How to find a joiner: doors, staircases, solid wood furniture
What a joiner does
A joiner makes things from wood: doors, staircases, windows, solid wood furniture and wooden structures. This is not the same as assembling panel furniture. Joiners work with solid wood and veneer, gluing, routing and sanding, and the quality depends on accuracy and knowing the material. Say clearly what you need made, because staircases and door frames call for different skills.
Machines and experience
A modern joinery workshop usually has a panel saw, a router, a thicknesser, a planer, a sander and other equipment. Ask what the person has worked on and whether they can set up a machine themselves. If you have a CNC machine, say so separately: that is a different skill. Also make clear whether the person must work from drawings on their own or follow instructions from a senior craftsman.
Describe the workshop conditions too: is there dust extraction, and do you provide ear and eye protection? Joinery workshops are noisy and dusty, and experienced craftsmen notice when an employer takes safety seriously.
What to put in the job post
- What to make — staircases, doors, solid wood furniture, windows;
- Machines — panel saw, router, CNC;
- Experience — how many years, and on which products;
- Pay — monthly salary, piece rate, a share per item;
- Workplace — city, area, workshop address;
- Hours — a regular week or shifts;
- Terms — permanent, on the payroll, seasonal.
Example: “Joiner needed in Vancouver for a workshop making staircases and solid wood doors. Work on panel saw and router, 3+ years of experience, able to read drawings. Six-day week, on the payroll, from $420 a month plus piece rate.”
How it works on BlaBlaPrice
You post one job request and you don't phone around. It is checked for ads and stray contact details, and you get hints on what is missing. Candidates from your area answer in chat: experience, machines, when they can start, expected pay. Reviews are shown next to each reply. Contacts stay hidden until you choose someone. More on the “How it works” page.
How to check a joiner
Ask for photos of things they have made, and ask how they cut corner joints, match the grain of the wood and protect the finished piece. Ask whether they can sharpen cutting tools and pick a glue for each type of wood. Watch their safety habits: do they use protection on the machines? A trial day on your own equipment gives an honest picture. For assembling ready-made furniture, look at a furniture assembler; for metal parts, a fitter.
If you are looking for work
Register on BlaBlaPrice as a service provider, choose this category and your area, and you will receive such job posts to reply to.
