I need a "Norm Abrams" type woodworker ...

[Steve]

My house has wood framed single hung windows. There is a bay window in the dining area. The company that made the windows is out of business and their

design didn't seem to consider that rain and snow would run down the outer glass and seep into the lower sash piece. One of the sash bottoms has bowed and is starting to split. Based on experience (in a prior life) it seemed to be an easy job to make a replacement piece. There are no non-standard or custom cuts and the design is pretty straightforward and seems to require only common tooling.

I removed the sash and disassembled the frame so I could take the bowed and

splitting lower piece to a local "Norm Abrams" type woodworker and have one made. Problem is, there doesn't seem to be a local "Norm Abrams" anywhere in my local area. I've called or visited every "cabinet maker" I could find but apparently the title "cabinet maker" now means ... I can order cabinets for you, but not actually make anything.

I went to the local woodworker's supply and they couldn't point me to anyone who could help either. This is not a complicated job. If it were metal and I had a milling machine with common tooling I could make one out of steel in about 3 hours.

I would be happy to ship the piece to you if you would make me a new unbowed and unsplit one. I really hate to replace an entire bay window to solve this problem.

Since I discovered this problem I have "sealed" the glass to the sash on all the wooden windows with a really nice "plasticized" latex paint.

If anyone out there can and will help I would really appreciate it.

To reply by email delete "_nospam" from the email address

[Steve Stone]

In the northern New York City Suburbs are two folks that meet your requirements. One is a retired school teacher who makes custom cabinets and is extremely good at the craft. The second gentleman is about 80 years old, is a perfectionist from the start to finish. Obviously his age makes the projects a take a bit longer to complete but the end results are flawless.

[Wade Lippman]

Check with your high school's vocational education department. I am sure the instructors there know plenty of people. (though your lumber yard should also)

[BinaryBillTheSailor]

You don't need a cabinet maker, you need someone who does millwork, as in millwright.

BB

[Ann G]

A common misconception is that employees of mills are millwrights.

WHAT IS A MILLWRIGHT? Millwrights are members of an élite construction industry subspecialty that works primarily in metal and precision machinery. Millwrights install conveyor systems, giant turbines and electrical generators. They install and maintain factory machinery, and perform much of the precision installation and maintenance work in nuclear power stations. As highly skilled construction mechanics, millwrights study and interpret blueprints and perform the drilling, welding, bolting and fabricating necessary to bring the plans to life.

[BinaryBillTheSailor]

Many of them ARE!

A person who builds or maintains mills. In the case of woodworking, a millwright is generally the person who does everything from answer the phones, to fixing the milling equipment, to milling the material, to sweeping the floor, to paying the bills.

A person needing a milled piece made of wood, should look in the yellow pages under MILLWORK.

BB

[peter]

You don't need a cabinet maker. You need a window maker. Or a window repairer. If you look in the phone book under windows, you should be able to find one. Or if you have a good hardware store, ask the folks there who they recommend.

This is not television. This is the real world. Things are different here.

Good luck,

Peter

[Steve]

... boy am I an idiot. Of course I've looked in the phone book under every heading I can think of and many heading that don't even relate to my needs. I've called and gone to lumber yards and home centers. I have looked for cabinet maker, millwork, window fixer, window manufacturer. I have gone to every woodworker supply I can find in this area and no one can help. I'm sure there are hobbyists here that can do this job but finding them is proving difficult ... hence posting in this NG.

If you can make this for me then please email. If you know someone who can then have them email.

If the best you can do is state the obvious then let's save the bandwidth.

[Ann G]

WRONG

Nonsense.

Yeah, okay.

Relax. You're going to blow out that large puffy vein on your forehead and make a mess. In today's society with everything so specialized, cost factor being the rule of the day, and unions waning, most mill 'workers' (not millwrights) do one thing and one thing only in a mill. In a wood or planing mill one guy may build stairs, another one planes and shapes wood, and one sweeps the floors. And even if they belong to the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America Union most are still specialized in one to two things. So the guy sweeping the floor or shaping a piece of wood into a sash may very well not have a clue how to erect a tower, assemble a piece of machinery, etc.

Today's true millwright doesn't work in a mill doing menial work for $10 an hour. A true millwright today still does as I defined earlier....

Millwrights are members of an élite construction industry subspecialty that works primarily in metal and precision machinery. Millwrights install conveyor systems, giant turbines and electrical generators. They install and maintain factory machinery, and perform much of the precision installation and maintenance work in nuclear power stations. As highly skilled construction mechanics, millwrights study and interpret blueprints and perform the drilling, welding, bolting and fabricating necessary to bring the plans to life.

That's a millwright. Not a millworker.

Also genius, you're wrong about the cabinetmaker doing this simple task. A cabinet maker is much more readily available these days than a mill and would have the necessary equipment to make a sash in short order.

In your effort to be an expert and impress one, you make yourself look like an ass to many.

[Ann G]

A cabinet maker is much more readily available these days than a mill and would have the necessary equipment to make that sash in short order.

[3GCPO]

Any "real" carpenter should be able to complete this small task. aren't there any carpenters anymore? or does everyone need their fancy useless titles. you know what I mean ................titles like Project Manager.

for what it would cost you to send it to me, it would be cheaper to buy a "new" window. lol

_\ \ \ | / / / _ ( ' 0 - - 0 ' )

-----ooO----(__)----Ooo----- 3GCPO

I'll wait here while you find a local carpenter

[Steve]

New Mexico

Not demanding at all ... just looking to pay a fair price to get some work done.

[3GCPO]

No wonder why you can't find a "real" carpenter.

[BinaryBillTheSailor]

Take a pill. You are the one who is acting like a hyena. You obviously have some sort of axe to grind. Nobody gives a flying f*ck about your public relations crap.

The poster needs to look in the phonebook under "millwork", and you need to look in the phonebook under "Psychotherapist"

You sure aren't helping anybody with your hystrionics.

BB

[3GCPO]

boy you really like to use those big words don't you? too bad you didn't learn how to spell them. hystrionics.......hahahahahahahahahahaha!

thanx for the belly laugh

BTW the poster should be looking in the phone book for "carpenters"

[Ann G]

[Ann G]

After readigna few of your posts I see you are one who knows it all and refuses to learn.

I'm sure there are some in this forum who know the difference between a mill worker and a millwright. For those that didn't (such as yourself) I choose to believe the info I gave is not wasted just because an anal-retentive individual like you can't accept that your wrong about something, and others may have gained some knowledge

Now, take your own advice. Find a mill and have that blockhead of yours sharpened up a little.

[Joe Bobst]

You might find help in rec.woodworking NG. Let them know where you live just for openers. If you still can't connect with the people you need, consider woodworking as a new hobby. Good luck.

Joe

[BinaryBillTheSailor]

What an unmitigated prat!

Someone needs help getting a piece of woodwork duplicated. The people who do that work are listed under MILLWORK in the yellow pages. Despite your protests to the contrary, these places are plentiful and easy to find. They are often small "mom & pop" shops and the owner is also the person who does everything from the bookeeping and answering the phones to maintaining the equipment and doing the millwork.

These are little WOODWORKING shops, they don't build offshore oil rigs.

Many of them specialize in making reproductions for the restoration of antique houses. They do a lot of custom, one-off pieces. These one man operators can correctly be called millwrights regardless of your personal shortcomings. They are woodwrights, who also can be called millwrights because they maintain the machines, and often make some of their own tools.

Why you would try and dissuade the OP from looking in the yellow pages for the exact right business to do what he needs is quite a mystery. That is usually the mark of a TROLL

In short - The advice I gave was spot-on correct, and will help the OP get his window part made. Your participation may have made you feel better (I don't know why), but it was all heat and no light.

Don't read this next part or your head will explode...

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BB

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Post on rec.woodworking. Should be people there interested in helping. Ed