Testimonial from James Harvey

Dear David

I hope you are all well and that the workshop is busy. Here are some words that will hopefully be useful to you for the web site. Please feel free to edit them, and I am sorry if they are a bit flowery-  you can blame Kirsten for taking the notes!! ( she told me to say that! )

A fantastic course. I arrived with a small amount of knowledge and left ready to set myself up in business. David asked what I wanted to learn from my time with him, and the course was then tailor made to suit.

I was then able to work at my own pace, providing that the quality of the work produced was of a high standard. The workshop is a very friendly place to work. With David, and up to 5 students, there was more of a family atmosphere than that of a college course. Ideas and suggestions are bounced off everyone, indeed during coffee and lunch breaks, when work stops, ideas are discussed and designs are pondered over. During the duration of the course, I learnt all aspects of furniture making, from the concept, through design, to planning, making, refining, selling and marketing of a piece. I have learnt not only the designing and making side of furniture making, but also how to manage a self employed business. One of the huge benefits of this type of course is that all the learning is hands-on at the bench, working closely with professionals who are themselves working on their own commissions.  During my 8 months at the workshop, I started by preparing my tools for the quality of work I was to undertake. For the first project, I produced an 8-foot workbench of solid Maple and Iroko, which took about 7 weeks to make. This is a piece that is now central to my new workshop and is built to last a lifetime. Using the workbench, I then made a small dovetailed stationary box that taught me how precise and accurate one has to be when producing fine furniture.

 My main project was then undertaken. I had decided to produce a ladies writing desk, as it would entail using many essential aspects of furniture making. The original design evolved during the making, with David and helping at every stage offering ideas of construction, refinement and positive criticism when needed. Looking back I was amazed that I was able to take on such a large project after only 3 months on the course. I was able to put in long hours nearer the completion of the desk in order to submit it for a national exhibition, where it received the student routing award.

By winning a major prize in a national furniture-making exhibition, after only 8 months on the course, it demonstrates the achievable quality of work and design expected from David Savages workshop.

I am now in the process of setting up my own workshop, bourn from the  confidence to succeed, given to me by the enthusiasm, knowledge and skill of David .

 I'll be in touch soon.

 Many thanks.

James.