Thinking about getting back into kitchen fitting after 25 years out. Thoughts please

[The Mortgage Man]

Potted history.
51 years old and bored with the desk job.
Dad was a time served cabinet maker and I was brought up with tools in my hands.
Cabinet making City and Guilds and Advanced C&G (4 Credits, 4 Dist), then apprenticeship in trad upholstery. Then kitchen fitting with dad for a few years before moving back to upholstery for about 20 yrs. Last 10 years as a financial adviser (boring).

I now thinking of getting back into kitchen fitting. I know I have the skills and whatever I turn my hand to I do to a very high standard. But I have a confidence problem though. I have fitted a couple of kitchens for friends over the years but I wonder if things have changed much since dad and I did this day in day out back in the late 80s.
Are things basically the same? Will I need any specialist tools. I have all the usual hand tools plus cordless drill and quality mitre chop saw.

Any Clints appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[Stretch]

If you've got the skills and know how, there's nothing to stop you. Just invest in a tracksaw. No kitchen fitter should be without one.

Many on here will tell you to buy Festool but there are plenty of equivalent makes out there and also once you start buying Festool, you can't stop. Allegedly.

If you're worried about whether or not kitchens have changed since the 80s just fit B&Q, Homebase or Howdens and you'll find nothing has changed...

[Graftershave]

There probably a bit easy in the fact nearly all are on adjustable decent cab hangers and adjustable legs no shims or spiking through, kitchens are more advanced, appliances, solid surfaces, pull out racks, lift up systems.
There's probably lots more tools about to help or hinder depending on your preference

There's probably more fitters about and work has been tougher to lock down for a few years, but I wouldn't swap my job, normally indoors, relatively clean, and normally a brew every few hours, and no ones my boss.

[The Mortgage Man]

Thanks guys.

Back in the 80s we had a neighbour with an Allmilmo showroom and thats how we got going.
I dont have any contacts now and I am wondering how guys get started these days.
Any ideas?

[PJK]

I'll agree not a lot has changed since the 80's that you'll find any harder than it was then. If your doing laminate tops you will have to butt and scribe them. No more joint strips in the corners anymore although we did fit one a few weeks back in a rented property to keep costs down!!! Oh the embarrassment

I think you'll find the appliances both easier and harder at the same time. Not sure what you were fitting back then but when I think back to that time I just think of the new world gas twinline oven that sat on on its own concertina frame that sank with the weight of the oven. What a pain in the ass they were!!

Your main problem will be getting enough work to make things pay.

Hope it works out for you

[The Mortgage Man]

If your doing laminate tops you will have to butt and scribe them. No more joint strips in the corners anymore although we did fit one a few weeks back in a rented property to keep costs down!!! Oh the embarrassment Cry

How very dare you. Never did we fit a worktop with one of those aluminium strips. We scribed and cut each with a saw and dressed them with a block plane. By the time we had finished my dad would say "looks like it's grown there".

Thanks for the input though. Where to get the work from is my biggest headache.

[PJK]

good for you mate. In the 80's we sold butt n scribes as optional extras. It amazed me the number that went for the strips.

My recommendation for getting work would be the same as I've offered in the past. Find a small local kitchen firm and offer them as much free work as you can till you've proved yourself to them in the hope they will take you on. I know it'll be hard for you physically and financially but in these times it's the best you can do.

Also look out for the ones that want to take the piss and just get the free work.

[The Mortgage Man]

good for you mate. In the 80's we sold butt n scribes as optional extras. It amazed me the number that went for the strips.

My recommendation for getting work would be the same as I've offered in the past. Find a small local kitchen firm and offer them as much free work as you can till you've proved yourself to them in the hope they will take you on. I know it'll be hard for you physically and financially but in these times it's the best you can do.

Also look out for the ones that want to take the piss and just get the free work.

When you say "in the hope they will take you on" do you mean as an employee?
With the exception of a few years I have always been self employed. That's the way I want to go.

Thanks for the advice though. Much appreciated.

[Daz Gizmo]

I think one of the biggest changes is in Solid Surface Worktop Materials. There are so many available now all with their good and bad points.
I used to fit Corian back in the 90's and now we have so many variations on this type of worktop. Solid 20-30mm options, 44mm Encore (5mm solid surface on a chipboard core).

I could go on but its all down to reading the instructions and making sure the joints are very clean before you bond up. Similarly with appliances, read the fitting instructions and make sure the ventilation and spacing etc are correct.