvar Aalto's and Eames are gone, we still have Sam Maloof, and since the technology age I feel like wood has become an old material when it should not be. It is the only sustainable material on earth and I want to push design back into wood, as well as invent new wood composites. Sort of on a tangent but I cant really talk about this stuff with anyone I know, so thats why I am here. Any way if you have any ideas on how to get tools let me know and if not post anyway and discuss big picture woodworking. Thanks for your time, Thad Trubakoff.

Trubakoff

Oh and as soon as I get back home to Flagstaff, AZ later this week I will post up some pictures of my projects.
Cheers!

Daren

I know a young man (my wife works with him he is an IT guy) that did woodworking while in college to help pay his expenses. I don't know how he found time, or you would, but it sure sounds like you have the passion to try. I guess most of us found plenty of time for far less constructive activities I was looking at a piece of his equipment to buy http://www.legacywoodworking.com/ . This one machine almost put him through school. I don't know your proximity from "home" to school or if you would have a place to set up shop. Or what your market would be for the finished product unless you could do only custom and have no inventory, which would require a "virtual showroom" of past work...a cheap website.

I have heard of "woodworking clubs" that have communal tools and workspace that they rent. I am not to familiar with how that works really, maybe someone else can speak more on that.

As far as where to get tools, are there any pawn shops near you? I understand being a broke collage age guy (or broke at any age for that matter ) You can only afford what you can afford. Since you are not a newbie to woodworking you know what you need to do what you want to. Check http://phoenix.craigslist.org/ you may luck into some inexpensive tools (there are other Arizona city listed)

This may be way out there, but "volunteer" to be a teaching assistant at a local high school shop near your college...free shop time. I went to school with a guy who did that in a way, he was a "assistant swimming instructor " at a local high school and was on the college swim/dive team...we had the keys to the pool, so if we wanted to go play water basketball at 2:00 a.m. as long as we were respectful of the property there was no problem.

I know money is tight, but if you are right now wanting to do it just for your passion profit is not the motive. You can afford to reinvest in better tools when you sell a piece, every penny. Sell something for $500, replace that beat pawnshop tool with a good one.

Sorry I could not be of more help. I will be honest I jumped into this much later than you with a different financial situation, but much the same love for wood. Anyway, good luck, welcome and do post some pictures.

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Trubakoff

Thanks Daren, I think I am going to take out a student loan and do this right. Buy nice stuff the first time around then work like crazy to pay it off. That way I will have everything I need and can start my business.

Daren

You are welcome anyway, I did not know that was a rhetorical question or I would not have wasted my time answering it . Good luck, I would concentrate on your studies for now...you may to need something to fall back on. "That way I will have everything I need and can start my business." and take some business classes too .

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Trubakoff

It wasn't rhetorical, I pondered your advice, and I thanked you for it. I am also taking business classes, my major is Design Management which is a business/design major. I also get very sound advice from my dad who has owned a lot of business's (a few bars, some restaurants, and now custom home contracting) so thats good. I would like to just stick to my studies but I feel like I am wasting time not doing what I actually want to do. I really liked the shop/teacher/assistant Idea, my mom is an educator and I can def see myself giving back in the future, especially if I gain all this knowledge about woodworking. I put the loan idea in the deep freeze because I cant stand the idea of owing anyone money, but I thawed it out and am seriously thinking about it. This is tough but I feel like If I don't do something now to get what I want it will fall through the cracks.

nailgunner7

Thad,
Sometimes it's the journey not the destination that matters. You can read all you want on the latest and greatest tools, but to tell you the truth, the minute you buy the best,next week there's something better. I started cleaning pools on the weekends to earn money to buy wood working tools. What it taught me was how to deal with people. I have a degree in Business but what that didn't teach me was patience.
I have invested in my shop several times over now, upgrading as I progressed. Each job I set aside funds for another better tool. My shop has approx 75,000 in tooling now and I am looking for a larger location. Then the toy prices really jump. CNC's, Multi moulders/shapers etc. It all takes time. Relax and enjoy the ride.

Nailgunner7
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Trubakoff

great advice! Its hard to be patient, especially for me. Waking up every morning with one thing in my head and not be able to act on it. Patience is one thing I need to learn, I am very ambitious which can be very good but also detrimental.

Daveb

My advice: finish school with great grades. Don't get ahead of yourself. A degree in a related field will allow you to easily get a good business loan to start your business. Not just a small loan to get a couple of tools. If you get a loan now, it will be hard to finish school since you will need to work to make the payments on the loan. Just my 2c. There is no one right way.

Gerry KIERNAN

Hi Thad

Welcome to the forum.

If you have the time, go around to garage sales. It is the slow way to gather tools, but sometimes you can get some great deals on some pretty decent gear. If you can only afford one piece of power equipment now, I would suggest you look at a Shopsmith multi tool. This would not be everybody's first choice, due to change-over time, but if you can find a used one at reasonable coin, they are very versatile. Also, some of the guys, on this site, may have used equipment they are wanting to replace with upgrades, and may have a reasonable asking price. Most of the people, that I have met, who like working with wood, are pretty decent people, and like to help others along.

Another idea, is to watch the for sale ads. sometimes you can luck out there.

Good luck with you endeavours.

Gerry