About  D.M. Woodworking

Hello My name is David Minnette and I Started D.M.Woodworking in 1980

After leaving school I completed a four-year apprenticeship carpentry and joinery working for Trollope & Colls Ltd in their south London Joinery shop. At the same time I attended college to take City & Guilds exams. I stayed on at Trollope & Colls for another year to take the advanced exams.

I left T&C in 1976 to take up a position working for R. Harvey & sons Ltd.  a small building contractor in south London. This move was done to gain experience in a different type of workshop. Here I was responsible for everything in the workshop. I would go on site and measure the jobs, go back to the shop set them out and make them from scratch. here I learned more about wood machining, the use of planers saws morticers and spindle moulders . During my time with this firm I also continued to learn more about general building and construction.

In January 1980 I started working for myself, eventually starting my own workshop facility which moved to it's present location in 1990 Over the years I have manufactured lots of different products, in hard and softwoods, in ply wood, particle board and more recently MDF. I have also a lot of experience working with Formica and other plastic laminates. 

I spent several years-making oak cabinets for lighting Control Company including helping their design team with all the original prototypes. I was also involved with their marketing dep't designing and building their exhibition stands.  During the last few years I have been making custom furniture for a company who supply language laboratory’s to schools and colleges. As you will see from the pages on this site I have made many varied items of joinery and furniture over the years and judging by the order book it seems I will be making many more.

I was for a number of years the treasurer of Edenbridge Bonfire Society involved with the committee in planing and organising a major event in the town, consisting of a torch lit procession followed by a large firework display. I was also heavily involved with the building of a number of large effigies of Guy Fawkes and other celebrity’s for the Bonfire society. 

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On a personal note I have a great love of live music, I currently do the front of house sound engineering for a twelve-piece soul band. Check out their website  http://www.souldogs.co.uk/

 I spent several years learning to ride horses and owned my own horse for four years. I also like traveling having visited the USA and Canada many times over the last ten years.