Lakeland Cabinet Makers

28/09/2023

Due to last minute cancellation, There is now a spare place on the Oct 9th course. If you are interested please get in touch.

25/10/2021

100 x 5* reviews!! Another great box making weekend just finished and with it my 100th 5* review 😁

https://www.craftcourses.com/courses/box-making-weekend-in-cumbria

09/10/2021

The run up to Christmas shows has started in earnest. I will exhibiting at the Great British Craft Fair at Wetherby racecourse on the 26th and 27th Nov so it's non stop stock making from now on.
Everything at the show is designed and made by the exhibitors and promises to be a fantastic weekend.

www.facebook.com/GBcraftfair

25-27 November 2022, HCC Harrogate
Showcasing the very best of British handmade crafts with unique & show-stopping pieces for the home & garden, combined with beautiful gifts for Christmas including stunning jewellery, fashion & toys.

31/07/2021

Getting ready for the 1st show since March last year, feels good to getting back out there! 😊

18/02/2021

There has been a sudden demand for chess boards recently, I think maybe down to "The Queens Gambit" on Netflix?
Had 3 on the go in the last month alone.
Made me look through some pics of past and present boards. The latest is a floating affect board heading off to spain when it's done. A Chess/Backgammon board just fnished and the smallest board I have made so far at only 200mm square 🙂

23/11/2020

Just looking through some old pics and came across these build pics for a clock case I made a few years ago. Still my favourite job so far and the scariest (read on to see why)
A customer came in, plonked some engineer’s drawings on the desk and asked if I would like to take on a challenge…wasn’t going to say no to that!
He was an engineer who had spent the last 5 years building an astronomical clock movement from scratch…every single piece! This clock showed the relative positions of the earth, moon, sun and every planet in the solar system; my head can’t conceive the complexity of the gears and precision involved.
He could make whatever you liked from metal but confessed to having no wood working skills, hence the visit. However he didn’t want just any case making , he wanted a case made to the same precision as his movement and if someone else was making it, he wanted to know that they were going to be challenged in the same way he was, so the tolerances he had built into the design were basically zero. Quite scary as wood does like to move sometimes! To give you an idea, the pendulum weight cables were 2mm diameter and the holes they passed through inside the case had to be 3mm, giving 0.5mm clearance, they couldn’t catch or the accuracy of the clock would be off. The holes could easily have been 10mm holes but that wasn't in keeping with the ethos. This was all the more scary because I never actually got to see the movement, it was too delicate to travel, so I effectively made it blind, relying on the drawings and some very accurate marking out and assembly from me. (after checking at least 5 times lol)
The case had to have an inner structure of ply to 1) hold the weight of the mechanism which was around 30kg and 2) remain stable and prevent any movement causing problems with the tolerances. It then would have an outer case of Walnut and rippled Ash. He wanted no visible hinges or catches, so barrel hinges and magnets were used giving a lovely clean contemporary look to a long case clock.
5 weeks in the making and it was all finished, It was absolutely stunning and imposing at 7ft tall.
At this point I still had no idea if the movement would fit properly and more importantly, line up perfectly for those cables. The case was collected and I had a very anxious wait before I got the call to say “yes, it fits, and works perfectly” Phew!!
He plans to make another 2 clocks and will be wanting 2 more cases made. This was 3 years ago so 2 more years and I’ll expect a call lol

16/10/2020

Due to a couple of cancellations due to covid restrictions there are now 2 places available on the October box course. ! place on the 24th October and 1 place on the 31st October. Please get in touch if you are interested.

20/08/2020

Another great review from the box course last weekend.

"What a great weekend! After a lack of normal social activities for months due to the Covid-19 lockdown, it was challenge to attend an indoor practical course that required close supervision. However, excellent attention was given to ensure safety in the workshop, with all appropriate PPE provided, and I would have no hesitation whatsoever in returning for another course.

Mark was an outstanding teacher with a clear precise style of communication and very good-humoured patience (which was certainly needed for me!). His practical demonstrations were like watching a surgeon at work, amazing. We learned lots of little tips that make all the difference and everyone completed a box with their own choice of woods and design.

If you are looking for an interesting workshop that delivers, then this is certainly it - very highly recommended!

Thanks again Mark"

19/08/2020

After a 5 month break because of COVID, the box making courses have just restarted. First weekend just completed, 4 happy students and some great boxes made. A lovely review has just been left by one the students on the craftcourses website:

https://www.craftcourses.com/courses/box-making-weekend-in-cumbria

"What a fantastic course! With an abundance of ppe and measures in place to keep us safe in the time of COVID-19, each of the four participants was able to learn the woodworking skills required and put them into practice to create a truly beautiful box. With his expertise and a wealth of patience from Mark, each step of the process was clearly explained before we were let loose in his well-equipped workshop. For a well-spent and rewarding weekend in the beautiful surrounds of Cumbria, I wholeheartedly recommend this course"

Thousands of creative workshops across the UK. Our gift vouchers make a unique and creative experience gift and are redeemable against any course. Choose from glass, textiles, blacksmithing, art, jewellery, ceramics, woodwork, stone...and many, many more! There is something for everyone!

17/07/2020

At long last, the box making courses will be back up and running from August. There are some extra dates available, places are filling up fast! If you would like a spot on one of the courses the available dates are below:

September 5/6 already full
October 31/Nov 1 2 places left
November 7/8 3 places left
November 28 3 places left.

There is also an extra date for the router courses:

October 17 3 places left

14/07/2020

So, I have just entered the Globe set of drawers into the Etsy design awards 2020.
Probably the most satisfying thing I have made to date. 10 days work, many hours before that figuring out how to actually do it, 4 days were spent hand shaping the globe with no template! actually wore out my rasp! A truly one off unique piece, It was made in Walnut and rippled Sycamore and all the drawers are lined in leather.
Fingers crossed 🙂
This and many other handmade items are in my etsy shop
https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/bespokeboxmaker

15/06/2020

My Latest Watch box. It holds 10 watches, is made from English Walnut with some lovely ripple in it. The top is book matched with a Sycamore centre and dividers. Lovely soft brown leather cushions, made by yours truly. Solid brass hinges and a brusso stay. A Lovely watch box. If I didn't already have one, this would be mine!🙂This will join all my other boxes on my Etsy shop later today.

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/bespokeboxmaker